Manchester has it all. Culture, history, stunning countryside on your doorstep, a huge variety of nightlife and some great value housing.
In recent years Manchester has grown into one of the most desirable locations for people looking for new opportunities, a new life, and a new location to move home to. And many accolades reinforce the belief that Manchester can rival any city in the UK for a great place to live.
So in this ultimate guide to moving to Manchester, we will give you all the essential information you need to make a truly informed decision on where to move to within Manchester.
Why you should live in Manchester
Is Manchester a safe place to live?
How much does it cost to rent a home in Manchester?
How much do homes cost in Manchester?
What is the cost of living in Manchester?
How much does it cost to move to Manchester?
Where is the best place to live in Manchester?
Which is the cheapest area to live in Manchester?
Moving to Manchester alone
Living in Manchester as a student
Moving to Manchester with family
Which are the best schools in Manchester?
Is there employment in Manchester
What are the best ways of getting around Manchester?
What is there to do in Manchester?
The best of Manchester
The wonderfully vibrant city of Manchester
Should I Move to Manchester?
There are plenty of good reasons to move to Manchester but we have chosen just 6 of our top reasons why you should move to Manchester.
It is the UK’s most liveable City. The Economists ‘Global Livability Index’ in 2018 rated Manchester as the best city in the UK. The rankings are based on education, healthcare, crime rates, and social stability.
A city with something for everyone. As we already mentioned, Manchester has everything you could possibly need whether it be culture, history, more home for your money, great nightlife or easy access to some stunning countryside. No matter what you seek from a home move, Manchester will tick many of those boxes and more.
A world-ranked university. Manchester University was ranked 27th in the world by QS World University rankings 2020. And with a student population of about 80,000 Manchester is a lively and vibrant place to live.
Small enough but big enough too. Manchester is small enough that you can walk to most places in the city but big enough to have excellent infrastructure with an international airport on your doorstep. Small enough to have loads of independent and startup businesses, but big enough to attract the top employers. Small enough that most people are still really friendly and welcoming, but big enough that people from all over the world are drawn to Manchester their home.
Great infrastructure. Manchester has an excellent public transport system. There is even a free hop-on-hop-off shuttle bus that services the shopping center and main rail stations, as well as a super-efficient and regular tram service. There is easy access to the M60, M62 and then M6 motorways. Manchester has 4 main train stations linking you with every major city in the UK. And Manchester International Airport is only about 10 miles outside the city.
Value for Money. Moving to Manchester will certainly give you more home for your money than many places in the south of England, the work/life balance is certainly better than most cities in the UK. The general cost of living is lower than in a lot of places in the south, so Manchester offers good value for money for the location of your new home.
Manchester is a major UK city and therefore has the same problems that any other city does. Exercise some common sense and you will be as safe as in any other city.
All the universities have safety officers and run active student safety campaigns. You will soon be made aware of the areas to avoid and those that are perfectly safe. None of the student forums in Manchester report any major issues and the majority of students feel safe when studying in Manchester.
The city centre will obviously have a fairly high crime rate as do most city centres or places where there is a concentration of bars and nightclubs.
Speak to as many local people as possible about the area to intend to move to, a simple drive through of an area will tell you plenty about a neighbourhood: if it is well kept, has lots of CCTV, or gangs hanging around. Speaking to the local Policing unit is always a good idea too and their contact details can be found on the website below.
To see what the latest crime figures are for the specific area you are moving to in Manchester visit www.police.uk
What is the Average Property Rental Cost in Manchester?
Many people choose to rent a property in the area they would like to buy a property in. This can be a good idea as the area may not be to your liking or meet your expectations. For many, renting in certain areas allows them to like in a very desirable area that they may not otherwise be able to live in. And many people are realizing that renting a home can make sound economic sense rather than buying a property.
