Moving To Manchester: Boroughs, Travel And Settling In
Moving to Manchester means picking one of ten boroughs, learning how Bee Network travel works and settling in with a new GP and council. This guide takes each step in turn, with official figures.
Start here
What Relocating To Greater Manchester Involves
Moving to Manchester is not one decision but several. "Manchester" on a map is a single city, yet most people who relocate end up living in one of the ten boroughs around it. Each borough has its own council, its own council tax, its own schools and its own bin rules. Picking the right one shapes your commute, your costs and your weekends.
We are CMR Relocation, a removal company based in Broadheath, Altrincham. We have moved people into and around Greater Manchester since 2011, including families coming up from London and the South East. Darrin, who runs the company, put this guide together from the questions those families ask us most.
It covers the boroughs, house prices and rents, Bee Network buses and trams, and the jobs to do in your first month. If you want the moving day itself in the city centre, with apartment lifts and loading bays, our page on city-centre Manchester page covers that side.
Ten councils
The Ten Boroughs Of Greater Manchester At A Glance
Greater Manchester is made up of ten metropolitan boroughs. These are the official average house prices for each, with the towns we have local guides for.
| Borough | Average house price, July 2026 | Towns in our local guides |
|---|---|---|
| Trafford | £401,000 | Altrincham, Sale, Hale, Urmston |
| Stockport | £318,000 | Stockport town, Bramhall, Marple |
| Manchester | £252,000 | Didsbury, Chorlton, Wythenshawe |
| Bury | £242,000 | Bury town, Prestwich |
| Salford | £229,000 | Salford Quays, Eccles |
| Oldham | £217,000 | Oldham town |
| Tameside | £210,000 | Ashton-under-Lyne, Hyde |
| Rochdale | £209,000 | Rochdale town |
| Bolton | £204,000 | Bolton town |
| Wigan | £195,000 | Wigan town, Leigh |
Source: ONS Housing prices in your area (UK House Price Index), July 2026, provisional, published 16 September 2026. Pick any borough in the ONS tool to see its figure. Checked October 2026.
The spread is wide. Trafford, in the south west, is the dearest borough by a long way. Wigan, Bolton and Rochdale, to the north and west, cost about half as much. That gap matters more than any single street. Two families with the same budget can end up with very different homes depending on which side of the city they choose. You can see every town we cover on our map of Greater Manchester areas.
London compared
House Prices And Rents: London Against Greater Manchester
The question we hear most from people moving north is simple: how much further will our money go? The official figures answer it.
| Area | Average house price, July 2026 | Average monthly private rent, August 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| London | £569,000 | £2,332 |
| Trafford | £401,000 | £1,369 |
| Manchester (city council area) | £252,000 | £1,373 |
| Salford | £229,000 | £1,170 |
| Stockport | £318,000 | £1,119 |
| England average | £293,000 | see ONS bulletin |
Sources: ONS Private rent and prices, UK: September 2026 (London) and ONS Housing prices in your area for each borough. House prices are provisional. Checked October 2026.
Two things stand out. First, buying is where the gap is biggest. An average London home costs more than twice an average home in the Manchester council area. Second, rents in the city of Manchester are close to rents in Trafford, even though Trafford homes cost far more to buy. Renters choosing between the two often find the deciding factor is travel, not price.
The ONS also reports that the North West had one of the fastest rent rises of any English region in the year to August 2026. If you plan to rent first and buy later, it is worth acting on a good flat quickly. If you are buying, read our guide to stamp duty on a Manchester home before you set a budget.
South of the city
Commuter Suburbs South Of Manchester: Altrincham, Sale And Didsbury
Most of the families we move up from London look south first. These suburbs sit on the Metrolink, have good schools and are close to the airport and the M56.
- Altrincham: a market town at the end of the Altrincham tram line, with a rail station in the same interchange. Our depot is a short drive away in Broadheath. See our Altrincham guide.
- Sale: semi-detached streets either side of the tram, with the Bridgewater Canal running through. More in our guide to life in Sale.
