← Where to Store Your Important Documents Can I move house during the coronavirus outbreak? →

Tips for House Hunting in Bradford

Posted on 27th February 2020 by Darvills

As of February 2020, the average house price in Bradford stands at £138,907 according to Zoopla. This is an ideal price for anyone looking to start house hunting in Bradford and get on the housing ladder, particularly first time buyers.

Whether you’re looking to buy a home in Shearbridge, Low Moor, Birkenshaw, Thornton, Clayton, or other locations in the Bradford area, we’ll be able to help in the removals process, together with any storage solutions you might need along the way.

However, in order to make those plans, you’ll need to find the perfect house to move into first. Here are a few tips for finding the ideal house in Bradford.

Consider transport links nearby

It’s important that you’re able to travel around the area once you’ve moved there. Whether you need transport for work, school or general activities, it’s always best to familiarise yourself with the local transport links. There are many ways of travelling in and around Bradford, whether you live in the city or the suburbs, including:

By road – the M606 will bring you to the heart of the city centre, with links to the M1, A1 and M6 – perfect for commuting to surrounding areas, or further afield if needed. From the city centre, many destinations become available, from The Broadway shopping centre and ODEON cinema to popular restaurants and trendy bars, there’s something in Bradford for everyone.

By rail – served by two central train stations, Bradford has intercity services connecting to major cities, such as London, Manchester and other destinations. Again, this makes it perfect for commuting to work, or even university.

Two central train stations:

Local services throughout the district will travel to the following stations:

Ilkley
Keighley
Shipley
Saltaire
Bingley

By coach the Bradford Interchange in the heart of the city is served by National Express – a cheaper alternative to the train. For enquiries about where the coaches travel to and from, visit their website.
By air if you’re looking to celebrate the purchase of your new home by going on holiday, then you’ll be able to fly to numerous destinations from Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA). Just seven miles from Bradford, it’s one of the fastest growing regional airports in the country.

LBA is able to serve parts of:

France
Spain
Italy
Portugal
Greece
Cyprus
Switzerland
Poland
Turkey
Austria
Hungary
Netherlands
Malta
Croatia
Bulgaria

For more information about transport links in and around Bradford, or if you’d like to enquire about bus passes, train times or bus times, then visit the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council website.

Look into schools, colleges and universities in the area

Depending on whether or not you have children, or are planning on settling down in the area, then checking the number and quality of educational organisations in the area would be incredibly useful. There are several schools, colleges and universities in the Bradford vicinity, with some of them being just a train ride away.

Nursery schools and playgroups

For parents with small children, there are an array of nurseries and playgroups available, including, but not limited to:

Thornbury Play & Learn Nursery
Severn Lodge Nursery
Westfield Nursery
Birkenshaw Kindergarten

Primary schools

There are several high-achieving primary schools in the area to choose from, including, but not limited to:

Atlas Community Primary School
Horton Park Primary School
Brackenhill Primary School
Bankfoot Primary School & Nursery

Secondary schools

For older children who are ready to take on a new and exciting challenge in a local secondary school, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to high-performing schools, including, but not limited to:

Eternal Light Secondary School
Tong Leadership Academy
Oastlers School
Dixons Trinity Academy

Colleges and sixth forms

If your children are looking to take A Levels or their equivalent, then there are plenty of colleges and sixth forms in the area who can cater for your child’s needs and interests, including, but not limited to:

Feversham College
Oasis Academy Lister Park Sixth Form
Bradford College
Bradford Academy

Universities

For those who would like to take their education further, Bradford is home to the University of Bradford. For those who would like to venture further afield, then West Yorkshire has reliable transport links to surrounding universities, including, but not limited to:

Research nearby dentists, GP surgeries and hospitals

It’s important that you’re registered at both a GP surgery and a dentist. It would also be useful to know where the local hospital is and how easy it is to get to, for future reference.

Local GP surgeries in Bradford

Registering with a local GP should be top of your priority list when moving house, particularly if moving to a new area. If you’ve moved to Bradford from elsewhere, then some of the local GP surgeries in the area include, but are not limited to:

Haigh Hall Medical Practice
Parkside Medical Practice
Eccleshill Surgery
Oak Lane Surgery

Local dentists in Bradford

You never know when you might need a dentist, and it makes things much easier if you’re already registered to a particular practice. Some of the local dentists in the area include, but are not limited to:

Infinity Dental Clinic
Taylored Dental Care Wibsey
Eccleshill Dental
Southgate Dentists

Local hospitals and walk-in centres in Bradford

It’s always necessary to know where your local hospitals and walk-in centres are. Although we hope you’ll never need them, there are few within Bradford and the surrounding areas that you can rely on.

