We are pleased to be in a position where we can finally afford the down-payment or deposit as we say in the UK for an apartment in Manchester. The reason we have chosen Manchester, not only is it my birthplace it is also the ‘second city’ in the United Kingdom after London. We have decided to look in 3 different areas and this article will help us look at the pros and cons of each area.

North Manchester

We are particular drawn to the North side of Manchester due to the areas on offer. We are always visiting Heaton Park and often eat in Prestwich. This is a very nice part of the city and has great schools and transport links to the rest of the UK. The motorway is also close by with the M62 only 1 mile away. The transport links are particularly good with the Metrolink connecting the area and being only 20 minutes from the center this is a great choice.

City Centre

Our dream has always been to live in the city center and whilst it might only be for a few years we see this as a great investment opportunity for the future. The prices are out of our price range for the time being so whether we can increase the mortgage is questionable and something we have to think about. Living in ‘town’ would be a fantastic opportunity and experience which benefits would surely outweigh the negatives. Whilst we have a car , parking might be an issue because of the difficulty it has. Town is now becoming busier and busier every week and even so during the week. With the center the base for 2 major universities this is a great place to live. However if we are starting a family then this might not be the best option.

North East Manchester

Houses and apartments have a wide range of prices in the area with Harpurhey and Monsall being some of the cheapest in the city. Failsworth and Chadderton are great places to live and also have fantastic transport links to the center, with Oldham road being directly to town. The motorway is also close by and the Failsworth Pole is a great place to drink at weekends.

All 3 options have potential and we are certainly happy with any of them, the next step is to look at the apartments that become available. We use apartment finder Right Move to keep track of the availability in the 3 chosen areas and have a couple of options already lined up.

Mortgage

We already have a mortgage in principle which in theory means that we can place an offer on a place and get the ball rolling as soon as we ready. This is an important time but also exciting and hopefully we can get one organised by summer.