Where to move to - commutable to Manchester?

[RedPandaMama]

Currently living near Warrington with DP and our newborn DD. We like it here but the commute into Manchester costs DP £2000 a year and involves getting a bus then a train. Train is fine but buses are terrible and never on time so on a bad day can take nearly 2 hours. Driving not an option parking £8 a day plus crazy traffic at rush hour.

We're looking to buy in probably 2-4 years time. Hopefully have a 40k deposit and looking for a nice house, maybe new build, around 180-240k mark. Needs to be computable to Manchester Piccadilly (no more than an hour on train/tram, preferably the tram) - so where would you move to?

Low crime/not a dodgy area and decent schools too.

So far we're looking at Droylsden and Audenshaw. Sale and Didsbury are lovely too but way out of our price range!

Why not a different part of Warrington then, like birchwood for instance, where he could walk/cycle to the train station, with a 15 minute train straight to Manchester.

Offerton (near Stockport) has some nice areas. Woodsmoor too. Marple is lovely but new builds are expensive although you could get a preowned for those prices.

Stretford/Urmston/Flixton?

Would a (possibly folding) bike help the current problem with the buses? You'll get a lot more for your money in/nr Warrington vs. Sale or Didsbury, where you'd be lucky to get a 1bd flat for that sort of budget, but there's a wealth of choice in your budget for a 1h commute into Mcr.

I'd look at the Bury tram line, from Bowker Vale northwards (with the possible exception of Radcliffe). Tram time would be 33mins from Bury, 19 mins from Bowker Vale. The schools are fine. IMO nicer than Audenshaw/Droylsden.

For Rightmove purposes, look at the M25, M45 and BL9 postcodes.

Thank you! I'll have a flick through Rightmove this afternoon.

What about newton lee willows, 20 mins on the train one stop in Salford central then to Victoria, I used to do this then decided to drive there (east lancs) took me about 45 mins on a good run. The train was so much quicker and easier but I lived in Wigan and used to drive to the newton station because it was quicker than the Wigan one.

Urmston is about 10 mins on the train to Oxford Road but he could get off at Deansgate and get the tram to Piccadilly. £5.60 return but you can get weekly / monthly / annual tickets.

Closer to Warrington might be the answer for good affordable housing, if you can get near enough to a station then getting into Manchester is pretty easy.

Why not Manchester itself? There are loads of nice areas and there are plenty where you can still get loads of room for your money.

Have a look at the Stockport area - practically every train that passes through Stockport on the way to Manchester also stops there. Edgeley is close to the station and a good area, as are Davenport and Woodsmoor which have their own stations.

I would second the Bury line and add BL8 and BL0 if you don't mind travelling a little bit into Bury each day. Prestwich and Whitefield both have very easy access to the city centre, as well as Bury town centre, and the M60/M62. They are getting pretty trendy, but house prices are still very reasonable. North of Bury (BL9/8/0) has some lovely, scenic areas. Ramsbottom is also very popular. Bury's schools have always been high-achieving and the sixth form colleges are highly rated.

I'd look around East Didsbury/Parr's Wood. Train stations nearby plus a tram stop.

New mills, Mellor, romiley

Buckshaw village near chorley, has half hourly trains to Manchester, lots of new build or newish and great area for kids, they are just building a new primary school in the village. Maybe over budget on commuting, I think monthly pass is 180£

Holmes Chapel has a direct train route and would be a lovely place to bring up your LO.

M41 urmston/flixton

They'll get nothing in Urmston for this money I'm afraid. Property market here has hit the roof due to migration from Didsbury and Hale.

You can probably get something now, just. In a few years' time I think there'll be even less.

I'd look on the Hope Valley or Buxton train lines, lots of stops less than an hour to Manchester and you are surrounded by beautiful countryside too! Lots of good value property as well.

Second Buckshaw Village, its lovely for children, close to M61 and M6 for getting to places. The new school is an extension to the the existing school, years 1 and 2 in one school, other years in the other school.

Walkden - but prices are rising quickly. There's a train every 15 minutes into Victoria which is 20 minutes journey only. Lots of new builds around the 200k mark currently. Lots and lots of schools. Traffic is bad but the train is a breeze (we live a 3 minute walk from station)

I'm in stockport which is dead easy for manchester. Marple, Bramhall are the nicest bits (and most expensive). I'm in hazel grove which is ok and a lot more affordable- primary schools are good not sure yet about seconary. Also there is Poynton just over the border but by dint of being in Cheshire is more expensive. Further north Cheadle and Gatley are nice too but train connections not as good.

Chester? An hour by train to Manchester Piccadilly

I’d say stockport or chester - although it might be a longer commute it’s a much nicer one. It’s also future proof in case you or dh ever need to commute to London.