# Nice places to live in Birmingham?



## Thora (Jan 12, 2013)

Just that really - what areas are good for young families, decent schools?  Also easy access to the city centre and to the university would be ideal.


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## baldrick (Jan 12, 2013)

Which university?


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## purenarcotic (Jan 12, 2013)

Moseley / Kings Heath.  Although Kings Heath is possibly slightly more of a pain to get to Birmingham uni with no car, but with a car it's no bother.


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## purenarcotic (Jan 12, 2013)

Oh Stirchley is nice too!  And also easy enough to get to the uni, as Bourneville station is close by.


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## Thora (Jan 12, 2013)

baldrick said:


> Which university?


The main one.


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## purenarcotic (Jan 12, 2013)

Some parts of Selly Oak (right where the uni is) are nice, but it's primarily a student area, so you have to pick carefully I think.  Harborne is lovely, but fuck me it's expensive.


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## Red Cat (Jan 12, 2013)

South Birmingham generally is nice, a surprising amount of parks, good schools. Kings Heath is probably the most Bristoly of the suburbs (from what I hear of Bristol), a bit alternative, cafes, although the high street is very normal with Poundland etc. Stirchley, where we live, is an odd place, run down, desperate for some money and development, but has a good community, including newcomers who are very committed to it. It's also close to the canal and the River Rea cycle route which are great for cycling to the Uni (canal goes directly there) and to town, and out of the city, if you're into cycling. There's a history of co-ops in the area and two have opened over the last year. I expect as it becomes more middle class it'll change but I think quite slowly as there's no money atm.


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## baldrick (Jan 12, 2013)

I'd go with Stirchley esp if you don't have a car. If you're looking to buy avoid Moseley. Selly Park is nice, the other side of Cannon Hill Park from Moseley but without inflated house prices but there's no local shops. Kings Heath is nice but I'm struggling to think how you'd get to uni on public transport.


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## purenarcotic (Jan 12, 2013)

baldrick said:


> I'd go with Stirchley esp if you don't have a car. If you're looking to buy avoid Moseley. Selly Park is nice, the other side of Cannon Hill Park from Moseley but without inflated house prices but there's no local shops. Kings Heath is nice but I'm struggling to think how you'd get to uni on public transport.


 
It'd be a pain.  You'd have to get the 50 to Moseley, then get the 1 down to cricket ground, then you can either walk down the Bristol Road, or jump on one of the 60's.


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## baldrick (Jan 12, 2013)

That is a massive pain.


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## purenarcotic (Jan 12, 2013)

From Moseley it's just the 1 and then the 15 minute walk down the Bristol Road / hop on the bus, which is fine.  But I think the extra 10 or so mins on the 50 and all the waiting around would just make it infuriating.  With a car, from KH it's easy, you can take the back roads and be at uni in 10 mins.


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## Thora (Jan 12, 2013)

Why avoid Moseley?


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## baldrick (Jan 12, 2013)

Expensive for what it is. Renting would be ok though.


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## purenarcotic (Jan 12, 2013)

I think it's expensive for buying houses.  To live its a fantastic place though. I rent so can't really comment on house prices and stuff.


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## Red Cat (Jan 12, 2013)

Moseley is very expensive, big old houses. Kings Heath is getting expensive but has a mix of houses, some massive, some small late Victorian terraces.

ETA: there are some small terraces in Moseley aswell but they're expensive.


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## baldrick (Jan 12, 2013)

Kings heath seems to have quite a range of house prices, been doing some tentative research. The closer to the high street or Moseley the more expensive.


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## Thora (Jan 12, 2013)

What I'm looking for is somewhere I can get a 3 bed for under £150k.  Preferably a 3 bed plus office space.


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## purenarcotic (Jan 12, 2013)

Moseley is probably out then tbh, I had a look on zoopla and there are a few, but they're quite far out from the village, so there's not a lot going on that bit.

You might get something Kings Heath way, Stirchley probably a good bet.


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## baldrick (Jan 13, 2013)

The south and east side of kings heath would be ok for that but too far east and you start getting into billesley which isn't as nice. Moseley def out, more like 200k plus there.


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## ymu (Jan 13, 2013)

King's Heath and Moseley are lovely. Sparkbrook, a bit further out, is nice too.

Check bus timetables if you're looking somewhere without a train station. I used to work at the university and the buses stopped running ridiculously early so I couldn't use them.

I'd focus on areas with train stations on the line from New Street to University and south. Somewhere like Longbridge might suit.

Rents are getting fairly pricey in Brum. It might be worth looking along the metro (tram) between Snow Hill and Wolverhampton. We ended up in West Bromwich; 14 minutes on the tram to Snow Hill, so just as 'close' to the city as most Brum suburbs, but a fair bit cheaper in rents.


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## Red Cat (Jan 13, 2013)

There's a 1920s estate between Kings Heath and Stirchley where a lot of people we know have bought - 3 beds, large gardens, close enough to good schools. Some have extensions so you may get office space/conservatory. It's a popular and affordable place. You'd need to drive or cycle although it's walkable to Kings Heath.

Otherwise at that price you're looking at small victorian terraces of which there are loads in Birmingham. If people have moved the bathroom upstairs you'll get only 2 beds unless they've converted the loft.  If you could get one with a loft conversion and downstairs loo then you may get office space too. They're small though.

You'd get a 3 bed in Stirchley for under that too but maybe not as much space. We bought a sixties house, which is a good size, but the garden is really small, and not much space for extensions upwards or out.


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## baldrick (Jan 13, 2013)

You could definitely get a 4 bed for that money in Longbridge and the train line goes to the uni.  There's supermarkets and cinema in Rubery but it would be difficult without a car.


