House Hunter: 'Wanted: a Bournemouth bolthole'

Mike Alloway wants to sell his Eastbourne property and buy in Bournemouth, but he can't find anything within his price range of £200,

"My partner and I currently live in Eastbourne but would like to move to the Westbourne area of Bournemouth where we have friends. Before, we lived in London and are finding Eastbourne to be too much of an elderly town - it's quite limited socially.

"My partner and I currently live in Eastbourne but would like to move to the Westbourne area of Bournemouth where we have friends. Before, we lived in London and are finding Eastbourne to be too much of an elderly town - it's quite limited socially.

"I'm not a big one for nightlife, but I do enjoy the theatre and Bournemouth has the theatre, cinemas and a lot of culture, which reminds me of London's Crouch End, as it has a villagey feel to it.

"However, the problem is that none of the property we've seen there has been at all suitable for us. We've either seen apartments - which we don't want as I've always kept a dog and would miss having a garden - or alternatively they've been very large houses which are much too expensive for us.

"Because of previous problems with noisy neighbours, we would ideally like a bungalow, a semi or a detached house.

"Another problem is that we haven't yet been able to sell our property in Eastbourne, where the property market seems to have gone very quiet recently. Can you give us any advice on what we should do?"

THREE PROPERTIES FOR MIKE TO VIEW

Property one: Wren Crescent, Coy Pond, Poole.

Price: £229,950 Agent: Palmer Snell 01202 751 499; www.palmersnell.co.uk

Agent's details: This is a rare opportunity to purchase a detached two double-bedroomed bungalow in a sought-after residential location. The bungalow has of gas-fired radiator heating, aluminium-framed double glazing and UPVC fascias and soffits. There is a double-aspect living room, bathroom and separate WC, attractive front and rear gardens, and a driveway and garage.

Property two: Gordon Road South, Branksome, Poole

Price: £197,500

Agent: Frost & Co. 01202 778855. www.frostandco.net Agent's details: This is an opportunity to acquire a well- presented two double-bedroomed Victorian semi in a cul de sac which is just a short walk to Bournemouth's lower pleasure gardens. The property has vacant possession and some original features. There are landscaped front and rear gardens, gas-fired central heating, a fitted security system, and it is chain-free.

Property three: Surrey Road South, Branksome, Poole

Price: £179,950

Agent: Frost & Co. 01202 778855, www.frostandco.net Agent's details: A delightful three-bedroomed, semi- detached cottage on the borders of Westbourne, a short drive from the town centre. It has been sympathetically restored and has central heating, a Shaker-style kitchen, antique-style bathroom, a south-facing garden, conservatory and off-road parking, and has vacant possession .

SHEILA'S ADVICE

"This is a tricky one, bearing in mind that Mike wants a house in the Westbourne area, and all the agents have emphasised that Westbourne is almost 95 per cent apartments.

"However, I've now viewed around 12 potential properties, and the three I've selected are all near the area where Mike wants to be. Property one is no more than five minutes from Westbourne village and is a detached two-bedroom bungalow in a very good area. From the outside, it looks very well maintained with a pretty garden and southerly aspect to the front. The drawback is that the garden runs uphill and at the top, behind the trees, is a railway line.

Coy Pond is known as one of the prettiest areas, being at the top end of the Bournemouth Pleasure Gardens. A short walk through here, and you are in the middle of Bournemouth. This contributes to the higher asking price of £229,950, which is above Mike's budget, and although the property is a bungalow and smaller than the other two properties, it will probably sell for this amount. Property two is a semi-detached Victorian house in a very pleasant cul de sac, again within five minutes of Westbourne. It has no garage, but is situated in a pretty, secluded garden with some lovely trees and a paved patio. It also has a conservatory, in addition to well- proportioned rooms. The third property is a few roads away and is an old railway man's cottage with vacant possession on the borders of Westbourne. There are definite good and bad areas in Bournemouth and Poole and sometimes a compromise is necessary if the objective is to keep within the budget but live in the best location. I was interested to hear that prices in Eastbourne have dropped by 10 per cent, which might have a bearing on this couple's move. They should also bear in mind that buying in the summer here in a seaside town is not a good time as prices go up and prices in Bournemouth and Poole have risen faster than the UK average.

Sheila Wise works for Property Wise, the relocation and private home-search company. 01590 626399; www.propertywise-south.co.uk

MIKE'S VERDICT

"This really has been extremely helpful. It's really difficult to get to know which areas people are talking about and where might suit us. It was interesting to hear that summer is a bad time to buy in Bournemouth, as here in Eastbourne agents are telling us that the summer is a bad time to sell. The first property sounds great, but it is probably above our budget. The other two sound very interesting and I'm going to ring the agent now to find out more about them."

If you would like House Hunter's help, write to House Hunter, The Independent, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS, or e-mail househunter@independent.co.uk