A little bit of advice needed for good areas in Manchester ...Follow on post

[shouldiorshouldinot]

Hi everyone,
I posted a couple of weeks ago about moving to Manchester and got some helpful responses, but still need a little advice...
Previously almost everyone suggested south Manchester, sale, Hale , Altrincham, as well as the moors and parts of Stockport.
I have 4dc and like I mentioned my budget is ideally max of £310k for a 4 bed, but that doesn't seem to get me much in those areas.
I was wandering if you guys could enlighten me on Eccles ( seen lovely affordable new builds there) , which parts of Stockport and stretford and prestwich (again lovely new builds) are good in terms of schools including secondary? I'm after good family locations not too rural.
I've noticed checking school checker on right move most primary schools seem good but secondary are touch and go, although they all seem good in the south but again just more pricey.
Any help would be appreciated?
Thanks

I lived in Stretford for two years and loved it! Lived in Manchester for nearly a decade and that was the place I felt the safest and most at home. Worst place I lived was Failsworth, but may have just been living on the wrong street. I also enjoyed living in Whalley Range.

Floating
OP asked for good postcode areas in Stockport. I listed Heaton Moor as one.

My friends moved from Chorlton to New Mills and disliked it so much, they moved back to South Mcr! It’s very isolated if you’re used to an ‘urban’ vibe and the commute is awful.

Depends how you class "Village" I suppose. I've lived in a few of those places and although classed as villages they are much bigger than a rural village and more like a small town.
I personally wouldn't want to live in Whaley Range, Chorlton, Levenshulme. Stretford/Urmston/Flixton were nice in the late 80s early 90s but not been since as I moved schools and didn't keep in touch with friends who lived there. Didsbury is very hip but I expect expensive.
Hazel Grove might be a good not Village not rural type place. Great public transport although the A6 is a bitch.

I used to live in Heaton Chapel - just over the A6 up from Heaton Moor, off Broadstone Road. It was before Heaton Moor became wildly fashionable but there were some nice cafes, shops etc and I was only a 10-15 minute walk away from them. Also a short walk to Heaton Chapel train station. I liked the area and had no trouble. I was renting and it was pre-DCs but my house was far far cheaper than the equivalent in Heaton Moor. Not sure about the schools though - there is a high school called Priestnall with a good reputation but Heaton Chapel might be a bit far to get in.

Hi, in my experience Trafford borough has outstanding secondaries across the board, but as you’re aware house prices reflect that.

I have friends who live in Levenshulme. This is a diverse area and definitely is on the up. There are also some beautiful properties (we’ve just been looking, but not decided where we want to be). It’s got a great community hub and I believe that you have a lot of people who can’t afford Chorlton prices buy there. Secondary school is also highly regarded.

We live in Swinton, comes under Salford (sandwiched between Worsley and Prestwich) and really like it for loads of reasons. In fact there are a few lovely areas in Salford and you get loads more for your money. Unfortunately there are dodgy bits where I really wouldn’t live; Odsall (sp?), Langworthy, some parts of Eccles (more towards Patricroft and their high street). However, Monton is lovely and has coffee shops, places to socialise etc.

The biggest issue for Salford as a borough is the lack of consistently good or outstanding secondary education. I have always wondered why the primaries are doing well but when the kids go to secondary it’s appalling. There are some ‘good’ secondaries but I think that their achievement rate is below national average (could be wrong). I hope they improve as education is so important and in an area like Salford where there is a distinct difference between the affluent parts and clearly disadvantaged, the secondaries should be doing better. There is a private school called Bridgewater and looks lovely. It’s around £8K a year, which is an option.

Prestwich is mixed. One part has a large Jewish population and the other side near the village is full of bars and eateries. I really like it. Under Prestwich you would fall into Bury catchment and the schools are (I’ve heard) better, but not sure which ones or where.

Bury seems interesting and I’ve heard good things about it. I’ve friends who live that way in Helmshore (Rossendale), but that might be a tad too rural for you.

Do you have to buy immediately? I wonder if you rented to get a feel for an area before you commit would give you added flexibility.

Also despite what a poster said about avoiding Pendlebury/Agecroft, I wouldn’t. We lived there for five years in two properties - a three bed semi off the main road and then on Agecroft Hall Estate. We had a fab five bed detached property and the neighbours were fab. If you drive around there now you would see that it’s actually lovely. We never had any issues.

If you’re looking at Bury I’d look at Bury proper. Elton High School has an excellent reputation and you could get a lot of house for your money in lowercroft/Ainsworth/Walshaw.

I'm in Saddleworth. Gorgeous. But perhaps a bit village for your needs.

eccles is rough as toast. i lived there and its scary! we live in stretford by urmston. its a great central location. 15 mins from town on train 15 mins chorlton 2 mins from m60 and you can get 3 bed semi for about 250 k.

There's two ways to get to Urmston. 😂😂

I can remember when the main drag through eccles was a bustling thoroughfare of shops and quite a reasonable area to live. Now? well its gone downhill considerably over the years. Its cheek by jowl with other areas such as Monton which EAs are trying to ramp as the Didsbury of Salford. Eccles town centre has a metrolink. There are pockets of Eccles that are ok,,eg towards the canal and trafford,peel green,barton upon irwell,bits of winton etc.. .

I would not want to live in Levenshulme . Again EAs are desperateyl trying to ramp the area,,referencing it as Lev' and having trandy bars and cafes etc,,the usual con trick.

The Heatons,,ramped to death and over priced.

I'd advise looking at south reddish/reddish/anywhere south of houldsworth square. There are pockets in this area which are fairly priced because they look a bit tatty but will improve.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-57557397.html

close for reddish vale school..

I'm near to Saddleworth too, Mossley, a bit cheaper than Saddleworth, a small town with train into Manchester and quite a few new builds going up. Might be too rural for you but we've been really happy here, love the hills and there is an outstanding secondary school.

What's the Urmston joke? I don't get it.

Sparkly was about asking same...what's the Urmston joke?

I've spent time in Urmston and watched Dinnerladies but remain clueless

The new builds you shared up the thread in Whitefield, not a great position.

I live in Prestwich and its a great place to live, kind of village feel, we are the new Didsbury, apparently! Lots of indy bars, restaurants and shops. House prices are on the up, and they are snapped up as soon as they go on the market. We a very close to the countryside, lots of gorgeous walks in Philips Park, Drinkwater, Waterdale and lots more.

Like anywhere else there are some parts better than others. I dont know about schools as my DC went to a jewish school.

Good luck with your move.

PutyourtoponTrevor I know couple of people that live in Partington and I've visited couple of times...it seems okay..apart from not having much to do. Why would you avoid it? Genuine question.

Eccles and Levenshulme are v rough, if you can afford it don't live there.

Saddleworth is worth having a look at

Also Whalley Range - v rough, not great if you have DC.

I think it is a Dinner Ladies quote about Urmston

Davenport and Woodsmoor are quite nice.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-78760382.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-57202761.html

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Love Urmston - I lived in Davyhulme for years, great community town close to town. Ramsbottom is nice but blooming miles away.

Whallley Range, Northern Moor & Baguely, (Wythenshawe), might be worth a look.

There's two ways to get to Urmston.

Yes it's a dinnerladies quote. Whenever I hear urmston it pops into my head!

I grew up around Ramsbottom (no, not quiet, I lived in Summerseat THATS quiet), Bury, Whitefield, Prestwich..

There are some very nice areas of all of these depending on what you want from your local area. All far cheaper than South manchester mm!

There are of course, minging 'orrible areas of all as well.

If I went back now, I'd happily live in Rammy or just outside.