- Didsbury: in the city council area, at the end of the East Didsbury tram line, with Victorian villas and flats. Read our Didsbury area page.
- Chorlton: terraces, independent shops and its own tram stops on the same line. See our Chorlton guide.
Further out, Hale and Bramhall have larger detached homes on bigger plots, and Wilmslow sits just over the border in Cheshire East.
Flats and terraces
Quays Flats, Victorian Terraces And Stockport Streets
Not everyone wants a semi with a drive. If you are moving to Manchester alone or as a couple, you may want somewhere closer to the action.
Salford Quays is a waterside district of modern apartment blocks around MediaCityUK, with its own tram stops. Most buildings have lifts and concierge desks, so you book a loading slot before the move.
Stockport has fast trains into Manchester Piccadilly and a mix of red-brick terraces and family homes. It has no tram, so you rely on rail and buses. North of the city, Bury, Prestwich and Radcliffe sit on the Bury tram line, with lower house prices than the south.
For a flat in the city centre itself, read our separate guide to apartment lifts and concierge bookings.
Getting around
Bee Network Buses, Metrolink Trams And Trains Into The City
Greater Manchester now runs its buses and trams together as the Bee Network. If you are used to the Tube and London buses, the basics will feel familiar.
Buses across the city region are now run under one network, with one brand and one set of fares. Trams are run by Metrolink. Both take contactless cards and phones, and TfGM works out your fares for the day up to a daily and weekly cap.
Bee Network bus single fares are £2 for adults and £1 for children. Source: TfGM bus tickets, checked October 2026.
Metrolink trams use four fare zones. Zone 1 is the city centre and zone 4 is the furthest out. Lines run from the centre to Altrincham, East Didsbury, Manchester Airport, Eccles and MediaCityUK, The Trafford Centre, Bury, Rochdale and Ashton-under-Lyne. You can see every stop on the TfGM tram map.
Older and disabled residents with a concessionary pass can travel free on Bee Network buses at any time of day from March 2026, after the old 9:30am limit was lifted. Stockport Council announced the change on its news pages.
For longer trips, there are direct trains between London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly. That link is why many people who relocate keep working partly in London.
- Tap the same card or phone on every bus and tram, so the cap works
- Check which tram zone your new home is in before you choose a season ticket
- Look up your nearest tram stop or rail station before you view houses
Running costs
Clean Air, Council Tax And Other Running Costs Up North
Some guides still say that Greater Manchester charges vehicles to enter a Clean Air Zone. That is out of date. Clean Air Greater Manchester says there are no clean air charges to drive anywhere in Greater Manchester. The government approved a non-charging plan in 2025. You can drive a car or a van in without a daily fee.
Council tax works the same way as in London, but the rates differ by borough. Each of the ten councils sets its own bill for each band. Our guide to council tax bills after a move explains how to close one account and open another, and what discounts to ask about.
Energy, water and broadband are set nationally or by supplier, so you will see less change there. Your water supplier will change if you come from London, because the North West is served by a different water company. Set up the new account in your first week.
Your first month
Registering With A GP, The Council And The Electoral Roll
These jobs are easy to forget once the boxes are in. Do them in the first two weeks after moving to Manchester.
GP. The NHS says you do not need ID or proof of address to register with a GP surgery. You search by postcode and fill in a form online, which takes about 15 minutes. Most surgeries only accept people who live nearby, so wait until you have the new address.
Electoral roll. You must register to vote again whenever you change address. GOV.UK says it usually takes about five minutes, and you will be asked for your National Insurance number. Being on the roll also helps with credit checks when you open new accounts.
Council. Tell your new council the date you moved in, so your council tax account and bin collections start. Ask how its parking permits work if your street has controlled parking.
- Register with a GP and a dentist near your new home
- Register to vote at the new address
- Open your council tax account with the new borough
- Update DVLA, your bank and HMRC with the new address
- Set up the new water, energy and broadband accounts
- Find your nearest tram stop, rail station and recycling centre
Our week-by-week checklist has the full list of people to tell, in the order that works best.
