Buying a house in Manchester step by step

As an experienced mortgage broker operating throughout the UK, we often assist with house and flat purchases in Manchester. In some years, around 25% of enquiries have come from this city and its immediate surroundings. In order to meet the expectations of our clients, we have decided to prepare an entry dedicated to buying property exclusively in Manchester, devoting as much attention as possible to the specifics of this city.

Is Manchester a good place to buy property?

We recently published a post on our blog entitled Is it worth buying a house in England in 2025. While the average home across the country is worth around £377,000, the figure for Manchester is an average of just £275,000. However, as Rightmove notes, the average home in the city is worth around £307,000, while flats typically cost around £225,000. The high proportion of relatively small dwellings means that the statistical property price is obviously lower. In practice, however, our clients are applying for mortgages of around £250,000-£300,000. With wages that are slightly higher in Manchester than the average for the UK as a whole, the availability of houses and flats in this city is really good.

Is Manchester a good place to buy property?

Both our clients and many others say that Manchester is now a very good place to live, providing a high level of public services, offering a rich nightlife and creating great career prospects, both for those at the start of their careers and beyond. Daily transport in Manchester is generally considered to be relatively quick.

On the other hand, the cost of living in Manchester is not low - entertainment such as cinema tickets, gym memberships and swimming pool passes are all expensive, as is food or fuel, the prices of which are not dissimilar to those associated with London rather than Hull or Aberdeen. Residents of this city also complain about the small amount of green space.

Is buying a house in Manchester a good capital investment for the future?

According to data presented by Rightmove, properties in Manchester have gained an average of 3% in value over the past year. In comparison, Leeds homes have gained 1% in value, Liverpool has become as expensive as 6%, Birmingham has remained unchanged and properties in London and York have lost as much as 7% each.

Due to the relatively low prices of houses and flats in Manchester, property in Manchester is set to appreciate in value faster than in many other places in the country over the coming years. It is difficult for us to predict the future, but if the Bank of England announces further interest rate cuts, interest in the property market will rise again. When this in turn happens, prices are likely to start to glide upwards.

What is the best part of Greater Manchester to buy a house in?

We must point out at the outset that we will be focusing on the whole conurbation, not just Manchester itself. We are therefore also including the suburban towns located in Trafford, as well as Salford and Oldham.

Best neighbourhoods to live in and around Manchester

• Didsbury (Manchester) - is probably the best choice for families with children and people who would like to spend a Friday evening on the sofa without hearing the noise from outside the window. The undoubted advantage of Didsbury is the good quality of the local schools, but be aware that it will take no less than 40 minutes to get to the centre by car or public transport. It is safe to assume that for an average house in this neighbourhood, you need to pay between £330,000 and £400,000;

• Altrincham (Trafford) - this is a slightly more affordable location - you can buy a house here for as little as **around £295,000 - £350,000. **Although Altrincham is further away from Manchester city centre, public transport allows you to get into the city more quickly - it only takes around half an hour, but getting there by car at rush hour can drag on for up to an hour. There are several pubs, cafes and restaurants in the town itself, but the main attraction here is the nature;

• Chorlton-cum-Hardy (Manchester) - Chorlton is another quiet neighbourhood in Manchester, its main advantage being its tranquillity and pleasant landscape. Despite its pleasant exterior, Chorlton-cum-Hardy is not at all boring - there are several pleasant cafes, art galleries and bookshops. The standard of education here is really good, while crime is low. Homes in Chorlton are quite expensive - property prices start at £350,000 for a 3-bedroom house;

• **Stockport **- Stockport’s main selling point is its very low property prices - you can buy a three-bedroom house here for as little as around £200,000 - £260,000. Although the town itself is obviously diverse and you will find both better and worse neighbourhoods, the general feedback from residents is positive - the general consensus is that all neighbourhoods apart from Adswood, Brinnington and the town centre are really good places to live. You’ll find all the public services you need, but the schools here are recognised to be slightly inferior to those in Manchester. However, Stockport is not a good choice if you work in Manchester - public transport access is not very good.

Didsbury, By Coradia1000 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/salford_ian/2365011756/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7254542

Altrincham, By Rept0n1x - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28224315

Chorlton-cum-Hardy, By Mike Faherty, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14219331

Stockport, By Stockport - Chestergate by Dave Bevis, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=130276489

Which places are better to avoid?

