Moving from London to Manc - please help

[Talkingofsunshine]

Yet another thread on this!

We currently live with our two small children (3 and a young baby) in SE London. My DH has been offered a job in Manchester. He’s originally from the area and we’ve always wanted to move back up.

For various reasons we will probably be looking to rent in Manchester initially until I can get a new job as can’t do my current role remotely and we don’t want to get a mortgage on a single income. Once we both have jobs our budget to buy will be around £450k max but would like to spend less if possible. Would love a garden and 3-4 beds. Would rather be in a villagey area as have spent years in very urban London but willing to consider anywhere.

Our priority is schools as our oldest child will be attending school from Sept 2022. DH will be working in an office on the tram line in east Manchester so being near a tram would be great but not essential, a good train service though would be handy as don’t want to drive to commute.

We have close family in the Midlands so ideally would be looking at south Manchester to make it easier to visit them (nothing against north Manchester at all as we know some lovely places there and would certainly get more for our money! But really want to be closer to family after years of isolation in London).

I know the Trafford area is highly recommended but not sure we’re fussed about grammar school system so don’t want to pay through the nose for the sake of it.

Would people recommend the Heatons/Cheadle Hulme etc for schools?

Panicking slightly as want to be in somewhere by schools app deadline to give my DC a chance!

Any advice very welcome. Thank you

Geographically closer could well be the same time or maybe even longer to travel than north Manchester to travel to London in my experience, if that's your main reason for choosing South Manchester above anywhere else?

(Coincidentally I'm from Manchester but now live in Lancashire, 40 miles away and it takes me an hour less to get to London now than in Manchester on the train, and about 20-30 min less by road from Stretford! Can't really figure that one out tbh)

Thanks @De88 - happy to consider north! I hear Prestwich/Whitefield are nice? Anyone have any info on how they are for schools etc?

I’d personally go for Chorlton/Whalley range with that budget.

Heaton Moor and Heaton Mersey are lovely. Cheadle Hulme also really nice. Good schools etc
Only downside to C/Hulme is aircraft noise.

Thanks @MartyHart - are schools considered good in the Heatons/Cheadle Hulme?

Thanks @lastqueenofscotland. Will have a look.

I live in Stockport. Heatons and Cheadle Hulme both good but Heatons houses don’t tend to have big gardens.
Cheadle Hulme is a good shout as is Bramhall which is greener and due to the new a555 is easier access to Cheshire and motorways. Pretty sure both Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme High Schools are good.
Traffic everywhere in south Manchester is fairly diabolical unfortunately though the train line goes through cheadle Hulme and Bramhall. From Stockport station you can get to Manchester and Birmingham easily.
In trafford you will pay 00000s extra due to grammar school system.

Thanks @Frazzled2207 yeah that’s just what I’m thinking re Trafford and grammars! Do you happen to know what the primaries are like in Cheadle Hulme? I really like the look of Bramhall

@Talkingofsunshine
There are a few. A friend is very happy with Oak Tree primary. I def don’t know of any in those areas on the “avoid” list.

OP just check the train connections from Bramhall / the Heatons. Have a colleague who commutes from the Heatons - gets a train into Manchester then the tram. Quite do-able but a bit of a faff.

I think the primaries are fairly decent in the Heatons but obviously do your research. I don't think the high schools are as good as Trafford, but housing not as expensive as a result.

All I would say is (and I don't know what its like for other areas) in Trafford, if you move into Trafford during the application year - which is from the Sept before you apply, so this Sept if you're applying in Jan - you have to provide quite a bit of additional docs. When we did that, we had to have a rental lease for at least a year (6 months wasn't acceptable) and had to show we'd sold our previous house, think we sent the completion statement. Just made sure whichever LA you end up in that you check out the admission policy of both the LA and the individual schools to be on the same side.

Very good schools in Cheadle Hulme yes.
PP Mentioned Bramhall, also v nice area. Woodford is also lovely and also connected by A555.

South Manchester house prices have gone through the roof recently so just be mindful that £450k won't stretch as far as it did even 6 months ago. I'd seen a house in Cheadle Hulme at that price point that recently hit the market which had 42 viewings booked in so you can guarantee it'd have gone above asking. We had a similar budget and just found that we were having to compromise to much to buy in the Heatons - either it was small inside, no drive or a small garden.

