Spotlight on Bramhall

WHERE: South of Manchester, five miles from the airport and a half-hour commute into the city.

WHY: Traditional well-to-do suburb of Stockport. Never as flash as some of its Cheshire neighbours, Bramhall is where the old money lives. The compact town centre has its fair share of café bars and restaurants, stylish furniture shops and chic boutiques as well as a Sixties shopping complex. Good schools, both state and private, bring in the families but it is a tough town for first-time buyers with nothing much under £100,000.

TRANSPORT: The opening of the A34 Wilmslow by-pass has speeded up road links to the city. The station has an express train service which gets you in in 20 minutes - engineering works permitting.

AGENT'S VIEW: "Bramhall has always been popular but the opening of the by-pass and the proximity of the new superstores has just added to the attraction," said Daniel Moore of Andrew Snape Estates. "Last year we broke all records and sales were awesome. This year the market is much more price sensitive with the biggest demand for nice four-bedroom detached or period houses. August is traditionally quiet with everyone decamping to Abersoch or Spain but this year we have seen steady sales."