The average rental cost of a I bedroom home in Manchester is £772 pcm
The average rental cost of a 2 Bedroom home in Manchester is £938 pcm
The average rental cost of a 3 Bedroom home in Manchester is £1,107 pcm
The average rental cost of a 4 Bedroom home in Manchester is £1,385 pcm
According to www.numbeo.com the average monthly costs excluding rent or mortgage repayments are:
A single person on average will need £626.57 pm to cover living costs
A family of 4 on average needs an income of £2,178.42 pm to cover living costs
Cost of Living in Manchester vs Major UK Cities
According to data from www.expatisan.com here is a comparison of the cost of living in Manchester with other major UK cities
The cost of living in Manchester is 32% cheaper than in London
The cost of living in Manchester is about the same as Birmingham
The cost of living in Manchester is 5% more expensive than Leeds
The cost of living in Manchester is 14% more expensive than Liverpool
The cost of living in Manchester is about the same as York
The cost of living in Manchester is 11% more expensive than Leicester
The cost of living in Manchester is about the same as Glasgow
The cost of living in Manchester is about the same as Edinburgh
The cost of living in Manchester is 5% cheaper than Bristol
The cost of living in Manchester is 8% more expensive than Plymouth
How Much Does it Cost to Move to Manchester?
How much does it cost to move a 1-2 Bedroom home to Manchester?
Obviously each home move is different, but excluding packing costs, you can expect to pay on average the following home moving costs when hiring a professional removal firm to move you to Manchester.
Heaton Park, another one of the beautiful green spaces to be found in Manchester
Where are the Best Areas to Live in Manchester?
Thinking of moving to the Manchester area? Here is a Manchester neighbourhood guide with the best places to rent or buy a home in the Manchester area.
Castlefield: Commuters love Castlefield because of its easy access to the motorway network and Deansgate Station, whilst those who work in the city have but a short stroll to get to work. Castlefield is a quiet area, but many new developments are springing up as housing is in high demand from young professionals, families and first-time buyers. Castlefield is one of the oldest parts of Manchester, with cobbled streets, converted mills, a canal, and having plenty of amenities with easy access to the city centre, this is a very sought after area of Manchester.
Didsbury: If your budget stretches to it, Didsbury is probably the most sought after area of Manchester. Wide tree-lined roads, large Victorian houses, excellent schools, trendy bars and restaurants, and plenty of open green spaces draw people to this very affluent area of Manchester.
The Northern Quarter: A super trendy part of the city to live, and is especially appealing to those looking for an area with plenty of independent shops and restaurants, art galleries and craft markets. Housing is mainly new build apartment blocks or apartments above shops.
Ancoats: Another super trendy part of town to live with plenty of modern apartments and converted mills supplying the majority of living space here. Commuters choose Ancoats as their home as Piccadilly Station is just a 10-minute walk away.
Altrincham: Some great schools, lots of green open space, three stately homes, a famous food market, and a great local community make Altrincham a very attractive place for people to want to live. Altrincham is regarded as a very affluent area of Manchester but there is a good mix of young professionals and families that live here. There is the Metro Tram that runs to the city centre, excellent links to the motorway, and the Lake District and Peak District are on your doorstep.
Are you thinking of moving to Manchester alone, perhaps as a student or for work? Is Manchester a good place to live for single people? Here are some essential things to know when moving to Manchester as a single person.
Rent a room in a shared house, or flat sharE, if you want to save some money, get to know the area, and make instant friends in Manchester. Useful websites for finding rooms to rent in Manchester include: gumtree.co.uk, www.spareroom.co.uk, or www.nestpick.com
Join local social media groups to find out all the best places to go and get to know about Manchester city life.
meetup.com has local groups to join so that you quickly find new friends and get to learn all about living in Manchester.
To find out about local events in Manchester, activities, groups, and societies visit interests.me
Consider volunteering in your spare time, it is a great way to meet new people and help the local community at the same time.
If you have been accepted as a student at Manchester or are considering becoming one, then this section is for you.
There are over 100,00 students in Manchester, over 40,000 of which are international students. So you can be assured that Manchester has every support network and amenity that a student could possibly need.
Here are the links to the university websites in Manchester where you will find plenty of useful information.
