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Where to buy in Greater Manchester

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rlg3961
rlg3961 Posts: 20 Forumite
edited 16 May 2019 at 11:31PM in House buying, renting & selling
I am a FTB looking for a starter home. I have quite a small budget of £120k which is making it difficult for me to find a suitable property.

I currently live in Oldham and despite the trams being convenient there are several reasons I would like to move away from Oldham.

Does anyone have any suggestions on areas that are decent while also having good transport links to Manchester. I work in the City Centre and that is likely to be the case for at least the next 5/6 years due to the nature of my job.

I don't drive (currently learning) so I'm heavily reliant on public transport. I definitely prefer the tram or buses, trains make me very anxious.

I have viewed a few properties in Ashton-under-lyne, Radcliffe, Failsworth and Bury however for various reasons have not made any offers so far. I did also consider Droylsden as I like the two up two down with dining room however there always seems to be problems there and reports of people being shot etc. (a friend of a friend lives there and has put her house on the market). Most places I would like to live i.e. Sale, Urmston, Whitefield and Prestwich are waaaay above my budget. I do like Bury and have recently started to consider Milnrow but I'm wondering where people live and what their experiences of those places are?

I've read about people renting in an area they like for six months before deciding if to buy there however because I'm not sure where I want to live it's not the best idea for me. I am currently living at home and have never rented before.

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated :)
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Comments

  • lewisa
    lewisa Posts: 301 Forumite
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    Didsbury is hip with the youth. Altrincham?

    I'd rather live in a shoebox in a nice area than a bigger place in a bad area.
  • ACG
    ACG Posts: 23,729 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post I've helped Parliament
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    Is there anywhere in Edgeley, Offerton maybe? They are making big investments in that area. I only really know South and West Manchester which seems to be the opposite side of where you are looking.
    I am a Mortgage Adviser
    You should note that this site doesn't check my status as a mortgage adviser, so you need to take my word for it. This signature is here as I follow MSE's Mortgage Adviser Code of Conduct. Any posts on here are for information and discussion purposes only and shouldn't be seen as financial advice.
  • motherofstudents
    motherofstudents Posts: 1,358 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
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    Bury is pretty good. The type of house you are looking for is available in your price range close to the town centre near bus and tram stations. You will get more for your money than south Manchester.
  • Cakeguts
    Cakeguts Posts: 7,627 Forumite
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    Milnrow is fine too. If you are used to Oldham how about Shaw?
  • rlg3961
    rlg3961 Posts: 20 Forumite
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    lewisa wrote: »
    Didsbury is hip with the youth. Altrincham?

    I'd rather live in a shoebox in a nice area than a bigger place in a bad area.

    I'm definitely the exception for my generation as I've never been to Didsbury. I would love to live in Altrincham but I couldn't afford it. I did see a rent to buy scheme property there though but I'm not too sure about that concept as by that point I'd be thinking about children and it was a very posh flashy apartment so I'd be 30 having to move with no equity.

    It;s interesting you should say that though because I have seen one or two flats in Sale that I could stretch to with some negotiation, one a flat and one a maisonette. It's true when they say that you pay for your postcode though
  • rlg3961
    rlg3961 Posts: 20 Forumite
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    ACG wrote: »
    Is there anywhere in Edgeley, Offerton maybe? They are making big investments in that area. I only really know South and West Manchester which seems to be the opposite side of where you are looking.

    I'm just having a look now. Most of the properties are out of my price range but I will definitely be setting up alerts on Rightmove because there are some gorgeous houses there. Most of the properties towards Stockport way in my price range are in Reddish. I've been to Stockport centre several times but I'm not very familiar with the area. I don't know South or West Manchester well either but I've avoided looking there because it's generally out of my budget. But if there are any affordable areas I will check them out :)
  • Housebuy12345
    Housebuy12345 Posts: 211 Forumite
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    Can’t buy in Didsbury for £110
  • rlg3961
    rlg3961 Posts: 20 Forumite
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    motherofstudents wrote: »
    Bury is pretty good. The type of house you are looking for is available in your price range close to the town centre near bus and tram stations. You will get more for your money than south Manchester.

    yeah I wish I'd looked into Bury sooner because there's loads SSTC that I like and there doesn't seem to be too many on the market at the moment that don't have problems (the major deal-breaker for me is mould) I will keep an eye out though. I agree about getting more for your money, some of the houses there have huge rooms
  • rlg3961
    rlg3961 Posts: 20 Forumite
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    Cakeguts wrote: »
    Milnrow is fine too. If you are used to Oldham how about Shaw?

    I like Shaw and it would definitely be the most convenient place in Oldham especially with the transport. The only problem with Shaw for me is I just don't know if I'd be happy knowing I'd be staying in Oldham for another 5 or so years. I do feel like I need a fresh start as I have too many bad memories here.
  • BurnCK
    BurnCK Posts: 34 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    edited 17 May 2019 at 7:31AM
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    Eccles, the Peel Green end nearer to Salford City stadium than Eccles centre itself. I'm from Urmston originally which is only 2 mins away and moved here about 6yrs ago...it's a nice area. Quiet and I've not experienced any crime or trouble. My girlfriend is from Cheadle and recently moved in with me...and even she was impressed with area, saying it was much better than she initially expected. Several of my friends, also from Urmston, have also bought in this area over the years (mainly because it's half the price of Urmston) and none have had any complaints.


    It has great motorway links for M60, M62 and M602, tram stop and bus station in Eccles centre, near to the Trafford Centre and a small local Asda as well as the larger one 5-10 mins away. I work in the City Centre and it takes me about 30 mins driving during peak times, which isn't bad at all. On the occasions I've used public transport, the bus was about 40-45 mins and the tram is about 30 mins.


    House prices are also still fairly cheap. I currently rent, but am looking to buy here very soon. My current property is a Victorian terrace with bay windows. It has 2 sitting rooms, 2 large bedrooms (some I've seen are 3 as they have loft conversions) and good sized kitchen/bathroom. The average price is around £120-135k at the moment. Also, with the rumoured / expected Salford Docks construction project (which is meant to include a new school, housing, etc) the area will only get even better and house prices should rise, making it a good investment. They go fast though. One near me (was really nicely done inside) was on the market for £125k not that long ago and sold within 2 weeks.

    Unfortunately I can't post links on this forum yet, but as an example if you google house prices on Thorp Street which is near me, you'll see a link to RightMove which will show you what you can get for your money.
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