Birmingham Advice - Rental Flat/House

[miss direct]

Are there still no pubs in Bournville? I went to college there and it was a long walk to the nearest one. Northfield used to be really rough but I'm sure it has its ok bits.

 

[purenarcotic]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading this thread to try and get some tips on where to live in Birmingham. My partner and I will be moving to Birmingham in about a month and we want to find a nice area that's within easy commutable distance of the university's Edgbaston campus.

We're looking to rent somewhere that won't take me too long to get to work (at the uni) and that has plenty of character. We were originally looking in Selly Oak/Harborne. So far we've seen a few places we like in Harborne but they are so expensive and the cheaper flats are pretty horrible. We have minimal furniture which also limits our options which is making our house/flat hunt a bit harder (and we're located 3.5 hours away!)

We've decided maybe looking for somewhere along the train line like Bournville, Kings Norton, Northfield and Longbridge might be a good idea. We've heard Moseley is nice but I think it might be a bit of a pain to get to work.

Can anyone recommend any particular locations which might fit our criteria?

Also, how reliable are the trains in that general area? Are they pretty regular?

Thanks in advance.

Sarah

Bournville is nice and parts of Kings Norton are nice. Northfield has some okay bits but some pretty grim parts as well, likewise with Longbridge so if you're viewing properties there have a really good look around.

I don't know what the situation is still like in Bournville but my friends were able to rent a huge house very cheaply; the lack of pubs makes it unpopular with students and that seemed to work in their favour. This was a couple of years ago though so it may well be different now.

Moseley / Kings Heath to the Edgbaston campus isn't difficult; from Kings Heath you can get the 76 to Selly Oak, from Moseley you get the 1 and then the 61 / 63 down to the uni. When the weather is nice it only takes 10 / 15 minutes to walk from where you get off at the 1.

Balsall Heath might be worth looking at as it's close to town and to the uni.

 

[sarah_rahrah]

Ok thanks a lot for this and for the suggestion of looking at Moseley.

From looking on walkit, it looks like living in Moseley is a possibility but it would have to be on the left-hand side of Alcester Road.

 

[ouchmonkey]

Moseley Edgbaston Harborne and Bournville are likely to be your more expensive options...

 

[purenarcotic]

Moseley Edgbaston Harborne and Bournville are likely to be your more expensive options...

They're the easiest routes to the uni though. So really I think they're gonna have to choose whether they want to live in a convenient place and have a slightly shittier gaff or live further out and probably have a nicer place.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Anywhere on the cross city line is doable. Look north of the M6 for stuff that's a lot cheaper.

 

[sarah_rahrah]

Our budget is £750 a month. We've seen a few places (albeit unfurnished) in Harborne but haven't been able to get up to Birmingham in time to view them. After this weekend we're able to visit at very short notice, so hopefully that will boost our chances of finding somewhere..

I don't mind having to commute (although walking to work is the dream!) but that's why I wanted to know how reliable the trains are. Has anyone got any experience of this?

Thank you for your comments so far, really useful.

 

[aqua]

Anywhere on the cross city line is doable. Look north of the M6 for stuff that's a lot cheaper.

This, our side of the city is on the cross city line which goes direct to Brum uni. Trains every 10 mins. I have 2 good friends living here and working there

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

I don't mind having to commute (although walking to work is the dream!) but that's why I wanted to know how reliable the trains are. Has anyone got any experience of this?

Every 10 minutes at rush hour, as reliable as any other train really. They've had their moments but on the whole they're fine.

 

[ouchmonkey]

61, 62, 63 buses down the bristol road are a pretty good servive that runs past the uni, trains I don't really use
I have friends who teach at the Uni and cycle from King's Heath - it's not that far
don't listen to bees - you don't want to be the wrong side of 'the wall'
stirchley and selly park might be good places to look - not especially glamorous but decent places to live and possibly a bit cheaper...

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

That wall keeps the fucking hipsters out

 

[Red Cat]

Selly Oak:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-46418842.html

Selly Park:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-46493062.html

Some of Selly Oak is leafy and big houses. There doesn't seem to be much for rent for your budget. Is walkable to university.

Selly Park and some of Selly Oak is smaller 2 /3 bed late Victorian houses, often rented to students, but lots of families too, especially near the River Rea urban corridor/parkland on the right hand side of the Pershore Rd. Get you map out! Also walkable but further.



This is Stirchley, both houses round the corner from Bournville station, 2 stops to the university, on the canal towpath (recently resurfaced) which takes you to the university too if you like to cycle:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-32688144.html

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-48544079.html

 

[Red Cat]

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-46572493.html

Only one pic so maybe not so nice inside. But lovely location, next to Cotteridge Park, which is lovely, few minutes form Bournville Station on the Bournville/Cotteridge side.

But if you want nice pubs and cafs then Moseley or Kings Heath are better for you. Stirchley and Selly Park are for people who can't afford Moseley and Kings Heath, although we have the River Rea urban corridor, train line, canal, and nice people, and we're happy where we are (in Stirchley).

 

[sarah_rahrah]

Thanks for all of your suggestions so far. We are moving with almost no furniture so many of these places aren't suitable.. I will keep an eye out for places in these areas though. Hopefully something comes up soon!

 

[Red Cat]

You can pick up furniture cheaply enough from charity furniture shops and ebay.

 

[sarah_rahrah]

You can pick up furniture cheaply enough from charity furniture shops and ebay.

We don't have a car at the moment so it might be a little bit difficult. We're keeping an eye out for unfurnished places too in the areas we want.

 

[Red Cat]

Charity shops will deliver for a tenner.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

My friend lives in stirchley and works at the uni...nice area right by Highbury park...so many parks in Birmingham

 

[BigTom]

Are there still no pubs in Bournville? I went to college there and it was a long walk to the nearest one. Northfield used to be really rough but I'm sure it has its ok bits.

Yep, still no pubs (and probably never will be unless the area is demolished and rebuilt). Residents also rejected an application for an off licence there a couple of years back.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

My friend lives in stirchley and works at the uni...nice area right by Highbury park...so many parks in Birmingham

Ssshhh - don't tell anyone. Highbury Park is fantastic and nobody ever seems to use it!

 

[Kidda]

Thanks for all of your suggestions so far. We are moving with almost no furniture so many of these places aren't suitable.. I will keep an eye out for places in these areas though. Hopefully something comes up soon!

There is an ex-catalogue place in Balsall Heath (on the Alcester road, next to Zaffs takeaway, 10min walk from Moseley village) They have some furniture bargains, can be haggled with and deliver for free. Worth knowing if you find somewhere near by and the furniture is an issue.

 

[Blagsta]

Gotta love Zaffs, or Spicy, Hot and Tender as it used to be known

 

[davesgcr]

Mrs is from Selly Oak - the area twixt the Raddlebarn Road and the Pershore Road is good hunting area - not so highly studentised - Warwards Lane / Gristhorpe Road are nice and peacefull - leafy - good services and so on. Even Umberslae Rd where we have family connections ....!"

 

[Sapphireblue]

Yep, still no pubs (and probably never will be unless the area is demolished and rebuilt). Residents also rejected an application for an off licence there a couple of years back.

Quaker innit. you can't even buy a bottle of wine from the Tesco Express!

 

[davesgcr]

The Country Girl on the Raddlebarn Road is a decent pub - over the Bourneville boundary....

 

[ouchmonkey]

There's a bar in The Beeches Hotel I think, but Bournville green is small, it's an expensive area (because it's lovely) and it's not far from
pubs in Cotteridge /Stirchley/Selly Oak etc anyway, the country girl pub is about a 5 min walk from the centre of Bournville