Manchester has been revealed as one of the most-searched places to move to in the UK according to annual data.
Every year, leading property listing website, Rightmove, takes a look at all the cities, towns, and residential areas across the UK where people searched for homes to live in most, and puts together an interesting top 10 list.
From the suburban neighbourhoods and coastal escapes, to country communities, overseas destinations, and everything in betweeen, Rightmove has been digging into the numbers and trends to see where house-hunters dreamed of moving to the most last year, and found that this year’s trends tell ‘an interesting story’.
Manchester has been named one of the UK’s property hotspots for 2026 / Credit: James Feaver (via Unsplash)
Property experts say this year’s ‘hotspot’ list is shaped by lifestyle changes, shifting priorities, and economic influences that are reshaping demand.
As was to be expected, major cities dominated UK property searches in 2025.
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London continued to ‘lead the way’ as the country’s main urban hub, with close to 10 million people calling the English capital home currently, meaning it, unsurprisingly, claimed the top spot when it came to area searches – but Manchester wasn’t very close behind.
Top 10 most-searched UK cities on Rightmove 2025
London
Manchester
Glasgow
Bristol
Edinburgh
York
Bath
Cornwall
Liverpool
Sheffield
Our city claimed second place on the list, with several other major northern cities featuring in the top 10 too, including York, Sheffield, and Liverpool.
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Glasgow is third on the list, while Bristol and Edinburgh rounded out the top five.
“Our review of the year spotlights some of the most popular trends from 2025,” explained Rightmove’s property expert, Colleen Babcock.
“With billions of minutes spent on Rightmove each year, we have a unique window into the nation’s passion for property.”
Featured Image – Mylo Kaye(via Unsplash)
News
Public urged to call the police if they see this wanted man
Daisy Jackson
Cheshire Police are appealing for the public’s help in tracing a wanted man with links to Macclesfield and Alsager.
Joshua Wyatt, 34, is wanted on recall to prison, and officers are urging anyone who has seen him or knows of his whereabouts to come forward.
Wyatt is described as being 183cm (6ft) tall and of medium build, with a bald head and blue eyes.
Police believe he has links to both Macclesfield and Alsager.
Anyone who sees Wyatt or has information about where he may be is asked to contact Cheshire Police on 101 or report information via the force’s website.
Information should be provided quoting reference number 26000809013.
Huge shuttle bus effort laid on to get Manchester United fans to Old Trafford amid tram disruption
Daisy Jackson
Transport for Greater Manchester has announced a shuttle bus scheme to help Manchester United fans get to Old Trafford this week, amid major tram disruption.
Fans won’t be able to use trams to get to the ground as usual, due to huge improvement works which are in place until Monday 2 November.
There’ll be no trams at all on the Altrincham, Trafford Park, and Eccles lines, with Airport and East Didsbury trams only going as far as Firswood.
That means that fans heading to Manchester United’s home game against Bournemouth would have been a little stuck without this newly-announced shuttle bus service.
Frequent dedicated shuttle buses will run running Piccadilly Gardens, Altrincham Interchange and the Trafford Centre, taking fans directly to Old Trafford before the game.
Frequencies range from five to 20 minutes depending on the route and time, with details available online. Return services will be in place after the final whistle.
TfGM staff will be at key stops and interchanges throughout the day to help fans get to the match and provide travel advice.
Huge shuttle bus effort laid on to get Manchester United fans to Old Trafford amid tram disruption. Credit: TfGM
Ian Davies, TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “There is no good time to disrupt passengers to carry out these works, and this is the first time in over a decade that trams won’t serve Old Trafford on a match day, but these works are essential and will enable us to provide a better service in future. I am very sorry to fans who face disruption.
“We’ve put a range of alternative travel options in place, including dedicated shuttle buses, bolstered Bee Network bus services, rail options and ticket acceptance arrangements will help fans get to and from the game.
“Journey options will be different from usual, so we would encourage supporters to plan ahead, check their route and our website before they travel and leave plenty of time to get to and from the stadium.”
TfGM is advising supporters to leave around an hour earlier to help make sure they arrive in time for kick-off.
Emily Sergeant -
5th January 2026 
