Is it better to live in a rough part of a generally nice area or a nice part of a generally rough area?

[Economist]

I've recently been thinking about my relocation options and this is something which has stuck in my mind. I'm currently renting in a commuter/dormitory town on the "gin and Jag belt" and whilst it's generally a nice place to live, if I were to buy a place in a couple of years/when the housing market collapses, the only part of it I'd be able to afford somewhere reasonably sized would be in one of the rougher bits. Alternatively, I've been thinking about which locations would be ideal for a move and there's some pretty rough towns/cities, however there are some nice areas, usually nearby villages but leaving the house for shopping/hobbies etc. would likely mean going to the rough areas.

What are your experiences? I'm aware there are more than a few places where it's possible to get a funny look/stared at/excluded if one's accent isn't local but it's these sorts of places where it's possible to get a nice house for a relatively cheap price. Equally, I know that some of the more expensive areas can have problems too. Some would say of course that the ideal solution would be to marry the heiress to a brewery but that's easier said than done...

 

[zero]

Rough part of a nice area. Being looked down upon is better than being a target.

 

[Iskra]

Rough part of a nice area. Being looked down upon is better than being a target.

If you live in a nice part of a rough area you'd be left alone if you keep your head down, because the people in the nice area are the target as they have nicer stuff worth having. Ever heard the expression 'you don't sh*t on your own doorstep?'

 

[zero]

If you live in a nice part of a rough area you'd be left alone if you keep your head down, because the people in the nice area are the target as they have nicer stuff worth having. Ever heard the expression 'you don't sh*t on your own doorstep?'

Depends how far away the "nice area" is.

I followed my own advice a few years ago and I am much happier with where I live now even though it's more run down.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

There is a reason why that otherwise nice house but in a rough area is relatively cheap!

Location, location, location.

I would suggest the key issue is your immediate neighbours. They are the ones that can make life unpleasant day after day. I don't mean them doing it deliberately but just by being incompatible eg noisy kids or barking dogs if you like peace and quiet. If you like holding all-night parties, don't move into Granny Avenue*. Ultimately though you have little control over your neighbours, as they can change at any time.

Visit a prospective house purchase (or long term rental) at various times of the day and on different days of the week. A quiet daytime house viewing with easy parking might be a bit different in the evenings and at weekends.

* a generalisation, non-partying young people and elderly ravers exist.

 

[Iskra]

There is a reason why that otherwise nice house but in a rough area is relatively cheap!

Location, location, location.

I would suggest the key issue is your immediate neighbours. They are the ones that can make life unpleasant day after day. I don't mean them doing it deliberately but just by being incompatible eg noisy kids or barking dogs if you like peace and quiet. If you like holding all-night parties, don't move into Granny Avenue*. Ultimately though you have little control over your neighbours, as they can change at any time.

Visit a prospective house purchase (or long term rental) at various times of the day and on different days of the week. A quiet daytime house viewing with easy parking might be a bit different in the evenings and at weekends.

* a generalisation, non-partying young people and elderly ravers exist.

I agree research is key here. Sit in your car on the street at a few different times of day/night and neighbours are very important indeed.

Also, look closely at the plot. For example, to burgle my house you would have to do it very obviously from the front which is well-overlooked or gain access to someone else's garden first over a 6 foot wall/fence before subsequently getting in to my back garden. Too much hassle. Thieves want easy targets and are opportunists so don't buy a house with a back garden that has a public footpath along the boundary and expect no trouble...

 

[Magdalia]

House purchase is a long term decision, so you need to consider this in a dynamic way not a static way. It is difficult to predict, but what will these places be like in 5 or 10 years time? The past isn't always a good guide to the future, but does give an indication of recent trends.

Are nice parts of rough area the first sign of a place on its way up, or the last redoubts of a place on its way down?
Are rough parts of nice areas the last to benefit from a rising tide or the first signs of of a place where the tide is on the way out?

One other important factor is schools, even if you don't have children, because a big part of the cost of education is hidden in house prices.

 

[Phil56]

Rough part of a nice area. That way there'll be fewer "not nice" people around you and their actions will get diluted by the majority who are "nice". That's true even if your immediate neighbours aren't nice, which can happen in any area, nice or otherwise, so pretty irrelevant.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

House purchase is a long term decision, so you need to consider this in a dynamic way not a static way. It is difficult to predict, but what will these places be like in 5 or 10 years time? The past isn't always a good guide to the future, but does give an indication of recent trends.

