With the vagaries of the British summer you have to be able to make the most of the sunny spells whenever they appear. So it’s good to see developers being more innovative when it comes to providing outside space.

Having somewhere to place a table, spread a rug or laze in a deck chair can make all the difference when it comes to enjoying your new home.

In Didsbury, the immaculate conversion of the old Withington Hospital building into new apartments and town houses is complete but the building of the final new block has created something unexpected – a communal green, fringed by mature trees.

It’s reminiscent of one of London’s lush squares with the housing fronting the street and this secret square behind. And it’s not the only unexpected space here. Top floor apartments in the west wing of the original building have wide roof terraces hidden from view from the ground, and the town houses on the opposite side of the green have their own courtyard gardens.

Even the final new build, West Court, has apartments with extra deep terraces and the landscaped entrance with its water feature and planting makes you feel like you are entering an oasis. James Woodmansee is the development director for PJ Livesey, the Manchester based developer. He said: “It is about creating a sense of place and giving residents as much amenity space as possible.

“We always knew that this quadrangle of buildings would enclose a private, mature garden but residents are surprised at its size and the wonderful atmosphere it creates. It really is something very special and something unique to Didsbury Gate.”

Which is probably why 30 of the 46 apartments in West Court have already been sold off plan, a remarkable endorsement given the current state of the market, especially when compared with other new build apartment schemes. Entry level here is £158,000 for a one bed with wide terrace and secure parking, up to £430,000 for one of the two large penthouses at the top of the building.

The other two penthouses have already sold, both to a single buyer who got in early and is having them combined into a single living space that will ultimately be just about the most luxurious apartment in Didsbury.

It is vast – 2,850 sq ft plus a walled terrace that wraps around one side and is probably big enough for a five-a-side kick-about, let alone a barbecue.

James said: “He’s a discerning buyer who wanted our level of finish but on a bigger scale. I think it shows the investment value of a one-off development like Didsbury Gate.”

You can get an idea of the specification at an open weekend this Saturday and Sunday with three properties on show, a one bed apartment, a two bed and the final three bedroom mews house. This mews row, fronting Nell Lane, has caught the attention of a real mix of buyers, including a young Manchester City footballer who had his eye on one but missed out when it went to a cash buyer this week.

It is reassuring that while the world economy and stock markets seem to be in meltdown there are still buyers with the confidence and finances to invest in quality schemes. Maybe at a time of turmoil it is only the security of bricks and mortar that continues to make sense.

The last mews with three beds, two of them en-suite and a roof terrace also has its own courtyard garden backing onto the green square and is for sale at £334,950.

Buyers have also been out at Ordsall, where developers LPC Living have listened to what customers want and they, too, are creating rooftop terraces to their three-storey townhouses.

Marketing manager, Scott Neill, said: “All the feedback is that people want to be able to slide back some doors and step outside, whether that be a courtyard garden, a terrace from the living room or somewhere to sit off the master bedroom, and we have been able to offer this in the latest phase.”

The townhouses here may be on a different scale but they stand opposite the green of a revived Ordsall Park and a quick hop (soon to be assisted by traffic lights) across Trafford Road takes you to MediaCity. The new Morrisons store will open soon, so too the new hotel, and while a recent fire may affect the amount of car parking available for future shoppers in the short term it was contained to the timber shell of a block that will be a parade of shops with housing above. The layout gives a dining kitchen on the ground floor, living room, bathroom and one bedroom on the first floor and the master suite with its roof terrace. Which means you can enjoy long distance views as you sit back with a drink.

Prices for the townhouses  start at £149,950. But LPC have a couple of schemes to help buyers, offering to match a five per cent deposit or their own 85-15 shared equity scheme.

Other properties have terraces overlooking an inner courtyard, and then there is the square of Hulton Square itself which will form a focal outside space for residents and is due to be finished this year.

The transformation of Ordsall is like a vast jigsaw, and while there are still some important pieces yet to go in, like the demolition of the dilapidated shops, the majority are in place and the picture it shows is of a modern neighbourhood linking Manchester to Salford Quays.

It has succeeded in bringing in investment from people with a personal stake in the area and the opening of the store and the hotel and the completion of the townhouses mean that, by Christmas, the picture will almost be complete.

The development pre-dates MediaCity but it has had an impact, with BBC staff liking the value they see on their doorstep ,giving them a route to home ownership they could ever aspire to in the capital.

Scott said: “A new BBC employee, aged 23, bought a one-bed apartment through our launchpad scheme last week and there is no doubt it is helping put this part of Salford on the map in a national level.”

»See the apartments at West Court, Didsbury Gate this weekend, 10am-4pm, Saturday and Sunday. For more information call 0161 448 9676 or www.pjlivesey.co.uk. Show homes at Ordsall are open Thursday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Call LPC Living, 0800 587 8186 or go to www.hultonsq.co.uk or www.radclyffepark.co.uk

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