Moving to Bradford-opinions?

Moving to Bradford-opinions?

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Jimmy No Hands

5,007 posts

155 months

Friday 12th December 2014
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Echoing the above, Bradford born and bred. Raised in BD12, moved to BD6, spent three years in BD11 and just bought my first house in WF13. Like any city it has its good and its bad. Although nowadays I don't entertain going into the city centre for anything, unless absolutely necessary , mainly becuse Leeds centre tops anything Bradford can offer. Shopping, restaurants, bars, clubs and culture. But truth be told, Bradford city centre really has descended into a bit of a cesspool as of late, I imagine thats where it accumulates most of its bad press and to be honest I can agree to some extent. With Leeds 15 minutes from my doorstep I see no reason to bother with it anymore truth be told.

That being said there are still some very nice places to live, with some very reasonable property prices. It's a shame you're after a new build because the in-laws are moving to Oz next month and are having to very quickly despatch of their 3 bed semi in Birkenshaw for massively below the asking price just to get it sold in time for the move. Lovely village, opposite a great school and good links to Leeds & Bradford.

Personally we have been in WF13 for about 6 weeks now, not an area we had considered prior to looking, but we viewed and it turned out to be perfect (Heckmondwike, Staincliffe, its a bit of a mish mash) but its ridiculously quiet and I'm situated amongst houses that cost a LOT more than my modest abode.

If you have any questions throw me an email over and I'll do my best. (I can even tell you the best pubs)

Edited by Jimmy No Hands on Friday 12th December 23:16

skip_1

3,459 posts

189 months

Saturday 13th December 2014
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We lived in BD6 for a few years which was nice enough, and straight out into the countryside.

FWIW Thornbury Primary School is awful and is 80% asian and 20% eastern european with most kids having English as a second language.

I seem to recall seeing a lot of gypsies around Dick Ln too, it isn't far from their 'work' and drinking ground of Bowling Back Road.

n17ves

591 posts

177 months

Sunday 14th December 2014
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£775 is pretty good value for Leeds City centre IMHO - most decent pads are over £1k.

Have a look at H2010 in Leeds - 3/4 bed new builds houses that are a walk away from the centre. Sounds like what you're after...

All that jazz

7,632 posts

145 months

Tuesday 16th December 2014
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Schermerhorn said:
sat1983 said:
Schermerhorn said:
Is it the Pudsey area? That area is quite OK.
They classify it as Pudsey. BD3 postcode- near the Odeon Cinema.
That area is quite nice. You have some great food places too like Akbars, Zouk etc and generally the area is quite OK.

You haven't made a bad choice at all.
rofl

Are you for real? BD3 is "quite nice"? If you're Pakistani, yes, yes it is. For anyone else it's a complete sthole and that's why they can't even give houses away round there. I'll bet that all the rooms are tiny for that price too.

BD3 demographics.

Get ready for your car insurance renewal quote to start with 5 figures too. It's amongst the worst postcodes in the country as far as that goes.

High risk postcodes.

But none of this matters right, coz we got FOUR bedrooms, woot! sillywobble

Edited by All that jazz on Tuesday 16th December 00:39

Yazar

1,476 posts

119 months

Tuesday 16th December 2014
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sat1983 said:
I've worded things rather poorly I admit. I mean the house itself can't be beaten- new, rather large 4 bedrooms for £160,000. We entertain quite often and living dining kitchen is fantastic. The very same house in Leeds is up for £200,000. We are about to start a family so do need the space.
Starting a family does not need 'space' as in 4 bedrooms and a fantastic kitchen. Only thing of importance is a garden, doesn't need to be big neither if parks nearby.

Priorities are the environment and community and decent schools and nursery's and so on. If you bring up a child in a nice area then your job becomes that much easier.

