Where to buy a house near Birmingham?

[FreddoBaggyMac]

We have just found out that DH's job is moving to Birmingham and the likelihood is we're going to have to move pretty quickly - before the end of the year. It's going to be hard for us as we have four small children (all under 6)and no family or friends around there and we don't know the area at all, and also DD1 is really settled at her primary school here which is just a few minutes walk from our house...

Anyway, we need to look to the future and I'd be really grateful for any advice anyone can give me about buying a house in that area. Which areas are good, which to avoid etc... we have no idea at all as we've never even been there.

We basically want to be in a nice area for our DCs to grow up in and as short a commute to Birmingham as possible for DH. We need three bedrooms and a study and would like a garden. Most important, we need to be walking distance to a good Catholic primary school. We prefer older style properties (Victorian or earlier) but we need somewhere that doesn't require any renovation (or preferably even decorating!) as we just won't have the time for at least five years! Our budget is going to be around £250k.

Have heard that Bournville is nice - but there seems to be lots of areas within Bournville, I think Bournville village is going to be too expensive for us. Have also heard good things about Edgbaston, Harborne and Moseley - but again I suppose all of these places have good and bad areas within them... Have also thought about living further out (Whitwick, Malvern?) but perhaps the commuting time would be too long?

I'd be completely grateful for any advice from anyone as we're really stuck - we're not even going to have much opportunity to go and look at houses as we'll need to move quickly and have our DCs to consider (not easy to househunt trailing 4 DCs behind you!)
If anyone could provide me with links to houses for sale that might be suitable for us I'd be eternally grateful!!

Thank you in advance.

Bromsgrove is lovely and has a good Catholic school (St Peters).

Agree with Cat, some gems of roads hidden in not great areas and vice versa.

BW I used to drive from Redditch to central Brum in 45mins. It is doable.
Train is better though, unless you need car for your job

Another possible way of searching could be like this

Saint Joseph's is in the Bournville area, although its post-coded Kings Norton. I don't know anything about it though.

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I have lived in a few of the areas mentioned and here is my take on things:

harborne - some parts are lovely but very £££. They have a great deli, waitrose and M & S food etc. They also have a very good primary catholic school (st.marys I think). It is definitely worth looking at houses in this area if you want to be close to Birmingham

Bournville Village - fab. Very green and feels like you are living in a small village in the country. I think you could pick up a small semi in BVT for your budget. There is also a great park which Harborne lacks.

Bromsgrove - wouldn't bother. Massive new housing developments in recent years has put a strain on resources. The centre is in decline with lots of shops boarded up. Does have a catholic primary though - St Peters

Hagley/Belbroughton/Clent - currently live in this area and can't fault it. Easy commute to birmingham. Surrounding countryside great. You could definitely get a semi in these areas but it won't be a nice period one. None of these areas have a catholic primary however - I think the closest is Norton (Stourbridge)

If the school is the deciding factor I would start with a list of catholic schools in the area and call them and see if there are places available. My DD has had to wait nearly a year for a place in Hagley and I think this is the same at a lot of schools in these areas. Good Luck

Thanks Heated - V. Useful!

All of those places around Warwick look gorgeous but I think are out of our price range (sadly).

This is my shortlist at the moment:

Lichfield/ Sutton Coldfield - easily commutable and lots of catholic schools, just not sure if we'd get a house in the style we want (Victorian or earlier - most houses in these areas seem more modern? The only way we can get DD to be enthusiastic about moving is if we go to a house with a cellar!!)

Harborne/ Bournville - Very easy commute, seem to be lots of nice houses in the style we like, but possibly too expensive and not sure we want to be that close to the big city.

Bromsgrove - looks really nice! Commute a bit longer. Only one catholic primary school so would need to check they have a place.

Malvern - looks lovely, but the commute will probably be too long unless DH can spend less time in the office (we don't know yet)

I think it's between Bromsgrove, Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield at the top of the list. So now need to contact the schools in these areas re places. Any comments on my shortlist (or votes!) would be much appreciated

Lexie have just read your comments on Bromsgrove and will now stike that off the list!!

Am now looking at Harbourne, Bournville, Sutton Coldfield or Lichfield!

Holy Cross catholic school in Sutton Coldfield is meant to be good. They recently got 100% across all subjects in sats i think.

It is on Laburnum Drive, Sutton Coldfield, B76.

Also have a look here in each preferred area, this is Lichfield. St Joseph's RC Primary looks very good for instance.

Worth phoning each decent RC primary in your preferred area and find out about entry reqs and catchment and that should really narrow your property search (plus check out the secondary school situation too as a way of narrowing location down further). You are also in certain parts in grammar school land.

Thanks Nervousnutty - sounds great - and it's already on my list of schools to ring!!! Have 8 to ring to I hope at least one of them has a Y1 place...

Thanks Heated - St. Josephs is also on my list

Lexie01 - I'm in the same area . I wonder if we know each other! Have you seen this meet-up thread?

Another useful indicator re primary schools is to look at the league tables and see the % of level 5s, not just level 4s on which the official % is measured on.

My list is reduced to six after looking at upmystreet Heated - hope one of them has a place!!

i was born and brought up in brum and think Lexies advice is good. bromsgrove and 'new' developments seem totally soulless. Lichfield and Sutton were always the 'nice' areas but on a recent visit they seemed very suburban to me (but I live in London now!). Bournville has more character. Personally if we were forced to move back (no offence to brummies but we'd have to be really forced!!) it would be to a semi-rural area around brum - warwick or malvern -you get decent schools, lower crime etc but can jump on the train for theatres etc in town.
I can see you have four dc's and want stability but have you considered renting just until you find your feet and can then suss out where you would really like to be. it might be an easier/cheaper way to get a place at a good catholic school. good luck

Thanks oneofakind. we may consider renting, but ideally I don't want DD to have to change schools more than once as she's quite quiet and shy until she gets to know people so I think changing schools is going to be hard for her. Ideally I want to find her a good school that she can stay at and then find a house near by. I'd hate to rent and then make her move schools again after six months or so...

Lichfield and Sutton will probably seem less suburban to me (hopefully anyway!) as I'm not from London so I'm still keeping them on my list.

Warwick is too expensive for us I think, but Malvern is on my shortlist.

Lexie (or anyone else who knows) - is Norton nr Stourbridge an OK place? there is a Catholic primary there.

Leamington is cheaper than Warwick I think, there are catholic schools and a catholic secondary. Trains every 30 mins to Birmingham and they go direct to New Street - Warwick only runs trains to Snow Hill and Moor Street.

Is Leamington a good place to live? I've heard bad things about Coventry (hope not to offend anyone!) and it seems quite close.

Just noticed the post about catholic primary in Norton, Stourbridge. I don't know the school but Norton is lovely and might just be in price range. They would probably be in Hagley catholic school (secondary) catchment area which is supposedly an excellent school.

Lovely park, near to Merry Hill shopping centre, couple of local shops and about 45-50 minute commute to Brindley Place. We're about 10 minutes away further out from Norton and DH does the commute in less than an hour (even in rush hour)

You could get something like this

Thanks Tilly - Norton has shot to the top of my list
House looks good too, although we would need an extra little room for a study if DH is to be working from home a lot he'll need to be able to lock himself up away from the DCs!

I think Diddle's DS goes to or is about to start St Joseph's in Norton. You could try CATing her about it.