Calling all lovely people from Manchester: Longsight? Old Trafford? Victoria Park?

[FelinaDaHousecat]

Hi all, OH got a job offer in Manchester - south Manchester would be best for us.

Are Longsight, Old Trafford and Victoria Park a definite NO?

We could be cash buyers there and buy something really nice, but not if the community is super rough. We live in north London so used to a bit of grit.

Oh is that where Longsight is.

It'll be the area bringing it down - not much in the way of amenities. Longsight is pretty run down, transient population as lots of students (I'd want to make sure the house next door wasn't a HMO)...

I wouldn't live in Longsight. I used to work there, really grotty and rough.

Daisy Bank Road has a huge number of student halls along it and a lot of the large house are HMOs I think. It's quite a transient population. Higher crime area too I think. Longsight I'd probably swerve as well. I lived in Chorlton for a long time but £400k won't stretch to much there now. Probably one of the ex Council houses on the Merseybank estate. Handy for tram and great walks along the mersey and not far to Beech Road but not a nice period property.
Most of my friends with a similar budget moved to Stretford or Urmston and are in 1930s semis. They usually get the train into Manchester.
Or to they got to the Heatons in Stockport (SK4) and also get the train in.

DH has just reminded me Longsight was the first place in the UK (outside NI) to have armed police patrols - definitely high crime area.

I lived in West Didsbury and Chorlton for years but as @Councilworker said £400k won't go far there these days.

Heaton Chapel has access to the Fallowfield Loop so that you can cycle into town easily off road, nice area to live!

I would avoid Longsight. Yes there are some grand looking Victorian houses which could make lovely homes (and look nice on Right Move) but really the area is pretty rough. Lots of HMOs students and a transient population. Also the traffic can get pretty bad at busy times.

The Heatons or Flixton/Urmston would be a better bet. Levenshulme is improving, West Point is the nicest area of Levenshulme, more leafy than the rest.

For that money you'd only get a small house in Didsbury/Chorlton. Whalley Range might be doable.

Thank you all this has been very helpful. I think I need to go and see for myself, at the moment I would compromise on the area to live nearer to town, looks like Levenshulme could be just the sweet spot. I will update the thread after my visit.

I love a house search have a look at these, I’d avoid Longsight as others have said.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111073217#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/116537738#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/116972405#/?channel=RES_BUY

Needs work but well under your budget;

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115233431#/?channel=RES_BUY

Old Trafford/Chorlton/Whalley Range border has a fabulous community and schools and you are a short walk from Chorlton with its fancy shops and great for public transport and cycling. Your budget would be tight though. Stretford is up and coming and worth a look. Urmston would suit you but might be too far out? Victoria Park and Longsight are totally different, much less family oriented, though Levenshulme is ok. Neither on the tram.

I just looked at the links above. They are all pretty sketchy areas. Houses sell within the day at the moment.

@LawnFever Nice selection 👍.

LawnFever, thank you, that one off central avenue in Levenshulme would be almost perfect for us. I have daydreamed about it for weeks now :) Hopefully there will be something along those lines when we are able to proceed late in the year

Definitely Levenshulme if coming from N London - your budget is good there too

With your budget I’d go for Whalley range

[quote FelinaDaHousecat]On paper I really like this one, all the space we need and potential to make it really special, but I have seen it for sale for a while so I wonder if here is something wrong that I do not see

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/116792927#/?channel=RES_BUY[/quote]
OP I lived on that road. As a student. You’d be surrounded by them. The houses are nice (that one might even be joined to my old house it is so familiar!) but I wouldn’t buy a semi in that area out of the risk of having students in the attached property.

Yep - for £400K look at Heaton Chapel. Easy 3 mile cycle to Uni and lovely community feel across the Heatons. I'd avoid Victoria Park and Longsight - definitely prefer Heaton Chapel or Levenshulme.

Thirty years ago Longsight had the unenviable reputation of bring Manchesters murder capital. Now it's a hotspot for drugs and dealers. Avoid like the plague. Try Withington, Burnage, Firswood (Trafford) Ashton-on-Mersey/Sale. You'll hear a lot of hype about ‘Levy’ ( Levenshulme) bring touted as the new Chorlton, by estate agents. It really isn't, and it'll take a very long time to get there - if ever. The cycle/Mersey valley paths are great but be aware that the Fallowfield loop is notorious for high rates of bike muggings and violent attacks, especially towards the eastern end.

Hey thank you all again, not being dim (or maybe being dim) but what's wrong with Uni students me having been one and my DDs being students now? Genuine question.

@FelinaDaHousecat

Hey thank you all again, not being dim (or maybe being dim) but what's wrong with Uni students me having been one and my DDs being students now? Genuine question.

Would you really want to live next door to a student house, parties at weekends, visitors in and out banging the doors etc?

And don't forget Northenden, it’s where the smart money is shifting.
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/116583590#/?channel=RES_BUY
Almost a village, good community vibe, local shops, brilliant access to city centre, right on the Mersey valley for green space. Neighbours Didsbury & Chorlton. Good schools. Maybe not as gritty as N London but it does have the best Vietnamese restaurant in south Manchester 😊

I must add I am all grateful for the intel and changing my list of places to go see at the end of Jan, following the advice received on this thread.

@MindTheGapMoveAlong

Thirty years ago Longsight had the unenviable reputation of bring Manchesters murder capital. Now it's a hotspot for drugs and dealers. Avoid like the plague. Try Withington, Burnage, Firswood (Trafford) Ashton-on-Mersey/Sale. You'll hear a lot of hype about ‘Levy’ ( Levenshulme) bring touted as the new Chorlton, by estate agents. It really isn't, and it'll take a very long time to get there - if ever. The cycle/Mersey valley paths are great but be aware that the Fallowfield loop is notorious for high rates of bike muggings and violent attacks, especially towards the eastern end.

Agreed. I live in Levenshulme - renting and trying to get out but everywhere nice in this city is so expensive. The local media and estate agents like to hype Levy but a couple of nice coffee shops and an OK but overpriced Saturday market do not make it the 'new Chorlton'. The area is pretty rough and the amenities are pretty shit, unless you like crappy pound shops and kebab takeaways.

PM me if you want more info.

I lived off Daisybank road twenty years ago as a student . It looks nice as an area and a newcomer to the city but there is a lot of deprivation very close by and there are big issues with anti social behaviour and burglaries.