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## Thora (Jan 13, 2013)

What's Erdington like?


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## purenarcotic (Jan 13, 2013)

ymu said:


> King's Heath and Moseley are lovely. Sparkbrook, a bit further out, is nice too.
> 
> Check bus timetables if you're looking somewhere without a train station. I used to work at the university and the buses stopped running ridiculously early so I couldn't use them.
> 
> ...


 
How late were you trying to get a bus?


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## purenarcotic (Jan 13, 2013)

Yeah it's nice. Train to uni is direct (Birmingham Uni has its own train station).


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## baldrick (Jan 13, 2013)

ymu said:


> Rents are getting fairly pricey in Brum. It might be worth looking along the metro (tram) between Snow Hill and Wolverhampton. We ended up in West Bromwich; 14 minutes on the tram to Snow Hill, so just as 'close' to the city as most Brum suburbs, but a fair bit cheaper in rents.


If the uni wasn't a central part of the plan I'd have suggested Handsworth which is that side of the city but really too difficult to get to the university from there on public transport.


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## ymu (Jan 13, 2013)

Thora said:


> What's Erdington like?


Bit grim.


baldrick said:


> If the uni wasn't a central part of the plan I'd have suggested Handsworth which is that side of the city but really too difficult to get to the university from there on public transport.


Yep. I think the tram is the only way to get away from either the central suburbs or the train line heading south. It makes places like Smethwick, West Bromwich and Wednesbury doable.


purenarcotic said:


> How late were you trying to get a bus?


After 6pm.


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## purenarcotic (Jan 13, 2013)

ymu said:


> Bit grim.
> Yep. I think the tram is the only way to get away from either the city centre or the train line heading south. It makes places like Smethwick, West Bromwich and Wednesbury doable.
> After 6pm.


 
Was this a while back or summant?  Travel west midlands is proper shite, but I think it's a bit better for buses now.


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## ymu (Jan 13, 2013)

I'm not saying they all stopped after 6pm. Just the one that got me home from work. It's more variable when the route doesn't start or stop in the city centre.


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## baldrick (Jan 13, 2013)

You can tell I'm bored tonight.  Selly Park/Selly Oak border, walkable to uni.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...2.45272&popupPropertyId=35114035&fromMap=true


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## Red Cat (Jan 13, 2013)

That's quite typical of the late victorian/early edwardian houses you'll get for your budget. 2 small rooms downstairs, some with front door straight into living room, some slightly bigger with a hall. Galley kitchen with bathroom at the end, 2 or 3 beds upstairs depending on if bathroom moved, long narrow gardens. There's loads of them in Kings Heath, Cotteridge, Selly Park, Stirchley.

This is the other type of house on the estate I mentioned:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-39315131.html?premiumA=true

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-26175511.html

Both 2 beds as they've moved the bathroom upstairs and extended the kitchen. Look at the size of the second garden though.

I know a _lot_ about houses in the South of the city as I spent a lot of time researching only 2 years ago. And I know about schools. If you want more info you can let me know.

Or not.


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## Blagsta (Jan 13, 2013)

baldrick said:


> I'd go with Stirchley esp if you don't have a car. If you're looking to buy avoid Moseley. Selly Park is nice, the other side of Cannon Hill Park from Moseley but without inflated house prices but there's no local shops. Kings Heath is nice but I'm struggling to think how you'd get to uni on public transport.


 
Number 76 bus.


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## Kidda (Jan 15, 2013)

Another vote for South Brum. 

Have a look at Balsall Heath (Pershore road side not Moseley Road/Ladypool road side) if your looking at buying to.

Avoid Highgate and Small Heath.


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## BigTom (Jan 15, 2013)

Thora said:


> What's Erdington like?



aqua and beesonthewhatnow live in Erdington iirc

Stirchley or Balsall Heath would be my first thoughts as others have also said but I've no idea what prices are like.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Jan 15, 2013)

Thora said:


> What's Erdington like?


Great 

It not fashionable like Kings Heath, Moseley etc so it's a lot cheaper. It's perfect if you don't have a car as it's on both the cross city train line (does what it says on the tin, has a dedicated station at the university) as well as on the number 11 outer circle bus route. Between these two you can get pretty much anywhere without having to make a change.

It's a bit rough and ready at times but safe. I've lived here for god knows how many years and never had any bother.

You're also within walking distance of Sutton Park, which is the single best thing in Birmingham if you have kids.

South Birmingham is full of hipsters. North of the M6 is where the normal people live


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## purenarcotic (Jan 15, 2013)

I am NOT a hipster.


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## Red Cat (Jan 15, 2013)

Kidda said:


> Another vote for South Brum.
> 
> Have a look at Balsall Heath (Pershore road side not Moseley Road/Ladypool road side) if your looking at buying to.


 
I like Balsall Heath and would live there if I had no kids. It's not great for schools though.


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## stuff_it (Jan 15, 2013)

Good luck getting people up for a Brummy urbs drink.


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## Hellsbells (Jan 15, 2013)

gosh i should move back to Birmingham.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Jan 15, 2013)

stuff_it said:


> Good luck getting people up for a Brummy urbs drink.


We just do kids parties nowadays...


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## Kidda (Jan 15, 2013)

Hellsbells said:


> gosh i should move back to Birmingham.


 
Best thing i did after 5 years in the wilderness (well Manchester, but same thing)


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## Hellsbells (Jan 15, 2013)

it's just incredible looking at what kind of houses you get for your money in comparison to London.


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## Red Cat (Jan 15, 2013)

stuff_it said:


> Good luck getting people up for a Brummy urbs drink.


 
Name a date and lets see who can make it. Afternoons are better for some of us so we can bring the kids.


