Every month, we show you some of the hottest properties currently on the market in Greater Manchester.
It’s safe to say that Mancunians love a good nosey around other peoples’ houses, and after all, Greater Manchester is a brilliant place to live.
But what can your money currently get you in the area?
In our monthly Hot Property series, we scour the internet to find 10 more of the most diverse, jaw-dropping, accessible, and beautifully-presented homes currently on the market in Greater Manchester for you to take a look at.
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Landsdowne Road
Monton, Eccles, Salford, Greater Manchester, M30
Sell Well
Terraced | x2 Bedrooms | x1 Bathroom
Situated just a stone’s throw from Monton, and merely a short walk away from all the enviable amenities on offer in the highly-sought-after neighbourhood, as well as good local schools, transport links across Greater Manchester and beyond, and the picturesque Bridgewater canal and Worsley village, is this attractive two-bedroom terrace offering plenty of flexible living space.
Having been fully renovated and finished to the highest of standards throughout by the current owners, the home provides an excellent opportunity for families, down-sizers, and First Time Buyers keen to get on the property ladder alike.
Estate agents say viewing is “highly recommended” to fully appreciate all the space on offer.
The property is currently on the market with the Worsley-based independent estate agents Sell Well for £285,000 (Offers Over).
You can find more on Rightmove here.
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Old Landsdowne Road
West Didsbury, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M20
Bridgfords
Apartment | x2 Bedrooms | x1 Bathroom
Offered to the market in impeccable condition, with easy access to a wide range of convenient amenities, local primary and secondary schooling options, and transport links into Manchester city centre and across the region, is this two-bedroom period duplex apartment in West Didsbury that’s been lovingly-maintained and improved by the current owners to an exceptional standard throughout.
Estate agents say it’s “arguably one of the most attractive duplex apartments” currently on the market in the area at the moment.
Internally, this stunning home occupies the ground and lower ground floor of a beautiful mansion conversion, with all living spaces having been renovated and modernised, while externally, there are attractive communal gardens and residents’ parking.
The property is currently on the market with the Didsbury branch of estate agency chain Bridgfords for £330,000.
You can find more on Rightmove here.
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Croft Bank
Millbrook, Stalybridge, Tameside, Greater Manchester, SK15
Ryder & Dutton
Terraced | x2 Bedrooms | x1 Bathroom
This stunning two-bedroom terraced cottage in the highly-sought-after Tameside village of Millbrook is perfect for young families, First Time Buyers, and down-sizers alike, all thanks to its semi-rural location and the fact it’s just a short distance from convenient amenities, good local schools, public transport links, and plenty of walks and open countryside.
Expertly combining character and charm with everything needed for modern-day living, the cottage has spacious accommodations throughout with an abundance of period features still retained.
Externally, the property is tucked away in a quiet location with lovely views to the front, and it also benefits from off-road parking too.
The property is currently on the market with the Ashton-under-Lyne branch of local estate agency chain Ryder & Dutton for £175,000.
You can find more on Rightmove here.
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Merryfield Grange
Heaton, Bolton, Greater Manchester, BL1
Harrisons Estate Agents
Apartment | x2 Bedrooms | x2 Bathrooms
Fancy your own piece of lock-up-and-leave luxury living? Or just an immaculately-presented apartment close to a wide range of amenities, excellent local schools, and transport links across Greater Manchester that’s ready to move straight in to?
You’ll need look no further than Merryfield Grange then.
Situated in one of Bolton’s most sought-after residential areas, this two-bedroom apartment is located on the first floor of a modern building, and boasts stylish and contemporary open-plan living spaces throughout – which estate agents say have been “thoughtfully-designed to create an ambiance of comfort and elegance”.
Externally, the property benefits from a private balcony, secure gated parking facilities, and well-maintained communal garden areas.
The property is currently on the market with the Bolton-based independent estate agents Harrisons for £160,000 (Offers Over).
You can find more on Rightmove here.
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Poppy Close
Firwood Park, Chadderton, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL9
Ryder & Dutton
Semi-Detached | x3 Bedrooms | x1 Bathroom
Offered to the market with no onward chain, occupying a prime position on the popular Firwood Park estate in Chadderton, and benefitting from being within easy-reaching-distance from local amenities, schools, and transport links, is this three-bedroom semi-detached home that’s been extended and renovated to a high standard throughout.
Ideal for young professionals and growing families, the property boasts bright and spacious living spaces, with the modern fitted kitchen, open-plan living and dining area, and three good-sized bedrooms being the stand-out features.
