{"id":16042,"date":"2025-04-13T08:39:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-13T08:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/16042\/"},"modified":"2025-04-13T08:39:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T08:39:12","slug":"four-greater-manchester-areas-named-in-new-list-of-top-10-best-places-to-live-in-england-and-wales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/16042\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Greater Manchester areas named in new list of top 10 ‘best places to live’ in England and Wales"},"content":{"rendered":"

The locations have been picked for their beautiful homes, top-tier schools and exclusivityBramhall has been named amongst the best places to live(Image: Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

Four parts of Greater Manchester <\/a>have been named in a new list of the top 10 ‘best places to live’ in England and Wales. New research by Garrington Property Finders has highlighted the prime locations to live in England, Wales and Scotland.<\/p>\n

The top locations have built up their reputations over time, appealing through a mixture of beautiful homes, top-tier schools, quality of life and exclusivity, as well as their improving value for money.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the average value of a home in England rose by 4.3 percent to reach \u00a3290,564, whilst the average price paid for a home in Wales rose by 3 percent to \u00a3208,197.<\/p>\n

Yet analysis by Garrington Property Finders revealed dozens of prime areas where the price of a family home either fell or rose more slowly than the regional average, making for better quality value.<\/p>\n

Many of the top performers are smaller towns and villages, locations that “combine quintessential charm and heritage with connectivity, community and countryside.”<\/p>\n

Amongst those featured in the list are three areas in Stockport<\/a> – Marple, Gatley and Bramhall<\/a> – as well as Bowdon in Trafford<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bramhall ranked at no.8 on the list(Image: Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

Councillor Mark Hunter, leader of Stockport Council<\/a>, said: “While Stockport town centre continues to make headlines with the biggest town centre regeneration in the country, it\u2019s our district centres that tell the real story of what makes Stockport special.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m absolutely delighted to see Marple, Gatley and Bramhall all ranked in the top 10 best places to live in England and Wales in Garrington\u2019s 2025 report. That\u2019s an extraordinary endorsement of our borough \u2013 and a real testament to the strength of our local communities.<\/p>\n

“Marple is climbing the national ranks for good reason \u2013 its beautiful setting, strong sense of community and the exciting plans for the new Marple Hub are putting it firmly on the map. The Hub will have a huge and lasting impact on the prosperity, health and wellbeing of local people \u2013 and shows what\u2019s possible when you back a place to succeed.<\/p>\n

“Gatley and Bramhall\u2019s recognition reinforces what so many residents and visitors already know \u2013 that these neighbourhoods are thriving, full of life, and rooted in a brilliant mix of people and local pride.<\/p>\n

“At a time when many towns are struggling, this kind of national recognition shows that Stockport\u2019s approach \u2013 backing local places, investing in community infrastructure, and building for the long term \u2013 is delivering real results.<\/p>\n

“We\u2019re proud of every corner of this borough. And we\u2019re only just getting started.”<\/p>\n

Bowdon boasts some of the most expensive properties in Greater Manchester(Image: MEN)The 10 best prime locations in England and Wales in 20251. Redbourn, Hertfordshire<\/p>\n

Average house price: \u00a3767,501<\/strong><\/p>\n

Value for money rank: 15<\/strong><\/p>\n

Price change: -8.2 percent<\/strong><\/p>\n

The top-ranked location in England and Wales is Redbourn in Hertfordshire.<\/p>\n

“The chocolate box English village has two golf courses and traces its history back to Roman times. It was also the scene of one of the first cricket matches ever played \u2013 the village common first echoed to the sound of leather on willow in 1666,” says the property experts.<\/p>\n

At \u00a3767,501, a typical family home in the village costs well above England’s national average and places Redbourn firmly in prime territory.<\/p>\n

But average prices in the area have fallen by 8.2 percent in the past year \u2013 bucking the national trend and propelling Redbourn to 15th place in the England and Wales value for money category.<\/p>\n

2. Whitburn, Tyne and Wear<\/p>\n

Average house price: \u00a3328,699<\/strong><\/p>\n

Value for money rank: 153<\/strong><\/p>\n

Price change: -1.6 percent<\/strong><\/p>\n

The second highest ranked prime location in England and Wales is the seaside village of Whitburn.<\/p>\n

“Boasting spectacular sandy beaches and within easy reach of both Newcastle and Sunderland, Whitburn has long been one of the North East\u2019s most desirable areas,” Garrington says.<\/p>\n