Families
School Places For Families Relocating To Greater Manchester
School places are often the hardest part of a family move. GOV.UK says you apply for state school places through your local council, and you can contact your council to apply for schools in other areas too. If your child needs a place part way through the year, ask the new council about in-year admissions as soon as your date is likely.
Trafford is one of the few areas in England that still has grammar schools. Trafford Council says a child must pass the entrance test for a grammar school before being considered for a place. Five of its grammar schools share one test. If you have a child in Year 5 or 6, check the dates early, because they fall well before the normal application deadline.
We go into deadlines and appeals in our guide to school admissions after a relocation.
The move itself
Planning A Long-Distance Move North With One Crew
A move of 200 miles or more needs a little more planning than a local one. The key is that the same crew and the same lorry stay with your things from door to door. Nothing is unloaded at a halfway depot, so nothing gets mixed up or left behind.
Ask us about a survey by video call, so nobody needs to visit you in London. Our crew can pack the day before and load early on moving day. If your new keys come a day or a week late, your belongings can go into our containerised storage at our Broadheath depot until they do. Our storage in Broadheath has no minimum term.
If you would rather not pack at all, our packing service does it room by room, with every box labelled for its new room. You can read what other customers say about our crew on Trustpilot.
Step by step
Four Steps From A London Survey To A Manchester Front Door
- 1
Survey
We go through your home with you, in person or on a video call, and note large items, stairs and parking at both ends.
- 2
Fixed Plan
Once you exchange, we confirm the date, the crew and whether you need packing or a storage gap.
- 3
Pack And Load
Our crew wraps furniture, packs boxes if you asked us to and loads in room order.
- 4
Deliver And Place
We unload into the right rooms at your new home. With our packing service, we rebuild the beds before we leave.
Our house removals service covers every part of this, from the first call to the last box. Call Darrin or the team on 0161 478 3639 to talk it through.
Moving to Manchester from London or further afield? Tell us both addresses and we will reply with a free, no-obligation quote.
Get a free quoteFAQs
Relocating To Greater Manchester: Your Questions
Still unsure about something in this guide? Darrin is happy to talk it through.
Is Manchester cheaper than London to live in?
On official ONS figures, yes, by a wide margin. In July 2026 the average house price in London was more than double the average in the Manchester council area, and average private rents in August 2026 were much lower across Greater Manchester too. Trafford is the dearest borough to buy in, but it is still well below London. The tables on this page give the exact figures and links to the ONS source.
Is there a Clean Air Zone charge in Greater Manchester?
No. Clean Air Greater Manchester says there are no clean air charges to drive anywhere in Greater Manchester. The government approved a non-charging, investment-led plan in 2025. You can drive a car or a removal lorry into the city without a daily clean air fee.
Do I need proof of address to register with a GP in Manchester?
No. The NHS says you do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status to register with a GP surgery. You can search by postcode and register online in about 15 minutes. Most surgeries only take patients who live near them, so register once you have your new address.
Which council do I tell when I move to Greater Manchester?
Tell the council for the borough your new home sits in. Greater Manchester has ten: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan. Each sets its own council tax and runs its own schools admissions, bins and parking. Tell your old council in London or elsewhere as well, so your last bill is closed.
How do I apply for a school place before we move?
In England you apply through the council for the area you live in. GOV.UK says you can contact your local council to apply for places at state schools in other areas too. If your child needs a place mid-year, ask your new council about in-year admissions as soon as your move date is likely. Trafford has grammar schools that need an entrance test, so check its dates early.
Can one removal company move us from London to Manchester?
Yes. Our crew can collect from London and deliver to your new home in Greater Manchester with the same team and vehicle, so nothing changes hands on the way. If your new keys are not ready on the day, your things can go into our containerised storage in Broadheath until they are.
Local area data
Compare towns across Greater Manchester and Cheshire
Thinking about where to move? Tap a town for its prices, schools, crime and commute.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, including HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Data sources and notes
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