NORTH WEST

The North West region has significant pockets of wealth and poverty, which translates to huge differences in prop-erty prices. East Cheshire, for instance, has an average property price of more than £215,000, and it enjoyed a healthy rise of 3.8% in 2013. A particularly buoyant proper-ty market exists in Halton, where demand is far outstripping supply – a situation that led to a rise in average house prices of more than 10% between 2012 and 2013.

House prices in Greater Manchester remain relatively low at around £150,000, and they have actually fallen slightly over the last two years. However, the areas of Salford, Bolton and Oldham all experienced increased demand for housing, which pushed up average property prices in those areas.

property guide

Average rise of property prices of 7.7%

Average property price - £175,000[ONS - 2014]

Although the city of Liverpool enjoyed a modest house price rise of 1.8% between 2012 and 2013, Merseyside as a whole struggled. Demand for housing in places such as Sefton has dropped significantly, while St Helens has enjoyed a surge in popularity among proper-ty buyers.

Blackpool is still suffering from stagnating house prices, low demand and an abundance of properties for sale. At just £103,000, the average property price in Blackpool is amongst the lowest of any boroughs in the UK. Don’t expect a quick house sale in the seaside town, but you might be able to pick up a bargain.

Bolton, Salford and Oldham experiencing increased demand