Nice places to live in Birmingham?

[Red Cat]

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.

 

[Red Cat]

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.

 

[BigTom]

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.

 

[kazza007]

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.

 

[kazza007]

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.

 

[kazza007]

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.

 

[JTG]

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?

 

[Red Cat]

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?

 

[Blagsta]

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?

 

[Red Cat]

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.

 

[Dr Nookie]

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!)

 

[blossie33]

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.

 

[moomoo]

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

 

[stuff_it]

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.

 

[Red Cat]

Thora is not coming to Birmingham

 

[miss direct]

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.

 

[Kidda]

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.

 

[muscovyduck]

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.

 

[horcruxe333]

What about employment in Birmingham ?

 

[BigTom]

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.

 

[Lifeislikeabox]

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?

 

[BigTom]

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.

 

[Lifeislikeabox]

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.

 

[BigTom]

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?

 

[Smokeandsteam]

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.

 

[BigTom]

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.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

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.

 

[Lifeislikeabox]

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.

 

[muscovyduck]

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.

 

[kebabking]

...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.