Renting a flat in Manchester

only just saw the 1 bed = no parking thing, while not strictly true unfortunately it is mostly true

just seen an advert on rightmove for sylvia and they are the ones i was thinking of, i'd call it back of the green quarter
 
So they are the ones closer to town you think? Good thing with them is they say car parking available, just hopefully they aren't charging extortionate rates like £100pcm like some places are!
 
there are, the only problem i have with those really is that they're set a bit back from everything, it's not a bad area because there's nothing there but it's not far off industrial wasteland, check out the express buildings, not sure how much the one beds go for, but two beds were as low as 600
 
The Sylvia 3Towers are dreadful. Dont be fooled by the builders website. It is 'B' on that map by the way.

I drove up to manchester becasue the website made it look too good to be true for the price, really nice modern flats, just on the outskirts of the city centre in a nice development area...

Yeah ok. We got there and turn off into a side street, on the right was a row of shops. Not any old shops though, proper council estate shops. We went a night and there was a big crowd (10+) of kids all in hoodys (typical chav look), riding round on bikes. Took a look to the left and there was the first tower. It was a 70's or 80's council flat tower that had been given a lick of paint, had new windows installed and the whole tower had been covered in wood cladding. The inside looked quite trendy, as you'd expect from that designer (can't think of the name, they also do some development at new islington, and are making some houses called 'tutti frutti' if you want to look them up.

But honestly, from the outside it was just an old tower block on the outskirts of a council estate area, covered in wood. I was extremely dissapointed when I got there. The location and surrounding area really let it down. Also a lot of the flats for sale were shared equity, which meant they were very cheap to buy so don't expect to end up living with nice people.

Edit - It actually states on their website that all they have done is refurbed old tower block, and you honestly can tell from a mile off. Check out Salford quays, really nice area, and your right next to a £2 return tram-line into the centre of manchester :)
 
Renting a 1 or 2 bed in manchester is fairly easy. Though as has been said, geting parking with a 1 bed is difficult.

I have moved around the city centre over the past few years. Currently live just on the edge of Ancoats outside of the Northen Quarter. Previousely I lived in a 2 bed flat in the Green Quarter. Really like it there, very much like living in a hotel!

The best way to find somewhere good is till to go and talk to estate agents. One of the best I have found in the area is a smallish agency called Isaac Anthony. I rented through them at the GQ and it was painless, I found everyone friendly and while they couldnt find me a suitable place this time round (needed a 3 bed) they certainly were the only ones who genuinely tried. Avoid Homes4U like the plague. The rest I have yet to try other than going in to speak to them. Current place was done through Suttons City Living, who were.. ok, but I havent dealt with them since as this isnt a managed property, i'm not convinced i'd like to deal with them directly though as they found the basics of giving me the right details for the meters etc very hard...

The best online source was, and still is, Rightmove imho. The properties arnt always up to date, but they are better than most i find.

One thing I really like about Manchester is the number of conversion properties out there. Places like the Royal Mills development, behind where I currently live, where they take an old mill and convert it into modern apartments. I really like the older/solid buildings mixed in with modern living.

Personally if you want Manchester, I would avoid Salford Quays at the mo, its still just a tad to far out for me. Areas around the Northern Quarter are good if you want to be near the centre, or there's Didsbury/Castlefield if you dont mind being a bit further out (and payign through your teeth!)

With re: to Urban Splash stuff. The only nice one I have seen was Timber Wharfe, which was a weird steel/concrete/glass thing. Nice to look around but I wouldnt want to live there!

the only way to find out where you want to be is to visit Manchester i reckon. Avoid a night out in the Printworks, or you will quit your new job before you even start, and avoid the student areas unless you like that kind of thing (most non students dont).

Price wise, I would say you are going to be looking at between £450 and £600 for a single bed in places like the GQ, and about £100 to £200 more for a much larger double with parking in the same places. Could be worth finding a flatmate!

Good luck :)
 
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Thanks for the advice :) I knew the urban splash towers were basically old buildings done up but not knowing the area doesn't help!
Rightmove does seem the best place to look and Ive seen a few on Isaac Anthony so going to phone them up now and get some viewings for NQ and GQ, pain in the backside living 45mins away!
 
Parking + 1 bed, you're going to struggle.

In city centre, you're also going to struggle to find a 'nice' 1 bed for <£550 to be honest. With parking, you're looking at at least £650 for a 'nice' place.... some 2 beds will be cheaper.
 
Thanks for the advice :) I knew the urban splash towers were basically old buildings done up but not knowing the area doesn't help!
Rightmove does seem the best place to look and Ive seen a few on Isaac Anthony so going to phone them up now and get some viewings for NQ and GQ, pain in the backside living 45mins away!

Avoid Isaac Anthony like the plague. They're the worst set of liars I've dealt with. They delayed my move-in date by 3 days as the apartment hadn't been cleaned, despite them promising EVERYDAY it would be, and were reluctant to refund me 3 days rent. I demanded an apology from the manager, never got one. I never got sent my keycard (to date, been in this flat 4 months now) to get into the building without having to use keys etc. They advertise properties on their website they don't even have, and arrange viewing with you for properties that have already had deals signed for to keep you sweet, then when you turn up, they say that property as has sadly gone etc...

They are incompetent, and I very, very strongly suggest you avoid them.
 
After looking around for 2 days I decided on the last flat I saw today! It was the only one that made me smile when I saw and make me think wow!
Its in Vallea Court in the Greenquarter with Isaac Anthony. Sorting out the paperwork tonight so I can hopefully move in Manchester!

I'm gonna be skint for the next 2 months whilst I live there on my own but it looks like it will be worth it!
 
Blimey, prices have really come down! I've not lived in manc for a couple of years. When me and my friend tried to find a place in the NQ, prices were around the 800- 1k mark for a shoebox!

I'm quite excited about coming back if the prices don't fluctuate too much.
 
So just incase I have missed something, what do I need to consider as monthly outgoings?

Rent
Council Tax
TV License
Mobile Bill
Food
Water
Electric
Internet
landline telephone rental
 
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