First home in Manchester location advice

[Sultanm12]

Hi guys!
So as the subject really. Me and my partner are looking to buy our first home in Manchester and we're looking for some advice on location or any other need to knows when it comes to buying houses or the mortgage process etc. I've read a few threads on here and there's a lot of discussion, which is insightful, but nothing has been cleared up for me to help my search.

So, I'm working from home at the moment but I am expecting to return to my office, which is just south of Knutsford, in March/April. My partner has finished her master's and is looking for a job which we assume to be near Manchester city centre. So, I was thinking if we live in between Knutsford and Manchester the commute for both of us won't be as painful.

We're looking for a 3 (or more) bed, preferably detached, in a quiet, diverse, safe area. And of course reasonable public transport links to Manchester city centre and ease of access to Knutsford by car. For 250k. Too much to ask?

Safety is my main requirement really. We like our own space to ourselves hence why we want a detached house in a quiet area. But I know that might not be possible with our budget.

We're looking at either side of, but not including, Wythenshawe (sale, Altrincham, Stretford - Cheadle, Wilmslow, Heald green, possibly Stockport?).

I know some people suggest renting first to get an idea of different areas and different streets but I feel like that is infeasible in our situation. We did live in Rusholme for 3 years as students and it wasn't amazing haha.

If anyone would like to share their opinions, tips or even an example property on Rightmove or something, it would be greatly appreciated!

@AxeCapital

A little further south than where you were asking, but Congleton & Kidsgrove has good train links and road links to Knutsford with some houses in your price range.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E355&insId=1&minPrice=220000&maxPrice=260000&primaryDisplayPropertyType=detachedshouses&googleAnalyticsChannel=buying

The train is around 35 min to city centre.

Go over the boarder into Staffordshire (but still only 2 mile from Congleton station) and your prices drop again (as ST postcode).

Our town has become one where people move here, to commute to Manchester City because they want the larger house / cheap house price and sacrifice a slightly longer commute. I can get to Wilmslow in around 30 minutes from Staffs / Cheshire boarder (congleton)

Look up Congleton, Aclid, Kidsgrove, Biddulph, Biddulph Moor, you’ll be surprised at what you can get for your money.

Wow there are some really nice properties in the link you sent. You're not making my decision any easier showing me this

@HollowTalk

I'd go for location over house, tbh. A detached house for that price is always going to be difficult - just by changing your search to a semi then you'll be able to find something in a much better area.

Yea location is much more important. We were being hopeful wanting a detached for that price. A semi will be fine.

Commute from Irlam to Knutsford?
In rush hour? No thanks. Bloody nightmare.

In general South Warrington to Knutsford isnt dreadful (traffic going in different directions). Backroads are always an option.

Altrincham / Chorlton/ Didsbury to Knutsford is doable (traffic usually going in opposite direction but try and avoid the A56).

Wilmslow to Knutsford is doable. Also has direct trainline to central Manchester.

Sandbach to Knutsford by car is reasonable. By train its doable to a direct to central Manchester if you are close to the station. But a bit patchy. I do know people have done it. Its easier if you can get part time WFH.

Something to keep in mind, from what I've heard, Barclays has moved far more to working from home in the last year and is liable to stay that way post covid.

Knutsford itself is becoming younger/trendier. Its definitely 'cheshire' but people are put off by aircraft. The worst bits are gentrifing and its still more affordable than most of the above. Most people look to Manchester Postcodes rather than Knutsford because of fashion but i do think it will become more 'manchester suburb' than 'small provincial commuter town' in the next decade.

We're looking for a 3 (or more) bed, preferably detached, in a quiet, diverse, safe area. And of course reasonable public transport links to Manchester city centre and ease of access to Knutsford by car. For 250k. Too much to ask?

What bit are you willing to be flexible on? I wouldn't think of the Cheshire parts around Knutsford as diverse, particularly. And the train from Knutsford to Manchester is atm, once per hour. Don't know about "normal" times but may be more than twice per hour.

@AxeCapital

A little further south than where you were asking, but Congleton & Kidsgrove has good train links and road links to Knutsford with some houses in your price range.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E355&insId=1&minPrice=220000&maxPrice=260000&primaryDisplayPropertyType=detachedshouses&googleAnalyticsChannel=buying

The train is around 35 min to city centre.

Go over the boarder into Staffordshire (but still only 2 mile from Congleton station) and your prices drop again (as ST postcode).

Our town has become one where people move here, to commute to Manchester City because they want the larger house / cheap house price and sacrifice a slightly longer commute. I can get to Wilmslow in around 30 minutes from Staffs / Cheshire boarder (congleton)

Look up Congleton, Aclid, Kidsgrove, Biddulph, Biddulph Moor, you’ll be surprised at what you can get for your money.

Not an awful call...

Definitely worth considering.

You pay a premium for being in Greater Manchester...

@RedToothBrush

The problem with Macclesfield is although its nice, its

a) still butt fuck nowhere
b) the locals are lovely but its incestuous. Its very 'local'.
c) snow. winter.
d) gives far less options for future job changes.

