Rapid increase in Londoners looking to relocate to North

As costs to live in London continue to rise and remote working becomes the norm, the trend in people moving to the North of England for more affordable and comfortable living shows no signs of slowing.

Duet Salford Quays, has seen traffic to its Manchester-based lettings website rise significantly since the start of the pandemic, with the rate of London-based web users increasing by 189% in October 2020, compared to the same month the previous year.

Beyond the difference in rent and the travel costs in the two cities, the ease of transport from Manchester to surrounding cities, such as Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield, adds an additional incentive for Londoners and businesses looking to make the move up north.

With the population of Manchester’s city centre set to double in the next five years, the newest More. Build to rent (BTR) development in MediaCityUK,

Duet’s market analysts believe the growing prevalence of the work from home movement could be driving the demand, as the need to work from central London offices continues to dwindle and of course the lower cost of northern living has long been a pull for residents of the capital.

2020 studies suggest that consumer prices in Manchester are now 15% cheaper than London and with a major difference in living costs between the two cities, combined with the increased need for remote working, it’s no surprise that Londoners are being drawn north for a better quality of life.

The average rent of a two-bedroom flat in London’s Canary Wharf comes in at £2,300pcm while rent at Duet Salford Quays, which many believe to be Manchester’s answer to Canary Wharf, costs as little as £1,080pcm for a two-bed apartment.

A 28-day Metrolink tram ticket for unlimited travel between zones 1-3 in Manchester costs just £84.20. In London however, travelling on the tube twice a day at peak times for 28 days between zones 1-3 costs more than double this amount, at roughly £184.80, and this cost excludes any additional weekend or leisure travel.

Jay Hofman, aged 33, a Data Activist who relocated from London to Manchester’s Duet Salford Quays in August 2020, comments: “I’ve spent years living all over the world, from Europe to London to LA and finally decided it was time to find somewhere to settle.

“Between so many major tech firms moving to Manchester, having friends here, the great music and social scene and the overall cost of living, the city felt like the perfect fit. I was paying £2,500 for a two bed flat in Canary Warf and I was worried that I might miss that aspect of living in London, but actually living by Salford Quays is really reminiscent of Canary Warf – although the water is a lot cleaner here!

“My apartment in Duet is also exactly what I wanted, I ran an algorithm with certain criteria to help me pick areas and apartment buildings that met my needs and I really haven’t been disappointed. The décor and furniture in the flat are my style exactly and it’s great having a view out over the communal garden. I’m a big fan of having an onsite gym and the Duet App is really helpful.

“The easy access routes into the city, as well as being on the doorstep of MediaCityUK, make Manchester a great city to call home at last. With everything I need for my work at Duet, like communal working spaces, high speed WIFI and bookable conference rooms, it just makes living and working so much easier and I wonder why I spent so many years putting up with the cramped living spaces of London apartments.”