Externally, there is a landscaped garden with a patio area and artificial lawn to the rear of the house, and off-road driveway parking for three cars to the front.
The property is currently on the market with the Oldham branch of local independent estate agents Ryder & Dutton for £275,000.
You can find more on Rightmove here.
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Townscliffe Lane
Marple Bridge, Stockport, Greater Manchester, SK6
Gascoigne Halman
Semi-Detached | x4 Bedrooms | x3 Bathrooms
Occupying an enviable position and situated in one of Stockport’s most highly-regarded residential areas, with both easy-access to local amenities, schools, and convenient transport links, as well as nearby greenspaces and open countryside, is this magnificent four-bedroom semi-detached period property.
Described as “oozing character and charm” throughout, and promised to “impress” any viewers who walk through its door, the family home has been extended to offer three good-sized reception rooms and four double bedrooms, as well as having plenty of period features retained too.
Externally, the property boast an easy-to-manage garden to the rear, and a garage with off-road parking for multiple vehicles to the front.
Viewing is definitely recommended for this one.
The property is currently on the market with the Marple Bridge branch of local estate agency chain Gascoigne Halman for £699,950.
You can find more on Rightmove here.
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Watling Street
Affetside, Bury, Greater Manchester, BL8
Miller Metcalfe
Terraced Cottage | x3 Bedrooms | x2 Bathrooms
Affetside is undoubtedly one of Bury’s most picturesque and sought-after villages, thanks to its semi-rural location and stunning surrounding countryside views everywhere you look, and it’s not very often that properties as attractive as this one come onto the market either, so this three-bedroom terraced cottage probably won’t stick around for long.
The stunning stone farm building conversion is absolutely packed with character, charm, and period features throughout its spacious accommodations, yet it’s still got everything needed for modern-day life too.
A double driveway for several vehicles can be found at the front of the property, while there’s a beautifully-presented garden with a patio and panoramic views to the rear.
The property is currently on the market with the Bury branch of local estate agency chain Miller Metcalfe for £550,000.
You can find more on Rightmove here.
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Windy Ridge
Blackstone Edge Old Road, Littleborough, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, OL15
Prestige & Country Homes
Detached | x4 Bedrooms | x4 Bathrooms
Now, how impressive is property? To be honest, ‘impressive’ doesn’t really do it justice.
Situated in the ever-popular Rochdale town of Littleborough, which continues to become more sought-after than ever before, offered to the market in immaculate condition, and described as being “simply stunning”, is three four-bedroom bespoke detached family home that’s like nothing else on offer in the area at the moment.
Not only does the property benefit from spacious and well-proportioned living accommodation in abundance, but it also boasts two wrap-around balconies which look out across panoramic views of picturesque open countryside.
Estate agents say the “crown jewel” of the property are the beautiful manicured gardens to the front and rear, and they also add that it needs to be viewed to be fully appreciated.
The property is currently on the market with the estate agency label covering Manchester, Prestige & Country Homes, for £975,000.
You can find more on Rightmove here.
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Winstanley House
Red Rock Lane, Haigh, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN2
Regan & Hallworth
Detached | x5 Bedrooms | x3 Bathrooms
This has got to be one of the most unique properties currently on the market in Greater Manchester at the moment, right?
Occupying a rural location just outside of Haigh in Wigan – which, in case you hadn’t heard, is now officially one of Britain’s “poshest” villages, according to The Telegraph – and benefitting from open countryside and countless walks on the doorstep, as well as still be close to a thriving community, good schools, and transport links across Greater Manchester, is this five-bedroom detached family home that’s presented to the highest of standards throughout.
Flexible open-plan reception rooms, an “elegant” orangery leading off from a stunning kitchen / diner, and five double bedrooms, are just some of the accommodation highlights, alongside vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, roaring fireplaces, and more.
Stepping outside the property, you’ll find over six acres of formal gardens and land surrounding the home, as well as garages and off-road driveway parking for multiple vehicles.
The property is currently on the market with the Wigan branch of local estate agency Regan & Hallworth for £1.4 million (Offers in Excess of).
You can find more on Rightmove here.
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Lisheen
Courtney Place, Bowdon, Altrincham, Trafford, Greater Manchester, WA14
Watersons
Detached | x5 Bedrooms | x3 Bathrooms
Again, this is another one of Greater Manchester’s most impressive properties currently for sale.
Occupying an enviable plot on a quiet no-through road, and being described as a unique opportunity to own “a house of substance” that combines both space and privacy, with a “serene” backdrop to open farmland, is this undeniably stunning five-bedroom semi-detached bespoke family home in the highly-regarded Altrincham village of Bowdon.
