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

Agreed, @emmathedilemma - the Heatons etc may not be that far from Failsworth as the crow flies, but it's not an easy commute. Whereas Saddleworth, or even villages on the west Yorks side of the hill, would be far easier.

Just echoing what the previous poster has said, you do need to be careful where you decide on unless your DH wants a very awkward commute to Failsworth. A lot of those areas in South Manchester will involve a train ride into Piccadilly, a walk across the City Centre and then a tram ride to Failsworth.

The Metrolink line Failsworth falls on also serves Didsbury and Chorlton to the south which are both very popular with families (very trendy as well) but very very expensive. West Didsbury is more “villagey” in feel but both areas are rather urban in nature.

@Talkingofsunshine

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

that's a good list tbh. Those places all have quite a different 'feel' but are nice in different ways. Another one I've heard is nice is Mossley but never been.

Macclesfield is the place to be! 20 mins on the train from Macc station into the centre of Manchester. 2 hours direct train to London to visit your old pals! So close to the beautiful peak district you can literally see it. Lots of pretty, well heeled villages surrounding like Prestbury and Alderley Edge - home to the local professional footballers (and Robbie Savage!). A teacher from Kings (the local fee paying school) taught William Shakespere, so it must be good, although I don't think he teaches there now.

Mossley is fairly nice, and definitely on its way up.
Whereas Uppermill, Dobcross, etc are very "naice" and well-established villages, Mossley isn't quite there yet - but that makes it a canny investment.
You're only three miles down the canal/river/road from Greenfield and Uppermill, but can get loads more for your money... ie this 3-bed detached:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/100476989#/?channel=RES_NEW

@fungums

Macclesfield is the place to be! 20 mins on the train from Macc station into the centre of Manchester. 2 hours direct train to London to visit your old pals! So close to the beautiful peak district you can literally see it. Lots of pretty, well heeled villages surrounding like Prestbury and Alderley Edge - home to the local professional footballers (and Robbie Savage!). A teacher from Kings (the local fee paying school) taught William Shakespere, so it must be good, although I don't think he teaches there now.

I like Macc but wouldn't want to commute from there to Failsworth

I’d add Mottram, Staley Bridge and Ramsbottom

A teacher from Kings Macc taught William Shakespeare……I think they probably need to update their marketing material if they’re still riding on that reputation
That would be a goddamn awful commute to Failsworth.

I'd go for the heatons, drive to east didsbury metrolink, then tram direct to failsworth. Also near the Mersey valley which has a very rural feel. 10 minutes from Stockport station and excellent primaries in Heaton Mersey. Plus can walk into didsbury/Heaton moor for food, drinks and retro independent cinema...

One negative for Heaton Mersey is the large sewage work that you can smell on the M60......

@Talkingofsunshine

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

My neck of the woods! Prestwich prices are rising fast, it has a great cafe scene and some excellent schools. The M62 is minutes away making travel south a breeze.

'The M62....a breeze'. Not imho. It's a busy motorway where lengthy jams caused by nothing more than sheer weight of traffic are commonplace - as happened to me this mid-afternoon on the north Manchester section.

Bits of the Heaton's are vey expensive but not all. East Didsbury might be with a look. Great primary (Broadoak), train and tram stop and close to M56
£450 wouldn't get you a 3-4 bed and garden in West Didsbury or Didsbury.
Great high school too

I live in Bury and you get a lot of house for your money here, good schools and an easy commute on the Metrolink to central Manchester.
Obviously some areas are better than others so you need to be looking at either a BL8 postcode or BL0 or M45/M25 for whitefield and prestwich.

Prestwich is the spot!! Fab bars/restaurants/cafes/ parks/schools/transport links
I also moved up here from London
x

If DH is in Failsworth, anything South Mcr will be a pain with traffic - compared to Prestwich/North Manchester

I wouldn't contemplate Marple, Bredbury or Romiley. The traffic is absolutely diabolical.

Chorlton!
Schools are amazing, loads of Restaurants cafés an independent shops. There’s always something going on like festivals and markets. There is also loads of parks and ‘the Eeys’ which is a fantastic area with lakes, forest and rivers.

@Eatenpig

Bits of the Heaton's are vey expensive but not all. East Didsbury might be with a look. Great primary (Broadoak), train and tram stop and close to M56 £450 wouldn't get you a 3-4 bed and garden in West Didsbury or Didsbury. Great high school too

There's a few houses, the budget wouldn't give you a huge choice in Didsbury but it is possible. It's very convenient for the tram and nice area with good schools and lots of parks. Make sure you check the Environment Agency flood maps for anything around the Mersey/East Didsbury, it nearly got flooded within the last year.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E8171&maxBedrooms=4&minBedrooms=3&sortType=1&propertyTypes=&includeSSTC=false&mustHave=&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords=

I'd scope out the commutes. May be worth your DH coming up and trying them out. M60 is a pain for traffic in rush hour, especially if you are having to go from south to north. Simple commute would be better, with less chance of knock-on delays.

Prestwich and Whitefield are nice. Bramhall/Cheadle Hulme are leafy and not as well connected for transport than Didsbury/Chorlton.

The part of the Heatons next to Didsbury is cheaper. If you go for a period house, they are more expensive.

I used to leave in Cheadle Hulme. £450k will be tight for a 4 bed. School very good. Aircraft noise isn't that bad, it's becomes normal. No tram links but good train links.

@Yubaba

I live in Bury and you get a lot of house for your money here, good schools and an easy commute on the Metrolink to central Manchester. Obviously some areas are better than others so you need to be looking at either a BL8 postcode or BL0 or M45/M25 for whitefield and prestwich.

I moved to BL8 (Tottington) from South Manchester last year. So much more for your money and people are friendlier!

@fellrunner85

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?!?)

Saddleworth school is really poor these days. Below Average or Well Below Average in several measures on the DfE website.

Whitefield/Prestwich don’t offer a village feel. They are the outer suburbs of Manchester. Too built up and lack of coherent central facilities IMO. You need to look north Greater Manchester, like Bury. Ramsbottom has loads of restaurants/cafes, swimming pool, nice shops, library and the steam train. Areas like Holcombe Brook, Greenmount and Tottington are lovely too but not as well equipped in terms of facilities. The default on these threads is south Manchester. It’s not easily commutable to Failsworth and close to London prices. Didsbury and Chorlton always rolled out. See above. Saddleworth is lovely but bad in winter (snow and ice) and also not an easy place to get in and out of in terms of access.

@MartyHart

I wouldn't contemplate Marple, Bredbury or Romiley. The traffic is absolutely diabolical.

Agree with this. Unfortunately there are some lovely areas on the outer edges of Stockport but the public transport situation is a bit grim.

Levenshulme is classed as "up and coming" with several bars/cafes/craft ale type places polis amazing antiques centre and near lovely country parks, artisan market. You'd get a lovely period house there! Primaries good I think not so much secondaries...