Specialist property investor Surrenden Invest has taken data produced by the Office of National Statistics and Zoopla to do some number crunching to gauge what 2019 holds for the housing market.
Strong market touchstones will remain in place after Brexit
On a positive note, it identified that property investors in 2019 should look to key regional cities that will offer ‘Brexit-proof’ investment potential. Underpinning these important metropolitan hotspots is a trend for inner city urban living and growing youthful populations which will provide an ongoing supply of would be homebuyers and tenants.
Surrenden Invest believes that the UK is as prepared as it can be to ensure that property investment continues as business as usual in the year head.
Jonathan Stephens, managing director at Surrenden, said, “Nobody can ever see what the future holds, that’s the case regardless of Brexit. As such, looking ahead to likely investment hotspots is a case of examining the underlying market fundamentals.
“For 2019, that means cities with youthful populations and strong trends for city centre living. The UK’s rental sector is still growing, so 2019’s hotspots will be those areas in which populations are expanding rapidly, and where employment prospects are sound.”
2019 property investment hotspots
By 2041, Birmingham’s population is set to rise by 14.5% reaching 1,313,300; it currently stands at 1,147,300. Already boasting a 65,000-strong student talent pool across five university campuses; the city has the sixth highest graduate retention rate of any city in the UK. As a result, Birmingham benefits from a vast pipeline of future workers and entrepreneurial talent.
In the last five years Birmingham has seen property prices rise by 29.46%.
As the city centre continues to expand the demand for quality new build homes and developments will continue to attract attention; exciting new scheme like Westminster Works in prime locations are and will be, in high demand.
Manchester is mirroring Birmingham’s growth
Manchester is in line to see the population rise by 14.1% increase between 2018 and 2041 with property prices up by over 30 % since 2013. It is already ranked (as part of the Manchester-Liverpool metropolitan region) in IBM’s list of top ten global destinations for foreign direct investment in 2017.
The city is second only to London in terms of its graduate returners running at 58%, as well as its influx of graduates with no prior connection to the city. Amazon chose Manchester as the site of its first Amazon Academy, running a series of programmes and events designed to help hundreds of small, local businesses.
Creative young professionals will be sure to look to future residential developments in the city centre such as Ancoats Gardens, to immerse themselves in Manchester’s community.
Over the next 25 years or so, London’s population is projected to increase by 15.4% which will push up demand for housing across the capital.
Over the past five years London property prices have risen by 32.36%. According to PWC, 60% of Londoners will rent their homes by 2025, with the city’s professionals renting in higher numbers.
Liverpool is on track to experience a population increase of 12.0% between now and 2041 seeing its current population of 495,300 grow to 554,500 in 2041. The city’s booming service sector, healthcare sector and knowledge economy attracts talented young professionals;
42% of Liverpool’s population are under 30 compared with a UK average of 37%.
It is a city driven by youth and an entrepreneurial movement that has accelerated a major regeneration. Centrally located developments such as The Tannery aim to provide contemporary housing within easy reach of Liverpool’s rich cultural scene.
According to Centre for Cities, Newcastle city centre enjoyed population growth of 112% between 2002 and 2015. It projected population in 2041 is 318,100 from 297,400 in 2018.
The massive spike in demand for city centre living is creating a hotbed of innovation within the housing sector, as developments compete to attract a younger generation, who work in the city and want prime housing in the heart of Newcastle.
Student numbers at Newcastle University have shot up by over 70% since 2000, while Northumbria University has seen student numbers expand by over 114% over the same period. With nearly 50,000 students in total, a full sixth of the city’s population is engaged in study with many choosing to remain living in the city after graduating.
Jonathan Stephens, Managing director at Surrenden Invest said:
“Each of these cities has its own distinctive culture, which is drawing in young people who will ultimately contribute to the future success of that city.
“Those working in the housing sector need to respond accordingly, delivering high quality homes in central areas, in order to meet the demand that these young people are driving.”
