The "Tower" apartment in the 150-year-old building's 242ft spire - still the tallest church spire in Greater Manchester at 242ft - will give buyers a chance to make their mark on their new home.

Just four of the seven floors will be finished, leaving the remainder for the new owners to design themselves. And Tom and Cheryl Morgan, who run Vibe Developments, believe it will take someone with a real sense of adventure to tackle this property.

Tom explains: "The potential is amazing, three floors to design to their own bespoke specifications.

"I have my own ideas about what I would do, but I don't want to influence the buyers. For example, there is a room with huge arches for the windows which could create a roof garden - but that is something for the new owners to decide."

Cheryl adds: "We are excited about working along side the purchaser of The Tower apartment to develop the remaining floors into a truly individual home."

The developers of a similar showpiece apartment in St George's church, Deansgate, had to slash the price from £1.2m to £500,000 to attract a buyer, but Tom and Cheryl have no fears about the Tower.

"We have been thoughtful when looking at the pricing of this apartment," said Tom.

"At £350,000, it is not unreasonable and someone could move in straight away while planning what do with the rest of the space.

"After that, it is up to the individual how much they spend on doing the rest of the floors. With our help they could spend anything from £35,000 to £100,000 for something breathtaking and unique."

The other apartments in the church are even more reasonable, starting at under £170,000 for a one bedroom, three storey home.

But Tom and Cheryl believe the secret to their success is the amount of time they have devoted to preserving the original features. "We could have just knocked the stained glass out, or got rid of the old beams and archways, but we thought it was vital they were maintained," said Tom.

"So many developers have decimated beautiful buildings by bricking up grand archways, installing false ceilings and splitting huge feature windows - we were determined to salvage as many features as possible and incorporate them into the apartments."

Since starting the project the couple have been approached to provide their construction and design skills on three more church projects.

"We're not sure if we want to commit to another church, as the practicality and logistics of it are often a nightmare," said Tom

"But even after all that we wouldn't have changed a thing about St Mary's and we can only hope whoever decides to take on the Tower is as passionate about it as we are."

Construction and renovation of phase two is well underway and buyers should act quickly as the first phase sold out within weeks.

For more information, or to visit the new showhome, call Vital Space on 0161 835 2850 or Emma Hatton Estate Agents on 0161 860 0870. Alternatively, visit www.thechurchstmarys.co.uk