First-time buyer transforms 'tired' 1930s south Manchester house into stylish dream home

When buying your first home there are many things to consider, from your budget and deposit to your desired house type and size. But for those who are wanting to work their way up the property ladder, location is often one of the most important factors.

Where you choose to live will often determine your home's value when you sell it in years to come. Buying a doer-upper home in a desirable area is often the best ways that first-time buyers can get a foot on the ladder, whilst almost guaranteeing a good profit later down the line.

Anna Coombe, 33, and her partner managed to snap up a 1930s semi-detached house in sought-after Didsbury for their first home, and have since been putting their own stamp on it. Anna spoke to the Manchester Evening News as part of our Where I Live series, where each week we chat to a different homeowner about their buying journey; the costs involved, and take a look at how they've made their house a home.

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Anna, who is originally from Canada, moved over to the UK in 2014 after meeting her now-husband whilst studying at university here. The couple initially rented down south until her partner got a job offer in Manchester.

“We lived in Peterborough because of my husbands job, but then in spring 2015 he got an offer to work in Manchester and so he took it and we decided to move," Anna told the Manchester Evening News.

"At that time, we had no idea about Manchester in general. We didn't know which areas to look at or where we wanted to live. Luckily we were in a fortuitous position where we had saved a deposit, but house prices were quickly going up so we knew we needed to act fast.

"Because we didn’t