Stockport Express

Borough ‘one of best places to live in UK’

- BY PHOEBE JOBLING

STOCKPORT was named in The Sunday Times’ Best Places to Live list this year. The judges chose our borough to feature as some of the best areas to live in the UK, along with just seven other areas in the North West.

The Borough of Stockport has undergone a reinventio­n in recent years, making it a much soughtafte­r place to live. There is much to offer within the towns of Stockport, Bredbury and Marple, as well as the outer areas of Hazel Grove, Reddish, Cheadle and the Heatons.

With an abundance of amenities, a wide range of housing and even more investment being pumped into it in the coming years, the Sunday Times said Stockport is a particular­ly popular choice for young profession­als and families alike.

The guide said: “Stockport has engineered a remarkable reinventio­n in recent years, turning itself from a standard former mill town into a funky, family-friendly alternativ­e to Manchester’s Northern Quarter, a ten-minute train ride away.

“This new direction for a town hitherto famous mostly for its hat museum, lower-league football team and a railway viaduct that’s the largest brick-built structure in western Europe, is being underpinne­d by a £1 billion regenerati­on programme.

“The area will have a new transport interchang­e, office and business space (which has attracted big employers such as MusicMagpi­e and Stagecoach) and more apartments – natch – with the conversion of the Grade II listed former cotton works Wear Mill (also known as Weir Mill) into 250 homes.

“Mostly, though, Stockport’s appeal, whatever your background or budget, lies in its abundance of property, parks (240-acre Etherow Country Park has sailing, boating and angling), nurseries and decent schools. And its reputation for independen­t businesses, shops, bars, cafes and creative enterprise­s run by young (and young-at-heart) entreprene­urs is surpassed by no other town in Greater Manchester. Hats off to them.”

Properties in Stockport (District of) had an overall average price of £323,851 over the last year, with the majority of sales being semidetach­ed properties selling for an average price of £338,762.

Terraced properties sold for an average of £244,147, with detached properties fetching £549,618.

The most expensive area to buy a home across the borough is Bramhall, which boasts several millionpou­nd properties. Other soughtafte­r areas include the four Heatons – Heaton Moor, Heaton Mersey, Heaton Norris and Heaton Chapel, which also have higher than average house prices.

We have looked at some homes that are on the market in the bor- ough at the moment, ranging from the lower end of the market to the top of the ladder.

One of the cheapest properties currently up for sale in Stockport is a two-bed terrace which is on the market for £170,000.

The property has recently undergone a complete renovation and benefits from being decorated through out in a contempora­ry neutral decor.

Inside, it has a spacious lounge leading into a second reception room, a fitted kitchen, two bedrooms and a modern family bathroom.

There are a range of family homes you can buy around the average price of £323,851, including one new-build home on the market for £325,000.

The newly built home is up for sale in Reddish and comes with an entrance hall, lounge, living dining kitchen, three bedrooms, one ensuite and a family bathroom.

At the higher end of the market are some large period homes, including a semi-detached property in Heaton Moor, which is on the market for £1,185,000.

The six-bed residence spans around 4,000 square feet and is spread over four spacious floors with an array of original features throughout.

The house boasts two large family rooms both with feature fireplaces and bay windows, a bespoke kitchen-diner, a conservato­ry, six bedrooms and two bathrooms.

 ?? Saffron Otter ?? ●●Stockport Market Place
Saffron Otter ●●Stockport Market Place
 ?? ?? ●●One of the cheapest homes on the market
●●One of the cheapest homes on the market
 ?? ?? ●●There are a range of properties for sale
●●There are a range of properties for sale
 ?? ?? ●●New-build homes for sale in Stockport
●●New-build homes for sale in Stockport
 ?? ?? ●●Inside the million-pound home
●●Inside the million-pound home

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