Where do you get more for your money - North

[Thecarroway]

Dh and I asking ourselves why we work ourselves to the bone to live in a new build terrace townhome albeit in a very nice town but with absolutely no time/energy to enjoy it.

We have decided to move further north.

Just wondering where we get most bang for our buck. Areas we are looking at:

Birmingham - specifically Warwick, Stratford, Leamington Spa, Dorridge

Liverpool - Wooton, Calderstones, Allerton

Manchester - Knutsford, Alderley Edge, Altrincham, Wilmslow

York - 5 miles to town centre (haven’t visited so not aware of specific areas yet).

We have young kids and I will be on maternity leave in the next year or so. Living where stuff is going on is important.

Thanks in advance

There are a lot of much cheaper areas than those you have mentioned but appreciate you probably want a balance between affordability and living somewhere pleasant and safe

We can probably advise better if we know what your budget is

Have you got an actual figure in mind? Might help people help you better. York is v v expensive. Birmingham isn't really north. Market towns in Northumberland are beautiful and definitely better value whilst only an hour from Edinburgh for culture.

I've read recently it's the North East, specifically Newcastle and Darlington.

I am a Relocation Consultant in The North.
I cover both York and Cheshire and neither are cheap unless you compare them to most of London

Sadly we are restricted to those cities. Dh and I have to be in the office a few times each week.

Budget is £800-900k. Preferably towards the lower end.

My dh is, I’ll say it, a snob. He does not want to live somewhere where the closest main town feels run down and depressing.

Have a look at Lymm in Cheshire

We have lived in London in the past and now live just outside of Henley

Should be ok in York but its not all City walls and The Minster, there is a lot of poverty too.

Stratford etc are a significant distance from Birmingham, they are also pricy. What about nearer to Birmingham specifically on the staffs side, beautiful countryside but there's transport into Birmingham.

What sort of home are you expecting to achieve for that budget, it's substantial, here it gets you a 5 bed detached with 1/4 acre of gardens approx in a nice suburb town or village but not the most fashionable neighbourhoods of Bristol.

I’m not interested in being anywhere fashionable just somewhere vibrant and not run down.

We are hoping for a detached, 3/4 bed with a decent sized mature garden - 0.25 acres would be more than ideal. Dh and I would like a separate bathroom for ourselves if possible. 2 living spaces is something we require as kids are getting older and when friends are over it would be nice to not be all on top of each other. And finally a utility as the kids are in a lot of clubs which along with the dogs produces a fair amount of washing.

Stratford works due to the location of my Birmingham office.

Carlisle

On of the North Yorkshire Market towns? Knaresborough, Thirsk etc

Can't speak for the Midlands or Yorkshire, but I'd say you could cast a wider net around Liverpool and Manchester to get more bang for your buck. Both have reasonably good public transport links. The places you have mentioned are amongst the most expensive in those areas and, apart from the perceived cachet of the name, aren't necessarily any nicer or filled with more amenities.

I know people who commute to Liverpool daily by rail from both Southport and Birkdale for example. You could also look inland between Liverpool and Preston or get the best of both worlds by looking between Liverpool and Manchester.

Have a look at the public transport maps and you'll find more places.

The places you've listed in Liverpool are lovely for families, not sure you'd get detached though. Villages around Knutsford way very nice. What about south Manchester, lots going on and you'd get something in a very nice area although possibly not detached

I would add Cheadle Hulme area to Manchester. I would also consider as much as you can what secondary schooling you are considering for your kids - private, state grammar, state. Places like Altrincham you definitely don’t get bang for your buck as prices are pushed up due to grammar school catchment.

You might like to consider Kenilworth in the midlands. Would you need to commute to Birmingham? Some of the places you mentioned are quite far.

You won't be popular if you refer to Leamington Spa as Birmingham!

The Liverpool and Manchester towns you've chosen are all lovely in my experience. I know Merseyside much better than the other places though so message me if I can be of any use!

What kind of things do you want to be nearest to?

Good food/bars?
Walks?
Shops?
Beaches?
Parks/urban farms/zoos? (Cheshire is great for those!)
Schools always require research but usually the more sought after the post code, the better the Schools.

I'm not sure if you've considered the wirral? Parts of it are lovely and have loads to offer and isn't far from Liverpool City centre or Chester.

All places have good and bad but I'd be very happy to live in any of the places in Manchester or Merseyside you've chosen.

Manchester - Knutsford, Alderley Edge, Altrincham, Wilmslow

All nice areas, your budget won’t stretch far in Alderley Edge but I think you’d be fine elsewhere.

What about sefton ? Nice, laid back place. You'll get a decent house for your budget and have Liverpool and lots of beaches and parks nearby.

Sorry, I chuckled at your idea of the geography of The North

To be fair OP said ‘further north’ which from where they live now is true of all the locations mentioned.

Normally people overestimate what they can afford in York, but with your budget you could buy a lovely detached house with a big garden in a nice village, or an elegant character terrace with a small garden or nice courtyard within walking distance of the city centre.

The areas that you have mentioned in Liverpool are nice. Your money will buy something 'decent' in those areas too.

Woolton specifically has a village feel in its own right and easy access to the centre.

Have you visited any of the places on your list?