Property

You can now own a two-bed barge in a Greater Manchester marina

'Cake by the Ocean'? More like cake by the marina.

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia - 25th January 2025

A new property has gone up for sale in Greater Manchester but you’ll have to act fast otherwise it’ll sail right past you – literally.

Ever fancied living on a yacht in Sicily or a cruise ship in the Caribbean? Well, now you can live your nautical dreams right here in the heart of Greater Manchester.

I hope blue is your favourite colour because this barge is decked out floor to ceiling in this deep maritime tone, even the kitchen cupboards are blue, pastel to be specific.

The main living area and kitchen are open plan with walls that span three-quarters of the property‘s width creating a corridor between the two bedrooms and bathroom.

live on a barge in greater manchester
The living room interior with a gorgeous fluffy rug.
live on a barge in greater manchester
The view of the living area with the dual fuel log burner.
Credit: On The Market

In terms of the cooking space, the kitchen is fully fitted with all the appliances you could ever need, perfect for a lazy Sunday when all you’re after is a full English and a nice comforting view.

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As you can see, there’s also a cute skylight window above the kitchen which brings in more natural light and broadens perspectives within this area, although it’s quite roomy anyway.

Both bedrooms are quite sizeable meaning you don’t have to downsize or reduce your wardrobe and your other half can stop insisting you do (just us? Never mind).

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Now, sit back, relax and just imagine drinking a prosecco while perched under the British sun on your new barge balcony.

If this barge wasn’t snug enough how about a log burner to go with it, and not just any log burner, a dual fuel log burner, that’ll keep you toasty.

Situated on Pennington Marina in Leigh, there’s a small collection of amenities nearby including a chippy and restaurant just a seven-minute walk away, I know where I’m off for tea.

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live on a barge in greater manchester
That stunning kitchen with matching all blue decorum.
live on a barge in greater manchester
The cozy main bedroom pefectly covered in rugs and blankets.
Credit: On The Market

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And if you’re ever in the mood for a walk, just hop off your cruiser and let your feet lead the way along the canal to the interesting and quirky Lock Gates Monument, only eight minutes away.

Overall, this houseboat is 70ft she’s definitely not small, this really is like a home away from home, the only difference is this one’s on water.

Interested in ditching land in favour of water or just feel like having a nosey, you can find the two-bedroom houseboat listing with all its pictures and floor plan HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Supplied via On The Market

Property

More than 70,000 home buyers set to pay thousands after missing stamp duty relief deadline

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant New build houses

More than 70,000 home buyers across England are estimated to have missed the stamp duty relief deadline.

This sadly means they’ll be required to fork out thousands of pounds extra.

In case you hadn’t heard, up until yesterday (31 March 2025), anyone who was moving and had bought a home in the past was not required to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax, better-known as just stamp duty, on the portion of the property price up to £250,000.

But from today (1 April), this threshold has now fallen back to £125,000, which unfortunately means that property purchasers are facing an extra £2,500 in moving costs, on average.

While the end of the stamp duty relief will mostly affect those Greater Manchester buyers who had already previously purchased properties, first time buyers are sadly not exempt from the deadline changes too, as their current stamp duty threshold of £425,000 has now fallen back to £300,000 as of today.

Keys to a new house
Person holding the keys to a new house in their hand / Credit: Maria Ziegler (via Unsplash)

Given that the average property price for a first time buyer-type home is currently around £227,965, according to Rightmove, the new £300,000 threshold may hit those purchasing properties in more expensive areas – particularly the South East.

A third of those estimated 70,000 home buyers who have missed the deadline are thought to be first time buyers.

Leading property platform Rightmove published an analysis in February into just how much of an impact the end of the stamp duty relief would have on home buyers, all while calling on the UK Government to announce a short extension to the deadline to help people in the middle of the property purchasing process avoid potentially thousands of pounds in extra moving costs.

But despite these calls from industry leaders, there was no extension to the deadline announced in the last week’s latest Spring Statement.

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“It’s extremely disappointing that the Government has not used the Spring Statement as an opportunity to extend the impending stamp duty deadline for those currently going through the home-moving process,” commented Rightmove’s property expert Colleen Babcock.

“We estimate over 70,000 people are going to miss the deadline and complete in April instead, and a third of those are first time buyers.”

Featured Image – James Feaver (via Unsplash)

Property

Two Greater Manchester towns have been named in The Sunday Times’ best places to live

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Two Greater Manchester towns named in The Sunday Times' best places to live in 2025. Credit: Instagram, @eddie3hundred

Esteemed UK newspaper The Sunday Times’ has published its list of the ‘Best places to live in the UK 2025’, and it features two Greater Manchester boroughs.

Us Mancs didn’t need anymore clarification to know that where we live is incredible but we’ll always take it, especially when the compliment is coming from none other than The Sunday Times.

The publication revealed its annual guide of ‘Best places to live 2025’ which featured more than 70 different locations throughout the nation.

Although we may have been pipped to the top spot, Greater Manchester is featured not once, but twice, which is pretty impressive.

Claiming the victory this year is the market town with a name as pretty as its surroundings, Saffron Walden, which is only 15 miles from Cambridge.

The locations were ranked through a number of key categories including transport, house prices, broadband, schools and a new addition, mobile signal.

All the contributors to the full list acknowledge the obvious missing puzzle piece, food, and we know if this was factored in a few more Greater Manchester locations may have nabbed the ‘Best places to live’ honour.

The first Greater Manchester based entry is The Heatons, a hotspot nestled between the city centre and the city of Stockport, which is actually four neighbourhoods – Heaton Chapel, Mersey, Moor and Norris.

These areas are home to living history in the form of the iconic century old Savoy Cinema and lots of open green spaces.

Food may have been missed off The Sunday Times’ list but it certainly didn’t go a miss on ours.

Mossley has been named on The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list. Credit: Instagram, @ariadneexplores
Mossley has been named on The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list. Credit: Instagram, @ariadneexplores
The Heatons also made the list. Credit: Instagram, @fourtheheatons
The Heatons also made the list. Credit: Instagram, @fourtheheatons

Keep yourself fuelled with some good grub through our own, A Manc’s Guide to: The Heatons.

The second spot which managed to grab the title of ‘Best places to live 2025’ is Mossley, a town packed to the brim with cosy cottages, blissful walks and a close-knit friendly community.

It’s not too far from Dovestone Reservoir and the Peak District National Park – when you’ve got all this greenery on your doorstep you’re bound to be in a good mood.

As well as catching the attention of The Sunday Times, just 15 minutes down the road, Lily’s Vegetarian in Ashton-under-Lyne has been named one of the best local restaurants by the Good Food Guide, clearly Tameside is doing something right.

Our friends over in Leeds at The Hoot have lots to cheer about as Ilkley, Hebden Bridge, Easingwold and Ripon all got a mention.

You can find out the full rundown on all the spots up and down the country that have been selected as part of ‘The Sunday Times’ Best places to live for 2025′ HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image: Instagram, @eddie3hundred

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