Are nice parts of rough area the first sign of a place on its way up, or the last redoubts of a place on its way down?
Are rough parts of nice areas the last to benefit from a rising tide or the first signs of of a place where the tide is on the way out?

Very good points.

It depends how long you think you are going to live in an area yourself. I bought to stay long-term (and have), others intend to move on every few years anyway.

Gentrification and slumification can be difficult to predict. It's pretty obvious which are the very best and very worst areas now but there is no promise that they will stay the same. I would suggest that a very good area may decline but will do so slowly - because of the investments people have already made. A rough area may improve, perhaps quite quickly, but even complete redevelopment may merely swap the houses old for new but not the residents.

Buy in an area which 'suits your mood'. City centre living is very different from suburban, both are different from market towns or villages. A small place with only one pub can be a pain if you don't like the way the pub is run or fall out with one of the other customers. Conversely you can be anonymous in a city centre and have access to a wide range of things on your doorstep.

 

[Snow1964]

Generally avoid any district with lots of To Let boards (eg areas with lots of student houses, or short term rentals)

The transient users of these, will have no investment in the neighbourhood, keeping front gardens tidy, improving and tidying the street etc. So regardless of how much you improve your house, will always seem your Road has an uncared for look.

The other big one, is check out school catchments and Ofsted ratings, even if not looking for a school now, being in right catchment adds tens of thousands to some house values (the alternative is private school and thats going to cost around £150k per child), so can see why people pay premiums

 

[eMeS]

If your potential choice is near a school, I'd recommend visiting the area around school start & finish times - during term time.
I've lived close to 2 schools and a nursery for 40+ years. What used to be a fair place to live, has been transformed over the last decade or two by nearly all pupils being delivered/collected by parents - and the local roads get jammed with their cars; now oversized by many being SUVs. The LA has now decided to apply double-yellow lines, but whether this will make things easier, or extend the problem, I've no idea.

 

[westv]

Depends how rough we are talking about. If it's pit bulls running around, cars on bricks and old fridges in front gardens and "ferral youths everywhere then it's a "no, thank you" to that from me.

 

[Broucek]

Rough part of a nice area. That way there'll be fewer "not nice" people around you and their actions will get diluted by the majority who are "nice". That's true even if your immediate neighbours aren't nice, which can happen in any area, nice or otherwise, so pretty irrelevant.

This. Also, amenities will tend to be better in the nice area (restaurants, cafes, schools, shops)

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think it depends what you mean by "rough". I'd say I live in a nicer part of West Bletchley, much of which is a bit more 1960s local authority and ex-local-authority (looks very much like say Wythenshawe or Kirkby, though is generally more prosperous and has lower crime levels than either of those) but I'd not call it rough, it's just fairly working-class and a bit tatty in places. I doubt I would want to live in a nice part of a place that was genuinely rough as that might make me a target.

So if you mean really rough I would probably say "less nice part of a nice area". Though it'll vary. To the OP - do you have concrete examples?

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

I retired to a place that USED TO have a bad reputation, and which is still not 'fashionable'. I often have to explain to strangers where it is.

Turns out to be a very good choice. Turned out I had been preparing myself for the move for many years, without realising it, so when I 'suddenly' realised I could afford to retire I was well prepared.

 

[ABB125]

"The worst house in the best village" springs to mind as to my approach

 

[Bletchleyite]

"The worst house in the best village" springs to mind as to my approach

Yes, "location location location" as it were. But that is more about the house, not the "nice bit" or "bad bit".

 

[AM9]

You haven't mentioned your stage of life (e.g. starter/mid-career/ready for retirement/etc.) or whether you are a 'home improver' or just want to occupy a property. The latter has a bearing on the type and location of a dwelling. If you do want to stay more than a very few years, consider that a property's value , - even if every improvement has been incorporated, is ultimately limited by the going rate for the area. Thus the optimum place to buy is an 'unimproved' property in a good area. If a good property islocated in a poor area, very few buyers will be attracted to it at much above the going rate for the area.

You haven't mentioned your stage of life (e.g. starter/mid-career/ready for retirement/etc.) or whether you are a 'home improver' or just want to occupy a property. The latter has a bearing on the type and location of a dwelling. If you do want to stay more than a very few years, consider that a property's value , - even if every improvement has been incorporated, is ultimately limited by the going rate for the area. Thus the optimum place to buy is an 'unimproved' property in a good area. If a good property islocated in a poor area, very few buyers will be attracted to it at much above the going rate for the area.

