Property
Average UK house price hits £250k: Here’s what that’ll get you in Greater Manchester
Looks like I’m moving to Bolton then…
Bad news for first time buyers: The average UK house price has reached £250,000 for the first time, making the prospect of owning a home even more unrealistic for thousands of people across the country.
But what could that sum of money buy you here in Greater Manchester?
While it is common knowledge that buying a house up in the North is a considerably cheaper alternative to buying in the South, prices are slowly creeping up here too, making it even more difficult for people to get themselves on the property ladder.
Prices vary from borough to borough, so we had a snoop on RightMove to see what exactly £250k can get you in each location. Here’s what we found…
RightMove
RightMove
Salford
For 250,000 sheets, those looking to settle down and buy in Salford can get themselves this lovely – though admittedly a little dated – three bedroom semi-detached house down Eccles New Road.
The garden is undeniably the best feature of the property, with an abundance of space for avid gardeners and vegetable plotters to throw themselves into. It is also situated in an enviable location with it being within walking distance from a Metrolink station, Salford Royal Hospital (because you can never be too careful) and Salford Quays.
However, as the photos demonstrate, the house is in desperate need of a lick of paint (and a new fireplace, obviously), especially if a young couple are moving in.
You can see the full property listing here.
RightMove
RightMove
Rochdale
Over in Norden in the borough of Rochdale, £250K can get you this gorgeous three bedroom cottage, complete with one bathroom and an absolutely massive kitchen with actual wooden beams.
Located in the heart of the Norden countryside, this property is ideal for all those looking to swap the hustle and bustle of city living for a wholesome lifestyle in that ‘proper’ country fresh air. The cottage boasts tons of space, including three double bedrooms, a large dining room and living area, and two generous gardens, front and back.
I struggled to find any faults with this property other than it being a tad dated and in the middle of nowhere; though it does seem to only have electric heaters instead of a gas central heating system, which could rack up your energy bill in the colder months.
You can see the full property listing here.
RightMove
RightMove
Stockport
Back in the city, £250K gets you considerably less than a countryside cottage and promises a hell of a lot more blood, sweat and tears with this three bedroom end-of-terrace.
Located in Heaton Chapel, Stockport, this house strikes me as oddly charming from the outside thanks to its unique yellow and green painted door and window frames. However, upon setting foot inside the property, you’ll find that tens of thousands of pounds worth of work is desperately needed to make the property liveable.
The photos show wallpaper – which could have only been purchased in the 1970s – peeling from the walls in a number of rooms, while tiles and floorboards lay broken and smashed on the floors. Oh, and there’s literally no counters or worktops in the kitchen, which wouldn’t be helpful.
Though I have to admit, this house has a lot of potential for those who are willing to give it some love (and a couple of bank loans).
You can see the full listing here.
RightMove
RightMove
Manchester
Over in Fallowfield, Manchester, you’ll also struggle to get your money’s worth for £250,000 with this four bedroom terraced house.
The property, which looks destined to be rented out to easygoing students, features four bedrooms, a large cellar (not the romantic wine kind, sadly), and two bathrooms ideal for those happy to share and pinch each other’s shampoo. It is also located within walking distance from the universities and both Oxford Road station and Piccadilly station.
Though it is worth noting that the house, which is very narrow and will definitely need a good lick of paint and some new furnishings before anyone could comfortably live there, sadly reflects the rising costs of central Manchester living. My advice? Get out of the city and into the derelict countryside if you’re wanting more bang for your buck.
You can see the full listing here.
RightMove
RightMove
Wigan
Now that’s more like it… Over in Leigh, Wigan, where pies are in an abundance, you’ll be able to spend your £250,000 on this lovely three bedroom detached house.
Located close to the East Lancashire Road, this property boasts massive space throughout, though there are some slightly questionable decorations and furnishings. Like many of the properties up for grabs at this price in the region, the house feels a little 70s and could definitely do with a spruce up (did you ever see a kitchen so sterile looking?).