Parts of Bradford are indeed lovely, and large sections of Bradistanis are good people. However you don't want to end up with your kids surrounded by the more, how to put it, 'free-spirited' elements of this community.

soxboy

6,060 posts

218 months

Tuesday 16th December 2014
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OP, you have said that you'd like a larger house because you want to start a family, however have you looked at the schools and nurseries in the area?
No good having a big house if the schools are crap, and house prices are held back as a result.
Edit: Thornbury Primary School 'requires improvement'

Edited by soxboy on Tuesday 16th December 11:11

Blown2CV

28,695 posts

202 months

Tuesday 16th December 2014
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don't do this. Not only will you be living somewhere widely accepted to be awful, even by many of the residents, you'll be 'on the ladder' in a place where almost everywhere else is very expensive by comparison. You'll be stuck for life.

sat1983

Original Poster:

1,252 posts

183 months

Tuesday 16th December 2014
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We have decided against it. I guess the saying 'if it seems too good to be true' applies here, in terms of the house itself. The rest of it is very grim and to be honest we almost feel relieved that we took that decision.

The problem remains though- where do we go! We have seen some nice houses in Wakefield (which isn't amazing in itself but anything is an improvement on Bradford) but again, it appears to be near a sodding council estate:


https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Wakefield,+Wes...

I may as well start a 'Moving to Wakefield-opinions' thread!

Yazar

1,476 posts

119 months

Tuesday 16th December 2014
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Don't judge a council estate by streetview- go walk around it.

What is your criteria- is it just x minutes commute to Leeds?

Also will your partner work fulltime in central Leeds/become a stay a home mum/work near to home etc when kids come along. Also you said you are both from Sheffield- if so is all your family there and how often will you be going back there as south of Leeds will be better than Bradford direction if driving.

Have you looked at the other help2buy options as well e.g. the mortgage guarantee option which can apply to non-new builds. https://www.gov.uk/affordable-home-ownership-schem...

Also have you considered not using help2buy, but instead buying a cheap terrace as a starter home?

sat1983

Original Poster:

1,252 posts

183 months

Wednesday 17th December 2014
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Yazar said:
Don't judge a council estate by streetview- go walk around it.

We did. It looks like any other council estate. With the odd character and cans of lager in their hands.

What is your criteria- is it just x minutes commute to Leeds?

Yes- easily commutable distance to Leeds and Sheffield.

Also will your partner work fulltime in central Leeds/become a stay a home mum/work near to home etc when kids come along. Also you said you are both from Sheffield- if so is all your family there and how often will you be going back there as south of Leeds will be better than Bradford direction if driving.

Unsure as yet but we can't really afford for her/me to be stay at home parents for long. Which is a sad state of affairs but the cost of living dictates this.

Have you looked at the other help2buy options as well e.g. the mortgage guarantee option which can apply to non-new builds. https://www.gov.uk/affordable-home-ownership-schem...

We're quite happy with the 5% deposit on a new build.

Also have you considered not using help2buy, but instead buying a cheap terrace as a starter home?

Yes we have. But a lot of houses have potential for repair work. At this stage of our lives with need the easy option, which is, generally, a new build. In time, with more money, we'd love a house with more character. They also tend not to be energy efficient, warmth is a priority in this country!

Yazar

1,476 posts

119 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
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hora said:
I still wouldn't. I'd only move to such an area if I had some sort of prior connection to it. Walking round etc is fine. I think you need to 'know' the area before you can comfortably move to it. Otherwise I'd rent first.
That depends on how good your analytical behaviour/people skills are. Aside from visiting where I live, I talking to numerous residents who happened to be about and checked out the stats. Even litle things like if people are tending to gardens and upkeeping their property tell you enough. If I had rented first I would have been priced out as prices were going up month by month!

Yazar

1,476 posts

119 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
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We did. It looks like any other council estate. With the odd character and cans of lager in their hands.

Fair enough.

Yes- easily commutable distance to Leeds and Sheffield.
Get a public transport map, using an online route planner write on it the commute time and frequency of the train/bus for every station. Then decide on your maximum commute and you now have a shortlist!

Spend weekends/evening with a public transport map, travel down each one of these, cross of the ones you don't like/able to afford and that will be your final choices.

Go for the 'worst' house in the street at the max of your budget in these areas, that will be the best area and street you can afford to live in.


Yes we have. But a lot of houses have potential for repair work. At this stage of our lives with need the easy option, which is, generally, a new build. In time, with more money, we'd love a house with more character. They also tend not to be energy efficient, warmth is a priority in this country!