“Nature plays a huge part in the village\u2019s appeal \u2013 its coastal park, run by the National Trust, attracts rare birds, while seals and dolphins can be seen out to sea.”<\/p>\n

The price of a typical family home in Whitburn fell by 1.6 percent to \u00a3328,699 at the end of last year. In contrast, the average price of a property in North East England rose by 6.7 percent in 2024.<\/p>\n

Marple in Stockport has ranked amongst the best places to live (Image: Getty Images \/ R A Kearton)3. Marple, Greater Manchester<\/p>\n

Average house price: \u00a3496,289<\/strong><\/p>\n

Value for money rank: 344<\/strong><\/p>\n

Price change: -3.3 percent<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hot on the heels of Whitburn in the prime ranking is Marple<\/a> in Greater Manchester, which is another consistent contender.<\/p>\n

In 2024 it came 15th overall in our the Best Places to Live ranking, but in 2025 it has risen to an impressive fourth place.<\/p>\n

“The town is within easy reach of the big city \u2013 it boasts two train stations and is just 10 miles from central Manchester \u2013 but offers a gentler pace of life with a rural location and canalside walks, along with a farmer\u2019s market, theatre and independent cinema,” the experts say.<\/p>\n

4. St Albans, Hertfordshire<\/p>\n

Average house price: \u00a3974,657<\/p>\n

Value for money rank: 51<\/p>\n

Price change: 0.2 percent<\/p>\n

5. Chigwell, Essex<\/p>\n

Average house price: \u00a3836,520<\/p>\n

Value for money rank: 66<\/p>\n

Price change: -2.6 percent<\/p>\n

6. Rawdon, West Yorkshire<\/p>\n

Average house price: \u00a3498,580<\/p>\n

Value for money rank: 441<\/p>\n

Price change: 0.1 percent<\/p>\n

7. Gatley, Greater Manchester<\/p>\n

Average house price: \u00a3518,395<\/p>\n

Value for money rank: 19<\/p>\n

Price change: 0.9 percent<\/p>\n

Bramhall is best known for its Tudor manor house, beautiful parks and raft of trendy bars, restaurants and boutiques(Image: Manchester Evening News)8. Bramhall, Greater Manchester<\/p>\n

Average house price: \u00a3597,941<\/p>\n

Value for money rank: 93<\/p>\n

Price change: 0.8 percent<\/p>\n

9. Menston, West Yorkshire<\/p>\n

Average house price: \u00a3464,218<\/p>\n

Value for money rank: 331<\/p>\n

Price change: -2.9 percent<\/p>\n

10. Bowdon, Greater Manchester<\/p>\n

Average house price: \u00a3733,812<\/p>\n

Value for money rank: 88<\/p>\n

Price change: 3.5 percent<\/p>\n

Bowdon is home to celebrities, footballers and musicians(Image: MEN)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe headline data suggests property prices are rising across England and Wales, but scratch the surface and some areas are bucking this trend to become significantly better value,” says Jonathan Hopper, CEO of the buying agents Garrington Property Finders.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur analysis has revealed several highly desirable parts of England and Wales where prices have either fallen, or risen more slowly, over the past year. Some of the biggest savings are to be made in perennially popular, prime locations which offer excellent amenities, a high standard of living and now also improving value.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith mortgage interest rates forecast to come down gradually during 2025, many would-be buyers and movers are likely to progress their plans in coming months, keen to capitalise on the combination of lower borrowing costs and a highly competitive market in which buyers often hold the cards when it comes to negotiating the best price.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur team of experts across England and Wales is already seeing a surge in interest from buyers who\u2019ve decided to kickstart their previously paused moving plans in 2025. If this is you, our latest Best Places to Live guide can help you identify locations with the optimum blend of natural beauty, quality of life and value for money.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The locations have been picked for their beautiful homes, top-tier schools and exclusivityBramhall has been named amongst the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16043,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5008],"tags":[10886,2919,748,393,10887,4884,1269,8833,10003,1288,1289,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-16042","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-england","8":"tag-bowdon","9":"tag-bramhall","10":"tag-britain","11":"tag-england","12":"tag-gatley","13":"tag-great-britain","14":"tag-house-prices","15":"tag-marple","16":"tag-property-news","17":"tag-stockport","18":"tag-trafford","19":"tag-uk","20":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114329758357658715","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16042"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16042\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}