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## Red Cat (Jan 15, 2013)

Hellsbells said:


> it's just incredible looking at what kind of houses you get for your money in comparison to London.


 
I think it's a very underrated city. It's very down to earth, unpretentious. I'm very fond of it.

The other day I was out with my youngest with bike and trailer and outside a supermarket when I realised I'd forgotten my purse. A stranger, overhearing me saying that we'd have to go back home, got £20 out of her purse to lend me so that I could do my shopping and go for a coffee!


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## stuff_it (Jan 15, 2013)

Red Cat said:


> Name a date and lets see who can make it. Afternoons are better for some of us so we can bring the kids.


Shouldn't be too much of a problem.


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

Having been born & bred here...

Best places

Solihull, shirley & surrounding villages
Hall green
Moseley
Bournville
Sutton coldfield
Kings heath (parts)
Harborne
Selly oak (few parts)
Edgbaston 

Avoid

Small Heath
Hands worth
Lozells
Nechells
Balsall Heath
Bromford
Druids heath
Billesley
Alum rock
Lady wood
Great Barr
Perry Barr
Spark brook 
Frankly
Shard end
Stechford
Soho
Washwood Heath
Tyseley
Warstock
Yardley wood
Tile cross
Stockland green
Maypole
Sheldon
Kitts green
Kingstanding

So many many bad areas. Look them up, they don't have reputation for nothing!

Areas I've not listed, are ones I've either forgotten or fall in the middle (with a healthy dose of drugs, crime etc probably)

South is genetally nicer & where to look.


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## baldrick (Jan 26, 2013)

You know what, fuck you.  Have you lived in any of these bad areas? I doubt it.

You're going on reputation and not any sort of experience. Most of us who've contributed to this thread have done so from personal knowledge And not from some spurious assumptions


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## ymu (Jan 26, 2013)

It's a very spendy list. If you like leafy suburbia, no local shops and middle-class wankers who drive everywhere, it's about right.


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## baldrick (Jan 26, 2013)

I've lived in two of the so called bad areas and I'd rather live there than pretty much any of  the ones he recommends


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## ymu (Jan 26, 2013)

There's no denying that some areas are worse, but very few defined so broadly. There's a lot of nice housing and good areas around Brum. The main problem areas seem to be associated with very large roads cutting through communities and even that might be disappearing with the lead in our petrol (according to some very convincing looking new research).


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## Firky (Jan 26, 2013)




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## equationgirl (Jan 26, 2013)

Solihull and Sutton Coldfield are both quite pricey iirc. 

Redditch is at the end of the railway line to uni, if you're looking to make your budget go further - some bits of the town are nice.


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## Kidda (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> Having been born & bred here...
> 
> Best places
> 
> ...


 
FRANKLY? as a Do Not Live area



Yeah 'cos living that close to the countryside is the new ghetto. 

That list is a pile of wank.


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

No but I lived in Bham for nearly 3 decades. Ok? Have you? I've worked all round the city and visited every area. Have you? And know people from most the areas.
Leafy suburbia is nice. Grow up & accept it. Clean streets, green spaces, lack of hoodies/drugs/crime/gangs are GOOD THINGS & the price inevitably reflects. Middle class? Fuck you. Most Britons class themselves as such.
Many of the 'good areas' are working class actually and there's wide ranging prices from 130k to few million on that list.
So 'fuck you' if you disagree. Do your research on aspects I've mentioned such as crime & schooling compare with both lists.
Yes there are small contrasts between both areas, but I gave you a stark, condensed down list of what is mostly common.


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## Kidda (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> No but I lived in Bham for nearly 3 decades. Ok? Have you? I've worked all round the city and visited every area. Have you? And know people from most the areas.
> Leafy suburbia is nice. Grow up & accept it. Clean streets, green spaces, lack of hoodies/drugs/crime/gangs are GOOD THINGS & the price inevitably reflects. Middle class? Fuck you. Most Britons class themselves as such.
> Many of the 'good areas' are working class actually and there's wide ranging prices from 130k to few million on that list.
> So 'fuck you' if you disagree. Do your research on aspects I've mentioned such as crime & schooling compare with both lists.
> Yes there are small contrasts between both areas, but I gave you a stark, condensed down list of what is mostly common.


 
Your talking shit  

Pray tell, Balsall Heath appears in your avoid list can you tell me why?


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

Frankley was my mistake. It's technically in Worcestershire & wrong side of barnt green.
Rest still stands, okay hoody


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## Kidda (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> Frankley was my mistake. It's technically in Worcestershire & wrong side of barnt green.
> Rest still stands, okay hoody


 
hoody? 

Why does Balsall Heath stand? Have you ever lived there? Do you know anything about the community?


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## ymu (Jan 26, 2013)

It's the lack of decent local shops that bothers me about leafy suburbia. So many people have cars and shop elsewhere, you can't get hold of decent food in walking distance, unless you live close to the high street. The bus services are shit because everyone drives. And the atmosphere is less tolerant, unless you fit into that middle-class stereotype. We've spent years living in some of the poshest places in the Midlands, thanks to living on the canal, and it ain't all that it's cracked up to be if you don't fit in.


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

I've seen a lot of people have got offended as they don't live in the nicer areas, but secretly aspire to do so (Moseley, harbourne, bournville, etc) & that's cool and everything. Even someone living in erdington here I think, basically said it was rough. That's honesty. Kings Heath high street isn't the best too. I went to school not far away. Amount of drugs, shoplifting and stabbings was something else. Read up on it's history.


