First-time buyer transforms dated £225,000 Victorian terrace into Instagrammable pastel-coloured pad

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

First-time buyers often gravitate towards areas of Greater Manchester known for being more affordable. In the 'cheaper' boroughs - such as Bolton, Rochdale and Oldham - you're usually much more likely to find a reasonably-priced home, getting you on the property ladder much for easily.

But you can find a few good bargains in 'expensive' parts of the region - if you know where and what to look for. First-time buyers Imogen Woodage and her fiancé bought a two-bed terrace in the sought-after area of Sale, Trafford, for £225,000 - a steal compared to the average price of £329,395 for similar properties there.

Imogen, 30, spoke to the Manchester Evening News as part of our Where I Live series. Each week, we chat to a different homeowner about their buying journey; the costs involved; and take a look how they've renovated their house to make it a home. READ MORE: 'We had to pay a full year of our £1,150 a month rent upfront to get our flat in Manchester' Interior designer Imogen met Alex eight-years-ago at work.

She was living with her parents in Altrincham while she saved up to get on the property ladder. In 2018, the pair began their search for their first home. “We didn’t really know what we wanted so we viewed a real mix of houses from new builds to older houses.