Thinking of buying a house in Middlesbrough

[Byff]

Where are the nice areas and where are the places best not touched with a barge pole?

It'll be a property for investment, so anywhere good for strong rentals would be handy but I feel there's too many new developments, so I'm looking for a small place with a garden, semi, detached or bungalow, for doing up or ready to move into - not bothered what.

I need some insider advice.

[andy-w]

The words nice and middlesborough used in the same sentance...now theres a first

[tvrbob]

andy-w said:

The words nice and middlesborough used in the same sentance...now theres a first

My thoughts too. There are some nice / select places in the area but they are not Middlesbrough. I think this is one for Wedg1e.

[Byff]

I know that's what it's like now, but I've a feeling Middlesbourgh is going to be up and coming. I want to get in now while things are still dirt cheap, but I don't know which area's have potential.

[tvrbob]

Development has been promised for a long time and has yet to show itself. Middlehaven is one of the most promising however that is still derelict industry and 'brown field' sites. There are other areas identified for urban renewal but at present those areas are either full of property earmarked for demolition or brown field sites with ground contamination issues. Existing housing in the centre is by and large dilapidated and is suffering from Asian takeover, usual signs, no attempt to speak English, shop keepers that don't speak English, Nissan's everywhere. It may be worth getting a copy of the Urban Redevelopment Executive Summary. That will give you information on where the Council intend to invest. There is a lot of existing rental property owned by the Asian community that is subject to compulsory purchase for demolition. This is mostly occupied by students. I know the borough is redeveloping existing central property to make way for the forced relocation of these students.

>> Edited by tvrbob on Wednesday 8th February 15:18

[andy-w]

Sounds more like the germans clearing out the ghettos during WW2 than inner city re-development...

Isnt there any cheap flats left in gateshead?
%5 years agio clare and i were renting a flat in birtley and the landlord said we could buy it for 18K we turned it down...the same flats are now being sold for 80k...am i a financial genius or what????

[minimax]

andy-w said:

The words nice and middlesborough used in the same sentance...now theres a first

well if you add the words 'away from' after the 'and' you have a perfectly acceptable statement

[Byff]

So if the center of Middlesbourgh is still a no-go zone (is there any UN peacekeepers?), then what's the surrounding area's like?

[Selmer]

I was born in M'bro and lived there for 20 years and I will be the first to admit that some of it is dire but no moreso than any other provincial town; hell anyone been to Slough, or Warrington?
As long as you get decent neighbours you can live anywhere, remember peoples moral responsibility, decency and courtesy doesn't improve with the size of their mortgage.
Acklam, Marton, Nunthorpe and Linthorpe all have their nice bits.

[PinkPanther]

Selmer said:

Acklam, Marton, Nunthorpe and Linthorpe all have their nice bits.

Was born in and have lived in and around the area for nigh on 30 years. Can echo the above (although Linthorpe is pushing it ). Would avoid the centre like the plague, especially the new brownfield sites. Outlying areas to the south are the best bets, i.e Acklam, Stainton, Thornton, Nunthorpe, Maltby, Marton (my current address) - all are within 10 minutes of M'bro centre and have much better scenery

Further afield there's Yarm and Stokesley which are always in demand (20 minutes or so from M'bro centre)

Regards, Dan

[Byff]

Cheers for the advice chaps. I'll be having a drive around on Saturday/Sunday to see what they're like and I might have a quick drive round the brownfield sites. After all, 10 years ago, who'd have thought people would be queing round the block to live on Newcastle's quayside.

[after_shock]

Dont rule out Hartlepool, much has already been re-developed and yes it has its bad areas but also has some good areas which I dont think are too expensive.

[wedg1e]

How much do you want to spend? I could be talked into parting with Wedg1e Villas...

I don't know much about Middlesbrough: I know Marton/ Nunthorpe can be expensive. But I also know that a certain Leeds footie player came from there, and he was later in court for racial aggro, so what does that say?

Norton and Yarm are traditionally two 'des-res' areas: there are a few houses in Norton on the market for upwards of £300K at the moment. Some of the High Street goes back to 16th century, as does Yarm IIRC. Both still retain a certain amount of 'village charm'; both have exclusive schools; one has a village green with a pond and fountain, the other has a river...

Avoid Ingleby Barwick at all costs. Think Brookside on a gigantic scale, shoebox houses made of plasterboard and 2 x 2, gangs of listless kids roaming the streets, hellish road congestion, traffic calming, characterless pubs...

[after_shock]

Agreed avoid ingleby barwick at all costs for the above reasons, it is an absolute nightmare to drive around and wouldnt like to imagine the gangs of kids meeting from the eastside for a chat with the westsiders in the middle!

[froggie]

Byff if your in the area sunday give me a call,
Im just working on 4 at the moment,off south fields rd, aimed at 3 students or migrants each house, later the area will get re developed like boro road area.slummy union st area is being talked about now i beleive.
Heavy economic migrant area(slummy)but cheap and goverment pay 4 migrants well,students like it that way
If you want real nice 10 mins from boro we have a bungalow in a achre with pp for two 4/5 bed houses in the garden,

[Byff]

Cheers froggie. I'll see what time I can drag my sorry arse outta bed. Last 12hr nightshift Sunday night so I'll be glad to see some daylight for a change (can't complain too much, only had to do 4 nights out of the month).

[Stevie Mojo]

after_shock said:

Dont rule out Hartlepool, much has already been re-developed and yes it has its bad areas but also has some good areas which I dont think are too expensive.

Here Here!

[froggie]

i do a bit of work(sometimes)in hartlepool,its a ok place the black cloud i use to imagine has dissapeared,its a town i could live with.
thers a bit of development going on there at the old dock area soon from what i gather.

[after_shock]

I think the majority of the towns development has already been done but as you say more is to come.

[monkeyhanger]

If looking at Hartlepool, don't restrict yourself to the overpriced and frankly shoddily-built Shoeboxes that pass for houses on the new estates. There's plenty of decent, solid older houses in the town in some nice areas.