Advice moving to Greater Manchester area

[username4858]

Will be moving to Greater Manchester in near future. I have no idea about nice areas would appreciate advice from MNs from the areas. Have DD who is 2 so good schools important. I am used to having a lot of facilities and parks nearby so that also important. Also good links into Manchester City itself. Have been looking at Didsbury. Which I like but may be priced out by depending on house size.
Any advice would be great
TIA

The Four Heatons in Stockport, good primary schools and an "Oustanding" secondary school.

People in here always advice South Manchester, but have a look at Bury and surrounding areas ,there is the tram ,admits cheaper with nice countryside m

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Urmston has all that but not sure of your budget. Near to the Trafford Centre, good shops & restaurants, parks, train to Manchester and close to motorways. Good schools

Levenshulme is very much on the up, which means house prices are becoming silly (but not at Didsbury levels yet). Some good primaries, a growing number of secondary options but Manchester secondary schools can be quite hit and miss tbh. Trains to the centre are fairly regular and the journey time is less than 10 mins- but they are rammed at rush hours. Buses, the 192 is very regular indeed, journey when it's not too busy is 20 minutes or so, can be more than double that at busy times. Levy still has a reputation among some people for being a bad area- it really isn't though.

As Clawdy says, the Heatons are a good option. House prices there are too high for me but may not be a barrier for you, and Preistnall School is really, really good.

What's your budget?
I'm from Manchester and have lived all over there are lots of nice places but some obviously more expensive than others.

As others have said didsbury, the heatons (specifically moor and Mersey) and are the trendy areas with good schools but the extremely high prices reflect that. I wouldn’t live in north Manchester personally having worked there previously. A lot of people being priced out of south Manchester are relocating to sale

Anywhere along the magic busway (vantage) is good for travel to Manchester. So anywhere from Leigh to Ellenbrook. There's Tyldesley, Atherton, Mosley Common. Nice schools and housing in Boothstown and Worsley.

I'm another one recommending The Four Heatons although I would only consider Heaton Mersey, Heaton Moor and parts of Heaton Chapel. They have great schools, lovely houses, lots of green space and are close to the M60. Other areas to consider would be Cheadle and Sale.

Heaton Moor and Heaton Mersey are nice, but if you want grammar schools, look at Trafford. Altrincham/Hale/Timperley/Sale now very expensive but Stretford and Urmston are more affordable, and close to Chorlton if you want trendy bars etc. Have a look at the train and tram lines for ease of commute. All have plenty of green space.

Didsbury is fab.

Thanks everyone our budget is 250kish so realise if we really want to move to Didsbury we would be looking at a 2 bedroom house. Going to have a good look at all the areas you have mentioned. Any opinions on Prestwich area near Heston Park?

I lived further into Bury ,but yes Prestwic is nice and very Handy for Manchester city centre There are some huge Houses near Heaton Park !

Levenshulme has Levenshulme High School for girls, it’s a very good school. I work with schools, as part of my job. It also has Levy Market which is fab! On the train line too, I think it’s still a bit rough round the edges though. A couple of younger colleagues have just bought there.

Didsbury and Chorlton are nice but pricey, both also have quite a high crime rate.

I’m in Sale Moor, but cheaper than Sale but still nice. I’d also have a look at Urmston.

Heaton Moor is lovely, I’ve only ever been out for dinner/drinks there, but not for a while. Is Damson still there - really nice food. Don’t know the other Heatons or North Manchester.

Damson is no longer open in Heaton Moor but there are other lovely places.

What about Cheadle? Not far from Didsbury but cheaper. Or Heaton Mersey?

I live in Prestwich and it is ace. Really easy to get into Manchester or Bury, lots of green space, nice community feel.
There are some nice places to eat and drink, and the village centre is fine for grocery shopping/bits.
Can't help with schools, I'm afraid. I moved here when DD was already in uni.

We're in Chorlton and love it. Probably a bit pricey but you can look at Stretford, Whalley Range and Firswood (try m16 postcode) to get more for your money!

If you are looking at the Four Heaton you should remember that some of the boundaries are in dispute and two houses in the same street can be in different Heatons. So it is more important to drive around the area and decide which parts you like rather than select a Heaton and ignore the rest. I am a few houses out from Heaton Moor boundary (the most expensive Heaton) and it doesn't mean you fall off the map into an undesirable area.

I think you'll struggle in any of those areas with £250k, further out might be better - Bury, Rochdale

Burnage/ Levenhulme 3 bed semi £250k.

Levenshulme 4 bed semi £239k.

Levenshulme 3 bed terrace £225k.

Levenshulme 3 bed terrace £195k.

Definitely within your price range, depends whether the area is what you want I suppose.

The 3 bed terrace for 225k is beautiful.

We’re in South Manchester, which has a lot going for it apart from house prices. I’m sure you’ve worked out that some boroughs (like Trafford) have grammar schools, where others (like Manchester) don’t - which may be a factor in your decisions.

Definitely take a look at the north of the city, though. The villages that are technically part of Oldham, like Greenfield, have a lot going for them (rural feel, good train links into the city).

There are some really nice villages around Greenfield/Uppermill. Dobcross is cute. Only ever been walking up there so no idea about the schools etc.

Didsbury is ££££££ how big a house are you wanting.
Chorlton is nice but also not cheap,
Withington is a bit more affordable, I love Whalley Range, big parks and lots of schools inc William Hulme grammar.

I don’t rate Levvy at all...

Bits of Stockport are very nice, the area of Sale near Brooklands tram is a bit more affordable.

Or further out you’ve got Worsley which is lovely, or on the other side Marple, Glossop, Uppermill, Delph, greenfield and tintwhistle