Stockport named among best places to live for first-time buyers

Stockport has been listed as among the top 12 places in the UK for first-time buyers to get on the property ladder in a run-down of some of the country’s most desirable towns and neighbourhoods in The Times newspaper.

The paper, which earlier this year highlighted the borough as among the North-west’s best places to live, celebrated the town’s ‘spectacular transformation’ to a rival to Manchester’s trendiest neighbourhoods, thanks to the abundance of independent shops, bars and restaurants in the town centre’s Underbanks area.

The profile also highlighted the town’s excellent connectivity, just eight minutes from Manchester city centre by train, and two hours from central London, as well as in easy reach of the scenery of the Peak District National Park.

For first-time home buyers, The Times’ praised the property options in Stockport for those looking for smaller houses, with the town offering both red-brick terraces and flats in converted mills, with a growing pipeline of options in the town centre being brought forward by a £1 billion regeneration programme.

Housing projects forming part of Stockport’s regeneration ambitions include Capital & Centric’s restoration of Weir Mill, currently underway, and over 1,200 new homes in the eight-acre Stockport 8 neighbourhood being brought forward by partners including regeneration specialist Muse. Prices for a two-bedroom home in the borough average at around £240,000, with overall house prices averaging close to £375,000.

Elsewhere in the North-west, Liverpool and the North Manchester neighbourhood of Prestwich were also recognised for their potential for first-time buyers.

Leader of Stockport Council, Cllr Mark Hunter, responded to the town’s inclusion on the Sunday Times list saying:

“To be recognised as one of the best places for first time buyers to set up home is high praise indeed and cements our reputation as a great place to live, work and visit.  

“Our £1bn town centre regeneration programme will provide a vibrant, new family friendly neighbourhood with high quality new homes, modern facilities, attractive green spaces and all the benefits of the town centre nearby. 

“The new transport interchange is really taking shape and due for completion next year and our improvements to Merseyway and the Underbanks are all putting Stockport on the map as a desirable place to call home.

“Our recent award as Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture is also fantastic news for Stockport, enhancing our reputation as not only a great place to live but also having a great cultural offer, which can only strengthens our appeal.”