Where to move?

[User112]

DH has just been offered a remote job. Yay. We are fed up of house prices vs sizes where we live and are thinking of moving out of London suburbs.

Budget: £750k max (Comfortable under £700k)
We'd like: 4 bed, detached, large bedrooms (no box rooms), good schools and a decent IT job market (if he ends up not liking his new job).
What we can compromise on: Detached (will consider semi)

Ideally, we'd LOVE to stay within commuting distance to London. However, with our budget, it feels increasingly difficult

Is Manchester a good place? How do Sale, Altrincham and Whythenshawe (near the park) compare to safety with London/suburbs (like Orpington or Redhill for example)

Open to other cities too, but would like to stay within commuting distance to a big city for employment opportunities.

Do you know Manchester? I used to work there and Altrincham and Sale are very well thought of. Well established grammar schools. Chorlton is great if you want somewhere a bit more bohemian and less ‘staid’. I would avoid Wythenshawe with that budget-but would look at West Didsbury which is more like a leafy London suburb.The areas you’ve mentioned feel more linked to Manchester City than say Redhill is linked to London. For my money, any of those would be a great place to live-you have the trams into central Manchester which is a really buzzing place. I used to live in London and moved north several years ago-still miss it but Manchester is a pretty good place-my son lives in the centre and loves it.Busy but traffic levels not like the SE. The advantage Manchester has is easy access to wonderful countryside-the Lakes and Peak district. Good luck!

Have a look around Cambridgeshire Towns like Huntingdon, St Neots or St Ives could work for you.

Not massively far from London should you need and both Huntingdon and St Neots have train lines into London.

They are also easy daily commute to Cambridge where there are loads of tech / IT jobs if needed down the line.

Twyford or Wargrave, easy walk to station commute to Paddington, excellent local schools (Wokingham council area), near Reading which has plenty of IT jobs
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115509350#/?channel=RES_BUY
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115529936#/?channel=RES_BUY

@Ariela Hello, We are considering moving there. Are you a local? We'd like to get as much information as possible.

@User112 if you are thinking about Manchester I'd look in the East; not the cheapest of areas but close to the Peak District and more of a rural feel than Didsbury.