Rural area with (infrequent) access to Manchester

[KievLoverTwo]

Hello folks. I wonder if you can help me find areas to look in with the following criteria.

Must have

• Houses with big bedrooms, two need to be at least 12ft x 12ft (a disability thing)
• Preferably need another two rooms; one a WFH office + a drying space for me (another disability thing, not just lazy, honest)
• Moderate level of privacy
• Access to Manchester on some sort of direct link; it doesn't have to be a 30 minute commute, he's frankly alright with sitting on a train for 2 hours if it means the journey's not stressful, but many changes of connection or trying to park in a car park that never has enough spaces will tip him over the edge and he'll never go in (which he kind of needs if he's ever going to get this promotion). NB: VISITS WOULD BE INFREQUENT. Once a month, a fortnight at absolute most.
• Internet connection of at least 30MB.
• Low crime rate

Please be kind. It's not easy living with a partner with autism, they can't just 'put up and shut up' regarding housing needs.

Most new build houses are ruled out. We don't like the lack of privacy with most of them anyway; we're both also autistic so noise sensitivity is a bit of an issue. Generally stuff we've looked at older than 40 years in other counties fit our needs better.

Don't need

• We're used to living rural. We don't need access to tons of supermarkets, I stock up and plan well.
• We don't even really need a local shop.
• We don't need a village with lots of restaurants and lots going on (although having one nearby would be the perfect scenario).
• We don't need a gas connection or food/takeaway deliveries available to us (we're on oil/used to it).
• Schools

Would be nice

• Lovely countryside surrounds.
• Enough space to not have neighbours six feet away (looking for detached).
• Enough garden to keep a bored cat happy.

That's it really. Sorry for the wall of text. It's not fun house hunting with him, as much as I love him.

I only really know Rochdale and know that I sort of like it because I once stayed with a friend there, everywhere else is a complete unknown to me.

Budget 350-450k and I think we comfortably need 1400 sq ft but 1700-2000 would be the ideal amount of physical space for my disability (don't need a bungalow, just cannot squeeze past furniture/small kitchen spaces/lift most things, so need to WALK around my furniture, etc).

Thank you :)

Saddleworth?

How about looking South to Shropshire? Look at Church Stretton, there's a direct train to Manchester which takes an hour and a half.

I wasn't sure which other counties might have access, so that's really useful, thanks.

All I know about the surrounds is that Cheshire is horrifically expensive.

Villages within Rochdale, Kirklees and Calderdale will be worth considering. On Rightmove you can search using the map feature so you can zone in on the rural areas.
Just watch out for the motorways, some places can seem nice but when you visit they are near a motorway and the noise could be an issue for you and your husband. Off the top of my head I would suggest Mankinholes, it’s a few miles from Todmorden, it has lots of great views and the internet is fibre.

I think 350-450k in my area (about an hour from Manchester by car, a bit longer by train) wouldn't get you what you're after (more with regards to the room sizes required).

Have you contacted some local agents in areas to see if they have anything that matches your specifications? They might have better awareness or what's available or coming to the market soon vs scrolling Rightmove.

I grew up around Rivington which has lovely countryside and fairly easy access to Manchester.

Not all of Cheshire is horrifically expensive. Within 30 mins of Manchester is, but a 2 hour train trip will get you a long way. Crewe to Manchester is only half an hour, and Crewe is not somewhere that many footballers' wives consider happening...

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/127786340#/?channel=RES_BUY

This is the sort of property you could get within budget near Todmorden. It’s on a quiet estate but needs work. Hth to give you an idea. Good luck with your search.

Exactly what I was going to say. South Cheshire is miles away (budget wise) from the prices in the north of the county. There might be properties in Sandbach, Congleton, Nantwich and Crewe that could meet requirements.

Halifax area, lots of commuters live there and good rail links with Manchester. Lots of rural areas eg Greetland, Mytholmroyd, Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Bridge etc. All approx 1 hour on train to Manchester.

Not yet. We've only just switched our focus from access to London to access to Manchester instead (they have offices in both locations).

We're not in a rush. 6, 9, 12 months will be fine. But as he's off work next week, I wanted to start getting in the car and looking at potential new areas so I can put my mind at rest re: locations and possibilities, even if the market is currently crap in the areas.

The room sizes are a constant pain in the arse for us. We'd be alright knocking through a wall or two, but I also need a kitchen that's really bigger than 10x10, and even in older houses with bigger bedrooms, that's often quite a challenge. As FTBs we don't have 20-30k in equity to knock through a kitchen/diner/do a kitchen rebuild.

Drama sigh

Bloody disabilities!

Marsden or Slaithwaite near Huddersfield

Really useful, thank you.

Saddleworth would likely be a good choice for you.
Or look along the train line to Huddersfield so Greenfield (in Saddleworth), then Marsden and Slaithwaite.

If driving is an option you could also look at Meltham and Holmfirth.

Thanks. Driving is fine as long as the station has a car park or somewhere nearby that is not absolutely rammed every morning. I know it's only the odd trip now and then, but it's impossible to park anywhere near our current station, so he just never goes in, which is not great.

It’s years since I’ve lived there, but there’s a direct line from Clitheroe (Ribble Valley) to Manchester Victoria. What can you find on that route? Ribble valley is beautiful and indeed bits of the east Lancs moors - or at least, the rural bits - are good scenery.

Somewhere like Whitchurch in Shropshire would probably work, just above an hour directly on the train - you can really stretch your money there

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/116807981#/?channel=RES_BUY

I’d say Clitheroe/Ribble valley. Under an hour on a direct train and lovely area. I think you’d get something in that budget.

Good lord, that is stunning. We could have our own wings!!

We've been looking in N Yorks (in all areas, quaint or not). That would be 700-800k there.

What a find :)

Bromley Cross outside of Bolton is semi rural, has really nice countryside close by, and has reasonable house prices. There's a direct train to Manchester. Other villages in the area are worth looking at, too.

I'd agree with Greenfield (the Saddleworth village withe the train station). You can park at Tescos (5 minute walk) or just walk to the station. Lovely countryside. I'm sure you'd get houses within budget.

Agree with Clitheroe environs, or Todmorden area as long as you're not down in the bottom of the valley which can get a bit floody. But you'd be fine up amidst the moors, which are glorious. Have a look around all that stretch of West Yorks that's on the trainline direct to Manchester.

Have you considered the Peak District? Plenty of countryside and nice quiet rural locations but also several train lines direct to Manchester.

You should be aware that Manchester has several train stations and transport between them is not great. Trains from different areas go in to different stations. Unless you're happy to have quite a walk or can cope with using the busy trams etc I'd suggest you look at which one is closest to the place you need to visit and which trains go to that station.

The Eden Valley villages near Penrith? Direct train links from Penrith to Manchester. Rural villages and areas. House cheaper than in the Lake District National Park.

Lake District and Pennines on your doorstep.

New Mills? Or at least for the station you could be in the surrounding places like Hayfield and use that station.
Or Chapel-en-le-frith?

If you don't mind longer places on the Hope Valley line towards Sheffield (Hope, Hathersage etc)