Worsley or Wilmslow?

[ElAndy]

Hello guys, I am currently looking for a place to buy in Manchester for me and my partner. The problem is that we are not from this area, therefore, we do not know which areas are safe to live at.

We would like to spend around 300k, 350k being the max for a 3/4 bed detached home. I have been looking for Hale, Worsley, and Wilmslow but there is not much choice, especially in Hale being 550k the cheapest detached home.

I know roughly the big names but not much more than that, I was super convinced to go to Worsley in Ellenbrook but I feel like Wilmslow is a nicer place, so I'm not sure!

Please let me know of any safe areas where you can start a family and not have to worry about getting stabbed. I am soft therefore wouldn't like a rough area.

Many thanks!

None of the areas you have mentioned is 'unsafe' and your comment about getting stabbed is overly dramatic.

Ellenbrook, imo, is a huge suburban housing estate, albeit with some nice modern houses, built over the last 30 years or so. You'd need to go to Walkden or Swindon for shopping though. If I was looking at Worsley, I'd want to be in Worsley Village by the green and the canal or at least south of the A580 where there is generally older, less packed in housing stock and less road noise.

Winslow is very much 'Cheshire set' kind of territory and has more of a town feel.

It really depends on where you need to be for work, etc too.

Wilmslow even

Swinton not Swindon - bloody predictive text!

Wilmslow is lovely

I lived on Worsely Road on the border of Swintonblue and Worsley itself, loved the area! Great pubs, Worsley Green is lovely, near the canal, Worsley Woods is nice to walk through, how old are you out of interest?

Swinton Not Swintonblue obviously dunno what happened there!

Wilmslow is a lovely place. Really nice town- lovely shops and restaurants and never hear of any trouble there. Would you consider being a bit further away from Manchester as houses might be cheaper? I live in Sandbach in Cheshire and we are a short train ride from Manchester. There's also Holmes chapel with good train links.

Thanks for the replies guys really appreciated I have literally been looking for a home for over a year now, It seems to be that to any agency that I go to they all say that where they are selling is a great safe area. When I statted about the stabbing, I'm just not used to living in UK yet, I'm from Gibraltar originally with a population of 30,000, therefore, I feel super safe there but I wanted to come to UK and experience the real hard grafting life.

Overnightangel I am 23 years of age.

I'm currently interested in nice areas of Manchester, the ones I know are Worsley, Wilmslow, Sale, Hale, Knutsford, Lymm? But the problem is that the houses in Wilmslow/Hale well let's just say the south of Manchester is super expensive, maybe some of you know some other really nice areas?

Also It would be great to know the areas I should avoid near the south? Like I've heard to be careful with Withemshaw but this is information I have gained from online and people seem to be very biased.

Thank you all for your advice and feedback it's super important for me as I would need to buy the home before September therefore, any points that you guys can bring up mean a world to me.

When I mentioned above 'real hard grafting life.' This is because back in Gibraltar life is too easy and we all live in a bubble, whereas here in the UK you do not just get given a home to live in for free like Gibraltar, so it's more of a real life over here in the UK.

Sorry just want to make sure I do not offend anyone!

So look at Bramhall, Davenport, Hazel Grove, Poynton, High Lane, Disley and New Mills and Marple too. All nice areas with decent transport links.

The general difference between North and South Manchester is price. Your budget would probably buy you a decent house in a "naice" area of Worsley but probably a compromise house on the outskirts of Wilmslow.

I agree with wowfudge that the area around the green is the nicest part of Worsley. If you're staying for the long term, Worsley comes under Salford LEA for schools - overall it doesn't have as good a reputation as say Trafford (Sale / Altrincham / Hale) or Wilmslow. Having said that, it's an easier commute into Manchester City Centre than Wilmslow if you need to be in the city centre for work.

I think Wilmslow probably has less of a socio-economic mix than Worsley - has a much higher % of middle class families than Worsley so whilst it's lovely, it's not somewhere I'd choose to be at 23. I'd want to be closer to Manchester City Centre (maybe Didsbury / Chorlton) for a few years and then move a bit further out.

