Manchester city centre has a lot of beautiful property, but rows of historic townhouses are extremely thin on the ground.
In fact, the neat road of St John Street is the only remaining Georgian terraced street in the centre of Manchester, dating all the way back to around 1785.
For generations, these stunning buildings have been used as offices, but in recent years they’ve carefully been returned to their former glory as four-storey homes.
And now they’re popping up on the local property market, with a couple of the houses up for rent.
They don’t come cheap, unsurprisingly, given a) their location just off Deansgate, b) the high-spec refurb they’ve all gone through and c) the fact that houses in Manchester city centre are practically non-existent.
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One of the Georgian houses on St John Street is currently on the market to rent for £15,000 per month.
Another is listed at £10,000 per month. Right.
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The Georgian townhouses on St John Street, Manchester. Credit: RightmoveSt John Street, Manchester. Credit: Wikimedia CommonsThe Georgian townhouses on St John Street, Manchester. Credit: Rightmove
They’re among the most expensive rental homes in the city currently, beaten only by the penthouse apartments in Beetham Tower and the Century Buildings.
For the top whack, you’ll get three bedrooms, three bathrooms, four reception rooms and around 3,000 sq ft of home.
The four-storey layout includes an entertainment room and bar in the basement, a huge kitchen and living spaces on the ground floor, a first-floor master bedroom with massive en suite and walk-in wardrobe, then another floor of bedrooms or office space.
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The Georgian townhouses on St John Street, Manchester. Credit: RightmoveThe Georgian townhouses on St John Street, Manchester. Credit: Rightmove
The more expensive of the two homes is currently undergoing its renovation, so pictures from a neighbouring home – finished to the same spec – are being used online instead.
Reside Manchester, who are marketing the Georgian rental townhouse, say: “The townhouse has been restored and renovated to its former glory, by utilising the highest of specification available, to include marble cloud tiling with underfloor heating to hallway and kitchen areas.
“The bespoke contemporary kitchen has been designed by Stuart Frazer and retains original fireplaces within the contemporary new kitchen.”
The listing continued: “The townhouse is furnished to the very highest of standards with no expense spared on the fixtures and fittings throughout the home.
“The basement level adds an extra dimension to the townhouse, having been beautifully converted to add a further entertaining area with bespoke bar, utility room and wine cellar.”
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You can see more about this amazing house, currently listed for rent at £15,000 a month, at Rightmove here.
Featured image: Rightmove
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’.
Daisy Jackson -
24th February 2023 
