Tell me about South Manchester/North Cheshire. Where to live?

[cushioncover]

DH's job is relocating to Manchester. We've just had the house valued and we'll be moving in the next few months.
I've heard south of the city is best for areas and schools (true?) DH has been told that Cheadle is a good area and also wilmslow. Any views, recommendations appreciated. Need 4beds and good primary school for the lads.

i haven;t got one to seel

but i do live round the corner and DS1 is starting at the school those houses are in catchment for!

For Wilmslow I would suggest looking in Pownall Park and Wilmslow Park areas where there are plenty of nice 4 bedroomed houses and you are in the catchment area for good primary schools. You should get a reasonable 4 bedroomed house for £600k though not a WAG's palace!

If I had 600k to splash about I'd head for Bowdon or Hale Barns.

Lol, im not looking for the most expensive house i can find. Just a nice house in a nice area with a good school. Will look at hazel grove though, thanks. ILL check my map to see which school you're talking about.
thanks everyone, good to have recommendations. and no I'm not aWAG, sure my budget would bea lot higher.

"Don't want too rural. Would like to be able to walk to shops or town centre. want to walk to school too. park close by would be nice."
Pownall Park - 15 to 20 minute walk into Wilmslow town centre, primary school round corner, The Carrs (large park) within 10 minutes walk.

Cornsilk, is hale barns the same as hale? that was recommended too but the houses also seemed to be large victorian/edwardian. Beautiful but with postage stamp gardens.

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Hale Barns is next to Hale but posher.

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Sorry about budget. Didn't mention it to gloat, just to clarify what we wanted and to see if it was affordable in a good area. Sorry if I caused offense. It just shows how out of control house prices in the SE are.

Thanks to everyone. All food for thought. LM, will look that that area of wilmslow, thanks. And Poynton too,thanks, ddt.

All other thoughts welcome. Gosh its so stressful.

Oh I didn't know they had a grammar system. Very interesting!

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Trafford has the grammar system.

Well I can see that already, Doodledootoo!

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Are you looking for Grammer schools/private schools? that will narrow your search considerably!

In Trafford there is the 11 plus system, so grammar schools are free if your chn pass.

hi there - we live in Poynton. It's not a cheap area but you would get something decent for your budget, and all the primary schools are excellent. dd is starting at one next week and it has an outstanding Ofsted report, if that matters! Thre are no 'bad' parts of Poynton but towards Higher Poynton tends to be the most 'sought after' I guess. Not too bad to get into Manchester but the fares are higher on public transport as it's not in Greater Manchester. Hazel Grove is fine but schools not quite so good. Wilmslow/Alderley Edge v nice, more pricey and a bit further out of Manchester. I wouldn't live in Knutsford as I've heard it's a bit snobby (not sure if this is true tho!)
FWIW, we moved to Manchester area 6 years ago from the Midlands, and we chose here cos it's near the country but also the town!

Doodle have you heard bad things about Poynton high? I always thought it was OK. Hope so!!

i have only heard good things about PHS actually. Probably because its always in a comparitive chat with hazel grove high lol!

Whenever we've driven through Hazel Grove it's always been really busy on the main road.

the main A6 is chocca but i live away from that and only use a small part of it to get to Sainsbo

yeh that;s the only thing about this area - pretty bad traffic, esp.in winter. Plus they seem to love giving us roadworks, roadworks and more roadworks...
tbh bramhall, wilmslow and Hazel grove are all bad for traffic. Alderley Edge takes the biscuit tho - although I hear they are to have a bypass!

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i might have seen you in hazel grove sainsbo without knowing, mumofmonsters!
I often cycle down there and come the back way - I come out by Stepping Hill then just go across
you kinda get used to the traffic, I think. I wouldn't want to move now.