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## Kidda (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> I've seen a lot of people have got offended as they don't live in the nicer areas, but secretly aspire to do so (Moseley, harbourne, bournville, etc) & that's cool and everything. Even someone living in erdington here I think, basically said it was rough. That's honesty. Kings Heath high street isn't the best too. I went to school not far away. Amount of drugs, shoplifting and stabbings was something else. Read up on it's history.


 
Your just making yourself look like an idiot, you are assuming things about people and most of those are wrong. 

Just back up your opinion, you have advised someone not to live in certain areas you should have reasons why. 

Your list has baffled me, as someone who lived, worked and was active in the local community in Balsall Heath i'm really keen to know why you think it should be avoided.


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## ymu (Jan 26, 2013)

I didn't say Erdington was rough, I said it was a bit grim. The housing stock isn't as good as elsewhere in Brum and it is adversely affected by being so close to the M6. There's stuff going on, for sure, but around there and Nechells feels to me like a bit of an industrial wasteland with some housing, and I couldn't really find a high street sort of place. I may well have missed the heart of it, but my partner knows it better and he agrees. I'm sure there's nothing wrong with the community, it's just not the most uplifting of places.

Proper Brummies feel free to pull me apart.


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

ymu said:


> It's the lack of decent local shops that bothers me about leafy suburbia. So many people have cars and shop elsewhere, you can't get hold of decent food in walking distance, unless you live close to the high street. The bus services are shit because everyone drives. And the atmosphere is less tolerant, unless you fit into that middle-class stereotype. We've spent years living in some of the poshest places in the Midlands, thanks to living on the canal, and it ain't all that it's cracked up to be if you don't fit in.


Who says you have to fit? And high streets are dead if you haven't noticed. Plus, high streets like kings Heath aren't appealing unless you've got a stab proof vest. Solihull is a large town with numerous mini high streets. Sutton has a decent town centre & the sub areas of bold mere, wylde green etc which are decent. Moseley has some good indie shops. Hall green & harbourne too have good local amenities & green space. They're not entirely middle class from what I've said. They are maybe more family orientated if that's how you want to differentiate. They have better schools & less crime too.
Good range of housing, modern estates, 30's semis (in abundance in hall green), traditional vic & ed terraces, etc across all. Less littered streets & more parks.


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## ymu (Jan 26, 2013)

I like to be able to buy fruit and veg within walking distance.


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

Balsall Heath is good to eat in. Been there many times. Friend used to live there. It's too close to the city, too hemmed in with all the terraces, not enough green space, and gangs are still rife

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/balsall-heath-shooting-victims-guarded-103011

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/gang-fears-after-balsall-heath-130569

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/balsall-heath-shooting-leaves-man-164729


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

ymu said:


> I like to be able to buy fruit and veg within walking distance.



That's great. And I like to take a stroll in a clean park without threatening gangs around.


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## purenarcotic (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> Who says you have to fit? And high streets are dead if you haven't noticed. Plus, high streets like kings Heath aren't appealing unless you've got a stab proof vest. Solihull is a large town with numerous mini high streets. Sutton has a decent town centre & the sub areas of bold mere, wylde green etc which are decent. Moseley has some good indie shops. Hall green & harbourne too have good local amenities & green space. They're not entirely middle class from what I've said. They are maybe more family orientated if that's how you want to differentiate. They have better schools & less crime too.
> Good range of housing, modern estates, 30's semis (in abundance in hall green), traditional vic & ed terraces, etc across all. Less littered streets & more parks.


 
Oh grow up.  I must have walked Kings Heath high st a hundred times, and I've neither seen or had anything awful happen to me.


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## Blagsta (Jan 26, 2013)

Kings Heath is getting quite gentrified now. Well, Poplar Rd and York Rd anyway. Really, Kings Heath ain't rough.


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

I didn't class the area as totally one to avoid. The high street isn't great. And there's not great bits, but nicer bits around the park, wheelers lane etc.


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

purenarcotic said:


> Oh grow up.  I must have walked Kings Heath high st a hundred times, and I've neither seen or had anything awful happen to me.


Ymu likes this, but hasn't replied to the articles I quoted regarding Balsall Heath or my other points ten minutes ago. Strange.


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## Kidda (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> Balsall Heath is good to eat in. Been there many times. Friend used to live there. It's too close to the city, too hemmed in with all the terraces, not enough green space, and gangs are still rife
> 
> http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/balsall-heath-shooting-victims-guarded-103011
> 
> ...


 
3 shootings all linked to the same gang that were jailed and are no longer causing an issue. A gang that actually came from Highgate. 

Calthorpe Park, Balsall Heath Park, St Pauls Park, Cannon Hill Park and a host of many more provide lots of green spaces for the community. 

The Alexandrea estate didn't feel ''hemmed in'' when i use to live there (only moved from there in July 12). 
Unless you have a hysterical daily mail definition of gangs i don't think you can say that Balsall Heath is rife with it. One of the strongest communities in Brum is in Balsall Heath. 

I walked down Kings Heath high  street today and can't say i felt threatened in any way shape or form and never have done. I've lived in Manchester and have felt how ontop it can feel just by living in certain areas (Longsight, certain parts of Fallowfield) and i have never had that feeling in Birmingham.


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## Blagsta (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> I didn't class the area as totally one to avoid. The high street isn't great. And there's not great bits, but nicer bits around the park, wheelers lane etc.


What have you got against Kings Heath?


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## purenarcotic (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> Ymu likes this, but hasn't replied to the articles I quoted regarding Balsall Heath or my other points ten minutes ago. Strange.


 
I also lived in Basall Heath and only moved out mid way through last year.  I had no problems whatsoever.


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

purenarcotic said:


> I also lived in Basall Heath and only moved out mid way through last year.  I had no problems whatsoever.


