Lifestyle
City Living
This is a recent but popular trend in Birmingham. Many people are choosing to live within walking distance of the city centre and there is now plenty of good quality choice:
Brindley Place/Canal Side – There are plenty of new and converted flats to choose from in this area – it is a particularly popular choice for young professionals as it is only a 15 minute walk into the city centre. There is also an excellent selection of restaurant, bars and other facilities.
Jewellery Quarter/St Paul's Square – Another popular choice for people choosing city living, this area has recently seen a huge investment in regeneration. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to walk into the city centre from these areas and there are a large number of town houses, loft conversions and new builds to choose from.
Prices in these areas are at the top end of the Birmingham market, with a two bedroom apartment comfortably in the £200,000+ range.
Outskirts of Birmingham – There are some trendy cosmopolitan areas that are popular with many who do not choose the city living lifestyle but want to be close enough to the city to enjoy its many other benefits. Harborne, Edgbaston, Bearwood and Moseley are areas particularly attractive to young professionals and families. In these areas, you will find terraced houses and Georgian buildings, and there is a good selection of restaurants, bars and other facilities. A good transportation network makes the city easily accessible. Prices have risen dramatically in these areas and a decent terrace house will start at £250,000 and a four bedroom family house will start at £300,000.
Other areas – If you want to live slightly further out of Birmingham, popular choices for families and couples are Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Bromsgrove and Stourbridge.
There are good facilities in these areas including shopping, restaurants and schools, and all have train stations linking into one of the three stations in Birmingham. Most
journeys take approximately 30 minutes, making the city and legal district very accessible.
Country Living
Many people often choose to live out of Birmingham, opting for the beautiful countryside of Worcestershire, Warwickshire or Shropshire, or historic towns such as Stratford and Leamington Spa. Commuting into Birmingham via car can be a challenge as the M6, M5 and M42 tend to get very congested in peak times. However, you will find a train station in most of these areas so most commuters will use this link into Birmingham city centre where it is only a short walk to the office.
House Prices
In 2005 the average cost of a flat was £150,000 and a detached home was £300,000.