House buying in Edgeley, Stockport...

WinstonWolfe

Hi all,


I am a first time buyer and MSE poster. I could do with some advice. I am currently in the process of buying a house in Edgeley, Stockport and would just like to know some members experiences living around there and what to expect if my move does go through.



I have found a nice sized house for what I need and at a good affordable price, however it is located 5 minutes walk to Hollywood Park and the ugly looking large block of flats near Stockport Train Station.


I have been around the area a few times and noticed it has its pro's and con's and I am trying to weigh them all up before taking this house purchase too far.



Cycling through feeling hot and cold on this so any advice and comments would be most appreciated.



Thank you


Winston Wolfe

KatieDee

You will get varying responses to this thread, some people vilifying you for even suggesting that social housing can ever be a negative and others saying it's definitely going to be an issue. I guarantee you that one has experience of living near social housing and the other doesn't.

That said, it's a complete roll of the dice. There are some areas with high numbers of social housing that have very few issues, are well maintained, with a great community spirit. There are others that are made up of tenants who cannot find accommodation elsewhere due to a history of evictions, ASB, etc. Some are a mixture of the two!

Your best option is to walk around the area during the day and in the evening to try and gauge firsthand whether it's something you could live with. I understand Edgeley is a bit of an "up and coming" area, so you may find a lot of the properties have been bought through Right to Buy anyway. Not to say home owners are less likely to be terrible neighbours than renters, but I imagine the maintenance of the property might be better if you have an investment in it.

Use websites to look at crime records, local amenities, schools etc, to get a decent idea of what is going on in the area. This will give you some information to go on, but ultimately it's about scoping out the area to get a true feel for it.

If you have any worries whatsoever, I would advise not going for it. I speak from personal experience as somebody who bought the nicest house in a bad area without doing the relevant homework. The moment I unlocked my front door and walked into my living room, I knew I had made a very expensive mistake, and I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

Also - check how long the property has been up for. Properties are flying off the shelf in that area due to all the investment in Stockport. It's becoming an area for people who can't afford to live in South Manchester. I imagine if it has been on the market for a while, other people might be having the same thoughts as you.

WinstonWolfe

I have edited my first post. Its not the fact that it's social housing that's the problem, it's just not great to look at and it would be pretty hard to miss if I bought this place.

KatieDee

WinstonWolfe wrote: »

I have edited my first post. Its not the fact that it's social housing that's the problem, it's just not great to look at and it would be pretty hard to miss if I bought this place.

Well it's likely you'll need to look at it for the foreseeable future, unless somebody buys the building and updates it (as they did to the flats near Sheffield Station).

It's a gamble. I imagine the area might have a bit of a face lift in the next few years anyway, depending on the overall response to the improvements and investments in the centre. If you can overlook the slightly run down flats then it might be a good investment.

For the record, my previous "lovely house in a rubbish area" that I mentioned was right next to a very tall block of flats that were considered high demand in terms of council accommodation. Very well maintained, interesting looking building, massive flats. I didn't think it would be an issue but it was such an eyesore over the time I lived there, that it was the only thing I could focus on (and the only thing anybody ever noticed about the beautiful street).

I'm probably biased :rotfl:

hazyjo

I always remember Kirstie Allsopp saying she bought the ugliest house in a street full of beautiful houses. She said it wasn't her problem, she was looking out of the windows more than she was looking in - it was the other neighbours' problem having to look at her house. It really made me think and I was actually gutted not to get a house last year that was covered in stone cladding


I'm with KatieDee. I used to have friends in a lovely Victorian house, but there was a massive ugly grey concrete high-rise council block of flats a dozen or so houses down. Not sure I'd have wanted that as a view out my window...

Cakeguts

I used to live in Oldham. Which is a bit of dump in the middle but there are some lovely villages around it. Stockport I remember as being a bit like Oldham another dump. Mind you this was about 30 odd years ago. We do still visit Lancashire from time to time and there are some quite attractive villages that have train stations to Manchester.



I have never been able to understand the attraction of South Manchester. It has always seemed to me to be very overpriced for no benefit and not very well connected to other urban centres like Leeds and Liverpool.

downshifter

PLANES!!! Edgeley is right under the flightpath for planes in to (and sometimes out of depending on wind direction) Ringway airport (aka Manchester). As an area it's as good or bad as any other, and good for getting into Manchester one way and out to the countryside the other way. You can nip to Stockport station through the back way.

But I could never get used to those planes if I lived there, I swear you can see the passengers through the windows they're that close overhead. Yet someone I know who lives there says he never notices them now.

What's your tolerance level like?

DS

ACG

I think over the next 5-10 years, house prices there will do quite well. With the regeneration of Stockport, it should be a good investment if nothing else.

WinstonWolfe

I live under the flight path even closer to the airport, so being under it doesnt really phase me too much. It would actually be a nice reduction in noise level compared to where I am



Thanks ACG, that's why I chose the area due to the potential and the large amount of investment going into Stockport.


I guess it's whether I can live in the house for a few years and be able to cope with the quirks of the area. Parking is also abit difficult due to the tight roads.



Going for one more viewing before progressing further and will make my mind up then. Thanks for everyone's responses!

MissMarble

Hi Winston,

I’ve just checked this forum for the first time in AGES and saw your post! I’m an Edgeley dweller so thought I would share my experience. We bought last summer and have been renovating since.

We were a bit hesitant due to certain parts of Edgeley, I.e. Castle Street - BUT we see a lot of younger couples and families in the area who are so friendly. There’s a great sense of community here and something which I and others are hopefully that it will continue to grow.

We do need more independent cafes and shops on castle street, but there are two nice shops which have recently opened - a vegan beauty salon and a home store. I also am particularly excited about the new and independent cafes and shops opening up in Stockport old town.

A few things of I like about Edgeley are the housing stock (beautiful, character houses), good parks (check out Alexandria Park), the excellent transport links to the city centre (about ten minutes into Piccadilly) and also how close it is to Cheadle Village.

The planes? They really worried me before moving in - but we were also looking in Cheadle where they were even lower! Now? I hardly notice them which is quite strange. If anything, we find it quite enjoyable to watch.

It seems houses are going quite fast in the area, so if you aren’t too sure on the property there are plenty of others on the market currently.

If you have any more questions, do let me know! Good luck :j

WinstonWolfe

Thanks Marbles.


The one I've offered on is near Hollywood Park. Do you know much about what goes on around there? I've been down the road a few times and it seems to be quite quiet.



Parking is probably going to be a bit of an issue as there might not be space outside the property, but I guess I could always park a bit further down the road.


I have just been reading about how many young professionals and first time buyers are moving into the area, so it can't be as bad as it used to be.



I'm guessing the overall vibe you have of the area is more positive than negative?