It would be strange if everyone living somewhere experienced a problem with it. 
It's something that isn't desirable to me & many I know. Hall green for example is more diversified too. Many from
Sparkhill have moved in recent years.
As I've said many times, the areas I see as 'good' have more green space, less run down, less crime, better schools than the others, generally, and they're areas even others here have agreed in their desirability.


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## Kidda (Jan 26, 2013)

Educate yourself 

http://www.balsallheathforum.org.uk/start.htm


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

Blagsta said:


> What have you got against Kings Heath?



The high street is tired & run down, there are nice parts (that I've already mentioned), but there are not great bits tarred with crime, gangs & drugs, which drag it down a little. I went to school there & lived not far away for nearly 30 years, so have some backup on it. Used to visit the Clarks with my mum for school shoes  Ate on the high street many times with friends. Went to the local leisure centre weekly when younger. It's not bad, but not the best.


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

Kidda said:


> Educate yourself
> 
> http://www.balsallheathforum.org.uk/start.htm



Thanks but grandparents were from India, parents from Africa. So I probably know about the culture more than you.


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## Blagsta (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> The high street is tired & run down, there are nice parts (that I've already mentioned), but there are not great bits tarred with crime, gangs & drugs, which drag it down a little. I went to school there & lived not far away for nearly 30 years, so have some backup on it. Used to visit the Clarks with my mum for school shoes  Ate on the high street many times with friends. Went to the local leisure centre weekly when younger. It's not bad, but not the best.


 
Yeah, the High St is run down, but y'know, there is a recession on!  Crime and drugs are everywhere, yes, even Moseley, in fact they're rife in Moseley.


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## Kidda (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> Thanks but grandparents were from India, parents from Africa. So I probably know about the culture more than you.


 
What has your Grandparents heritage got to do with the price of fish?


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

I don't disagree with that, blagsta. It's just relative, and Moseley had & still had more going for it with the still thriving 'village' centre and indies doing well.


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> Thanks but grandparents were from India, parents from Africa. So I probably know about the culture more than you.



What has your link got to do with what I said?

Your link talks about the culture & background of the area. I know the area already.


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## moomoo (Jan 26, 2013)

equationgirl said:


> Solihull and Sutton Coldfield are both quite pricey iirc.
> 
> Redditch is at the end of the railway line to uni, if you're looking to make your budget go further - some bits of the town are nice.



Yes. 'Some' bits are. :-D


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## Blagsta (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> I don't disagree with that, blagsta. It's just relative, and Moseley had & still had more going for it with the still thriving 'village' centre and indies doing well.


 
Moseley is horrible these days.


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

Blagsta said:


> Moseley is horrible these days.



Haven't been drinking in Moseley for a number of months but still know people there who like it. I don't know what it's like recently, you'll have more authority than me on that if you've been there recently.


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## Blagsta (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> Haven't been drinking in Moseley for a number of months but still know people there who like it. I don't know what it's like recently, you'll have more authority than me on that if you've been there recently.


 
Its been horrible for years.  Too many pubs, its been turned into Broad Street.


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

I don't think it's in Broad st league yet  as I say the last time I visited was a mate at home. Residentially it's still unchanged


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## Blagsta (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> I don't think it's in Broad st league yet  as I say the last time I visited was a mate at home. Residentially it's still unchanged


 
Residentially, its changed massively.  It used to be a mixture of students, unemployed people, working class and middle class.  Now its solely middle class, with just a few social housing tenants and homeless hostels/supported housing.


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## baldrick (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> No but I lived in Bham for nearly 3 decades. Ok? Have you? I've worked all round the city and visited every area. Have you? And know people from most the areas.
> Leafy suburbia is nice. Grow up & accept it. Clean streets, green spaces, lack of hoodies/drugs/crime/gangs are GOOD THINGS & the price inevitably reflects. Middle class? Fuck you. Most Britons class themselves as such.
> Many of the 'good areas' are working class actually and there's wide ranging prices from 130k to few million on that list.
> So 'fuck you' if you disagree. Do your research on aspects I've mentioned such as crime & schooling compare with both lists.
> Yes there are small contrasts between both areas, but I gave you a stark, condensed down list of what is mostly common.


I don't pretend to know about things I don't.  Not all people are like you and value things that you do.

I have family in these "bad" areas.  They don't live there because they can't afford anywhere else, They live there to be part of a community, to have amenities that are important to them - like green spaces and good schools and local shops and cultural events.  One of the best, if not the best, primary schools in Birmingham is in this area.  But you've dismissed it as a bad area because it has a reputation.  Well, if it keeps people like you out then i think that's a good thing.

Not everyone wants to live in a white middle class area.  Most people in Birmingham aren't white or middle class.  Think about what you're saying.


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## kazza007 (Jan 26, 2013)

Again, you count these areas as 'white middle class' (of which I'm neither), but most Britons class themselves as middle class & Birmingham is still predominantly white, though still ethnically diverse.
I differentiated many areas into simplistic good & bad, but referenced the smaller differences between these (with my 30years living in the city, growing up, different schools, university & work), in my opinion.
If your family want to live in whatever area, whether you or I see it as better than another, good.
I'm not saying or implying community spirit. Good and bad have or lack community spirit. If that's their priority, and they're happy there, then good. If you or they don't what to live somewhere that you perceive as 'white middle class', then don't.
I didn't say or imply that anyone in a worse area could or couldn't live elsewhere.
Many of the Asian business owners in Balsall Heath, Sparkhill etc, for example, could clearly live in Moseley, Solihull etc & some indeed do.


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## baldrick (Jan 26, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> I differentiated many areas into simplistic good & bad, but referenced the smaller differences between these (with my 30years living in the city, growing up, different schools, university & work), in my opinion.


