The Redrow houses, as nice as they look, aren't in a great place. Right on the Saddle Juntion, opposite Asda, and the timber they're decorating some of the houses with looks great now, but will look terrible in a couple of years.
But that's just my opinion - Redrow's build quality is generally very good as is their after-sales service. I would, however, exercise a little bit of caution buying brand new in this market as you tend to pay a premium for new houses which is lost as soon as you move in. You'd need to stay there a few years to break even, I reckon. They're also hard to sell on in the first three or so years - why would you pay more to buy a house that someone's already lived in, when you can buy something identical but brand new?
In terms of where the best place to live is, it really is a matter of opinion and of what is important to you. Invariably the 'best' places are the most expensive, so if you only have, say, £100k / £450pcm a month to spend, thenrather than looking at places like Orrell, Standish, Billinge etc (because you won't get very much for your money, especially if you have kids and need the space), you're probably better looking in Winstanley or Hawkley Hall.
Similarly it depends on if you want to travel or commute, and if so, where, and what local facilities are important to you, if any.
