Accommodation In Milton Keynes

[Bletchleyite]

To be fair I was happy with the reputation of West Bletchley (Rivers specifically) as it allowed me to buy a 3 bedroom house for the price of a smaller 2 bedroom house over the other side of Standing Way say in Emerson Valley. And because it was built in 1970 it's of proper brick/breeze block construction, not a modern wooden framed effort, and has massive windows and is cool in summer and warm in winter.

I don't have kids, but if I did it's an ideal place to bring them up - they can play happily out front in the "street" which is actually a Redway, with the cars hidden out back. You could give quite young kids a lot of freedom even with a rule of "no crossing any roads", and it appears lots of locals do. A friend grew up in the house opposite (that was an odd coincidence!) and he always spoke quite highly of their ability to roam quite a long way in complete safety.

Re the housing behind the Bluey, do you mean Newton Leys, the new estate at the bottom of the Lakes? It's much like most of the other new estates - modern housing in a reasonably nice setting though higher density than the older estates. A bit like Broughton but without the social problems that that (totally unexpectedly) seems to have gained in places. Wouldn't mind living there, though it's a bit of a way out of town so not quite so walkable.

 

[D365]

For £500 for a room share you should have a good choice if not the absolute tip top super bachelor pad apartment options. There is a very good market for house shares/room rents in MK and often ( for that price) in family homes rather than student type house shares of 6 or 7.

Do you need to travel and/or have a car & how far do you want to be form work/station? That really governs your options rather than price.

Coming from two years in a university city, I have definitely noticed the difference in what houseshares are available, however I've been in university accommodation so am not familiar with these sorts of arrangements. In any case I am going to need a car as my family home is an hour's drive from Milton Keynes and public transport is virtually non-existent.

How short-term? The place I was in had a minimum term of 6 months, from memory. In 2009/10, it was £477 a month I think and was probably one of the higher end ones. I actually worked in Newport Pagnell but wanted to be closer to the railway station (drive to work but walk to the station leaving the car at home, vice paying the parking fees - I was also generally going against the traffic flow come commute time)

One year while I'm on a work placement, which will be based adjacent to MKC.

 

[RichmondCommu]

With £1K per month budget MK is basically your oyster, you'll get any 1/2 bed you like near enough and possibly even 3 beds in some areas. Prices in MK really aren't that high and there's no need to pay that much - you're clearly conditioned to London there

MK is about the best you'll get for utility cycling in the UK, the whole town is criss-crossed with traffic-free segregated cycle lanes on (very nearly) the Dutch model, though don't lock a 5 grand road bike up at the station in CMK as it's[1] got the bike theft record to go with it, use an old boneshaker and you'll be fine.

Worth considering buying if you have a deposit to go with that grand? House prices in MK are still vaguely in the land of reasonable, the housing stock is by and large modern and in a good state of repair, and prices are very much still on the up - buying now would be an excellent investment and save money in the long term. (Note: advice worth precisely what you paid for it - don't sue me if the market crashes! )

Many thanks for all the information on cycling within Milton Keynes

I completely agree with you in terms of the advantages of owning your own home as opposed to renting. All three children graduated this year so that's three children to help get on the property ladder. However by February of 2018 the Bank Of Mum And Dad will have substantial deposits saved up for all three of the little devils.

 

[RichmondCommu]

At 1k per month the world is your lobster. Personally I would avoid flats. I don't like them but they are ok for 6 month tenancies.

If you want something more like a "normal" town have a look at Wolverton. There is a big canal side flat development right next to the station but there are also traditional terraced houses of various sizes and some newer housing inside the old works buildings.

Have a look at Beltchley park as the flats there are nice and close to the station. I live at Fenny Stratford. it is a "normal" village. There is a big flat development by the canal right next to the station. We also have traditional terraced houses (like mine) and our own railway station.

I would also suggest Stony Stratford. That is a proper market town that MK has eaten up and has good bus connections to MK centre. It has traditional houses and is really quite nice. Decent pubs too

There are lots of flats in CMK around the hub. They are, in my mind, vastly over priced and the area always seems a ghost town at weekends as most of the buildings are offices.


It is worth pointing out that I don't think MK has any rough areas, despite what the locals think. It is a nice, safe, middle class town. Even the lakes, which has a terrible local reputation, is not bad. I have lived in much worse places.

Many thanks for all of this. We are viewing an apartment on Millward Drive in Fenny Stratford on Saturday, an apartment in Bletchley and three in Wolverton, at least assuming that they are not let this week. The estate agents are supposed to be emailing me details of other properties tomorrow.

In all honesty I'm not a fan of flats however at the moment I can't see my daughter mowing a lawn every week or so although this may chance in the years to come. If Tilly was to buy a house in the next 12 months (which is a distinct possibility) it would be my wife and I and her grand parents doing all the gardening.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hope it all goes well. Property in MK does go quickly, so be ready to change what you're viewing at late notice - but you will find something easily enough given your budget, and by all accounts it should be quite nice.

 

[Crossover]

Coming from two years in a university city, I have definitely noticed the difference in what houseshares are available, however I've been in university accommodation so am not familiar with these sorts of arrangements. In any case I am going to need a car as my family home is an hour's drive from Milton Keynes and public transport is virtually non-existent.