As well as being within an easy-reach of countless local amenities, excellent schooling options, and convenient transport links across Greater Manchester and beyond, this property has been lovingly-maintained by the current owners and presented to a high standard throughout.
Not only are the spacious living accommodations an attractive factor of the home, but externally, it also boasts a sizeable driveway, two garages, a large garden to the rear, and stunning open countryside views.
The property is currently on the market with the Hale branch of independent estate agents Watersons for £1,525,000.
You can find more on Rightmove here.
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Featured Image – Prestige & Country Homes | Bridgfords | Ryder & Dutton
- Propertymark has issued its latest report into the state of the housing market
- Report revealed a 28 per cent drop in the number of new properties for sale
- There was also a 31 per cent decrease in the number of buyers registered
The number of property sales continued to fall at the end of last year, while more properties are selling for less than expected, a new report suggests.
The report is the latest insight into the state of Britain’s housing market, and has been published by property agents trade body Propertymark.
It said that there was a 28 per cent reduction in the number of new properties coming to market last month.
And at the same time, there was a 31 per cent decrease in the number of buyers registered.
The number of sales agreed was also down, with the report saying they continued to fall to just four for every estate agency branch in December, down from six the previous month.
This lower demand helps to explain the slight increase in the percentage of agents reporting homes selling for less than the asking price.
There was also a slight decrease in the number of agents reporting that properties were selling at asking price.
Estate agents described December as a ‘gloomy’ month, but a new picture is emerging at the beginning of 2024 with a notable uplift in the number of buyers now registering.
Alex Lyle, of estate agents Antony Roberts, said: ‘Last year we noted a real return to seasonality. December tends to be quieter as you are fighting against Christmas, there are few new buyers, little new stock and people who are toying with the idea of moving sit on their hands and wait for the new year.
‘There was little good news before Christmas, aside from another hold in base rate from the Bank of England. That was the start of something but not significant enough to motivate buyers and sellers as lenders hadn’t really started reducing their mortgage rates.
‘If you asked sellers in December how confident they were about finding a buyer, they would have been pretty gloomy about their prospects.
‘There is a fair chance they would have been on the market for some time as few choose to launch in December, so it would be likely that their property had been for sale since September or October, when the market was busier. Come December and if they haven’t sold by then, they may be thinking their chances have slipped.
‘It’s worth noting that the picture is quite different since the turn of the year with a significant increase in buyers registering and a surge in activity which means our agents’ diaries are full.’
And Nathan Emerson, of Propertymark, said: ‘December marks the end of an interesting and challenging year within the property market.
‘In the wider economy interest rates have stabilised, however, inflationary concerns remain, and GDP growth has been anaemic.
‘In response to these and other factors, house prices have fallen in some areas.’
Its latest figures stated that the average house price dropped to £301,613 in November, down from £305,148 in October.
Mr Emerson added: ‘In the residential sales sector, we have reached the trough of the seasonal trend that begins in Autumn and runs to Christmas.
‘Key supply and demand indicators, such as the number of buyers registered and number of new sales instructions, are at their lowest points in the year.
‘As we head into 2024, pressures remain on house prices, with further adjustments required to match valuations to market expectations.
‘Looking forward to January, we can expect a lively start to the year, whether or not this sets the pace for the year as whole will depend on the stability of the wider economy and the actions of policymakers.’
Back in December, Nationwide Building Society separately reported that house prices ended 2023 down 1.8 per cent compared with a year ago.
It said the typical home in Britain was then worth £259,157, almost 4.5 per cent below the all-time high recorded in late summer 2022.
While house prices have only fallen slightly over the past 12 months, the number of homes being bought and sold was severely down in 2023.
The total number of transactions has been running at around 10 per cent below pre-pandemic levels during the past six months, according to Nationwide, with those involving a mortgage down by around 20 per cent, reflecting the impact of higher borrowing costs.
However, fixed mortgage rates are continuing to fall back from their summer peak.
The number of properties subject to land tax in Queensland has jumped more than 10 per cent in the past financial year as the value of land continues to rise.
Key points:
- Thousands more Queensland properties are falling under the state’s land tax regime amid rising land values
- The Real Estate Institute of Queensland wants the $600,000 land tax threshold to increase with inflation
- The state government says indexing the threshold would cost the budget $200 million per year in revenue
In Queensland, individuals are charged land tax when the total land value of their investment properties is worth $600,000 or more.