I have time for it, but it does feel very backwards at times.

You will struggle to get a detached for that price at any of the places listed in this thread.

If you wanted detached you would need to be looking at a Halton postcode (which is commutable but a bit further out) or somewhere like New Mills.

Depends what your lifestyle is like....

(this maybe my neck of the woods...)

Suppose you're right about d). Could make things a bit hard. And who like traveling in snow. Thanks for that, gives me something to think about.

@SwedishEdith

We're looking for a 3 (or more) bed, preferably detached, in a quiet, diverse, safe area. And of course reasonable public transport links to Manchester city centre and ease of access to Knutsford by car. For 250k. Too much to ask?

What bit are you willing to be flexible on? I wouldn't think of the Cheshire parts around Knutsford as diverse, particularly. And the train from Knutsford to Manchester is atm, once per hour. Don't know about "normal" times but may be more than twice per hour.

Its firmly 'liberal' if not diverse. It can be blue Conservative but its definitely Cameronite / Lib Dem Country rather than full on 'Little Englander Blue' nor 'Slightly Backward Northern Red'.

Its hard to explain but its definitely more 'London thinking' vibe than it gets credit for imho.

But yes whiter than white (though this is slowly changing as well off diverse families from Manchester move out).

@nomorespaghetti

I can't actually reply to your posts. But yes I was replying to you!

Small world! Thank you for the information. I thought it would be worse than that! I did actually write off the Burnage area as I thought it would be too busy with traffic for me.

Partington i wouldn't touch with a barge pole. Its apparently been 'up and coming' for the last 20 years... And never has.

Yeah, it's a strange place!! I think they are building a load more houses there soon, not sure if that will make a difference to the place.

@Cookiedough123

I live near Wigan which is about a 5 minute drive from the m6. It says 30 min drive to Knutsford and you can get a train to Manchester direct. 4 bed detached houses are going for about 250k and where I am is a nice area. Like a lot of the comments are saying it depends how far you want to travel.

I'm actually in Blackburn at the moment. I know of Wigan but I thought I might as well move closer to Manchester if I have the opportunity. I guess I shouldn't write it off and have a look. I was put off at the thought of the M6 at rush hour mainly.

Its firmly 'liberal' if not diverse. It can be blue Conservative but its definitely Cameronite / Lib Dem Country rather than full on 'Little Englander Blue' nor 'Slightly Backward Northern Red'.

Yeah, could say that for most of south Manchester to that part of Cheshire. And has the bonus of Tatton Park on your doorstep. It's lovely. But it's still got a posh Cheshire vibe and is very Boden. Has a Brasserie Blanc on its high street.

I don't live far from Chorlton water park and it's stunning (the water park itself and the Mersey is nice too), but I'd say it was Merseybank and not the nicest area. Fog lane park is nicer surrounds.
I've got mates that live in Gorse Hill in stretford and got a fair bit for their money there, it feels up and coming but not unsafe, a terraced house with lots of character. Fair few semis around there, too. Need permit parking usually when Utd are at home.
We were looking to move to Altrincham/Timperley at some point and liked Navigation Road area. Agree with PPs that very unlike wythenshawe

@SwedishEdith

Its firmly 'liberal' if not diverse. It can be blue Conservative but its definitely Cameronite / Lib Dem Country rather than full on 'Little Englander Blue' nor 'Slightly Backward Northern Red'.

Yeah, could say that for most of south Manchester to that part of Cheshire. And has the bonus of Tatton Park on your doorstep. It's lovely. But it's still got a posh Cheshire vibe and is very Boden. Has a Brasserie Blanc on its high street.

That i won't argue with.

Brasserie Blanc has a 50:50 chance of surviving this year. (food good, serve crap im reliably informed).

@SwedishEdith

We're looking for a 3 (or more) bed, preferably detached, in a quiet, diverse, safe area. And of course reasonable public transport links to Manchester city centre and ease of access to Knutsford by car. For 250k. Too much to ask?

What bit are you willing to be flexible on? I wouldn't think of the Cheshire parts around Knutsford as diverse, particularly. And the train from Knutsford to Manchester is atm, once per hour. Don't know about "normal" times but may be more than twice per hour.

I think the detached house won't be feasible at all. As long as the area is generally safe that's what I want.

I remember why I didn't really consider Knustford. I just checked on train line and trains from Knutsford to Manchester is once an hour. I don't think that's good enough. Especially if one train is delayed or cancelled my partner will be late.

Macclesfield, New Mills and Congleton are all lovely. Congleton has a great chip shop and some very lovely walks (the cloud!)

The train from Congleton into Manchester is always very busy in the mornings (or was, pre-covid).

@RedToothBrush

Commute from Irlam to Knutsford? In rush hour? No thanks. Bloody nightmare.

In general South Warrington to Knutsford isnt dreadful (traffic going in different directions). Backroads are always an option.

Altrincham / Chorlton/ Didsbury to Knutsford is doable (traffic usually going in opposite direction but try and avoid the A56).

