Fancy a look inside an eclectic Victorian villa that’s now BACK on the market in a sought-after Manchester suburb?
The only thing is, you’ll need the small matter of £1.75 million before you can call it yours.
Of course, it goes without saying that the vast majority of people reading this article won’t have £1.95 million just sitting in their bank accounts right now, but if like us, you’ve got no shame in admitting you love looking at houses you can’t afford in places you’ll probably never live, then allow us to introduce you to this absolute stunner.
Take a look behind the grand front door of one of the finest properties the Manchester housing market has to offer at the moment.
This eclectic Victorian villa is on the market in a leafy Manchester suburb for £1.95m / Credit: Inigo (via Rightmove)
This stunning detached villa is situated on a prime residential street in Whalley Range, which is one of south Manchester’s affluent suburbs, known and loved for its wide range of amenities, good local schools, public transport links across Greater Manchester, and green spaces such as the popular Alexandra Park.
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Built in 1885, the house sits among a number of grand Victorian villas built around Alexandra Park to serve the wealthy merchants and bankers looking to escape the smog of city centre.
Spanning some 3,854 sq ft, the main house has seven bedrooms and ample living space arranged across four floors, all of which estate agents describe as being “impeccably designed”, while at its rear is a recently-renovated annexe, and a landscaped garden with an established kitchen garden.
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While still being steeped in history, the house has undergone an extensive restoration programme over the past decade by its current owner.
The property has undergone extensive restorations over the last decade / Credit: Inigo (via Rightmove)
Decorated to the highest of standards across all four floors, the current owner has managed to respect the Victorian sensibilities of the building, while still introducing a rich colour and material palette.
You enter the historic villa through the arched entry of the original porch, with all of the rooms and staircases situated off the grand hallway.
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Some of the property’s stand-out features have to be the array of original fireplaces and bay windows, ornate ceilings, and decorative tiled floors, as well as the accommodations themselves, of course, which include a bespoke kitchen-diner, and seven spacious bedrooms, many with en-suite bathrooms and even one with a purpose-built walk-in-wardrobe.
If all of that wasn’t impressive enough as it is, the property also boasts its very-own retro cinema room and treatment space on the lower ground floor too.
Then, through a Victorian garden wall is where you’ll find the coach house, which sits separate from the main house, and has recently been built as a standalone guest space – with a kitchen, shower room, and mezzanine sleeping area above.
The property’s excellence only continues when you step outside into the garden / Credit: Inigo (via Rightmove)
The property’s excellence only continues when you step outside into the garden.
The garden has been landscaped to make the most of its large corner plot, with a decked area that unfolds from the sunroom and leads down to a lawn that’s bordered by clipped privacy hedging.
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The star of the show, however, has to be the kitchen garden, which the current owner has implemented in raised beds, partly shaded by established climbing grape vines which you’ll find are full of fruit in the summer.
Like what you see? Well thankfully, the property is now BACK on the market, and for cheaper too.
This property on Alexandra Road South is currently on the market with Tyldsley-based independent estate agents, Jamie Burke – powered by eX – for a Guide Price of a whopping £1.75 million, and if you fancy taking a closer look, then you can contact the property company to arrange a viewing.
Or you could just take the cheaper route instead and have a nosy at the Rightmove link here.
Featured image – Inigo
Property
Council calls on Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use
Emily Sergeant
Residents across Manchester are being called on to help bring hundreds of empty homes across the region back into use.
Since the beginning of this year, a major review has been underway around the city’s draft strategy for bringing empty homes back into use to help meet demand for affordable homes across the city, while also improving communities by tackling empty homes that can blight an area… but now, Manchester City Council needs your help.
Following a major public consultation, the Council is now acting on feedback to accelerate plans to bring as many long-term empty homes back into active use as possible.
Although the number of long-term empty homes in Manchester is near a historic low, with the Council having managed to reduce the number by more than half since 2013, there is still more work to be done.
“Every void property is a missed opportunity to provide a family a place to live, reduce homelessness, and lessen the burden on temporary accommodation,” the Council said in a statement.
The Council is calling on the Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
So, how can residents help then? What do you need to do if you spot an empty home on a street nearby?
Well, the easiest way to report an empty home is to report the issue online here, or by emailing [email protected]. And then once that’s done, a team of dedicated empty homes officers will take up the case to find out who owns the property and work with the owner on a plan to bring the home back into use.
The vast number of empty homes are privately owned with complex histories, and there are some cases where an owner may have passed away.
While working collaboratively with housing providers, voluntary organisations and public services are also a key element of detecting potentially empty or ‘problematic’ homes to repurpose them.
Officers can also support, where required, if a communication or language poses a barrier to resolving an empty home issue.
Tailored approaches to different communities – where empty homes impact neighbourhoods in different ways – are also being considered, according to the Council.
“To think, if we could bring all empty homes back into use, then we could provide more homes for those on the housing register and take pressure off the whole housing system,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development.
“The potential of making empty homes a thing of the past is huge for Manchester families looking for a place to call home – and a significant part of tackling the housing crisis.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
Property
Much-loved Manc music shop Tasty Records goes up for sale as owners calls on next custodians to take over local favourite
Danny Jones
Much-loved Greater Manchester record and music store Tasty Records has officially closed, and the current custodian is putting the Trafford institution up for sale in hopes that someone will take over as worthy successors.
What an opportunity for any budding entrepreneurs.
The Alty record shop in its current brick-and-mortar form has stood for some time now, but popular owner Ben Molesworth has been selling physical media from 2012 onwards, and now his time at the helm of the hailed south Manchester spot has come to a somewhat bittersweet end.
A bit of a local legend with regulars who frequent and flick through his coveted vinyl collection, not just on Record Store Day but throughout the year, the area will be sad to see him go – and so will we – but it doesn’t mean this has to be the end.
“The shop deserves more than I can give it, and I have sold records in Altrincham for 14 years”, he explains, before going on to add that “It’s time for me to concentrate on different things.
“What happens now?” he continues, “Keep following! I’m not sure yet. I have closed the doors, but everything is still there… A busy website, Discogs, socials, a strong set of accounts and £ks of great vinyl stock.”
You’d think with a sales pitch like that, it would be a no-brainer for audiophiles who’ve ever dreamt of spending their days cataloguing their favourite tunes and artists, whilst providing a still criminally unsung public service: delivering printed music to the masses.
With more than a decade and a half of experience to his name, we’re sure Ben has plenty of wisdom to impart about how to take good care of his baby moving forward – he just needs some to set up to the plate/turntable.
As saturated as the Manc music market and record store scene is, it was also comfortably on this list pretty much since day one.
All that being said, part of the challenge for any independent business is getting the word out, hence why we thought we’d help do our bit by shouting about it.
He signed off by adding: “Thank you to all of my wonderful customers, friends and supporters. Tasty Recordsisn’t dead, only sleeping. Lots of love, Ben.”
For anyone who might fancy taking over this “awesome little record shop” (his words AND ours), you can express your interest/table an offer over email via [email protected].
What an honour it would be to carry on this place’s legacy – here’s hoping someone takes up the mantle soon.