Which in my opinion wasn't in the least bit helpful.  You've made people on this thread, including myself, feel very defensive about areas in Birmingham they like and have a connection to.  I bet you've not spent any real time in 90% of the places on your stupid list, which is what has made me so angry.


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## Red Cat (Jan 27, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> I've seen a lot of people have got offended as they don't live in the nicer areas, but *secretly aspire* to do so


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## Red Cat (Jan 27, 2013)

You certainly need to be either loaded or two people on a good salaries to live in any of the 'good' ones on that list. And Solihull is not Birmingham.

It's true to say that Birmingham has a lot of unemployment and poverty and a lot of it is not going to be attractive to people moving to the city. I think it's also true to say that some of the more middle-class areas don't have very nice high streets. I think Moseley is the most obviously 'nice' area in Birmingham in that it actually has a high street, with cafes, a deli, is leafy and looks a bit villagey. But it's expensive, on the whole, as is everything else on your list, apart from Hall Green, which I don't think has anything to recommend anyone who is new to the city. It's a very car dependent city and if you don't know anyone you could quite easily become depressed as a mum/dad in an area like that. That's less important if working outside the home or attending uni, of course.


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## Red Cat (Jan 27, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> I didn't class the area as totally one to avoid. The high street isn't great. And there's not great bits, but nicer bits around the park, wheelers lane etc.


 
Tis bizarre this. KH is a very desirable area these days despite its rather 'ordinary' high street. It has very good schools.


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## BigTom (Jan 28, 2013)

lol, missed this over the weekend.. I live in Balsall Heath and it's really not rough anymore, it used to be really bad but not for a decade or two now. I'd happily live in Sparkhill/Sparkbrook too, Small Heath I don't like so much, not sure why tbh. anyway, with Birmingham I feel like pretty much every area has rough streets and posh streets - Northfield is one of the generally more deprived areas of Birmingham but have a look at the houses round Quarry Lane, and you wouldn't know it.


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## kazza007 (Jan 28, 2013)

Red Cat said:


> Tis bizarre this. KH is a very desirable area these days despite its rather 'ordinary' high street. It has very good schools.



What's bizzare? I know it's a decent area, and I went to one of 'those' schools you mention. 
It's stretching to says it's 'desirable'. It's decent. The high street is tired & run down (and was before the recession) & there are pockets which have high levels of crime, poverty etc, but also some nice bits too. As I've already said a few times.


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## kazza007 (Jan 28, 2013)

BigTom said:


> lol, missed this over the weekend.. I live in Balsall Heath and it's really not rough anymore, it used to be really bad but not for a decade or two now. I'd happily live in Sparkhill/Sparkbrook too, Small Heath I don't like so much, not sure why tbh. anyway, with Birmingham I feel like pretty much every area has rough streets and posh streets - Northfield is one of the generally more deprived areas of Birmingham but have a look at the houses round Quarry Lane, and you wouldn't know it.



I know. My gran lived in a council house in a decent area, but in the 90's had paint thrown on her in a racially motivated attack. My grandad suffered abuse too. But all bits have good and bad, light & dark. I was talking about overall desirability.


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## kazza007 (Jan 28, 2013)

Red Cat said:


> You certainly need to be either loaded or two people on a good salaries to live in any of the 'good' ones on that list. And Solihull is not Birmingham.
> 
> It's true to say that Birmingham has a lot of unemployment and poverty and a lot of it is not going to be attractive to people moving to the city. I think it's also true to say that some of the more middle-class areas don't have very nice high streets. I think Moseley is the most obviously 'nice' area in Birmingham in that it actually has a high street, with cafes, a deli, is leafy and looks a bit villagey. But it's expensive, on the whole, as is everything else on your list, apart from Hall Green, which I don't think has anything to recommend anyone who is new to the city. It's a very car dependent city and if you don't know anyone you could quite easily become depressed as a mum/dad in an area like that. That's less important if working outside the home or attending uni, of course.



HG has 2 train stations - HG & Yardley wood. Bham is well serviced by public transportation. You're never far from a train station or bus stop and you can get houses in each of those areas, some easier than others, at the average house price in the uk (~160k?) & less. I know Solihull is not in Bham, nor is Sutton really, but they're just outside & decently served into the city.


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## JTG (Jan 28, 2013)

Tbf I've never felt threatened in those rough areas listed but then again I've usually been cowering behind Kidda as the bullets rained down on us so what would I know?


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## Red Cat (Jan 28, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> What's bizzare? I know it's a decent area, and I went to one of 'those' schools you mention.
> It's stretching to says it's 'desirable'. It's decent. The high street is tired & run down (and was before the recession) & there are pockets which have high levels of crime, poverty etc, but also some nice bits too. As I've already said a few times.


 
I don't think it's stretching it at all. I live nearby and talk to mums with young children all the time, people who want to live in KH because they want their kids to go to school there. It covers quite a big area too with lots of big houses towards Moseley and further south. 

Where do you live?


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## Blagsta (Jan 28, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> What's bizzare? I know it's a decent area, and I went to one of 'those' schools you mention.
> It's stretching to says it's 'desirable'. It's decent. The high street is tired & run down (and was before the recession) & there are pockets which have high levels of crime, poverty etc, but also some nice bits too. As I've already said a few times.


 
You went to private school and then grammar?  Yet you're not middle class?


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## Red Cat (Jan 28, 2013)

kazza007 said:


> HG has 2 train stations - HG & Yardley wood. Bham is well serviced by public transportation. You're never far from a train station or bus stop and you can get houses in each of those areas, some easier than others, at the average house price in the uk (~160k?) & less.


