Here you will find a general overview of the area

"House price ‘hot spots’ in the North West include Accrington, where house prices have risen by 41% over the last year to £103,808, Ellesmere Port, where house prices have risen by 38% to £152,012 and Fleetwood, where house prices have risen by 35% to £125,390.

The most affordable areas to live in the North West – and the only towns which have yet to break through the £100,000 barrier - are Bootle, where the average house price is £94,763 and Burnley, where the average house price is £99,935. 

The most expensive place to live in the North West is Knutsford, where house prices have increased by 23% over the last year from £282,075 to £346,183.

Ideally located between Manchester and Liverpool, house prices in St. Helens have increased by 18% over the last year from £113,197 to £133,717, due to its excellent transport links.  To the North lies the East Lancashire Road and to the South, the M62.

Terraced houses and semi-detached properties with two or three bedrooms continue to sell well in

St. Helens and recent regeneration work has also seen a small number of developments commence upon brownfield sites. The Sutton area of St. Helens is becoming increasingly popular with first time buyers, due to its affordable housing and its easy access to local motorways.

The town of Allerton in Merseyside is a traditional, residential area and has access to some of the best schools and a good shopping area.  A popular choice for families, Allerton provides a mixture of terraced, semi-detached and apartment style properties.  Prices range from £140,000 to £300,000 for terraced, £190,000 to around £350,000 for semi-detached and £150,000 to £200,000 for older style apartments, with some more recent developments selling for £350,000.

The market town of Nantwich has good access to transport links and is particularly well placed for commuting to Manchester (£134,311), Birmingham and Chester (£192,863.)  Nantwich is only a ten-minute drive away from Crewe Station, where the new, direct rail link to London takes less than two hours.  By road, the new bypass has made the M6 easily accessible for easy commuting. The housing market in Nantwich remains fairly static with house prices increasing by 1% over the last year to reach £190,172.

Town centre living in Nantwich is popular and there has been interest in new three storey town houses, especially amongst families and professional couples. Constantly in demand also are properties within the catchment area of popular schools, such as the Brine Lees School, which has performed well in recent league tables.

First time buyers are finding it increasingly difficult to climb onto the housing ladder in Nantwich and we are seeing this generate interest in the more affordable areas of Willaston, located on the outskirts of Nantwich and the neighbouring town of Crewe, where the average house price is currently £168,082, up 30.9% over the past year. 

Crewe is an industrial area and consists predominantly of terraced properties, which are extremely popular with first time buyers and investors. A new leisure centre is currently being constructed close to the town centre that will contain a cinema and bowling alley.  Next to this development, Redrow Homes are developing properties.

Villages on the periphery of Crewe, for example, Haslington and Shavington are proving to be popular.  Wistaston is also still well liked due to the school catchment area it falls into.

Manchester remains an extremely popular city amongst first time buyers and is extremely successful in attracting young professionals into the area.  House prices in Manchester have increased by 22% over the last year from £109,792 to £134,311.

Regeneration activity and new residential developments built upon Manchester's waste grounds and redundant buildings have replaced the derelict mills and warehouses that used to stretch across Manchester’s city centre.  Examples include the redevelopment of the Hacienda, Manchester's notorious night club, into two bedroom penthouses and the Taylor Woodrow scheme built on the site of an old raincoat works.

The area of Chorlton, located two miles South of Manchester city centre, offers a good supply of semi-detached, terraced properties and flats and remains extremely popular with first time buyers and young families.  Chorlton has an average sized shopping area, along with numerous wine bars and eateries.  There are also local junior schools and a recently opened secondary school.

House prices in Bolton have increased by 27% over the last year from £100,849 to £127,888.  With properties ranging from terraced housing to the million pound property at the high end of the market, new housing developments are constantly in demand. Families, however, remain keen to buy properties in the BL1 and BL7 areas due to the excellent reputation of the schools in the area.

The market town of Frodsham in Cheshire is a commuter’s haven to Merseyside, Chester, Manchester or Warrington. The popularity of Helsby High School continues to drive demand for the price of properties that fall within its catchment area.

Good demand exists for larger detached family homes in village locations around Frodsham, along with apartments and smaller houses in the town.  However, supply is increasing with a mixed retail/residential development in nearby Helsby to result in an additional 71 dwellings, while a scheme in Frodsham has just been given planning permission for 52 dwellings.

House prices in Lancaster have risen by 27% over the last year to reach £139,863.  Lancaster continues to be a popular area, due to its excellent grammar schools, university, motorway access and easy access to the Lake District.  The development of a northern bypass, currently in consultation stage, will have a positive effect upon house prices.