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Latest stats show that you can make substantial savings every year on everything from council tax to house insurance just by moving into another postcode area.
Lisa and Neil Kenyon did just that when they moved from Chadderton to Bacup earlier this year. They left a terraced house valued at £63,500 to move into a three bed semi costing £125,000 but still their council tax bill fell by around £2 a month and, better still, they both immediately saved a whopping £180 on their car insurance.
Insurance
Lisa, 24, a journalist, adds: "Not only that, our home and contents insurance has fallen by around £60 a year despite us having a bigger and more expensive property.
"We now have a garden, lovely neighbours and the same council services but are just not paying as much for them.
"Our insurance premiums have fallen because of the difference in the crime figures, they are a lot lower here. These are not things we checked out before we moved but it definitely makes a difference to our monthly budget and we would look at them closely if we ever considered moving again.
"On top of everything else, prices have started to move up in Bacup so we have seen our new house rise in value in the few months we have been here."Insurance companies base quotes on postcode statistics, which show how likely you would be to be the victim of theft. The table alongside shows just how much council tax and crime figures vary across the region.
As Lisa and Neil found out, Rossendale has one of the lowest crime rates for burglaries and vehicle theft, which, while it's still above the national average, is still fairly low.
Oldham on the other hand has the highest council tax in the region and almost twice as many burglaries as Bacup and higher levels of vehicle theft.
Favour
But it is worth checking all the figures to see if moving stacks up in your favour.
The lowest insurance premiums are likely to be in Macclesfield but can you afford to pay the mortgage when the average property price comes in at £206,659 which is the highest in the region?
Central Manchester has the highest crime rates, one of the drawbacks of a city centre lifestyle, but it also has the second lowest council tax after Trafford and offers more affordable housing.
Cheapest place to live is Hyndburn at the end of the M66 where the average price of a house is still less than £100,000, insurance is cheap although council tax is above average.
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