I have no idea if this will be of interest to anyone. But for those who want to know how I ended up moving from Manchester (my base for the last decade) to Southport, here is a bit of background.
What Lead To The Move?
So in June our fixed rate mortgage on the house we own was coming to an end. In order to get a new deal, we had our house revalued by our mortgage provider. The result of which was that our house was now worth £100k more than we paid for it. This didn’t suddenly make us want to sell up or upscale. It did make us have a gander on the various “house dating” apps out there to see what we can get for our money elsewhere. This led us to an idea where we visit unexplored areas of the North West, walk the dogs and see a house or two whilst in the area. Just window shopping. Nothing serious.
So that’s exactly what we started doing. Booked a viewing of a new build property in Congleton for the Saturday and a period property in Scarisbrick for the Sunday. On seeing the new build we realised that it definitely wasn’t the sort of thing we would want. The next day we explored the Ormskirk area and viewed a 4 bedroom 1920’s semi with a 370ft garden in a rather rural location.
And Yes, you guessed it. We instantly fell in love. The house that seemed far too rural on Google Maps actually offered us a fresh start. A new life in the country away from the hustle and bustle of Manchester centre. We would have all the local amenities, beaches, stations, etc a short drive down the road but have the fresh air and slow pace of life along with it. We came away asking each other “Can we put an offer in without even putting our house on the market yet?”.
We very quickly formulated a plan. Book another viewing and in the meantime get the house on the market with Purple Bricks. So we took photos and wrote a load of blurb for the ad then stuck it live. We visited the house and gave our offer directly to the owner who accepted our offer and seemed ecstatic that he had finally sold the place. Luckily for us we owned a house that was very desirable and sold in just 6 days after 10 viewings and 4 separate offers. Even better was that we made over £100k profit on the place after paying back mortgages etc!
A couple shots of the house and the view from the top
Why The Move?
I have been asked what made us move countless times and as you are probably wondering the same thing, here is a quick breakdown of reasons:
- Both myself and my partner Beki are now self-employed meaning we have no need to be attached to any city for commuting or clients.
- We have two dogs and we’re constantly heading out of the city on weekends and virtually never into the city…ever.
- The housing market and demand for houses with gardens, parking and schools is huge in Manchester meaning we could demand a premium for our house.
- After over a decade living in the city centre I feel like I have done it all. The novelty of things being on my doorstep has been replaced by the convenience of online shopping (read: Amazon Prime).
- Fed up of living in a giant building site. Yes Manchester’s prosperity is a great thing but being in the middle of it is NOT a relaxing environment. Especially in the Ancoats area.
- Traffic and roadworks in the centre were meaning that even people with the flexibility we have been stuck in traffic for 40 minutes just to get out to certain parts of Greater Manchester.
I must admit it was quite daunting going from Manchester city centre to what is quite a rural location between two medium-sized towns (Ormskirk & Southport). Since moving in I have quickly come to realise that I am quite an introvert and don’t need social interaction as much as I first thought. Of course, I like to get out of the house and meet new people etc but I am also really comfortable staying in and pottering about or working. We have Tesco, B&Q, Aldi, LOTS of pubs, petrol stations, marinas, all within 5 minutes drive. We have fast WiFi (crucial when you do what we do for a job). We have no problems receiving countless parcels on a daily basis.
We have now been in a matter of weeks but have already:
- Repainted the whole house,
- Added a brand new stone patio,
- Had the whole kitchen redone including new cabinets and tiling,
- Had the dormer roof retiled,
- Had new blinds installed,
- Installed 3 new sofas and a 100″ projector screen,
- Ordered new UPCV windows,
…We dont wait around.
What Next?
Of course, I will really miss Manchester and my office at Beehive Lofts coworking space. I was based there for over two years, loved the environment and made some good friends. But I was never going to commute an hour just to stay in the space plus a refresh can do great things for your motivation and mental health.
With things settling down on the house front I have now set up my office in Hesketh Mount, Southport, just 7 miles from the new house. I also have a home office to work from when I dont feel like being amongst the bustle and prefer a calmer environment.
A couple of shots of the new office
Nothing has changed with Profoundry and my service offering, client base or geographic restrictions of clients. I still operate a digital marketing consultancy business that aims to help any size or industry business in any location. Technology has always allowed me to have a client base spread internationally and I intend to continue this. I would, however, like to add a small number of local SME’s to my client roster as I love when you can have a very personable relationship with clients and help the businesses that serve your local community.
I will still be in Manchester for the odd meeting and catch up with friends/family. I will still run GRAFT, my Manchester-themed merch business. But my move now opens up new business opportunities in Liverpool, Preston, Southport, Ormskirk etc. Profoundry will continue to thrive despite not being city central.
If you are based in the Merseyside or West Lancashire area and need help with your digital advertising, please get in touch and arrange a coffee with me.