Buying a home in B71 (Sandwell)
What official records show at 8 postcodes across B71: flooding, radon, ground conditions, old landfill, protected buildings, prices, crime and schools. Conditions change from street to street, so use this to know what to ask, then check the home you're buying.
Check a home in B71
Enter a postcode or address for the free area check at that exact postcode.
At a glance
- Rivers and sea1 of the 8 postcodes we checked in a mapped flood area
- Surface waterMedium or high at 1 of the 8 postcodes we checked
- RadonUp to 5–10% of homes above the action level
- GroundLandslides recorded nearby
- Average price£205,830 in Sandwell (July 2026)
Facts from official records at sample postcodes, not a rating of B71 or of any home.
Flooding from rivers and the sea
We checked each postcode centre against the Environment Agency's flood zones.
1 of the 8 postcodes we checked is in a mapped flood area:
- B71 2BX: Flood Zone 2
A home in a mapped flood area can cost more to insure, and some lenders ask more questions. Ask the seller about past flooding and any flood claims, and ask your solicitor for an environmental search.
Surface water flooding
Flooding from heavy rain that can't drain away fast enough. It can happen far from any river.
- Medium: 1 of 8 postcodes (B71 2BX)
- Low: 1 of 8 postcodes
- Very low: 6 of 8 postcodes
Surface water risk changes over a few metres, with the lie of the land. Medium means a 1% to 3.3% chance of flooding each year, and high more than that. Ask the seller about past flooding and look at the drainage when you view.
Radon
Radon is a natural radioactive gas from the ground. The UK Health Security Agency maps the share of homes above its action level in each 1 km square.
At all 8 postcodes we checked, parts of the surrounding square are a radon Affected Area. The highest is up to 5–10% of homes above the action level.
The map shows the highest value in each square, not a measurement for any home. A three-month radon test, or an address report from UKradon, tells you about a particular house. Where levels are high, a sump or better ventilation usually brings them down.
Ground stability
The British Geological Survey rates natural ground hazards, such as clay that shrinks and swells, and old non-coal mine workings.
- Landslides: moderate near 4 of the 8 postcodes we checked
Non-coal mining hazard is moderate or significant at all 8 postcodes we checked.
Ratings are for the surrounding area, not for a particular plot. Where clay shrink-swell or old workings are recorded, ask your surveyor to look for cracking and movement, and ask the seller about subsidence claims. A level 2 or level 3 survey is worth more here than a valuation alone.
Old landfill sites
Historic landfill sites within 500 m of each postcode centre.
- B71 2BN: 2 sites within 500 m, nearest 380 m
- B71 2BX: 3 sites within 500 m, one covering the postcode centre
- B71 1DA: 3 sites within 500 m, one covering the postcode centre
- B71 2DS: 2 sites within 500 m, nearest 130 m
- B71 1RH: 2 sites within 500 m, nearest 370 m
- B71 1JT: 4 sites within 500 m, nearest 100 m
Most old landfill causes no problems, but a home on or next to one can be harder to mortgage, and some sites give off gas. Your solicitor's environmental search lists sites near the address.
Conservation areas and listed buildings
Whether each postcode centre falls in a conservation area, on a listed building's site, or under similar protections.
None of the 8 postcode centres we checked falls in a conservation area or on a listed building's site. Older streets and town centres often do, so check the address.
In a conservation area or a listed building you need consent for many changes, such as new windows, extensions or taking down trees. Check before you plan work.
House prices
The average price in Sandwell was £205,830 in July 2026, down 0.4% on a year earlier. This covers every home in the council area, so a particular street can be well above or below it.
At the postcodes we checked, Land Registry has 7 sales in the last 3 years, with a median of £232,000 and a range of £180,000 to £365,000. A handful of postcodes is a small sample, so treat this as a rough guide.
Our postcode check lists recent sales on the street, which tell you more about a particular home than a town average.
Crime
Measured around B71 2BN, near the centre of B71.
269 crimes were reported within about a mile of the centre in August 2026. Town centres usually have more, because of shops and nightlife.
- Violence and sexual offences132
- Criminal damage and arson28
- Vehicle crime23
- Other theft16
- Anti-social behaviour12
- Public order12
Our postcode check shows crime around any postcode, so you can see the street you're looking at.
Schools near the centre
The nearest schools by distance. Distance doesn't decide a place: each council's admissions rules do.
- St Mary Magdalene CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Primary · ages 3–11 · Voluntary controlled school · 330 m
- All Saints CofE Primary School
Primary · ages 3–11 · Voluntary aided school · 570 m
- St John Bosco Catholic Primary School
Primary · ages 3–11 · Academy converter · 900 m
- Pennyhill Primary School
Primary · ages 3–11 · Community school · 910 m
- Eaton Valley Primary School
Primary · ages 3–11 · Community school · 1.0 km
- The Phoenix Collegiate
Secondary · ages 11–18 · Foundation school · 530 m
- Sandwell Community School
Secondary · ages 11–16 · Pupil referral unit · 760 m
- Shireland CBSO Academy
Secondary · ages 11–19 · Free schools · 1.5 km
- Wodensborough Ormiston Academy
Secondary · ages 11–16 · Academy sponsor led · 1.6 km
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council: Primary admissions ↗ · Secondary admissions ↗
Postcode by postcode
Each row is one postcode centre we checked. Open a postcode for the full free area check.
| Postcode | Rivers and sea | Surface water | Radon | Ground | Landfill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B71 2BN | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Low | 2 within 500 m |
| B71 2BX | Flood Zone 2 | Medium | 1–3% | Moderate | 3 within 500 m |
| B71 1DA | Outside | Very low | 5–10% | Moderate | 3 within 500 m |
| B71 2DS | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Low | 2 within 500 m |
| B71 1RH | Outside | Very low | 5–10% | Moderate | 2 within 500 m |
| B71 3AB | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Low | None within 500 m |
| B71 1JT | Outside | Low | 1–3% | Moderate | 4 within 500 m |
| B71 1RR | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Low | None within 500 m |
What this guide can't tell you
- It covers 8 postcodes, not every street. Results can differ a few doors away, so check the postcode you're buying in.
- It isn't a survey, a search or legal advice, and it doesn't rate B71 or any home.
- Planning applications aren't included here. The postcode check lists them for a particular address.
- Broadband and mobile coverage aren't included. Ofcom's free checker shows them for any address.
Sources
Checked 19 October 2026. We refresh these guides every month.
- HM Land Registry Price Paid Data
- Environment Agency, Historic Landfill Sites (Environment Agency Conditional Licence). Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and/or database right.
- Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon
- British Geological Survey, GeoSure 5 km and mining hazard 1 km hex grids (Open Government Licence). Contains NERC materials ©NERC 2026.
- Environment Agency flood risk zones via Planning Data England
- Environment Agency, Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (Open Government Licence)
- UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry and Registers of Scotland), Open Government Licence. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right. Contains Registers of Scotland data © Crown copyright and database right.
- Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (Open Government Licence)
- data.police.uk street-level crime (Open Government Licence)
- Planning Data England (planning.data.gov.uk)