The $600,000 threshold has remained unchanged since 2007, which is something the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) objects to.
The stakeholder group, which advocates for property investors, wants the threshold to increase in line with inflation, suggesting the unchanged threshold is leading to a kind of bracket creep.
But the state government has hit back at the proposal, insisting that indexing the threshold would cost the state budget as much as $200 million per year in revenue.
New figures from the Queensland Revenue Office show that in the 2022-23 financial year, 175,556 properties were subject to land tax — up from 157,485 the year before.
The number of individuals who were liable to pay land tax after exceeding the $600,000 threshold also increased from 34,021 in 2021-22 to more than 44,000 in 2022-23.
The increase in properties falling under the land tax regime comes amid rising land valuations across the state.
In Brisbane, for example, Queensland’s valuer-general determined that land values increased by 17.5 per cent in 2022, followed by another 11.9 per cent jump in 2023.
In Ipswich, land values climbed 23.1 per cent in 2022, followed by another increase of 33 per cent in 2023.
The Queensland Revenue Office has also confirmed it issued 19,382 land tax exemptions to first-time taxpayers in 2022-23, which was up from the 12,340 issued the year before.
‘Massive windfall’
REIQ chief executive Antonia Mercorella suggested said the existing situation had led to bracket creep and said REIQ wanted the threshold to be indexed in line with CPI.
“It’s logical that we are seeing thousands more properties being subject to the land tax regime because of course we know that the median price of property has gone up significantly,” she said.
“This represents a massive windfall for the state government and, certainly, we have been saying for many years that it really is time to review that threshold.
“Our concern is that land tax does act as a fairly significant deterrent for investment. And of course, there is an argument that inevitably that land tax bill gets passed onto the renter.”
In a statement, Deputy Premier and Treasurer Cameron Dick said Queensland had one of the most generous land tax thresholds in the country.
He also pointed out that the tax did not apply to the family home.
“Queensland collects less than half as much in land tax per capita as New South Wales or Victoria. This revenue funds the frontline,” he said.
“Queensland Treasury forecasts that the cost of indexing land tax would reach more than $200 million in forgone revenue each year from 2025-26.
“Anyone proposing that land tax be cut would need to identify what services or jobs would be cut to pay for that loss of revenue.”
The latest figures in Queensland’s mid-year budget showed the state government made $1.73 billion from land tax in 2022-23, which was a $99 million increase from 2021-22.
And the revenue was tipped to grow even further this financial year to $2.03 billion, and then reach $2.32 billion by 2024-25.
While the land tax threshold for individuals sits at $600,000, for companies and trusts it is set at a lower $350,000.
The threshold for companies and trusts also has not changed since 2007.
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- In Japan, homes where a death has occurred carry a stigma that can make the home hard to sell.
- But some agents are making a career out of getting these “stigmatized” properties off the market.
- One expert estimates that some of these houses can have their prices reduced by as much as 50%.
The first time Koji Hanahara stepped into one of Japan’s “stigmatized properties,” it was the scene of a lonely death. An elderly man had died alone in his apartment, and his body was only discovered two months later.
It was unnerving, but it reminded Hanahara of why he chose to do what he did. As the CEO of Marks Co., a Japanese real-estate company that specializes in cleaning, renovating, and selling stigmatized properties, it’s his job to get these houses back onto the market again — despite their history.
“I thought I should be the one to do it. At that time, I realized again that it is my mission to help as many people as possible,” Hanahara told Insider.
Building a business around ‘accident properties’ that are hard to sell
The term “jiko bukken” — which translates to “stigmatized property” or “accident property” — is most commonly used to describe a property where a suicide, murder, or natural death has occurred.
“In Japan, it is said that there are about 30,000 lonely deaths at home, about 13,000 suicides a year, and about 2,000 homicides and fire deaths a year, making it a total of 45,000,” Hanahara said. “Not all these properties are rented or sold, but the current situation is that there are a large number of accident properties.”
Not only can these houses be hard to clean, but the stigma makes them almost impossible to sell.
“In Japan, many people have the impression that accident properties are ‘scary,’ ‘ghostly,’ and ‘dirty,’ which makes them exclude accident properties when choosing real estate,” Hanahara said.
While most real-estate agents want to avoid sharing grisly details, Hanahara does quite the opposite.
After working at a construction company for residential homes, Hanahara started his own real-estate agency, Marks Co., in 2016. He pivoted to specializing in stigmatized properties in 2019.
