Gardens in south Manchester

[Bandycoot12]

DS is looking to buy a two bed house in Levenshume, Chorlton or Stretford (max budget 270k). I don't know the area very well but there seem to be lots of houses around at that price.

I was wondering why do they all have yards and not gardens? Drab slabs / concrete seem to be the norm.

Probably have to stick to pots and raised beds but if we broke it up and tried to create a garden would anything grow or is the land contaminated underneath?

Does anyone have experience of this?

Well she's presumably buying a 2 up 2 down terraced property. That comes with a yard. A house with a garden in Stretford or chorlton would cost more.

Can you get a 2 bed terrace in chorlton for £270?. I was looking at paying nearly that 20 years ago for a 3 bed postage stamp garden.

Those areas are very different in character and price. If by Chorlton you mean cum Hardy not Medlock, then £270k is a small budget unless you go outside the postcode M21 to Whalley Range and actually even that might not do it. I don't think you need worry about ‘contamination’ though.

Yards are pretty standard round here for terraces, I imagine it’s because they’re easier to keep clean and tidy.

Yards don’t have to be drab though. Before you rip anything up, go to the next open gardens and see what others have done - levenshulme open gardens is normally in June and we saw some beautiful yards at the 2023 event.

As others have said, £270k is a v small budget for a 2 bed house in Chorlton. It’s probably more realistic for Levenshulme or Stretford though and maybe Fallowfield/Withington?