UK property market conditions from a decade ago are not forecast to return for the foreseeable future.(1) If you are interested in investing in the UK property market, now might be the opportunity to do your research and consider what would work best for you.
With the introduction of HS2, a high-speed railway connecting London with the North, The Rugby World Cup, and international investment potential, properties outside of London may become very popular.
A good investment location depends on the investor’s aims and expectations, but normally it is somewhere with good transport links, employment opportunities and a demand for housing. With this in mind, we have researched 5 locations which may be UK property hotspots for London commuters.
1.Birmingham
Birmingham is a great location for families and working professionals, with superb transport links and a busy city centre, it will be the first and only stop northbound for many years while the HS2 is being built.
With the average semi-detached property costing £171,900(2) , a fraction of the cost for a similar property in London (£560,744)(3) and with far more space, we consider that Birmingham may be set to become a popular choice for both UK and overseas investors.
According to property correspondent, Anna White, Birmingham is set to overtake the capital as the UK’s most attractive city for property investment this year, as Asian and American funds buy up more of Britain’s buildings.(4)
Currently it takes approximately 85 minutes to travel from Birmingham to London but once HS2 is complete this journey time will be reduced to under an hour, a far more appealing commute for working professionals. As property in the city becomes more desirable, prices would be set to rise.
Some of the affluent suburbs of Birmingham, such as Edgbaston and Harborne, boast good schools, beautiful rural surroundings and are regarded as prime city addresses.
2. Manchester
Manchester has the largest university population in the country. Both students and young professionals are in abundance. This makes Manchester the ideal buy-to-let location for property investors.(5)
According to Gov.UK, the introduction of HS2 will mean that the standard journey time from Manchester to London will be reduced from over 2 hours to just over an hour and a half. Once phase 2 of the HS2 is complete the standard journey time will be approximately 1 hour. A quicker commute will mean properties outside of the capital may be more desirable, if not more so for young families and working professionals.(6) The average price for a semi-detached property in Manchester is £177,213 according to RightMove.(7)
With lower cost, spacious properties, a demand for student lets and with the development of the HS2, Manchester may be a good place to invest in the North.
3. Ealing Broadway
This thriving, well-established commercial centre,(8) situated in the heart of West London 
boasts excellent transport links as well as high quality development opportunities. Being Europe’s largest industrial area, the average price for a semi-detached is £965,208.(9)
With the prospect of a heavy mansion tax not being levied after a conservative win, high net worth investors may find Ealing Broadway a good location to invest in.
4. Twickenham
Twickenham is located 10 miles Southwest of the Centre of London. The quiet town has a good range of property and makes the perfect location for top-end family homes. With an enviable proximity to the M3, the town boasts superb transport links to Waterloo and Heathrow but is not too noisy, according to Mark Boyle, local property specialist for EstatesDirect.com⁹.
This year Twickenham is to host The Rugby World Cup, which will kick off on the 18th of September 2015. Whether you like rugby or not you can’t ignore the fact that this town will draw in thousands of fans for international games, meaning there will be a demand for rental properties in the area.(10) Currently a semi-detached property will set you back £791,822⁹.
5. Cambridge
A city with more than 40 per cent of residents with degrees,(11) Cambridge is also known as The Silicon Fen. With a total of 31 
colleges and one of the world’s leading research universities (Cambridge retained The Complete University Guide’s number one ranking in the UK in 2015(15), there is a huge rental market here and as a result, rents are high.(12)
Mark Hutchinson, director of the flat and house share site spareroom.co.uk said, “In some of the newest private halls in London, it is not uncommon to see weekly rents of £300 for a room… Luxury high-end accommodation aimed at overseas students with money to spend is a very popular market at the moment.”(13)
The average price for a semi-detached property in Cambridge is around £435,769.(14)
Property Moose is a property crowdfunding platform designed to help investors create a diverse portfolio. Visit www.propertymoose.co.uk to learn more. Property Moose takes no responsibility for this information or for any recommendations or opinions or predictions.
Disclaimer and Legals
Property Moose does not provide any advice in relation to investments and you must rely on your own due diligence before investing. Please remember that property prices can go down as well as up and that all figures, rates and yields are projections only and should not be relied on. If in doubt, please seek the advice of a financial adviser. Your Capital is at risk if you invest. This post has been approved as a financial promotion by Resolution Compliance Limited.
Property Moose is a trading name of Crowd Fin Limited which is an Appointed Representative of Resolution Compliance Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (no: 574048).
Sources
1 http://www.savills.co.uk/resources/5-year-forecast/
2 http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/Birmingham-City-Centre.html
3 http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/London.html
4 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/11345350/Britains-new-property-hotspot-dislodges-London.html
5 http://abodeltd.co.uk/best-area-in-manchester-for-buy-to-let/
6 https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/high-speed-two-limited
7 http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/Manchester.html
8 http://www.ealinginlondon.com/index.htm
9 http://www.londonlovesbusiness.com/property/residential-property/where-to-buy-property-in-london-in-2015-and-2016/9624.article
10 https://twickerati.wordpress.com/2014/11/11/rfu-rugby-world-cup-in-twickenham-community/
11 https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/sites/www.cambridge.gov.uk/files/docs/housing-and-employment-provision-draft-technical-background-paper-may-2012.pdf
12 http://www.newseast.org.uk/news/cambridge-is-among-least-affordable-places-in-uk-
13 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/investment/10273660/The-best-places-to-invest-in-student-property.html
14 http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/Cambridge.html
15 http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/news/academia-research/cambridge-retains-uk%E2%80%99s-top-university-ranking
