Sale or Timperley

[Beingwomen]

Hello Mums,

Hope you are doing well! I am new to Manchester and looking to buy an apartment to move in .Our first preference is Altrincham but we couldn't find more properties in our budget . So we are looking for sale and timperley .I wanted to know which is better(for living,property-value).sale or timperley or Altrincham? If I am buying in Sale , whether sale will come under the catchment of Altrincham Grammar school?
Please give me some spotlight.

Thanks in advance .

Timperley is closer to Altrincham. I'm my view it's a strange area, not got much of a centre. There's lots going on in Sale. Loads of bars and restaurants plus some nice shops. I personally prefer Sale.

You're going to need to check catchment on the grammar schools. You can definitely still get in from Sale or Timperley but I think the nearer you are improves your chances so if that is what your bothered about Timperley is going to be the better bet.

I'm in Urmston and just gone through the 11 plus. Last year one of the year 6 class went to Alty boys. This year I know that one boy who tutored extremely heavily got in but chose Urmston instead. So it is still an option.

I think Sale Grammar is meant to be very good and has the advantage of being co Ed.

Are your dc still at primary? Would it not be best to locate near your preferred primary?

I'd choose Timperley. It is close to Altrincham and is in catchment for Altrincham and Sale Grammars, but importantly also for Wellington School if DC don't pass the 11+. Families fight tooth and claw to get into Wellington.

Sorry, re read your post. Yes, DC in Sale do go to Altrincham Grammars.

You will need to check the admissions criteria (my DD left last year) but she has friends from Sale and Urmston.

I'd have a look round and see which you prefer the feel of. Sale is much bigger than Timperley and is a centre in its own right, like Altrincham.

We live in Sale, have done for 20 years and love it. The centre is really improving, and now has some lovely restaurants etc
it is on the canal, and also near the Mersey and the water park so lots of options for runs/ cycles/ walks etc
re schools, we are going through the 11 plus at the moment.
Girls from Sale can definitely get into AGS (I haven’t looked into Alty boys catchment though).
I feel like we have an advantage of being closer to Stratford and Urmston Grammar schools than if we lived in Timperley, as my daughter would prefer a Co-Ed school.
catchment for non grammar schools seems to be tight though. We are within catchment for Ashton but wouldn’t have got in the last few years as 0.02 miles outside the furthest place offered, a similar situation for primary schools in Sale
I imagine that will be similar in Timperley- so make sure that your flat is not just in catchment for school options, but within the distance allocated in recent years as this caught us out when we bought.
Either would be a lovely place to live though.

As above, you need to do your research for schools - the Altrincham Grammars have different oversubscription criteria. If you're looking at AGGS then as long as your DD passes, it will make no difference whether you're in Sale or Timperley. They're both in catchment and close enough to the school to be safe. AGSB has a very small catchment, Timperley (WA15) is in it as are some parts of Sale. If you're not in catchment, then places are awarded by score so you can't guarantee a place.

As above the non-grammar options are notoriously difficult to get into (I believe Wellington went down to 0.8miles this year) and you need to have a plan B. Also make sure you do your research about what is classed as a permanent residence and when you need to be in your property if your DC is sitting this year / next year.

A bit of internet research on house prices and schools should provide the answers you want, why ask the opinions of random strangers?

I’ve been in Timperley for around 15 years, it’s what I’d class as suburbia, the centre has improved over the years but it’s more the kind of place you nip to the co-op, pharmacy etc than going for a long time but it does have a Costa coffee and a couple of other cafes. It is just a 5 minute drive to Altrincham though.
Schools there is a lot of competition. This year lots didn’t get their first or even second choice of their nearest comprehensive secondary including me because not enough places.
House prices in Timperley seem to be sky rocketing at the moment.
I would say look at both and see which feels best for your lifestyle.

Timperley centre hasn't got much there in itself but has the basics like butchers/costa and a few pubs - but it's very close to Altrincham and Hale centres both of which are very "trendy" and lively. Hale is very chichi and Altrincham has everything you need including a great permanent artisan market and foody centre. IMO Sale is no comparison at all and I don't personally like it - sorry!
You will likely get more for your money in Sale though.

Allocation of Places

Have a look at this - it tells you how places were offered and how far out they went for schools like Wellington / Sale High / Ashton. This was 2021, I think they publish this info in Autumn each year so an updated version will be out soon - but certainly as above, distances have reduced this year.

Born and bred in the area and went to one of the Grammar schools. The admissions system has changed drastically since my time though and there seems to be fewer local kids going to their local grammar school and a lot of admissions from outside even Trafford. I would definitely look into the standard of the high schools as back up.
In terms of areas to live I think they're both pretty similar. Although Sale has a bigger town centre you can get most of the essentials in Timperley village and you're only a short trip into Altrincham for bigger shops. Apart from the Metrolink (which will add a premium to your house price if you want to be close to a station) i find the public transport is pretty poor and expensive. If you're going to be driving then I would consider the traffic in some areas e.g. Park Road Timperley down to Manchester Road can be horrendous and regularly backs up over the station bridge.
If you're looking at apartments rather than houses then your options in Timperley are probably quite limited but there's more in and around Sale. What's your budget and how many bedrooms do you need?

I live in Altrincham. I can’t wait to leave.