Spotlight on Withington

WHERE: Four miles south of Manchester, Withington is sandwiched between Fallowfield to the north and Didsbury to the south.

WHY: Withington benefits from its south Manchester tag and acts as a stepping stone on the property ladder heading south away from the inner city out to Didsbury and beyond. A vast array of property is available from sprawling council estates west of the village to large Victorian properties to the east of the centre, many of which have been turned into flats.

The centre of Withington is slowly incorporating more designer bars and eateries, though the emphasis still remains on traditional pubs and takeaways. WHO: A big percentage of buyers in Withington are from outside the area. Many parents choose the area to buy a property for their student offspring during their time at one of Manchester's universities and it has also proved popular with investors. The result is that many local first-time buyers have been forced to look elsewhere as prices have spiralled upwards. TRANSPORT: No train station but no need with the busiest bus route in Europe passing through the town. The journey into Manchester on the bus will take about 20 minutes. You can reach the M60 and the motorway network in about 10 minutes and Manchester airport is 15 minutes away by car.

SCHOOLS: Withington Girls School got 100 per cent of students through GCSEs at A-C last year. Nearby Burnage High School managed 38 per cent and has been rising over the past four years.

AGENT'S VIEW: Phil Batey, of homes4u, said: "The price of property in Withington has risen around 30 per cent and lots of property purchases are now from the buy-to-let market. Right across the board, from two-bed terraces to six/seven-bed houses, about half the people who come into Withington are investors. There are many new developments around the area, mainly extensions to refurbished large residential properties to create one and two-bed apartment blocks. It is very difficult for the first-time buyer to gain a foothold on the market now. Prices haven't yet reached the heights seen in Didsbury but the rental market in Withington is very similar, making it more profitable for landlords. The best areas to live can be found within a mile of the main Wilmslow Road to the east of the town. Many more younger people are moving into Withington and with more students come popular bars . Overall, there is a cosmopolitan feeling about the town."

RESIDENT'S VIEW: Roger Hughes said: "I have spent the last six years living in and around Withington and I spend a lot of time working late in the city centre. It's been great from a transport perspective with late night cabs and buses. The best thing for me is how close it is to Fallowfield, especially when the students are in town, and also it's only five minutes from the curry mile in Rusholme. The shopping and the bars in Withington could do with improving to make me want to stay here permanently but the gym refurbishment near to the swimming baths should help me on the diet front! I'm happy here for the time being."