But overall, this house is a total steal and has huge potential with it’s massive front-facing windows and promising garden (which even comes with it’s very own willow tree!) That’s worth the security deposit alone, in my opinion.
You can see the full listing here.
RightMove
RightMove
Tameside
£250,000 is money well spent in Broadbottom, Hyde, with this gorgeous two bedroom end of terrace property with, low and behold, space for an actual vegetable patch.
While the back garden boasts stunning views of the surrounding countryside, around the front of the property there is another large garden with flower beds and a small pond. Inside, the house has a large open plan living and dining area complete with rustic burning stoves, and a generously sized kitchen perfect for cooking all those home-grown veggies.
The property also features a new side extension and plenty of room for storage, something that’s quite hard to come by these days.
You can see the full listing here.
RightMove
RightMove
Oldham
Over in Oldham, £250,000 will get you this charming three bedroom semi-detached property, complete with a conservatory and, miraculously, modern decoration and furnishings.
Yep, in probably the first modern listing I’ve come across under this price bracket so far, this house is located down a quiet cul-de-sac just a stone’s throw away from a number of schools – so it’s perfect for those looking to settle down and start a family.
The house is also situated nearby to a Metrolink station, Ashton-Under-Lyne train station and the motorway, making it an ideal location for those wanting to get out and about.
You can see the full listing here.
RightMove
RightMove
Trafford
In Trafford, you’ll be getting a little less value for £250,000 with this three bedroom end-of-terrace property that is in urgent need of a spruce up and de-weeding.
Though it may be a haven for die-hard Manchester United fans, considering it’s just a short walk away from the football clubs Old Trafford home ground. It is also located close to local schools and has good transport links to the city centre, if Man United isn’t your cup of tea.
The house also features a cosy living room, a decent sized kitchen and a large garden which, with some TLC, could have some great potential for those summer barbecues.
You can see the full listing here.
RightMove
RightMove
Bolton
Westhoughton in Bolton has knocked it out of the park with this gorgeous three bedroom semi detached property priced at, you guessed it, £250,000.
This refreshingly modern home features two bathrooms, a stylish and newly fitted upstairs bathroom and kitchen and a large master bedroom. Outside, there’s a massive double driveway and an extension to rear.
And guess what? Not a single strip of floral, 1970’s wallpaper in sight! The area is massively sought after among families, and is close to a number of transport links.
You can see the full listing here.
RightMove
RightMove
Bury
And last but not least, this is what you can get for £250,000 over in Brandleshome, Bury – and, to be honest, I’m impressed.
This three bedroom detached house features a garage (!!!) which is completely unheard of in £250k Greater Manchester properties for some reason, a three-piece bathroom suite and a lovely open plan living room and dining area.
Outside, there’s a generous garden space with some lovely trees and shrubs – because who doesn’t love a good bit of greenery in grey and rainy Manchester?
You can see the full listing here.
Property
New apartment development with huge gardens and outdoor space opening this year
Make sure you check these out!
Manchester is getting a stunning new apartment development this autumn, set in beautiful landscaped gardens.
Acer will be the first residential development to open at Square Gardens, located in the First Street area.
Monthly rental for each apartment includes utility bills, super-fast wi-fi, use of all communal facilities and 24/7 security.
Square Gardens / Acer
You can grab a co-living apartment starting from £935 per month, studios from £1540 per month, and apartments from £2120 per month.
From one-bed apartments to studios and shared apartments, there will be 1,187 living spaces when it opens its doors.
It’ll be home to one of the city’s biggest communal outdoor spaces, with this ethos mirrored inside with several apartment spaces dedicated to co-living.
The community feel is also seen in the various lounge and social spaces, as well as co-working and meeting areas.
Square Gardens / Acer
Acer will boast a large, state-of-the-art gym on site, as well as media rooms, private kitchen and dining rooms to use, and regular resident and community events.
The development’s co-living apartments range from three to five bedrooms, all fully furnished with en-suite rooms, while there are also studio apartments and one-bed apartments – with separate bathrooms and open plan kitchen and living areas.
Head HERE to find out more.
