Top ten developments for Manchester commuters

This proud and lively city is a hub with transport links to sought-after suburbs, towns and villages, and buyers are literally pulled in all directions when they are choosing where to live. The delights of Derbyshire's Peak District and the Pennines are close by and Cheshire, the first choice for Premier League footballers, is also on the doorstep. With two main railway stations, a motorway network and a Metrolink tram system, Manchester has fantastic transport links and if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of city life after a long day at work, then the new-build developments around Manchester and Lancashire offer the perfect chance to get away from it all.

The Willows at Stamford Brook from Redrow Homes. If you dream of being part of the Cheshire set, then look no further than Altrincham - the upmarket town, with excellent commuter links, that is a magnet for football stars, and now, thanks to The Willows, new-home buyers. Redrow Homes is offering an opportunity to rub shoulders with the rich and famous at this development of two- and three-bedroom homes. Built on National Trust land at Dunham Massey, the homes will be energy efficient and optimise solar gain and will cost from £169,995 to £244,995.

The Pavilions from Jones Homes. Macclesfield is a little further away but this desirable Cheshire town has excellent motorway links and the train service to Manchester takes less than half an hour. This development of apartments and mews houses within converted magnificent Grade II listed buildings is set in parkland and just minutes from Macclesfield town centre. A two-bedroom mews house costs £199,995.

Icon from David Wilson Homes. South Manchester has the city's most desirable suburbs and fashionable Didsbury is one of the most sought after. It is set to get a tram service to the city centre in 2013, so this David Wilson Homes development could offer a great investment opportunity. The ‘Iota', two-bedroom, two-bathroom homes cost £164,995.

Arcon Village from Redrow Homes. Towns and villages close to the M61 are a favourite with Manchester commuters, and Horwich, a pretty village nestling at the foot of the Pennines near Bolton off junction six, is no exception. Catering to the demand is this selection of new and newly converted properties. The two-, three- and four-bedroom homes cost from £209,995.

Birkacre Park from Miller Homes. Chorley is also just off the M61 and the train to Manchester takes about half an hour, but its biggest boast is this fantastic development, which was nominated for a What House? Award for Best Development. The entrance to this site showcases a beautiful village green with a pond, wooden seating and bandstand. There are two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes and prices range from £149,950 to £229,950 with discounts available.

Ramsden Clough from Bovis Homes. Todmorden and Hebden Bridge are enormously popular thanks to their bohemian charm, fantastic independent shops, stunning Pennine countryside, train links straight into Manchester city centre, and now these new homes at Ramsden Clough. Situated in Walsden, close to Todmorden town centre and with its own station on the Manchester line, the exclusive homes include ‘The Portman', a three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouse with garden for £199,995 and a five-bedroom detached house for £329,995.

The Heathers from Jones Homes. Surrounded by rugged moorland, Glossop is the gateway to the Peak District, but at only 13 miles east of Manchester and a half an hour train ride away, it is also the ideal location for commuters. Luckily, this development of luxurious four-bedroom detached homes next to Shirebrook Park start at £272,000 and offer residents the best of both worlds.

Alden Place from PJ Livesey Group. The Rossendale Valley is a hotspot for commuters thanks to the M66, which is on the doorstep, and for those looking to find a property from which to commute this stunning mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in the village of Helmshore doesn't disappoint. Each property has a terrace and balcony plus secure indoor parking; a one-bedroom apartment costs £129,950 and a luxury three-bedroom apartment is £239,950.

Lowfields from Bellway Homes. Milnrow, near Rochdale, is minutes from the M62 and is set to become even more popular with Metrolink plans to extend the tram line from the city centre to this village by spring 2012. With this in mind it could be a good time to snap up a new home, and this beautiful canalside development of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes could provide the perfect property. Prices at Lowfields range from £99,950 to £209,950, while the three-bedroom ‘Hamilton' costs £114,707 with Bellway's Sharp Start scheme, in which Bellway supplements the purchaser's 5 per cent deposit with a 15 per cent interest-free loan for the first five years.

Copper Wells from Countryside Properties. East of Bury, which is just a short motorway drive or train or tram journey into Manchester, lies Heywood and this new development of three- and four-bedroom homes that are ready to move into. Shared equity and part-exchange deals are available and prices start at £140,208 for the three-bedroom ‘Ashop', for an 85% share; a four-bedroom house is £194,950.

'The Portman' three-bedroom townhouse at Bovis Homes' Ramsden Clough
development in Walsden near Manchester is priced at £199,995