And you may need to fewer comments about getting stabbed that's not going to make you many Northern friends .

Thanks, Wowfudge and Namechangedtoday15 great feedback from both.

I was looking at those areas Wowfudge but the traffic is pretty bad around there so that is the only thing putting me off, but I'm sure they are lovely places! I think I would like to live a bit more south.

Namechangedtoday15 - Thanks for the message, I have been looking a Worsley because it's cheaper, the schools are not as good though which is a bad point when wanting to start a family though as you mentioned.

Didsbury and Chorlton are great but for a detached home there it seems to be on the 500k margin roughly so its way too much for my first home considering I won't be getting a mortgage either.

I have been looking at Macclesfield its ages away in the car but only 20min train and seems to be a lovely place? I'm just trying to find more names of good areas so I can have a look and maybe find the perfect home.

Many thanks to all contributing, it all means a lot!

I lived in Wilmslow for 10 years. It's nice I would choose there over Worsley. It depends what you want though. If you like going out at night into a City wilmslow is a bit far. If I was your age I would look at Didsbury it's got a cooler vibe to it. Wilmslow is quite a family place. Unless that's what you're looking for .
And yes you probably wouldn't like Wythenshawe.
I live in Altrincham and you're right that this area is very expensive but that's because it's schools are so good. If you have/ are planning on kids soon it's a great place to be if not I wouldn't pay the inflated prices. That said Timperley and Sale are more reasonable.

Sorry just seen your are looking to start a family soon. Look at Timperley and Sale catchment for good schools but more reasonable but still nice.

Macclesfield is the arse end of no where and not particularly nice.

Use house prices as your guide. The higher the price the better the area.

Altrincham and Hale. No brainer - without doubt the best area. You will have access to Trafford schools which are the best in the country - and why house prices are so high.

Knutsford and Lymm are not in Trafford for schools but are very nice places to live and schools are good there too. Knutsford has better transport links or the two and lots of bars/restaurants etc. Lymm is more rural but still lovely.

No to Worsley or Ellenbrook or Swinton or anywhere north of Manchester.

Stockport Heatons/Didsbury/Chorlton are not where I would want to live. Cheap big houses do not make a place nice.

And don't even venture into Wythenshawe. Ignore all people that tell you it is up and coming.

A lot of the areas mentioned are not in Manchester.

Thanks a lot for everyone's different opinions.

The main thing for me at the moment really isn't the nightlife, therefore I am not too bothered if there is not enough bars and stuff. The schools are important but I do not think I will be having children for another 4 years but that may change .

The main thing is a nice place where I can go for walks, good transport, good schools and hey if there are a few bars here and there even better but I'm not someone who is out a lot. I like to relax at home and watch movies and go out every two weeks maybe for some drinks with my partner.

Just like to hear everyone's opinion because it helps me make the biggest choice of my life. I'm just scared that its so much money and I do not want to make a mistake. I do try and visit the areas but it's not the same as a real experience of someone living there for ten years.

Once again thanks all for your time and views!

Notangelinajolie wow - you can't write off the whole of North Manchester like that . You also can't say all Stockport Heatons / Didsbury/ Chorlton are not nice places to live!!

I would rent OP to give you an opportunity to live somewhere first and get to know the area. 6 months isn't going to make a massive difference in prices and saves you from making an expensive mistake.

Worsley village is nice, and nearby Monton / Ellesmere Park has a nice village vibe, however both are in Salford which has some of the most deprived areas in the country. I'm not sure that the nearby schools are up to much, (including Bridgewater School which is private). The Worsley Wags can be quite entertaining though...

Come to Saddleworth. It be lovely.

Lostock Gralam is just on outskirts of Knutsford. Pretty rural, very safe and you get much more for your money. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-51812460.html

Bowdon is very des res too www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70720151.html

Fosterdog123 - I saw that property in Bowdon but its too much work from a construction point of view to do up, considering the price already.

I've literally searched through most of Rightmove detached homes in Manchester been at it for a year now, just trying to see what people say about each area!