 
When I moved to Birmingham as a mum with a young child I wanted groups, cafes, parks, a high street to wander down, aswell as access to the city. Kings Heath and Moseley are good for this. I thought about Hall Green and decided against it as it is too residential and likely to lead to feelings of isolation. Not having spent any time there, it is possible I'm wrong.


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## Dr Nookie (Feb 6, 2013)

I'm personally reeling at the assertion that a) most people consider themselves to be middle class - says who?! and 2) that Kings Heath now appears to be the modern day equivalent of Compton. How my mom has survived working and shopping there every day for the past 40 years minus a gumshield and stab vest I do not know (unless of course she's the head of some granny gang I don't know about!)


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## blossie33 (Feb 7, 2013)

I'm from Birmingham and I worked in Kings Heath for a year or so in the mid 80's. I don't remember it being a rough area at all, just decent working class. I don't know what it's like now.

On the other hand, I remember Balsall Heath wouldn't have a very nice place to live - nice to hear it's improved.


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## moomoo (Feb 9, 2013)

I'm keeping out of this. I live in Redditch. Lol


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## stuff_it (Feb 9, 2013)

baldrick said:


> You know what, fuck you. Have you lived in any of these bad areas? I doubt it.
> 
> You're going on reputation and not any sort of experience. Most of us who've contributed to this thread have done so from personal knowledge And not from some spurious assumptions


I'm the opposite - being from Nottingham near enough everywhere else you go seems posh. Pointless asking me about areas even if I knew them.


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## Red Cat (Feb 9, 2013)

Thora is not coming to Birmingham


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## miss direct (Feb 10, 2013)

Kings Heath is nice, there are some nice cafes there now as well as well as a good range of shops so you don't have to go to town all the time. 

Harborne is nice, some good pubs there and parks etc. 

For cheaper areas I'd say Bearwood, Quinton.


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## Kidda (Feb 10, 2013)

miss direct said:


> Kings Heath is nice, there are some nice cafes there now as well as well as a good range of shops so you don't have to go to town all the time.
> 
> Harborne is nice, some good pubs there and parks etc.
> 
> For cheaper areas I'd say Bearwood, Quinton.


 
I keep trying to convince PN that settling in Quinton in a few years should be an option. She's not convinced. 
Shame, not a bad place.


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## muscovyduck (Apr 27, 2013)

Thora said:


> What's Erdington like?


A lot of the houses are 1960s builds that are falling apart. There's also some Victorian ones which are near enough to transport links. However, there's not too much to do around the area at all and often no community spirit. It's getting more and more run down, but not as bad as in other areas.


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## horcruxe333 (May 29, 2013)

What about employment in Birmingham ?


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## BigTom (May 30, 2013)

horcruxe333 said:


> What about employment in Birmingham ?



Tough, unemployment in Birmingham is around 10-11% iirc, highest of the core cities. There are jobs around but a lot of competition for them. West Midlands is also the only region that had had consistently rising unemployment and falling employment over the past couple of years.
Still, I doubt it's any much easier to get decent work anywhere else outside of the south east.


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## Lifeislikeabox (Jun 2, 2016)

I'm looking at buying a house in  Tyseley, Birmingham B11
.
Couldn't believe how cheap the houses are. Should I be worried.

Also wold it be a good investment property?


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## BigTom (Jun 2, 2016)

Tyseley is ok to live in I think, decent transport links to the centre including a train station, pretty industrial area but I'd imagine the housing bits are fine and probably street to street as to how good/bad it is.
Unlikely to rise in value over any general rise, Tyseley isn't afaik in line for any regeneration or anything like that. If you are looking for an investment you should ask on another board tbh, I won't give you any more advice and you will get abuse because houses are for living in, not for making money from, and the view of housing as investment is one of the reasons why housing is so fucking expensive.


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## Lifeislikeabox (Jun 2, 2016)

BigTom said:


> Tyseley is ok to live in I think, decent transport links to the centre including a train station, pretty industrial area but I'd imagine the housing bits are fine and probably street to street as to how good/bad it is.
> Unlikely to rise in value over any general rise, Tyseley isn't afaik in line for any regeneration or anything like that. If you are looking for an investment you should ask on another board tbh, I won't give you any more advice and you will get abuse because houses are for living in, not for making money from, and the view of housing as investment is one of the reasons why housing is so fucking expensive.




Well it's that I'm in the army and live on married quarters .
I was thinking about buying a house to rent out so I will have somewhere to live after the army.
Being that the army pension is pretty dire now.


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## BigTom (Jun 3, 2016)

Lifeislikeabox said:


> Well it's that I'm in the army and live on married quarters .
> I was thinking about buying a house to rent out so I will have somewhere to live after the army.
> Being that the army pension is pretty dire now.



tbh that's kind of worse than I was thinking, buy to let mortgages are another big factor in the craziness of today's housing (the lack of council housing being the third big one, imo of course). I thought you were looking for somewhere to live now and like many people see the house as two things, a place to live and an investment. They want to see prices rise and collectively that creates a pressure which allows and/or causes prices to rise, especially in areas which are seen as being a good investment (such as Kings Heath 5-10 years ago, then affordable, now expensive).

I get that you are not doing this as a greedy scumfucker bloodsucking parasite landlord,slum or not, looking to make piles of cash, but this is not the place to be asking advice on buying to rent.
Would it be impossible for you to buy somewhere after you leave the army?


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## Smokeandsteam (Jun 3, 2016)

Lifeislikeabox said:


> Well it's that I'm in the army and live on married quarters .
> I was thinking about buying a house to rent out so I will have somewhere to live after the army.
> Being that the army pension is pretty dire now.



