Where to live north of Manchester/Liverpool?

[Spartak]

We're relocating for work, office is just north of Liverpool. It's not part of the country that I know at all, but somehow we need to find a new home.

We've got an budget of around £230k ish, and would need at least three bedrooms, and ideally a garage and 2 off road parking spaces.

Not that keen on living right in a busy urban area, currently living in a market town which suits us well. No children so schools aren't a consideration. Ideally would like to be within 5 miles of a train station.

Not really sure where to start looking, any suggestions would be gratefully received.

Anyone?

Do a search million’s of these threads

The area to the north of Liverpool is quite nice - Crosby, Formby, Southport (though some parts are very expensive) and out across towards Ormskirk. Easy access into Liverpool and there are some nice villages. The countryside is flat, but not unpleasant and the coast is nice. The sand dunes around Formby are beautiful and there are red squirrels in the adjacent pine woods.

Loads of choice as pp said. Not my favourite part of the world. Too flat. I’m foothills of the Pennines but that would involve the M62.

If you want somewhere urban with good transport links take a look at Warrington. Again, not the prettiest of places but it is on the junction of the M6 and M62, the M56 runs just under it, and it is on both the West Coast mainline and Liverpool to Manchester railway. Also within very easy reach of both Manchester and Liverpool airports.
There has been a huge housing explosion in the area in the last 20 years so masses of newish property to choose from in all price brackets. Also handy for IKEA

Lydiate? Hightown?

Warrington, specifically WA5, loads of investment in an already better area of the town, very easy access to Liverpool too!

Southport, Formby, Tarleton, Hesketh Bank, Banks, Churchtown, Burscough or Parbold.

I'm not convinced you'd get a 3 bedroom house with off-road parking in Crosby or Formby with that budget. Parts of Southport maybe. Lydiate/Maghull may be worth a look - my sister recently bought a 3 bedroom house in Maghull for less, though IIRC they don't have great parking and one of the bedrooms is very small.

Aughton and Ormskirk are nice (market town) but expensive. Not sure you’d get what you want. Maghull is more likely, but secondary schools are not as good.

Sorry just realised you don’t need schools.

Rainford and Billinge are lovely, quiet and rural with good transport links, Ormskirk, Parbold and Newburgh are too but very expensive.

Do a search million’s of these threads

Or, you know, seek fresh opinions based on their individual circumstance.

If you have no children and are not planning to have children I would maybe look at Formby or Birkdale. But if no children I would maybe even consider a 2 bedroomed house.

I would look at location of office and what the roads are like around (I live in the approx area) for a start. Some of the suggested areas are an absolute ballache with traffic in the morning / afternoon.

Which train line? Parbold / Newburgh / Burscough are on the Southport to Manchester line and it's not pleasant. Tarleton is quite out on its own (alongside the A59) and doesn't have a train station.

Ormskirk Town centre has changed a lot with closed shops. You would easily get what you want in Southport for that price, some parts are nicer than others. The town centre isn't doing too badly (Debenhams has gone, but M&S / Outfit / TK Maxx are still there). The walk down the pier is especially nice in the winter when there aren't many tourists / litter.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

I'd sort of written off Southport as I saw it had a pier and thought it might be a bit like Blackpool. But it actually looks quite nice from what I can see now.

I think we'll have to go up for a week fairly soon, and see different places at morning and evening travel times. I've got a four minute commute at the moment, so I've been spoiled for the past few years!

Ainsdale! I live here, it's great, 5 minutes from Formby but I thinks it's better value for money. I always look on Rightmove and saw this recently which I thought was a steal! www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-85437242.html

How exciting - my hometown is one of the above suggestions! Not going to say which one for privacy reasons, but that whole area is all a very nice part of the world with friendly locals. Not beautiful but quietly prosperous, green and clean, and close to nature as well as an easy commute to both Manchester and Liverpool.

Arf at Southport being like Blackpool 🤣 It’s actually extremely genteel and expensive.

For your budget you could do well looking west of Warrington towards Penketh or Widnes, which are convenient (on the Liverpool-Manchester fast train line) and a short drive to the main line to London stations at either Runcorn or Warrington Bank Quay.