Why Choose A Home In The City?
City living is many people's idea of a nightmare - sprawling urban landscapes, incredibly busy roads and perhaps worst of all, lots and lots of people. An idyllic country retreat seems much more appealing, what with its lush greenery and fresh, unpolluted air.
The sad fact is, however, that many of us are being priced out of a home in the country. A recent report by Lloyds TSB found that the average price of a house in the 32 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty increased a massive 87% between 2002 and 2012.
Unfortunately, this means that some of us will have to put our escape to the country back for a little while. However, don't take this as a sign that you should stop house-hunting. As much as it may not appeal at first, living in a city has plenty of benefits and is relatively easy to find a home in, be it renting or buying.
The first assumption to overcome when deciding to move to the city is that city living is all towering grey apartment blocks and unfriendly neighbours; this simply isn't the case anymore. Manchester, for example, has seen fantastic amounts of redevelopment over the past few decades - spurred on in part by major events such as the Commonwealth Games and its status as a football Mecca. Areas such as Hulme and Moss Side has been virtually transformed, a world away from the scary stories you may have heard in the past.
It's also important to remember that living in a city doesn't necessarily mean living in the city centre and engaging with the hustle and bustle every day. Taking the example of Manchester again, there are plenty of areas that are in close proximity to the city whilst offering a 'quieter' lifestyle - Altrincham and Sale being two such areas. Transport links from these areas tend to be good as well, with many people making the decision to commute to the city from areas like these.
Living in a city offers plenty of benefits to just about anyone - obviously, you'll have plenty more supermarkets and shops within walking distance as well as better public transport links, which will save you money on petrol. There are also lots more potential employment opportunities, making city living perfect if moving house also means moving job.
If you're uncertain about whereabouts in a city would be right for you, then a good estate agent could be your best friend. Estate agents, on the whole, have a strong grasp of the area they work in and will be able to guide and tailor viewings for you based on what you want and require from your new neighbourhood.
You'll generally find the various zones of a city are diverse and offer completely different things. Usually, your estate or letting agent will be able to tell you who make up the general populace, but you should be able to get a good idea just from walking around. Choosing which areas to avoid comes down to common sense; if you're looking for somewhere 'quieter', then you'll obviously want to avoid areas inhabited by students and young professionals having parties until 4am!
Consider what sort of home you want to live in as well. Flats and apartments tend to be available just about anywhere (although city centres tend to be a lot pricier!), whereas houses vary in quality from area to area. A family of four, for example, would probably want to look at a slightly out-of-city location as houses tend to be of better quality and neighbourhoods a bit more child-friendly. A young couple on a budget looking for employment, on the other hand, would probably be better suited to a student/young professional type environment!
Christopher Joseph Smith is writing on behalf of Shepherd Gilmour, estate agents specialising in Manchester property.
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