Property
Plans for new tallest tower said to be ‘the landmark of Manchester’
Plans for the new tower will place it among Europe’s tallest high rises
Property developer Salboy is set to submit plans for a new tower which will be the tallest in the city among a cluster of skyscrapers.
If proposals are approved, the 241m (790ft) high Viadux 2 scheme is expected to take four years to build.
Salboy’s Managing Director, Simon Ismail, has said it is going to be ‘the landmark of Manchester’, the BBC reports.
Once completed, the new skyscraper will overtake Deansgate Square’s South Tower at 201m (695ft) high and dwarf the Beetham Tower at 169 m (554ft) high.
“We purposefully wanted to go for the tallest residential building in Europe… it’s a flagship building,” Mr Ismail told the BBC.
The Viadux 2 tower will hold around 800 apartments, providing homes for residents looking to live in Manchester, where housing is in great demand.
Mr Ismail said much of that demand for homes in the city was driven by ‘postgrads staying on, the largest student population in Europe, and a cost of living that’s half of that in London’.
Salboy says it has already provided about 4,000 homes in Manchester, and as long as there is ‘massive demand for homes, the firm will continue to build, Mr Ismail said.
The developer is also working on St Michael’s Tower with the former Manchester United footballer Gary Neville.
Manchester has seen a huge boom in skyscrapers over the last 10 years, with an ever evolving skyline.
Mr Ismail says he has ‘no idea’ how long the city’s skyscraper boom will continue, but that he never believed it when people had previously claimed ‘the bubble was going to burst’.
Adding: “When you look at what Manchester’s got behind it, it’s got too much backing it up, industrious people and a history of doing things right.”
Subject to approval, Salboy hopes to start work on the tower sometime this year.
Property developer Renaker has built a collection of skyscrapers at Great Jackson Street, along the southern border of the city centre.
The firm has also built towers at Colliers Yard in Salford and has started a scheme to build four skyscrapers at Trinity Islands, by the River Irwell.
Renaker has received more than £500m in loans from the Greater Manchester Housing Investment Fund – which was launched by George Osborne when he was chancellor of the exchequer in 2014.
The funding is loaned to developers by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and is then paid back. The value of the loans has now reached £942.5m with more than 10,500 new homes being supported from it so far.
Property
New build-to-rent community launching in Manchester neighbourhood named ‘best up-and-coming place to live’
Some stunning properties on offer
A new build-to-rent community is launching in Piccadilly East, the city centre neighbourhood named one of the ‘best up-and-coming places to live in the UK’ by the Sunday Times.
The Castings will be a new creative hub, owned by the people behind the five-star Lowry Hotel, and situated behind Piccadilly Station.
Made up of studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments, the development on the cusp of the Northern Quarter and Ancoats will feature a host of amenities.
The Castings
This includes a new yoga room and gym, a games room, private dining spaces and a work hub. There will also be three food and beverage outlets on the ground floor.
Piccadilly East was named in the Sunday Times’ list of best places to live in 2020, located within walking distance from the bars and restaurants of Ancoats and the Piccadilly Basin.
Cloudwater and Track brewery taprooms, Diecast, Ducie Street Warehouse and the soon-to-open Co-op Live are all also nearby.
The Castings
As the name suggests, the 350 design-led apartments are inspired by the casting of metals, incorporating industrial shapes, flowing forms and molten textures.
On the imminent launch, The Castings community manager Dave Evans said: “In just a couple of months, we’ll be welcoming residents into our new community. The focus for The Castings has been to create much more than just apartments; it’s a whole new lifestyle, with the best service and living experience that Manchester has to offer.
“Piccadilly East is a really exciting area to be part of which already contains some of the most exciting venues within the city, it’s the next generation of Manchester, and following on from the footsteps of Ancoats we hope to continue to create the next bustling creative hub in the city.”
The Castings
The prices for the new scheme start from £1150 per month for a studio apartment, £1250 for a 1-bed apartment, £1525 per month for a 2-bed and £2175 for a 3-bed apartment.
You can book in for viewings now, with move-in dates from June. Register interest here.
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