Bramhall is really lovely, though be careful with the train links - I'm sure the trains are only 1 per hour (but might be slightly more in the peak). We settled just further north in the Woodsmoor/Davenport area, still leafy/villagey where we are but cheaper than Bramhall and it's got better train links which was important for us. Though don't think the schools compare to Bramhall etc (they're not bad by any means, Great Moor Primary and Nevill Road Primary are both very good and very popular).

Also Cheadle Hulme is very popular as well! Just do your research as you don't want to buy too close to the flight path! I think it's mostly Cheadle that suffers with noise (we remember viewing a house in the area when we hadn't researched the flight path properly - ended up being a very short viewing!).

Indeed arriving flights (and some departures) go straight over Cheadle Hulme. Which in normal times includes a lot of 5/6am arrivals (used to live directly under the path)

We're in Cheadle Hulme, primary schools are excellent. No experience with High Schools yet. Great train links but closest tram station is Gatley. No issues with air craft noise. Love the area and moved from Trafford. I find house prices quite similar to Trafford.

Also pre covid commuted daily by train into central Manchester and no issues whatsoever, regular trains about a 25 min commute to Piccadilly.

That budget would get you something lovely for your money around Saddleworth, if you want a proper villagey feel and fabulous countryside. You don't get that so much in the Heatons/Trafford.
Saddleworth School is great, and there's a fast train from Greenfield into Manchester (or drive into Oldham and get the tram).
Have a look around Uppermill, Delph and Dobcross. There's a mix of new builds (especially nearer Greenfield), and more characterful properties.
Eg/

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/97040222#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/80239221#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/108835106#/?channel=RES_BUY

(Check out the polar bear in the attic on that third link?!?)

It might depend on his commute but I think Marple ticks your other boxes.

I agree with @emmathedilemma and think Marple or Romiley

Thanks all. Really helpful!

Anyone got any intel on schools in Marple/Romiley?

@fellrunner85 thanks for the links - love the first! Is there much to do round Saddleworth? I hear Oldham is a bit rough round the edges…

Will take a look at all areas mentioned. I’m just keen to look further afield than Trafford. Thanks so much everyone

Will definitely take a look at all areas mentioned!

There's loads to do around Saddleworth, OP. It's beautiful. Uppermill is a lively village with a lot going on, while Dobcross and Delph are a bit quieter - yet you're still only a short journey into Manchester on the train from Greenfield.

Ok, Oldham has its rough bits but you wouldn't go anywhere near them if you lived in Saddleworth. Just like you wouldn't go into the dodgier parts of Stockport if you lived in Marple. Lots of people who work in Manchester commute in from Saddleworth and, despite paying their council tax to Oldham, never enter Oldham town centre.

You'd also definitely get more of a "village" feel in Saddleworth than in Romiley or Marple, if that's what you're after. They're proper suburbia really - I've lived around there, and did like it, though ultimately I prefer proper hills! That said, though Marple is v nice for walks on the canal, and has decent pubs. And a good Parkrun if that's your thing

Agree marple is quite suburban, also a bit of a trek to get to/from compared with day Bramhall which is very close to a555 which takes you straight to airport and motorways.
Easy access to Peak District though for lovely walks. Marple schools are very good though all oversubscribed I think.
Can’t comment on saddleworth area but heard good things.

Saddleworth and all surrounding areas are great as long as you're white.
For a young person growing up there's not a lot to do and despite there being a good bus route you are likely to be taxi driver as your kids get older.
Manchester is about an hour on the bus, train to Victoria is quite reliable and it's quick. Walks are lovely, not a lot of pavement but a lot of lovely hills.

I think you need to plan a weekend visit and have a drive round areas to get a feel for them. Anywhere within the greater manchester conurbation is going to feel very suburban even though most areas have their own small town / village shops and amenities. The more villagey you go, the longer the commute is, the less public transport you'll probably have etc.
Where is you DH going to be based? Give us the nearest Metrolink station if it's not too outing!

Thanks again everyone

DH will be based in Failsworth.

@De88 I do worry a bit about that as don’t want them living somewhere they hate… but also seems a very long way away as they’re so little!

@emmathedilemma you’re absolutely right we need to visit. Planning to do that ASAP!

So far key areas of interest for us:

Saddleworth villages
Bramhall
Heatons Moor and Mersey
Marple
Cheadle Hulme
Whitefield / Prestwich

hmm, the Oldham side would make more sense for commuting than the areas further south then. It's not the easiest place to commute to unless you live along that Metrolink line (and I don't think anywhere there will fit your requirements).