 

[Economist]

I think it depends what you mean by "rough". I'd say I live in a nicer part of West Bletchley, much of which is a bit more 1960s local authority and ex-local-authority (looks very much like say Wythenshawe or Kirkby, though is generally more prosperous and has lower crime levels than either of those) but I'd not call it rough, it's just fairly working-class and a bit tatty in places. I doubt I would want to live in a nice part of a place that was genuinely rough as that might make me a target.

So if you mean really rough I would probably say "less nice part of a nice area". Though it'll vary. To the OP - do you have concrete examples?

Really rough location examples would include areas like Wolverhampton, Doncaster, or Gillingham down in Kent. Conversely, generally nice places would include locations like Tunbridge Wells, Nantwich, possibly Edinburgh too. There are of course examples in London where rough/nice areas are right next to each other, i.e. Kilburn/Maida Vale.

You haven't mentioned your stage of life (e.g. starter/mid-career/ready for retirement/etc.) or whether you are a 'home improver' or just want to occupy a property. The latter has a bearing on the type and location of a dwelling. If you do want to stay more than a very few years, consider that a property's value , - even if every improvement has been incorporated, is ultimately limited by the going rate for the area. Thus the optimum place to buy is an 'unimproved' property in a good area. If a good property islocated in a poor area, very few buyers will be attracted to it at much above the going rate for the area.

I'm currently early-ish career, currently renting but looking to buy when prices drop. I remember my parents talking about a "ceiling price" for an area when I was young and we were living somewhere which had quite a clear limit in terms of the maximum price achievable. That said, the location was nice although local wages and poor public transport connections were a big factor.

 

[kristiang85]

This reminds me of Karl Pilkington in Petra. He's in the slummy bit overlooking the grand old stone city, and he's saying that they have a lovely view and he'd rather be there with that view than in the nice bit overlooking the cruddy run down part of town

 

[Bletchleyite]

Really rough location examples would include areas like Wolverhampton, Doncaster, or Gillingham down in Kent. Conversely, generally nice places would include locations like Tunbridge Wells, Nantwich, possibly Edinburgh too. There are of course examples in London where rough/nice areas are right next to each other, i.e. Kilburn/Maida Vale.

I think you'd need to be more specific. The idea that the whole of Wolves or Donny is "really rough" is just silly. They're just average medium sized towns/cities. There are nice and less nice places in both. A nice area in Wolves or Donny is just a nice area, no qualifier.

I thought you meant a more granular, small-town or area level than that. For example, that it might (or might not) be preferable to live in a rougher area of Ormskirk (e.g. the Scott Estate) than to live in a nicer area of Skelmersdale or Kirkby. What you're saying is near enough equivalent to "the entire Liverpool City Region is a dump" just because some fairly large chunks of it are.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

It depends

Is an area you want "up and coming" or "on its way out"? Is the area mainly owner-occupied or renters? Does the area look tidy or run down?

 

[Sm5]

No one buys a palace in the middle of a dump, but many buy a dump in an area of palaces to refurb.

Best growth potential is to buy the worst of a good area.
its much harder to drag a whole neighbourhood upto higher standards, and its much easier to watch standards in a neighbourhood go down.

 

[Bevan Price]

For most people, it is always going to be a compromise between what you can afford and what you would like.
If you can, look for on-line local newspapers, check several back-issues, and see if any areas repeatedly appear as sources of crime (drug dealing, burglary, anti-social behaviour, etc.,) - and cross them off your list.

If you are planning for a long stay, consider there may come a time when you eventually become unfit to drive; are there shops within walking distance, or is there public transport that is most likely to survive in the long term. (Anywhere with infrequent buses is probably already "at risk".)

Otherwise, I can't add much to what others have written.

 

[bspahh]

I have worked in Oxford and Cambridge, where I could have afforded a nice place in a nasty neighbourhood, or a nasty place in a nice neighbourhood.

I prefer to live a bit further away, with reasonable transport connections, and have a nice place in a nice neighbourhood. I was lucky to do this 25 years ago when that meant a commute of ~25-40 minutes. If I had to do it now, house prices have gone up more than salaries so it would be more like 45-60 minutes.

 

[Bletchleyite]

For Oxford, Milton Keynes will soon be a decent option. Not cheap cheap, but at the low end for the SE.