Hospitals in the area include, but are not limited to:

Bradford Royal Infirmary
St Luke’s Hospital
Eccleshill Community Hospital

Walk-in centres in the area include, but are not limited to:

Medicspot Clinic Bradford Shearbridge
Eccleshill Treatment Centre
Locala Walk-In Centre

Are there any supermarkets and petrol stations in the area?

It’s important that your fridge is fully stocked with food for the week, ensuring packed lunches are sorted for a busy working day and dinners are prepped for an easy, stress-free meal time in the evenings. It’s also imperative that your car is topped up with petrol in order to explore the area and get to work, school or other important destinations. So, it would be beneficial to know where your local supermarkets and petrol stations are, along with how easy they are to get to.

Supermarkets available throughout Bradford include:

Asda Superstore
Sainsbury’s Local
Tesco Superstore

Petrol stations in the area include:

Morrisons Petrol Station
Shell
BP
Gulf Petrol Station

Ensure there’s entertainment nearby for the whole family

Bradford city centre is home to a number of establishments, all offering different activities depending on your preference. From leisure centres and parks to bars and clubs, there’s something for everyone in Bradford.

Cinemas in Bradford

ODEON Luxe Leeds Bradford
Cineworld Bradford
The Light Cinema

Leisure centres in Bradford

Manningham Sports Centre
Richard Dunn Sports Centre
Queensgate Leisure Centre
Kents Gym

Parks in and around Bradford

Cartwright Hall
Lister Park
Robert’s Park
North Cliffe Woods
Goit Stock

Bars and restaurants in Bradford

Aldo’s Italian
My Thai Cafe
Zizzi
Frankie & Benny’s
Bentley’s Bar
The Record Café
The Peacock Bar
Rum-shack-a-lack

Pubs and clubs in Bradford

Crown
The Turls Green
The Sparrow
Old Bank
Candy
Tyersal Club
The Mill Night Club
Envy Bar

Have the house surveyed

This is important for identifying any faults that the property may have before you close on the deal, ensuring you aren’t buying a house that may cost you more to fix than to actually live in. Some mortgage providers will advise that you should hire a conveyancer to conduct the checks, for a fee. If you’d prefer a more thorough survey, then you can arrange for an extensive check to be done by a qualified surveyor. Bradford city centre is home to an array of firms who provide this service.

Know your budget

Before deciding to go house hunting, you should know what your budgets are. You should, ideally, have three:

The deposit you’re willing to pay
The monthly mortgage repayments you can afford
The amount of money you have to pay legal fees and renovate, if required

Most of this can be answered by your mortgage adviser, who will also tell you how much you can borrow from the bank. It’s important that an adequate deposit is put down on the house so you can afford the monthly repayments. The less you put down to start with, the more the repayments will be, and vice versa.

You should discuss the financial side of buying a house with your mortgage advisor or solicitor. They’ll be able to provide you with some solid answers. You can even ask to receive a quote (never an estimate) from your solicitor, so you can factor the legal fees into your budget as well.

Keep an eye out for damp

Although numerous checks can be done while looking around a house, damp is something every potential house buyer will be looking out for. It can be difficult to rectify and the damage could be extensive, hence why people tend to steer clear of it. If you spot some damp, feel free to ask questions about it, such as:

How long has it been there for?
Is the current homeowner doing anything to fix the problem?
Do you know how extensive the damage is?

There are many other questions you can ask when it comes to the discovery of damp, but the best thing to do here is to call in a surveyor and, depending on their findings, either drop the price you’re willing to pay, or completely rule it out as a potential new home.

If you’re moving to or around Bradford, then look no further than Darvills of Bradford for friendly, reliable and professional removal and storage services. We’re fully insured and are even able to help you move at short notice. For more information about the services we provide, get in touch with us today – we operate throughout Bradford and the surrounding areas

← Where to Store Your Important Documents Can I move house during the coronavirus outbreak? →