property, homes and houses for sale in West Midlands

When the West Midlands is mentioned people often associate it with the Black Country, Spaghetti Junction, Birmingham's Bullring and the NEC (the world class exhibition centre). There is much more to this region, which is home to one of the UK's top universities. The West Midlands is centred by the UK's second largest city, Birmingham, which is one of the UK's top shopping destinations and is also considered to be a city of cultural excellence. The county of West Midlands was formed in 1974, has a population of over 2.6m people, covers 347 square miles and contains the three major cities of Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton. Although the West Midlands is one of the most heavily urbanised counties in the UK, with Birmingham, Wolverhampton, the Black Country and Solihull forming the largest conurbations in the UK outside London, this county is not entirely urban. Coventry is separated from the Birmingham urban area by stretch of green belt land roughly 15 miles across, known as the "Meridien Gap", which retains a strongly rural character. There is a smaller piece of greenbelt between Birmingham, Walsall and West Bromwich, which includes Barr Beacon and the Sandwell Valley.

A brief history

The county of West Midlands was formed in 1974 and includes the cities of Birmingham and Coventry, and the Black Country (an urban area whose name reflects the coating of grime and soot afflicting the buildings of the region). The Black Country has a history dating to the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution and the West Midlands towns gained a reputation for being ugly but prosperous. The West Midlands conurbation developed around Birmingham and the coal fields of the Black Country. The name "West Midlands" is also used for the much larger West Midlands region, which sometimes causes confusion. Other major towns in the area include Sutton Coldfield, Solihull, Dudley, Walsall and West Bromwich.

Living in the West Midlands

The West Midlands area has a diverse economy, ranging from traditional manufacturing to modern service sectors. Birmingham has a large professional services sector, covering the banking, legal, accountancy and property sectors, amongst others. There are few major professional services that do not have offices in Birmingham, so people searching for property in West Midlands will discover the county has consistently high levels of employment.

A number of people who are considering moving to the West Midlands are likely to focus on the regional capital of Birmingham - which over the past decade has emerged into a leading European city, a key business and retail centre and is considered to be one of the UK's leading property hotspots. As a result of a survey carried out recently by a supermarket chain, of all the major cities in the UK, Birmingham was reported to have the best range of local facilities and amenities. The types of property for sale in Birmingham include developments of brand new flats, apartments in period buildings, terraced houses, Victorian townhouses, modern detached houses, bungalows, and brand new canal side developments of apartments. People searching for flats in Birmingham should expect to pay £209k+ for a two bedroom apartment in the centre of town.

Another hotspot in the West Midlands is Wolverhampton. As one of Britain's newest cities, Wolverhampton has benefited from investment from the public and private sectors, which has created an attractive environment. Combined with a vibrant mix of shopping, art, theatre, sport and nightlife, Wolverhampton is emerging as a great place to live. Families with children who are searching for property for sale in Wolverhampton will discover there are over 143 schools for children of all ages. Families searching for houses for sale in Wolverhampton should expect to pay £185k+ for a brand new three bedroom house. People who are relocating to the area and who are searching for flats in Wolverhampton will discover some of the major employers, include Beatties, Birmingham Midshires, Chubb Locks and the University of Wolverhampton.

If you would prefer to live in an area described as being a 'village in the city' you should consider searching for property for sale in Coventry. The types of property for sale in Coventry include Edwardian villas, large semi-detached and detached houses, alongside exclusive apartments, and properties of individual character. Families searching for houses in Coventry will find that communities have benefited from a number of crime-fighting initiatives, such as gating schemes and Community Safety Officers who work locally with residents to address local concerns; the result of which has produced a steady fall in crime rates in recent years. Expect to pay £255k+ for a three bedroom modern house.

There are plenty of estate agents in West Midlands so, prior to making any decisions about where to live, make sure you search for property for sale in West Midlands on Primelocation.com.

Travel and transport links in the West Midlands

Wherever you're travelling in from, the West Midlands offers easy access. Situated at the heart of the UK's motorway network, the region has direct links to the M5, M6, M6 Toll, M42, M54 and M40. So you're just a few hours drive from many key cities including London, Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff, Sheffield and Leeds. The area is well served by frequent rail services. The West Coast mainline runs through the heart of the West Midlands, offering easy access to the North and South of the UK. There is a regular route to London Euston and London Marylebone, as well as to Manchester and the north of England, and onto Glasgow and Scotland. Birmingham has three mainline stations: New Street, Snow Hill and Birmingham International. The direct train journey from Birmingham New Street to London is just 1.5 hours. By coach National Express has its West Midlands base at Digbeth Coach Station in Birmingham, with connections to 1000 destinations across England, Scotland and Wales, including regular links to Heathrow and Gatwick airport and London Victoria. Birmingham International Airport offers more than 60 direct destinations worldwide, and is one of the UK's fastest growing airports.