Wilmslow to Knutsford is doable. Also has direct trainline to central Manchester.

Sandbach to Knutsford by car is reasonable. By train its doable to a direct to central Manchester if you are close to the station. But a bit patchy. I do know people have done it. Its easier if you can get part time WFH.

Something to keep in mind, from what I've heard, Barclays has moved far more to working from home in the last year and is liable to stay that way post covid.

Knutsford itself is becoming younger/trendier. Its definitely 'cheshire' but people are put off by aircraft. The worst bits are gentrifing and its still more affordable than most of the above. Most people look to Manchester Postcodes rather than Knutsford because of fashion but i do think it will become more 'manchester suburb' than 'small provincial commuter town' in the next decade.

Thanks for the information. Apparently it's 45 mins on train from sandbach to Manchester which isn't awful I guess.

About the working from home. That's why I'm willing to compromise slightly on the car journey to Knutsford if it means an easy commute to Manchester as I do have the option to work from home.

Just wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time to post their thoughts on this thread. While nothing has been cleared up for me . It's given me a lot to think about and I feel that I can research more specific places and help me make a more informed decision.

Of all the places suggested, I'd look at Edgeley. You can walk to Stockport town centre in ten minutes and there are all the Manchester trains for nights out, etc. Most of the housing stock is Victorian terraces and inter war semis, but lots of options within your budget. If you're interested in exploring the Peak District you can take a train at the weekend.

Macclesfield is a once thriving mill and market town. It's an insular place, not very diverse and commuting into Manchester would be a nightmare by road or expensive by rail.

We live near New Mills, but I wouldn't want to commute to Knutsford from here. Great for Manchester and lots of other places though.

I live right by here. Parkville Road is lovely. I was going to suggest Didsbury/Burnage borders area. It’s nice here. My DH works in knutsford, and barring traffic near the airport it’s not too bad a commute.

I go to Fog Lane park regularly! The non-LA semis on that road are 400k, so much more expensive. It's close to bus links, walkable to train and tram. Massive Tesco not too far away. There's a council estate bordering Didsbury/Burnage around the other side of Fog Lane park along Parrs Wood Road and they are pretty reasonable considering the area. Didsbury went crazy when the tram opened and there were a lot of BBC relocators from London who pushed the prices up in Chorlton too. Some of the prices are absolutely eyewatering, but move a few streets further out and it gets significantly cheaper.

@Sultanm12 I would check but I think the commute is ok as you are going against the flow of traffic from Cheshire into Manchester, that's the busiest direction.

I've found that closer to Manchester is more diverse.

Lymm is nice. But watch that lorry queue.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/73998579#/map

@wowfudge

Of all the places suggested, I'd look at Edgeley. You can walk to Stockport town centre in ten minutes and there are all the Manchester trains for nights out, etc. Most of the housing stock is Victorian terraces and inter war semis, but lots of options within your budget. If you're interested in exploring the Peak District you can take a train at the weekend.

Macclesfield is a once thriving mill and market town. It's an insular place, not very diverse and commuting into Manchester would be a nightmare by road or expensive by rail.

We live near New Mills, but I wouldn't want to commute to Knutsford from here. Great for Manchester and lots of other places though.

Thank you for your input. I've not seen many places I like in edgeley, but I'll definitely keep an eye out as you're not the only person to recommend it.

[quote SwedishEdith]Lymm is nice. But watch that lorry queue.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/73998579#/map[/quote]
It'll be fine going to Knutsford on the backroads via Agden. The A50 will take the majority of any traffic for the lorry queue because a fair number of the roads from the A56 to the motorway from Lymm are unsuitable for HGVs. As long as you avoid the A50 and M6 as much as possible, going to Knutsford isn't an issue.

Lymm is expensive for what it is. And 'old'. Stockton Heath has a much younger feel.

@user81746

I live right by here. Parkville Road is lovely. I was going to suggest Didsbury/Burnage borders area. It’s nice here. My DH works in knutsford, and barring traffic near the airport it’s not too bad a commute.

I go to Fog Lane park regularly! The non-LA semis on that road are 400k, so much more expensive. It's close to bus links, walkable to train and tram. Massive Tesco not too far away. There's a council estate bordering Didsbury/Burnage around the other side of Fog Lane park along Parrs Wood Road and they are pretty reasonable considering the area. Didsbury went crazy when the tram opened and there were a lot of BBC relocators from London who pushed the prices up in Chorlton too. Some of the prices are absolutely eyewatering, but move a few streets further out and it gets significantly cheaper.

@Sultanm12 I would check but I think the commute is ok as you are going against the flow of traffic from Cheshire into Manchester, that's the busiest direction.

True! But I worry about the airport too! I guess it wouldn't be too bad as I probably won't he in everyday

Ive never known going out of Manchester past the airport in the morning to be terribly busy all things considered. There's traffic but its moderate.

Its not as great going in the other direction in the evening, but its certainly not the worst commute going around that neck of the woods.

Pretty much agree otherwise. Just pick your street wisely and do your homework (don't get sucked in by estate agent sales pitch).