Research from social impact developer CAPITAL&CENTRIC has shown that less than 2 per cent of the Manchester residential market is prioritising sales to owner-occupiers.
Examining new build homes on the market in Manchester city centre for £250,000 and under (via Rightmove in May 2020) CAPITAL&CENTRIC uncovered that 76 per cent were aimed at investors.
47 per cent of homes for sale appeared to be marketed primarily at investors, focusing on promoting predicted yields on investment.
A further 29 per cent were targeted solely at investors, requiring hefty deposits and in many cases specifying “buy-to-let” or “investors” only.
Just four developments in the city centre were aimed at owner-occupiers only.
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Two of those were CAPITAL&CENTRIC’s CRUSADER and PHOENIX on Chapeltown Street in Piccadilly East.
CAPITAL&CENTRIC
CAPITAL&CENTRIC previously made headlines for creating an owner-occupier community and banning investors when it launched Crusader Mill in 2017.
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Their research arrives as the developer nears completion on the Phoenix development next door – which is also reserved for owner occupiers.
Adam Higgins, co-founder of CAPITAL&CENTRIC said: “For us, banning investors has always been about creating a proper owner occupier community, where you can set down roots and get to know your neighbours. That desire to be part of a community has never been stronger as we’ve all come together in the face of coronavirus.
“Since lockdown we’ve seen loads of interest from people, especially first-time buyers, who want to live alongside other owner occupiers.
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“This research shows that many other would be buyers are still missing out to investors who are often buying up flats they’ll never visit, seeing them as investments rather than homes and either being an absent landlord or leaving them pristine and empty until the time comes to sell.
“Locals living in these flats, have bugger all chance of getting to know their neighbours, if they have any at all!”
CAPITAL&CENTRIC
Phoenix residents will be the first to move into the emerging Piccadilly East neighbourhood – recently named by The Times as one of the next greatest places to live – when the development completes in August.
The one and two bed apartments, designed by shedkm, are on average 35% larger than other properties in Manchester – another feature that has attracted buyers during lockdown.
Over half will have spacious balconies, with residents being able to access roof gardens and a dog-friendly green courtyard with fire pits and barbecues.
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Adam continued: “Most of us have had a lot more time at home over the last few months and buyers just won’t put up with poky, identikit apartments anymore.
“They want bigger rooms and outdoor space in a place that feels like home.”
PHOENIX is available with Help to Buy with prices starting at £195,000.
To find out more or book a viewing at PHOENIX, head over to the official website.
Property
The beautiful brand-new (and surprisingly affordable) homes in West Didsbury
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Listen up home hunters – we may have just found a way for you to live in your dream area sooner than you thought.
Getting your foot on theproperty ladder is often not financially viable for a lot of people these days – and this is where Shared Ownership comes in, enabling buyers to purchase shares in their homes instead.
Gecko Homes have just introduced Two Didsbury Point, a selection of stunning one and two-bedroom modern homes, in one of the most sought after suburbs of Manchester.
Didsbury is absolutely packed with charming Edwardian and Victorian architecture and plenty of green space, including but not limited to Fletcher Moss park, which is breathtaking this time of year with autumnal colours.
This area is highly desirable, and it is easy to understand why, with all of the adorable independent shops and eateries as well as Burton Road, filled with the coolest bars at the heart of it all. Not to mention the monthly Makers Market, featuring local artists and food trucks.
The cherry on the top is how well connected the area is via Metrolink, motorway and railway to Manchester city centre and beyond. Oh and the airport is only 10 minutes down the road. Could Didsbury truly have it all?
The beautiful homes at Two Didsbury PointGecko Homes’ one and two bedroom properties at Two Didbsury Point
Whether you’re looking for a home to settle down in, or for your very first place where you have the advantages of having the city centre within easy reach, whilst retaining that homely community feel in the local area, this may be the one for you.
Two Didsbury Point is a £20 million scheme of 76 affordable homes, across two connected eight and five-storey blocks – 46 of those being for shared ownership – on the site of the former Withington Hospital.
The apartments themselves are an absolute dream, with sleek built-in kitchens, fully fitted bathrooms, bike storage and other enviable amenities such as the rooftop garden and communal area, perfect for entertaining guests. Oh, and they’re fitted with the latest cost effective and climate conscious features such as solar panels and air source heat pumps.
North West developer, Gecko Homes, specialises in creating Shared Ownership homes, making some fantastic properties surprisingly affordable. Through the new-look Shared Ownership lease scheme buyers are able to own a slice of their home, with terms that flex to fit their circumstances – starting with shares as low as 10%, with the option of increasing your ownership by 1% each year for the first 15 years. This allows buyers to get on the housing ladder, without the fear of a huge deposit.
The Two Didsbury Point homes are available as shared ownershipYour chance to move to Didsbury for a surprisingly affordable price point
Shared Ownership allows you to buy 10-75% share of the property and pay rent on the part you don’t own. Starting from £58,750 for a 25% share and 5% deposits starting from just £2,937.50, making it an actual achievable way for people to get onto the property ladder – something many of us can’t even comprehend in this climate.
Not to mention you get all the advantages of owning your home – from decorating the way you want to bringing your pet.
By reserving a home at Two Didsbury Point, buyers can also receive up to £1,000 in incentives, which can be used towards gym memberships, flooring upgrades, legal fee assistance, moving cost support and much more.
For more information on this way to buy a home click here. To read Gecko Homes’ Shared Ownership Key Information click here.
Town just outside Greater Manchester named one of UK’s ‘happiest’ places to live
Emily Sergeant
The UK’s happiest places to live for 2026 have been named, and a town just outside Greater Manchester is in the top 10.
Just as it has done for the last 14 years now, Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index, which explores exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlights the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year.
This year, thousands of residents across more than 200 locations told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community – from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlines the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
So, where do we have in the top 10 then?
Well, Skipton in North Yorkshire – last year’s winner – only ranked seventh in this year’s study, making way for Richmond upon Thames in London to take the coveted stop spot, but looking a little further down the list, you’ll find the Lancashire town of Chorley in sixth place.
Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.
The UK’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026
Richmond upon Thames
Harrogate
Cirencester
Monmouth
Hove
Chorley
Skipton
Llandrindod Wells
Horsham
Hexham
With a deep legacy rooted in the Industrial Revolution, Chorley is now a popular place to live full of amenities, good local schooling options, and convenient transport links – with an average property price of £234,387, and average rent costing £1,011 per month.
When it comes to the wider rankings, and the North West ranking as a whole, two Greater Manchester towns made it into the region’s top five, Stockport at number two and Altrincham following right behind at number three.
Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.
Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.
“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”
The Manc -
14th July 2020 