Students who are not living on campus and are looking for somewhere to live whilst at Uni in Manchester usually head for Fallowfield as it ticks all the boxes and is where the majority of students choose to live. Fallowfield is right on the doorstep of the University of Manchester and is less than a half hours walk from the city centre. Fallowfield offers plenty of nightlife with some great bars, and the area is well set up to cater to students.
You can search websites such as these to find student accommodation in Manchester
John Rylands Library, Manchester. There are so many places to discover the culture of this city.
Moving to Manchester with Family
In 2018 www.moneysupermarket.com created a family living index that placed Manchester at number 4 in the top places in the UK to raise a family. You can read more about the survey at www.propertyreporter.co.uk
There are many reasons for moving to Manchester with family, and many people consider Manchester as an ideal city to raise a family. Here are a selection of great reasons to move here:
A good selection of top-rated schools
Many family-friendly places to visit
A number of parks for families to visit
Some stunning countryside is right on your doorstep
There is a regular and reliable public transport service
Worsley: Expect to pay about £313,674 for the average 3 bedroom home in Worsley.
Heaton: Expect to pay about £387,228 for the average 3 bedroom home in Heaton.
Didsbury: Expect to pay about £385,248 for the average 3 bedroom home in Didsbury.
Chorlton: Expect to pay about £319,837 for the average 3 bedroom home in Chorlton.
Sale: Expect to pay about £326,951 for the average 3 bedroom home in Sale.
Families moving to Manchester will also want to know about healthcare in Manchester so visit www.nhs.uk to find local doctors, dentists, healthcare specialists, and hospitals.
Manchester offers some great employment opportunities and is the second-largest economy in the UK. Manchester attracts many of the big employers such as Kelloggs, Siemens, and Google.
Figures released in www.manchestergazette.co.uk in November 2019 showed that unemployment in the North West is at its lowest for 45 years and that average earnings have risen for the 20th consecutive month.
So what are the biggest employment sectors in Manchester?
Sales
Finance
Service
Manufacturing
Life Sciences
Creative and Digital Technology
Retail and Wholesale Distribution
Hospitality
Tourism
Construction
Manchester has a dedicated service to help people looking for work in Manchester whether it be job searching, becoming self-employed or writing a CV, www.onemanchester.co.uk
Try these websites below if you are looking for work in Manchester.
What are the Best Ways of Getting around Manchester?
Tram: There is a fast and frequent tram service that operates in Manchester.
Bus: Manchester has a free hop-on, hop-off bus service which links all the train stations and main shopping and business areas. You can find out the routes for the free service and more information here.
Bike: There are many dedicated cycle paths and routes in Manchester. You can view cycling maps and route plans at the Travel for Greater Manchester website, here you can also find information about good places to park your bike and even where to hire a bike in Manchester.
Rail: Manchester is well served by the rail network locally and nationally. You can find timetables, plan your journey and get ticket information here.
For those who don’t own a car but want to explore the beauty of Manchester or further afield there is the City Car Club which a car rental scheme. Find out more at www.citycarclub.co.uk
What is there to do Manchester in for Free?
There is plenty to see and do in Manchester, and there are a surprising number of free things to do here.
What can you do for free in Manchester? Here are 5 things to do in Manchester for free, you can find many more suggestions for a great free day out at www.visitmanchester.com
Manchester Day Parade, just one of the many many events in this amazing city.
The Best of Manchester
If you are moving to Manchester you will probably be overwhelmed with the number of things to do, the great restaurants, bars, and clubs. So here is our top 5 of the best of Manchester.
Top 5 Restaurants in Manchester
These are the top 5 rated restaurants in Manchester as ranked by www.tripadvisor.com
There are some great removal companies that can help you with your home move to Manchester which will make the whole process so much easier.
Finding top-rated local removal companies to move you to Manchester is important for a stress-free home move. But choose your removal company carefully as all removal firms are not equal, unfortunately.
All that remains now is to get your free home moving cost estimate and to check out the reviews of removal companies who can help you move to Manchester.
You will probably have many more questions regarding your home move, so be sure to visit our resources section where you will find a wealth of useful information to make your home move to Manchester easier, cheaper and safer.
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