The listing information on his company’s site, Jobutsu Real Estate, includes a room description and details of how and when the previous owner died. “Suicide in December 2018” reads one listing currently available for 26.8 million yen, or $194,857. “The former owner died indoors in 2014” reads another that’s on the market for 21.8 million yen.
Cheaper to rent or buy
Despite the stigma that’s attached to these houses, there’s a big plus point for buyers and renters: price.
Hanahara estimates that properties where lonely deaths have occurred tend to have prices reduced by 5 to 10%, while houses where suicides have occurred tend to have prices reduced by 20 to 30%. The prices of houses where murders have occurred can be reduced by as much as 50%, he added.
On the Jobutsu site, a 29-square-meter stigmatized condo apartment in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, costs 21.8 million yen. A non-stigmatized condo of the same size in the same location costs 27.6 million yen, per data from the Japanese real-estate platform Utinokati.
Google Maps
For some young families, the cheap rent is attractive. Kasia Pawlus-Ono, a Polish stay-at-home mom, moved to Japan from Australia with her Japanese husband and their daughter in 2019.
They lived in a stigmatized property in Hanamigawa, in the Chiba prefecture, from March 2019 to May 2021. The former tenant was a young mother who had died in the house, Pawlus-Ono said.
Kasia Pawlus-Ono
“It was around 25,000 yen when it was half-priced,” Pawlus-Ono told Insider. “We paid one year of the rent basically up forward, because it was half price from the original because of the stigmatized property status.”
In contrast, the average monthly rent for an apartment in Hanamigawa is 56,084 yen, per Utinokati.
“I would say it was a positive experience because our neighbors were fine. It also seemed like they were quite happy that someone moved in because for them it was strange that it was empty for so long,” Pawlus-Ono said. She added that her rent went back its regular price — about 50,000 yen — after a year.
Rent may recover over time, but it doesn’t mean agents no longer have to notify future tenants about the incident. Japan’s Building Lots and Buildings Transaction Business Law prohibits realtors from intentionally withholding facts about the properties they’re selling, Hanahara said. And in October, new guidelines from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism specified that brokers must disclose deaths if they had been well-known incidents, involved foul play, or have a significant decision-making impact. Realtors must also disclose all past deaths, regardless of their nature, if tenants ask.
Scott Rothman
Scott Rothman, a technical director from the United States, moved into a stigmatized studio apartment in Shibuya, Tokyo, in September 2017. He lived there for slightly over three years.
“I got I think two free months of rent and the rent was quite discounted,” Rothman told Insider. “The value was way better than I ever could have actually afforded and I even got a couple of free appliances out of it.”
The previous tenant was an older woman who had died of natural causes in the house, Rothman said: “I was weighing the pros and cons of the apartment when I thought, ‘People have to die somewhere? What’s the difference?'”
How to find stigmatized properties in Japan
People can also find stigmatized properties in Japan on a website called Oshimaland.
The site maps stigmatized properties and provides the details and date of the incident that occurred there. However, it’s not an official record; anyone can submit entries to the site, website creator Teru Oshima told Insider.
“Landlords have an incentive to check the website since everything that’s written on it has a negative impact on the prices of their assets,” Oshima said. “They can send me emails, post comments, send direct messages through Twitter or Facebook or any other route to contact me to correct the information if it’s not true.”
Marks Co. receives about two to three notifications about potential property listings in a day, most of which come directly from the relatives of the deceased. The company also works with funeral houses and special cleaning companies to look for more properties, Hanahara said.
In terms of tenants, he’s noticed a trend of people in their 20s and 30s, single mothers, and single women living in stigmatized houses. And while the discounted pricing is one reason these apartments can be appealing — Tokyo, for example, is the fourth-most expensive city in the world to purchase property — it’s not only about money.
“When you think of living in an accident property, you may have the idea that you are choosing the accident property because you have no money,” Hanahara said. But the property might have other appealing perks, such as being located near public transport or in a new building, he added.
Some real-estate agents have reservations about dealing with stigmatized properties.
“I know there is certain demand, but it’s really risky,” Yuki Yanagita, a sales representative from real-estate company J&F Plaza, told Insider. J&F Plaza specializes in helping foreigners find property in Japan.
Along with a smaller pool of buyers, the cost of deep cleaning the house is borne by the agency — something not every company is willing to take on, Yanagita said. People in Japan often also closely associate stigmatized properties with the paranormal, he added.
But as for Hanahara, his goal is step in and handle exactly the stage of the process that others stay away from.
“We will help those who are willing to sell their accident property right from the stage when the accident occurred,” Hanahara said.