Moving in Manchester??? Opinion please

[Ris26]

Hi everyone, I'm living in London with my husband and son. (North London NW11). We found living in London quite expensive. Only my husband is working, we had son few months ago so I'm not working now and my maternity is about to finish in 2 months. We can't afford paying nursery or nanny and my husband salary it won't be enough I'm affraid. We are thinking about moving in Manchester as my husband got offer for working there. I have never been there. I want to hear opinions from people who are loving there. How is the weather? I saw prices for houses so we could afford living better there. Which areas are good for living which are more quiet and for family people. I think my husband working place will be M11. Is that good area or nearby? Any option will help as I haven't been there. We are planning to visit soon. Thank you

You really need to say how much money you’ve got to spend. Like everywhere else there are more expensive places and cheaper places
The weather isn’t dissimilar to London, slightly wetter, slightly cooler as a rule

We are paying £1100 plus bills 200 just for one bedroom flat here. What will you say about M11 area?

If you can still afford to pay that much rent when you move you could look at a more desirable area than M11.
I’m more familiar with South Manchester and Trafford areas, so can only really comment on them, but the Heatons (Mersey, Chapel, Moor and Norris) Chorlton (and borders) are nice.
A bit further out, Sale is nice, Altrincham a bit nicer but more expensive.
You’d get a decent enough 3 bed for £1k per month rent in most of those areas.

Manchester is like anywhere - it has good parts and not so good parts. I don't know M11 very well and it covers quite a big area. It's an ok area generally. You need to visit Manchester to see for yourself. Just be prepared that some areas aren't massively cheaper than London, and paying for childcare + mortgage / rent after maternity isn't easy wherever you live. Come for a weekend!

I live in M11. If you have enough money, don't live here

Seriously though, it depends on what you are used to and how much money you have. Others have suggested much nicer areas that you can afford for a similar rent (if £1100 is affordable on the one income). If we had a bigger income, we wouldn't life here; but our mortgage is half of that rent.

M11 is Openshaw, Beswick, Openshaw. These area’s are quite deprived area’s (sorry if you live there) they are now building new houses/apartments to better the area. I personally would not live there.

I don’t know what your area is like! All I know of London is that some parts are expensive to live.
But you get that in some area’s of south manchester as mentioned.

You don’t say how your husband will get to work, car. Bus, tram.

If you tell me location of where in M11 he may work, I’d have more of an idea as how far away would be reasonable for travel. If he has car or will be using public transport.

If your husband is working in Openshaw/Audenshaw then you could very easily rent somewhere nearby in Denton. I wouldn't live in M11 myself and while Denton isn't Worsley, Didsbury or The Heatons, it's a quiet place with good access to the M60 and pretty much everything you need for day to day life. Unfortunately most places close to M11 (Gorton, Droylsden, Clayton, Longsight etc) aren't very desirable areas to live. If your husband is happy with travel then you could even look at Stockport? It's just down the M60 and you'd be going against the flow of traffic so wouldn't be too bothered by the daily Denton to Stockport traffic gridlock.

I don't know the name of area I know only post code. The postcode where my husband will work is M11 2NB. My husband doesn't drive we don't have a car so for that I mentioned M11 as we want something closer to that place. I don't know the connection how is that place with the other nicer place that you suggested me to look. He will need to use public transport

Then maybe look at Levenshulme. It’s ‘up and coming’

About the rent that we are paying here it was affordable when both of us were working. Now it's expensive plus we have a child and we need bigger flat or house. But we can't afford paying more, even 1100 is a lot. So I would say that with one salary we need definitely something cheaper. Let's say £700 max.

I think there’s a local train line round there (near your husband’s potential workplace) as well, which is worth looking at train frequencies etc which might mean you could live a bit further out, somewhere a bit nicer

I think you’ve probably got enough info to do some looking for yourself now on rightmove etc

Is he going to work at the Greggs factory!? South Manchester is the best area, as previous posters have said. Avoid North Manchester and most of east, which is where M11 is. You can go into Tameside though and find some nice places and that should be doable on the bus to M11.

There’s a Greggs factory there??? I go to East Manchester leisure centre sometimes and feel let down that I’ve never smelled it

It's Bread Factory where he will work not Greggs. Maybe they are nearby. We need to come there for a few days. I got a lot of informations, i will search on internet for a houses on these places and also how is public connection.

I'd look at Reddish in Stockport. It's 3 or 4 stops on the train to Ashbury's which is then a short walk for dh to his work.
Reddish is solid working class. It's not a fabulous area but it's ok, safe, shops etc and better than Gorton or the Ardwick area (and more convenient to get to work than Levenshulme). This one is very Central and very close to Reddish South station
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-75441509.html

This one is a house, same area
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-68107753.html#_map-view

If you can go a bit higher than 700 on rent obviously you'll get better houses.

Your rent limit of 700 really knocks out the much nicer places...but that same train line goes out to Marple Bridge (lovely but quite far out), via Romiley, Bredbury etc and anywhere on that line would be fine.

Keep in mind match day traffic too - fairly close to the Etihad, so if he’s finishing around the time a match starts and ends that’ll add extra time to his commute.

Also Reddish : a little more money gets you a much nicer prospect, 775 per month with garden
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-57703962.html

I moved to Manchester from London - it’s been a great move.

How old is your DC? Schools were my starting point.

Like you, I had never been here before. Huge leap of faith. But we are really happy.

He is only 5 months now. Yeah like you said schools nurseries are very important. But he is still small. For beggining I'm looking for safe place near my husband work, not too far. After that if we like and we know better the city it will be easier to find better place or also getting mortgage for buying house in better place. But the beginning is really difficult specially when you don't know the place and looking for safe place for all of us.

Somewhere with a bit of community and a nice park.

The trams are brilliant. People are friendly. It’s all pretty accessible.

Is it El-ammar bakery that the only one on Ashton Old Road. You defo don’t wNt to live near there., Also very near Beswick , Openshaw, Clayton which are not very good area’s but they are spending money building up regeneration area. But I wouldn’t live there even so.

I’d say if you want to stay on the Ashton old road bus route then go into Audenshaw, there’s a new estate built there couple years ago . Kings road estate(I think)

As said reddish is working class area, south reddish is much better

Echo Reddish esp South. I live in the Heatons which is near. Some lovely roads in Reddish, and there’s restaurants and bars too. Schools are decent and the high school very much on the up.

One thing to note though. Reddish South station is effectively closed, I think there’s two trains a week ( sounds weird I know it’s some sort of historic thing). Reddish North station is the one that takes you through Ashburys etc. It’s right at the bottom of Reddish Road, I’ve used it and it’s a decent commute.