One year while I'm on a work placement, which will be based adjacent to MKC.

Same as me then - I was there on a one year placement too!

 

[D365]

Same as me then - I was there on a one year placement too!

There's tons of them, so I imagined finding a house/flatshare to be not difficult. My issue is finding one that suits my budget, location and is happy to take on under-25s!

 

[IanD]

Don't forget Newport Pagnall, which is nearly as nice as Stony Stratford. Newport probably has a better bus service than Stony and has a proper town centre, just like Stony.

Obviously I'd vote for Newport Pagnell! Nicer than Stony, 8 decent pubs in the town centre and more in the "outlying" newer bits. Lots of new building going on, now mostly in the South East of the town in the Tickford Steet/London Road area (eg the old Aston Martin site).

 

[Bletchleyite]

Obviously I'd vote for Newport Pagnell! Nicer than Stony, 8 decent pubs in the town centre and more in the "outlying" newer bits. Lots of new building going on, now mostly in the South East of the town in the Tickford Steet/London Road area (eg the old Aston Martin site).

A nice place indeed, but miles away from everything. I wouldn't choose it if I didn't have a car, as I think the OP's daughter doesn't.

I think I'd say it equals Stony in niceness, though. Stony is very nice. I'd love to live there, but it's pricey (for MK).

 

[Bletchleyite]

There's tons of them, so I imagined finding a house/flatshare to be not difficult. My issue is finding one that suits my budget, location and is happy to take on under-25s!

If you're having that issue you need to increase your budget, or lower your expectations of location, as one or the other is unrealistic. There are so many people who move to MK from uni at 21-22 (as I did, albeit straight into my own 1 bed flat rather than a share) to start things like grad schemes that there is plenty out there.

 

[Crossover]

There's tons of them, so I imagined finding a house/flatshare to be not difficult. My issue is finding one that suits my budget, location and is happy to take on under-25s!

I was 20 when I first moved down there and age didn't present an issue as a "professional". Main stipulations a number have is no DSS and some aren't so keen on couples.

As another poster has said, my impression of Newport Pagnell was that it wasn't easy to get places from - I had a car so it wasn't an issue getting there and back home. Didn't really venture out much in NP on foot - went to a pub near work once or twice with colleagues, but anything other than that was in the car, which is the only way I ever saw the town centre (usually when we did the weekly "KFC run" from our office to one of our sites not too far away)

 

[RichmondCommu]

Our daughter has just agreed to rent a flat in Fenny Stratford. Many thanks to everyone who gave advice on this thread with special thanks going to DarloRich and Bletchleyite.

 

[D365]

If you're having that issue you need to increase your budget, or lower your expectations of location, as one or the other is unrealistic. There are so many people who move to MK from uni at 21-22 (as I did, albeit straight into my own 1 bed flat rather than a share) to start things like grad schemes that there is plenty out there.

Apologies, I'm being a bit vague. I haven't seen any issues so far with the lodgings that I have looked at, my problem is more to do with making enough time to sort out a let once I have returned from holiday. There's just so much else that I need to take care of alongside this!

I was 20 when I first moved down there and age didn't present an issue as a "professional". Main stipulations a number have is no DSS and some aren't so keen on couples.

As another poster has said, my impression of Newport Pagnell was that it wasn't easy to get places from - I had a car so it wasn't an issue getting there and back home. Didn't really venture out much in NP on foot - went to a pub near work once or twice with colleagues, but anything other than that was in the car, which is the only way I ever saw the town centre (usually when we did the weekly "KFC run" from our office to one of our sites not too far away)

Fair enough, as above I'll have a car but ideally I would prefer to use it at weekends. Not sure what the parking situation is like at my offices.

Our daughter has just agreed to rent a flat in Fenny Stratford. Many thanks to everyone who gave advice on this thread with special thanks going to DarloRich and Bletchleyite.

I'm feeling rather guilty about 'piggy-backing' your thread, I was just about to create my own when I saw yours! Glad it has worked out for you.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Our daughter has just agreed to rent a flat in Fenny Stratford. Many thanks to everyone who gave advice on this thread with special thanks going to DarloRich and Bletchleyite.

Cheers, hope she enjoys her time in MK. It's a much, much nicer place than people often claim!

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Maybe you need to arrange a railforums meet there so you can show us all

 

[RichmondCommu]

Apologies, I'm being a bit vague. I haven't seen any issues so far with the lodgings that I have looked at, my problem is more to do with making enough time to sort out a let once I have returned from holiday. There's just so much else that I need to take care of alongside this!

In all fairness a couple of hours searching on the internet and a Saturday or Sunday in the area to view rooms is really all you need.

 

[DarloRich]

Our daughter has just agreed to rent a flat in Fenny Stratford. Many thanks to everyone who gave advice on this thread with special thanks going to DarloRich and Bletchleyite.

glad you got it sorted out.

Trains leave Fenny Stratford at 0650 or 0809 that get you into Mk for work. 1621/14 or 1713/21 will get you on a cpnnection home from Bletchely.

I will keep an eye out for anyone new