Exclusive: How did a semi in Harpurhey sell for £1.8m?

The council says it was ‘market manipulation’. We reveal the curious tale of a dramatic property flip

Dear Millers — sometimes you just get lucky. For weeks, we have been trying to find direct evidence linking a major Manchester property company with a curious transaction involving a semi-detached property in Harpurhey. The transaction was so unusual, it was described by Manchester City Council officers as an example of market “manipulation” in evidence to parliament. Why? Because in July 2020, the property was bought for £575,000, before being sold on for an astonishing £1.8 million on the very same day.

We thought we knew who had “flipped” the property but couldn’t be sure. And then HSPG – a fast-growing property firm founded by two thirtysomething entrepreneurs who became friends at Manchester Grammar School – instructed a top London law firm to write to The Mill, warning that our story was full of inaccuracies. In the process, Harbottle & Lewis – whose past clients include King Charles and Prince William – helpfully provided written confirmation that HSPG was responsible for the de…