Do you regret leaving the city? Living in South Manchester and whether to move out

[treetimes]

Slightly inspired by all the leaving London threads. Has anyone made the move out of South Manchester and regretted it? I've lived in Chorlton/West Didsbury/Didsbury for over 15 years, currently living in Didsbury with two children, three bed house with a small garden. One child is settled in primary school, other is a baby. I'm very used to living closer to the city and like how convenient it is and the great parks/transport etc. I like it but the vast majority of friends have moved out for more space and a bigger garden, mostly heading to Cheadle Hulme and further out into Cheshire and it feels quite transient. I'd prefer to be somewhere less transient, but love the area and could see us living here in the longer term. We can compromise on the space we have and stay, it is doable, I'm just wondering if I'm missing something?

I think if I move and regret it, I might not be able to move back due to house prices shooting up and not wanting to disrupt the kids again.

What are your reasons for wanting to leave? Lack of community? I think you need to think about pros and cons and what you'd lose and what you'd gain. I moved from W Dids three years ago and can't imagine living there now. I have a young child. Moved to a bigger house, bigger garden, more countryside, nearer family.

I drive through delamere way all the time and think this but then imagine myself isolated without the city near me and it makes me a bit sad. I'd love more space though. But Dids is a really nice place. Where have your friends gone?

Well it's personal preference isn't it? I'm moving back to London (from a large detached Victorian with big garden and pool to terrace) and my friends think I'm mad. But they all grew up in deep suburbia or countryside whereas I grew up in the city and really miss it. My kids growing up here (edge of town half a mile from the beach) has been good for the kids, but now at 16 and 17 they are keen to move to the city too.

Cheadle Hulme is solidly suburbia still- local amenities, schools within walking distance, parks, train into Manchester, easy access to the airport etc. I don't think you'd find living there all that much different to being in Didsbury.

I always thought Cheadle Hulme was where everyone from didsbury progressed to as they matured and had a family. That and the heatons are like an extension of didsbury and still accessible/ on the train line to town. Further into Cheshire is a different ball game, but not everyone wants to be near the city or out with the cool kids as they get older. I’m not sure how or why they seem transient.

There are other places within proximity to Manchester where you’d get more space, but they’re not the same vibe. Having said that prices in Sale, Urmston etc are rising rapidly as the city is so accessible. It also seems like the chorlton overspill is finally (albeit very slowly) starting to reach stretford.

Ultimately it depends what you want and what works for your family. From experience though, I’d say check out the secondary schools before you do move anywhere.

We're on the Davenport/Bramhall border and don't regret the move further out. Still close enough to the city (20 mins on the train) but we're closer to more rural areas which is great for us. It's solid suburbia around here though - definitely less "vibey" than Didsbury. I personally don't get the fuss over Cheadle Hulme though - we just didn't connect to the area the numerous times we visited.

Friends have scattered all over Cheshire, they aren't in the same places. Some are closer like Cheadle Hulme and Bramhall, others have moved out towards the Peaks or further south into Cheshire around Northwich. If we did move, we wouldn't neccessarily be closer to them.

Secondary schools are ok here (Parrs Wood and Barlow RC), the ones in Cheshire are generally better, depending on where you move to?

Main reasons would be to somewhere less transient, it would be nice to have a bigger garden/garage but it's not a dealbreaker. I do love it here and can live with a smaller house/garden.

Chorlton is very expensive now, I can see how everyone would move into Stretford or Urmston. The prices have gone crazy all over the area.

I left Cheadle Hulme last Summer after twenty years. I've headed north to Ramsbottom. I no longer get in the car to walk the dogs, houses are cheaper, people are friendlier (really stands out)

Cheadle Hulme became too 'keeping up with the Joneses', the traffic is awful, and I had no reason to stay (the people who bought my house confessed when they viewed it that they needed a new postcode in 8 weeks for schools) I don't have kids and don't need the convenience of a suburb.

A 3 bed semi in Cheadle Hulme goes for £400k.

What about getting a bigger house/garage in Didsbury? I know a 4 bed with garage in catchment for Beaver Rd coming on the market soon...

We moved from West didsbury to Cheadle Hulme a couple of years ago. Don’t regret it. You can be in town in 20 minutes, there’s a lovely sense of community. It’s a bit quieter but new places seem to opening

Cheadle Hulme is hardly leaving the City

@DistrictCommissioner Good luck with selling your house, it should fly off the shelves! My budget doesn't stretch to 4 beds with a garage in Didsbury unfortunately. That's the reason most of my friends have moved, they like the area but can't get what they want within their budget.

Thanks for all of your experiences.

[quote treetimes]@DistrictCommissioner Good luck with selling your house, it should fly off the shelves! My budget doesn't stretch to 4 beds with a garage in Didsbury unfortunately. That's the reason most of my friends have moved, they like the area but can't get what they want within their budget.

Thanks for all of your experiences.[/quote]
It’s not me! I grew up in Didsbury - when it wasn’t transient at all, interesting that you say it is now. My mum still has all the same friends whose kids I went to school with!

I lived in Stretford but am not in south Manchester any more. We went very very far away & rural instead...

That's interesting that it didn't used to be transient. Some people do stay, but the high house prices tend to push everyone further out as well as preferences for a different type of area. They have gone completely crazy at the moment. I hope you are enjoying living somewhere more rural now.

I’m having the same thought process (currently in Didsbury) and I visit cheadle hulme / bramhall and they just seem so ‘meh’ (sorry to anyone who lives there, I can see the benefits!).

Maybe look at sale? It used to be crap (I grew up there) but it genuinely seems to be on the up, and on the tram line so you can still visit Didsbury / chorlton / altrincham easily and you get the grammar schools if that’s your thing. I also quite like Wilmslow.

BUT I love Didsbury and will try and stay here as long as possible. I think the village feels a bit more family than west Didsbury?

Cheadle Hulme and Bramhall are lovely, biggers houses with bigger gardens, it's just that I like Didsbury more for us. The pros of moving out aren't outweighing the cons at the moment.

Didsbury does seem to have more families than West Didsbury.

Do you have enough space/garden at the moment? A lot of people do have enough bedrooms/some garden, they just want somewhere bigger. I can see the attraction, it's hard fitting everything into a smaller house.

We absolutely don’t - we have enough living space but need an extra bedroom and a bigger garden so we will need to move at some point.

I’m weighting up bigger than what we’ve got but still on the smaller side vs moving to suburbia for the classic 4 bed detached with garden.

What I’ve found is that often the old Victorian properties you get in Didsbury are great in terms of square footage, but awkward layouts and smaller gardens. I also can’t decide how much we’d actually use a big garden given the Manchester weather…

A few Disbury exiteers choose Bollington- villagey feel, arts scene, Peak District literally on doorstep.

True, the weather isn't great for using the garden! It also means you have lots more gardening to do. I know what you mean about the awkward layouts, often the 4th bedroom is on a 2nd floor? And tiny bathrooms. I hope you manage to find something. It would be nice to have something with a bigger garden, more space and a more conventional layout, it's weighing it up against the area.

I know someone who moved to Bollington, will have to ask if they like it. It's nice to be near the Peaks.