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.
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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:
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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”.
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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
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.
Emily Sergeant -
13th May 2021 