The first home is the perfect stage of our life not to go for an easy option. The only way we could afford to live where we are and manage on one salary so OH could take time off for kids was to buy a do upper. Now we have a house in a long establish neighbourhood that in the future will most likely sell for a good profit.

As long as it is structurally ok and not collapsing, then nothing to worry about. With the amount of information about nowadays you will be amazed at how much you can do- just go to youtube and type in 'how to plaster a wall' or 'how to join copper'. Most diy jobs are relatively straightforward and only get expensive if you pay for the labour to get it done. (This is coming from someone who always rented, only just started diy and was very worried when first reading through the house survey we had done).

Even if you pay others to do it, as long as you paid less for the house in the first place then it evens up.

And be careful with the energy efficiency malarkey, if you are sensible and only use energy when you need it then the 'savings' are not as much as they make out (remember you are not an OAP who will be in all day feeling the cold), and if you pay more for the new build in the first place than you are in effect paying for those savings. Also new houses will have a water meter but most old houses won't.

evilmunkey

1,377 posts

158 months

Thursday 18th December 2014
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I would look at pudsey and Farsley. both decent places, and on good transport links. Im in Bramley just off stanningley road and its fine. I do think you've made the correct decision . hope you find what you need.

thetapeworm

11,191 posts

238 months

Friday 19th December 2014
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andy-xr said:
I've owned a house before. It was OK, nothing special. Sold it thinking I was moving to the US. Now I'm back in a position where I'd like to buy again (nest egg more likely) but we cant afford to buy the house we'd like to live in and bring up a family in.
I did the same, had a house, new build town house in Skipton, sold it to move to the US, 9/11 happened, it all went to crap, I've been renting ever since. Would like to buy something now but like you can't afford to buy a house I'd be happy to live in and call my own.

OP - Bradford is a big place just like Leeds, some of it is horrible, some less so, some is actually nice - if you're going to happy where you're going then make the most of it, pay the bills and if the worst comes to the worst hopefully you can sell on without losing money.

Just don't try to move to the US.

bobbo89

5,151 posts

144 months

Friday 19th December 2014
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Give Ossett a try, right next to the M1 for Leeds commuting and house prices arent silly, good schools there too!

soxboy

6,060 posts

218 months

Friday 19th December 2014
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bobbo89 said:
Give Ossett a try, right next to the M1 for Leeds commuting and house prices arent silly, good schools there too!
I had considered mentioning there too (lived there for a bit years ago, still have friends there).

Only hesitated as wasn't sure what new builds are there (oh and although it's great for motorway access it's rubbish for public transport)

thetapeworm

11,191 posts

238 months

Friday 19th December 2014
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Lot's of new builds in Morley at the moment but I'm not sure what price point they are at.

turboman786

1,052 posts

186 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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Bradfors born and bred and I'm bradford biggest lover and greatest critic!

It can be a nice place to live but NOT in the inner city areas which are a total st hole. ....I guess that could be said for pretty much most UK inner cities

Bradford is awash with criminality and drugs but get away from the city centre into the out lying areas and it's beautiful countryside and a pretty nice place to be

DaveyBoyWonder

2,463 posts

173 months

Monday 22nd December 2014
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Picking up on the commuting to Leeds and Sheffield thing, my mate had similar requirements and lives in Sandal. 5 mins drive to the M1 and a 15 minute walk to a station with direct trains into Leeds centre.

I work in Bradford and its a hole. The only parts I'd consider would be out towards Shipley/Bingley/Harden/Wilsden etc but they'd be a serious pain in the neck for a Sheffield commute.

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 23rd December 2014
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The part of Bradford mentioned is certainly not one of the really bad parts.
It is ideally placed with regards driving around and into both Leeds and Bradford, plus you've got very easy access to the 621 and the 62 plus Leeds outer ring road. Far nicer areas are not far away and you don't really have to travel far to get to the countryside.
However I would see if you can push your finances to get yourself into an area such as Horsforth, which isn't that far away, or even perhaps Guiseley, Menston, Rawdon, Rodley.