• Moss Side (Manchester) - Moss Side tempts with very good access to the city centre, but in our opinion it is not a location worth looking at. Although the crime rate is now much lower than it was back in the 1990s, it can still be dangerous - beatings and thefts still occur. An additional disadvantage is the negative reputation of the area, which can make it difficult to sell a property here at a later date. Homes in Moss Side are relatively inexpensive, with prices starting from £230,000.

• Cheetham Hill (Manchester) - located next to Moss Side, Cheetham Hill is also associated with high levels of both drug and violent crime. Despite the sometimes very low property prices, it is not worth choosing to buy a house in this area. It will be very difficult to sell in the future and the local authorities are not making efforts to change the current situation. In this respect, Moss Side looks much better.

Moss Side, By Mosscat - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8030120

Cheetham Hill, By Keith Williamson, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9119088

It is safe to assume that homes located south of Manchester city centre will be more expensive, but also located in a better area. The south-western suburbs are particularly attractive as access to the office district will be much quicker.

A mortgage broker in Manchester

If you’re planning to buy a home, a mortgage broker in Manchester can help. Just like in any other city in the UK, you can finance your property purchase in Manchester using several hundred banks. As a mortgage adviser, we work with over 300 providers including Natwest, Skipton Building Society, HSBC, Santander, Pepper Money, Barclays and Halifax.

**By choosing us, you can be sure that the mortgage you are offered will be the cheapest you will be able to get. **We guarantee that you will receive recommendations that are tailored to your needs, not those that will give you the highest commission.

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Conveyancer in Manchester

We generated the following summary on 19 May 2025. Prices for solicitors’ services can change even on a daily basis, so treat the information in this article as an illustrative price list only. We have generated the calculations for a hypothetical purchase of a house worth £300,000 by people with first time buyer status.

• PM Property Lawyers - £1,108 - is a fairly popular law firm with good reviews. Fees are taken on completion.

• **MyHomeMove Conveyancing - £1,199 **- a slightly better rated firm offering to track the progress of a case through a dedicated app. Opening hours are also a big advantage - the firm operates from 8am to 8pm, so you can easily make an appointment with a lawyer without having to take a day off work.

• JP Goldman - £1,273 - JP Goldman is a highly rated conveyancing law firm that operates primarily in the Manchester area. In return for a higher fee, this firm seems to offer a better level of service and its familiarity with the local authorities may be of benefit to clients - it is possible that all document checking processes will simply go faster.

• Frodshams Solicitors Limited - £1,758 - Frodshams is one of the most expensive law firms, but in return, you can expect absolutely above average client care. In our opinion, the difference in quality of co-operation is not worth the £650 difference.

What is the process of buying a house in Manchester like?

This paragraph is effectively an abridged version of an article entitled 7 steps to buying property in the UK. If you haven’t been through the process before, it’s definitely worth reading the whole post - we’ve gathered all the key information about the process there.

Preliminary meeting with the broker

**It is a good idea to start the process of buying a property by talking to a mortgage broker from Extend Finance. **We will examine your creditworthiness and credit score, answer all your questions and explain what documents the bank will require in your situation. It’s about an hour-long conversation.

Collecting the required documents and searching for property

To ten moment, w którym pora na zrobienie kilku przejażdżek po Manchesterze aby znaleźć Twój wymarzony dom - wiesz już ile możesz pożyczyć, więc rozumiesz, na jaką nieruchomość Cię stać. W tym samym czasie, poprosimy Cię o wysłanie wszystkich niezbędnych dokumentów, takich jak np. Payslipy lub Self Assessment.

Decision in Principle

Once the bank has received all the necessary documents, you will most likely receive a Decision in principle, i.e. information that the bank is ready to grant you a mortgage. It is then high time to decide on the property you want to buy.

Mortgage application and conveyancing

If your financial situation hasn’t changed much since the decision in principle was issued, you don’t need to worry too much about the mortgage. By receiving the DiP, you should have already made an offer to the seller and started conveyancing. It’s only a few weeks left to pick up the keys to your new home!

Exchange of contracts and completion

Once the legal procedures have gone smoothly, the moment will also come for the exchange of contracts, i.e. the official conclusion of the contract for the sale of the property and the disbursement of funds to the seller.

This whole process can look a little intimidating, but rest assured - we are here to help you. Your Extend Finance credit advisor will be there to help you from the beginning to the end of this path and answer all your questions.

Summary

If you’re considering buying a home in Manchester, don’t hesitate to write to us or give us a call - we’ll be happy to answer all your questions. Our advisors will ensure that the process of buying a property and obtaining a mortgage is as simple as possible for you.