Me and my yuppie partner are looking for a place of our own within a couple of miles of town. What is it like living in either Weaste, Seedley or Langworthy these days? I know it's somewhat different to the days of high crime and poverty, but how different? Good bits, bad bits (no rugby ground down the road)?

Are you buying or renting? I live opposite Ladywell tram stop in the Canterbury Gardens flats and it's ok there tbh. Pretty quiet and never have any trouble. It's my mates flat but it's a 3 bed and it's a good size. 50 yards to the tram stop and 400 yards to the nearest Wetherspoons! Morrison's and Aldi both within 5 minute walk and a new Sainsburys local if you're a bit of a p0nce! I don't tend to venture to Weaste, Seedley or Langworthy much these days since we left The Willows but there are worse areas in Salford to live IMO! There are a few new apartment blocks dotted along Eccles New Road if you like to live in a box but if you like space it wouldn't hurt you to look at the older blocks.

What are your requirements? Buy or rent? No of bedrooms? Local amenities etc?

Oh and really good public transport links to town & the Trafford Centre..... buses, trams and train. Easy access to The Quays and 15 minute walk down into Monton (posh bars) or plenty of Holts' pubs in Eccles if you like drinking with old codgers!

15 minutes? Christ, Gebrselassie couldn’t run there that quick!

Ok maybe 20... with a following wind!

You could do worse than look at Monton/Ellesmere Park, as said above lots of nice new bars (and a few more in the offing), cracking restaurants, the odd coffee shop, mini Tesco and a nice deli or two. Bit of a smaller version of Chorlton and not a massive schlep to get a tram into town.

SaleSlim - Above an beyond there bud. We're looking at buying (with a view to selling it on for the same value when we emigrate to Aus' in approx' 18 months) a 1 or 2 bedroom flat with somewhere to park a car and needs to accommodate my beloved road bike. Our budget is about £85k. We're not particularly fussed about space as I don't like hoovering. We did spot a small flat in the old Weaste bus station but it was taken off the market.

MR - Thanks for that. Yeah, we had a quick look at Monton/Ellesmere but thought it'd be too expensive for us. I don't suppose you know differently?

If you’re looking at selling in 18 months why not just rent rather than go through the expense of solicitors fees when buying and selling as well as estate agent fees? It will definitely cost you more.

Don't know much about buying but I do know you can rent some really nice places, I have a fair sized apartment right in the middle of Worsley for £500pcm and you can get similar ones in Monton/Ellesmere Park for the same sort of money. A friend lived in Dukes Court (off Wellington Rd) and that was the same sort of money, quite big and you can walk to the train and tram station within 10 minutes.

JGR - Good suggestion. However, as we have a decent amount to put into purchasing a property, the monthly mortgage bill will be approximately 25% less than renting. We also estimate a slight increase in value of the property over the next 18 months due to the increasing popularity of the area. It's a risk but a calculated one. We could also rent out the property (below the going rate as we're not brazen capitalists) when we emigrate. Indeed, when we emigrate we'll be renting (tbh, £85k is worth nothing when buying in Sydney).

MR - I'm surprised at that. I estimated approx £750 pcm around there. However, £500 pcm is still more than we'd be paying for a mortgage.

Monton is alright if you like to pretend you're part of the jet set. Up it's own backside these days (the opening of a champagne bar says it all) however the Malt Dog and the good old Park Hotel are fine drinking establishments.

If you’re looking at saving 25% per month on a mortgage compared to rent, you’ll still be paying more through buying. Say rent pcm on a property is £500, knock off the 25% you’ll save through a mortgage and you’re looking at £375 per month. Multiply that saving over 18 months and you’re looking at a circa £2250 saving.

However, solicitors fees when buying and selling will total £1600 and estate agent fees £1500, so you’ll still be £1000 worse off through buying than renting.

Obviously if your intention is to rent the property out once you emigrate that changes slightly, but if you’re going to sell in 18 months unless you prepared to buy a property that requires some renovation you’ll be lucky to make much, if anything over the next 18 months.

PS - you'll also be lucky to get anything in Monton other than a one-bedroom apartment for £500 thesedays.

Slightly further out of your preferred area is Blackburn.... I personally know a chap who is looking to sell a 2 bed semi with offroad parking for 2 vehicles, back garden boundary is a large drop into the leeds/Liverpool canal.
5 minutes walk from train station, direct trains to Victoria..

Valued at £82.5K, would sell £74K(ish)
Would get your money back easy or rent at £450 - £475 pcm