A property agency in Saddleworth has revealed its latest hot property list as several homes currently for sale sit within popular school catchment areas.
Alex Fitton, the manager of Ryder & Dutton's Saddleworth branch, has outlined the top spots in Saddleworth that are most sought-after due to their schools - and has given advice for prospective buyers on how to successfully purchase a home in one.
Alex said competition is "fierce" when buying in Saddleworth due to its semi-rural setting and popularity, and when it comes to buying a home in one of the area's popular school catchments, "people pull out all the stops to bag one", he added.
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The property agency has identified Greenfield, Uppermill, Dobcross and Delph as the most popular, due to its good primary schools, while Diggle has also emerged as another hotspot due to its recently opened Saddleworth High School.
Ryder & Dutton say Greenfield is home to two popular primary schools which feed into Saddleworth School, making it a suitable place for young families who don't have to worry about relocating when their children progress to high school.
Uppermill is also a top spot for young families due to its excellent primary school and close location to Saddleworth School, while Dobcross and Delph also share highly-regarded primary schools.
The listing on Ryder & Dutton describes the property as "spacious" and "well-presented", sitting near Huddersfield Narrow Canal.
The agents also say the home, which is for sale for £675,000, is suitable for a growing family what with its spacious lounge, separate sitting room, a "good sized" dining room, utility room and "generous" double bedrooms.
It also has an office, a four-piece family bathroom, driveway parking and an integral garage, plus mature gardens and large lawns.
For the same asking price of £675,000, there is also this four-bedroom detached home on Barmeadow in Dobcross.
The listing reveals the home is set over several floors, "perfect for multi-generational living".
The ground floor has a spacious sitting room, a guest toilet, utility room, a kitchen/breakfast room and a dining room with a "superb centrepiece fireplace" and an open plan lounge, plus an "impressive balcony" looking towards Wall Hill and the Pots and Pans monument.
It also has an integral double garage.
Meanwhile, the lower ground floor has four large double bedrooms, one of which comes with fitted wardrobes and an ensuite shower room.
The lowest ground floor then makes way for an office, a storage room and a separate bathroom.
Outside, there is a driveway and paved patio gardens at the rear and front, with a pond and small summerhouse, plus terraced gardens to the side with additional seating areas.
Over in Delph village, there is a four-bed end-of-terrace home on High Street which is currently for sale for £435,000.
Ryder & Dutton say this home was previously 'The Old Bakery' and remains "charming" in an ideal spot overlooking the River Tame.
It spans approximately 2,000 square feet of living space over four floors, with a "luxury" kitchen/diner on the ground floor, including a wine cooler, and a southerly facing decked garden.
The first floor is comprised of two generous double bedrooms with a Juliette balcony and a family bathroom with under-floor heating while the second makes way for the other two bedrooms, a three-piece shower room and another Juliette balcony.
The property agency says the lower ground floor offers "excellent potential" to be developed into a separate dwelling.
As for Diggle, there is this three-bedroom detached house on Clydesdale Rise for £575,000.
The listing says the home is "highly spacious" with features including a "media wall" and electric fire in the lounge, which also has doors to the rear garden.
The first floor has a large kitchen/diner, a dining room, a utility room and a downstairs toilet while the three double bedrooms are situated on the second floor, two of which have ensuite shower rooms and walk-in wardrobes, and a family bathroom with a jacuzzi bath.
Outside, the property has driveway parking and an integral garage as well as paved patios to the side and rear.
Finally, in Uppermill, there is this three-bedroom semi-detached house which comes with the lowest asking price on this list of £400,000.
'Pickhill Cottage' is a spacious home with approximately 1,000 square feet of living space, comprised of spacious lounge and a kitchen/diner on the ground floor.
The first floor has two "generous" double bedrooms with a three-piece family bathroom while the second floor has an additional double bedroom.
The cottage also has a large cellar which Ryder & Dutton say offers excellent storage or development potential.
Outside, there is an attached garage, a driveway and a patio seating area.
Top tips for buying a home near a good school in Saddleworth
Amongst Alex's top tips for buying a home in Saddleworth's in-demand catchment areas is to conduct "thorough research".
The manager said: "Research the exact catchment area of the school you want to apply to, including the cut-off areas, as these sometimes change from year to year.
"It’s a good idea to check the most up-to-date maps on the local Council’s website and to email the school itself.
"Seek advice from your local estate agent too, as they’ll often be able to give you insight about where to buy to give you the best chance of getting into a certain school."
Alex said buyers should also be in a position to "act quickly", adding: "Homes in popular catchment areas usually receive a lot of interest and sell very quickly, so if you want to get one, you need to get yourself in a position where you can move fast.
"If you already own a property, then ideally, you should already have an agreed sale on it.
"If you don’t, make sure you put it on the market before trying to make an offer on the one you’d like, otherwise you might not even get a viewing."
To this end, the manager advised buyers to have their finances and budget in order.
He continued: "Make sure you have the finances in place to buy a new home by getting a mortgage in principle agreement, which you can show to the agent marketing the property.
"People will try to outbid each other for a great home in a great catchment area, so I’d advise budgeting at least 10 per cent more than the asking price so you have room to move if you do get into a bidding war."
Finally, Alex said buyers need to consider their future needs.
He said: "If you’re moving to an area to get your child or children into a good primary school, try to think ahead to the future and think about the secondary school it feeds into.
"If you can buy in an area that is within the catchment area of both a primary and secondary school, it means you won’t have to move again to secure a high school place when the time comes to apply."
Got a story? Email me Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk
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