Leading property listing platform Rightmove has unveiled the UK’s property hotspots for 2021 – and Greater Manchester’s suburbs have dominated the list.
The property market in our region has been booming since we’ve entered into a new year, and the new analysis published today has revealed that demand is still outstripping supply, with an increase of 51% in properties coming up for sale last month and in March, compared to the first two months of the year.
The south Manchester suburb of Didsbury has been named the most popular spot for home buyers in the UK.
The average asking price for a property in Didsbury currently stands at £367,429, which is more than £130,000 higher than the Greater Manchester average of £237,380.
Its neighbouring south Manchester suburb of Chorlton also makes the top ten list of popular areas for buyers, along with three other affluent Greater Manchester areas – Prestwich, Bramhall and Heaton Moor.
ADVERTISEMENT
Walthamstow in east London takes second place, while Wirral in Merseyside is third in terms of property searches on the Rightmove site, with more than 2.7 million people currently signed up for property alerts on the site.
The top 10 most popular property hotspots, and the average asking prices, according to Rightmove, are:
ADVERTISEMENT
Didsbury, Greater Manchester – £367,429
Walthamstow, London – £499,534
Wirral, Merseyside – £287,243
Prestwich, Greater Manchester – £277,643
Horsforth, West Yorkshire – £312,460
Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Greater Manchester – £359,377
West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire – £365,370
Heaton Moor, Greater Manchester – £307,040
Bramhall, Greater Manchester – £482,311
Chiswick, London – £969,350
Tim Bannister – Property Expert at Rightmove – said: “Our new analysis gives sellers in these local hot spots a clear indication of just how popular their area is, as it tracks the huge pool of the most eager prospective buyers who are signed up to find out instantly when a seller decides to bring their property to market.
“More buyers have realised they don’t have the luxury of waiting until the weekend to decide which properties they want to request to view, and so they’re making sure they’ve signed up to find out first when a home comes up for sale.
“We’re hearing reports of some areas where properties are selling within a few days of being added to Rightmove, and the average time to find a buyer is the quickest we’ve ever recorded nationally, but we also know there are thousands of local markets and some are moving more slowly than others, so as a seller you’ll want your property being seen by the biggest group of buyers possible, giving it the best chance of selling and achieving the best price”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Philip James Kennedy
Rob Kennedy – Managing Director of Philip James Kennedy Estate Agents in Didsbury – said: “The marketplace during 2021 has seen a surge in the Didsbury property market with record levels of sales and many properties generating multiple bids.
“House prices have increased as a result and properties are selling and completing faster.
“During these unprecedented times the importance of ‘home’ has increased with many buyers wanting more space working from home, more space to relax and exercise, and many buyers wanting more outside space, easy access to a local park or larger garden”.
Featured Image – Flickr
Property
Greater Manchester could be getting a new town under ‘ambitious’ Government housebuilding programme
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester could be getting a new town under an ‘ambitious’ proposed Government housebuilding programme.
Manchester Victoria North is one of seven new towns that have been proposed.
Named for consideration as part of what the Government is referring to as the most ambitious housebuilding programme in more than half a century, the locations of seven new towns have been revealed this week, and also include other northern locations like Leeds South Bank, as well as places in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, and Greenwich.
The Government says that the next generation of new towns are to be ‘built for the future from the ground up’.
They will create well-connected new communities with homes, jobs, schools, green spaces, and suitable transport links planned from the start.
Each proposed location is expected to deliver at least 10,000 homes – with several delivering 40,000 or more in the decades to come.
Greater Manchester could be getting a new town / Credit: Manchester City Council
All seven of the proposed new towns are set to be designed for modern everyday life, the Government insists – with neighbourhoods that people can easily get around without a car, incorporating shared green spaces and ‘vibrant’ high streets.
As part of the Manchester Victoria North proposals announced this week, at least 15,000 homes regenerating the heart of Greater Manchester are to be built, with a new Metrolink stop connecting residents to jobs across the city.
“People want real change,” explained Housing Secretary, Steve Reed. “They want homes they can afford, local infrastructure that works, and good jobs in thriving communities.
“Our next generation of new towns marks a turning point in how we build for the future.
“From the ground up, we’re planning whole communities with homes, jobs, transport links, and green spaces designed together, so we can give families the security and opportunities they deserve.”
Alongside the new towns consultation, the Government has also confirmed today that the National Housing Bank will launch on 1 April, backed by up to £16 billion of financial capacity and aiming to deliver over 500,000 new homes.
The Government has also confirmed additional support worth up to £400 million over the next decade for ‘subsidised products’.
Featured Image – James Feaver (via Unsplash)
Property
Altrincham named one of the UK’s best places to live in 2026 in The Sunday Times’ annual ranking
Emily Sergeant
A popular Greater Manchester town has been named among the UK’s best places to live by the Sunday Times in its annual ranking.
That’s right… it’s that time of year, once again.
The Sunday Times is known for pulling together a list of what it considers to be the most sought-after places to live in the UK every year, and 2026’s ranking has officially been published today – with dozens of locations across the country making up the comprehensive guide, and six of those coveted locations being right here in the North West.
The Sunday Times’s expert judges have visited all locations on the list, and assessed factors such as schools, transport, culture, broadband speeds, access to green spaces, the health of the high streets, and much more to devise the always-talked-about annual ranking.
Macclesfield in Cheshire, Eden Valley in Cumbria, Lancaster in Lancashire, and Aigburth in Liverpool are just some of the North West areas named by the publication in the 2026 list.
Altrincham has been named one of the best places to live in the UK / Credit: The Manc Group
A spotlight has also been shone on two Greater Manchester towns, and one of two has even been given the regional North West title… but which are they?
Where has taken the top spot as the best place to live in the North West for 2026, and is therefore one of the best places to live in the whole of the country? Well, that honour has been given to none other than Greater Manchester’s very-own Altrincham.
The publication described the Trafford town as ‘classy, cool and effortlessly comfortable’.
“Altrincham is a top-notch town brimming with independent businesses and big brands, and now it’s flying even higher,” The Sunday Times said.
The fact that co-working has now arrived on the high street thanks to the conversion of the old Rackhams department store, and that the town’s cultural and creative ‘cachet’ is also on the rise, have been highlighted as reasons as to why Altrincham has been chosen as the North West’s winner, as well its newly-flourishing fitness scene.
Of course, the town has also been praised for its transport links into Manchester city centre and across the region, as well as it being a great place for families thanks to the excellent local schools on offer.
Didsbury was the other Greater Manchester town chosen to represent the best of the North West – with the Manchester suburb described as being ‘stylish, solid, safe, and, yes, a little bit smug in parts… but that’s okay’.
Emily Sergeant -
13th May 2021 
