In today’s blog we look at the top five places to live in Greater Manchester as identified by readers of the area’s foremost newspaper, the Manchester Evening News.
With a population of 2.8 million and ten boroughs spanning 493 square miles, Greater Manchester is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom. With such a huge area to choose from, deciding on the perfect location to set up home is tricky to say the least, so the Manchester Evening News spoke to numerous estate agents and assessed house prices across the region to identify their top five places as Worsley, the Heatons, Didsbury, Chorlton and Sale. These areas, they suggested, provide the perfect combination of good schools, open spaces, transport links, good night life, and attractive properties.
Ramsbottom train station
However, readers wanted their own say! And the top five areas voted for by readers were Bramhall, Stalybridge, Ramsbottom, Prestwich and Saddleworth. Tending to be further away from Manchester city centre than those identified by the newspaper, these areas combined a community or village feel with buzzing town centres, family friendly restaurants, good schools, attractive properties and country walks. Most of the areas also have good transport links to the city centre, with some, such as Ramsbottom, Saddleworth and Stalybridge also being on the doorstep of rural areas such as the Peak District or Lancashire.
Bramhall centre
But what about the house prices? Of these areas, the most expensive, Bramhall, is almost twice as expensive as the cheapest, Stalybridge.
| Area | Average price for a semi-detached* |
| Bramhall | £333, 776 |
| Saddleworth | £250,548 |
| Prestwich | £204,550 |
| Ramsbottom | £194, 906 |
| Stalybridge | £176,227 |
* Source: Manchester Evening News
With the popularity of these areas, houses tend to sell quickly, so as soon as you’ve identified the area you’re interested in, it’s worth contacting estate agents and asking to be notified of new properties coming onto the market. It’s also a good idea to review your finances as soon as you’re thinking about buying so that you can make yourself ‘mortgage-ready’ and increase your chances of a successful mortgage application.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. There will be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend upon your circumstances. The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.