I'd say you need to come and have a look round. Tysley is an old industrial area and as such has some issues. That said I do know a few students from BCU who are renting there and they like the fact its walkable to town, cheap and the street they live on is fine. Also Digbeth, an area nearby, is earmarked for more investment, the tram, HS2 eventually. We've heard all this before but there are plans to build a lot of flats there and work has already started on Bradford Street.


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## BigTom (Jun 3, 2016)

Smokeandsteam said:


> I'd say you need to come and have a look round. Tysley is an old industrial area and as such has some issues. That said I do know a few students from BCU who are renting there and they like the fact its walkable to town, cheap and the street they live on is fine. Also Digbeth, an area nearby, is earmarked for more investment, the tram, HS2 eventually. We've heard all this before but there are plans to build a lot of flats there and work has already started on Bradford Street.



Tyseley is a bit far to walk I reckon, are you thinking of Bordesley? Tyseley is the other side of Small Heath and I'd guess a good hour+ walk from the centre.
Digbeth has been earmarked for investment for at least 20 years, the coach station got redeveloped maybe a decade ago and a few flats went up but most of what was supposed to happen hasn't, once HS2 is coming in then I think we'll see a huge change there, but not really relevant for the poster as there's very little housing in digbeth and most of what there is is flats.


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## Smokeandsteam (Jun 3, 2016)

BigTom said:


> Tyseley is a bit far to walk I reckon, are you thinking of Bordesley? Tyseley is the other side of Small Heath and I'd guess a good hour+ walk from the centre.
> Digbeth has been earmarked for investment for at least 20 years, the coach station got redeveloped maybe a decade ago and a few flats went up but most of what was supposed to happen hasn't, once HS2 is coming in then I think we'll see a huge change there, but not really relevant for the poster as there's very little housing in digbeth and most of what there is is flats.



Sort of. It's Tysley/Bordsley Green I'm talking about - not Bordesley proper. just off Coventry Road. It really isn't much of a walk into town from there and there is the station.  

Spot on re Digbeth. The Eastside project has been a long running failure. However, there are lots and lot of approved plans for building new flats so If the poster is looking for somewhere to buy it might be an option.


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## Lifeislikeabox (Jun 3, 2016)

BigTom said:


> tbh that's kind of worse than I was thinking, buy to let mortgages are another big factor in the craziness of today's housing (the lack of council housing being the third big one, imo of course). I thought you were looking for somewhere to live now and like many people see the house as two things, a place to live and an investment. They want to see prices rise and collectively that creates a pressure which allows and/or causes prices to rise, especially in areas which are seen as being a good investment (such as Kings Heath 5-10 years ago, then affordable, now expensive).
> 
> I get that you are not doing this as a greedy scumfucker bloodsucking parasite landlord,slum or not, looking to make piles of cash, but this is not the place to be asking advice on buying to rent.
> Would it be impossible for you to buy somewhere after you leave the army?




Ok this sense to me, didn't realise how bad the problem was.

It won't be impossible to buy when I leave but I imagine house prices we be unaffordable by the time I leave.

I was hoping having someone else pay the mortgage would be very helpful until I finish. I need to think more about this.


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## muscovyduck (Jun 5, 2016)

Lifeislikeabox said:


> I was hoping having someone else pay the mortgage would be very helpful until I finish. I need to think more about this.



Me and my partner already can't afford to live in Birmingham as renters and he settled there after leaving the army so yeah, not okay to expect people like us to pay your mortgage for you.


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## kebabking (Jun 5, 2016)

Lifeislikeabox said:


> ...I need to think more about this.



i'd think very carefully about just ramming your cash into whatever property you can find and waiting for it to grow at the same rate as whatever property you actually want to buy when you leave - you could buy 3 bed terrace houses in Lancashire for £10k 15 years ago, and i'd bet good money that they are the same price now. not only not a good investment, but by christ you wouldn't want to live in those streets.

that said, your central idea is correct - if you don't buy now, your money will be progressively worth less every year it sits in a bank or in the standard investments, and what is just about achieveable now will be untouchable after a few years of house price inflation vs interest rates.

the worthwhile advice is based on your circumstances - how long have you got left, where do you want to live when you leave, where are you currently based, can you commute or live in if its too far to commute, kids, spouces' career etc... my advice would be to talk to others in a similar position and find out what they are doing.

we bought a place in the place we wanted to live, and we made the decision that as the job moved about it would be me that followed the job, not dragging the whole family about and setting up in a new SFA every 2 years. in the 8 years we've lived in Worcester, i've worked at Larkhill, Catterick, Gloucester and - thank fuck - Malvern. Larkhill and Catterick were hard work and meant living in during the week and only coming home at weekends and one night midweek, but the truth is that had we trapsed around the country in SFA and stuck the money in the bank, the house we now live in and comfortably afford would be at least £100k over our absolute maximum budget...

unfortunately, in the housing market we currently have, you're either a villian or a victim.


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## Pardeep (Jul 11, 2016)

Bearwood is nice, near lightwoods park. Right next to Harbourne but without the price tag as technically not part of Birmingham, only a couple of miles into city centre though so very commutable. Lots of nice large victorian terraces, lots of good schools (mainly infant and junior), definitely 'up and coming'. High street is a bit shabby though. Because its not part of Birmingham council tax is cheaper. Lightwoods park and neighboring Warley woods are really nice and undergoing a multi million pound makeover


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## Jag Dhaliwal (Sep 20, 2016)

Well, there are great places to live in Birmingham such as Moseley, Edgbaston, Harborne, Sutton Coldfield, Kings Heath, Selly Oak etc. but till you don't visit any places by yourself, can't justify any place that this particular place will be nice for you.


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