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Tag: Manchester
Manchester remains the No.1 UK city on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual Global Liveability Survey for the 9th consecutive year, trumping London and underlining a continued demand by people to live and work there.
Manchester has once again clinched this year’s No. 1 spot of Most Liveable City in the UK, for its ninth year running.
The Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual Global Liveability Survey rated 140 of the world’s largest cities based on factors such as education, social stability, education, infrastructure and access to healthcare.
The survey paints a picture of the appeal and desirability of Manchester as a place to live and work.
The focus of those looking at UK Property Investment: one of England’s rising stars, Manchester is undergoing huge economic growth and transformation, drawing young talents and businesses into its arms, and spurring an ever-increasing demand for housing in the city.
On behalf of the developer, we provide you with the latest images and information as of January 2019 from The Residence construction site in Manchester, a UK property investment opportunity. Kindly click on the image below to access and flip through the update.
FLASHBACK: The Residence – UK Property Investment Opportunity
The Residence is only a few minutes’ walk from Manchester City Centre. It sits at the doorstep of Spinningfields (The Canary Wharf of the North), Manchester’s main shopping and commercial district and Deansgate, the financial district of the city. The Residence occupies a prominent position within the stunning new £400 million Greengate Masterplan Project and, upon completion, will be one of the tallest residential buildings in the city, making it highly desirable for tenants. The regeneration of Greengate is expected to unlock £400 million of investment over the next 15 years.
CSI Prop proudly promotes international investment property with high yields at low risk. Our portfolio comprises residential property in cities across the United Kingdom (London, Luton, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Glasgow, Scotland; Sheffield, etc); Australia (Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane) and Thailand (Bangkok). Our projects are concentrated in high-growth areas with great educational, infrastructural and job growth potentials. We aspire to make a difference in the lives of our clients by helping them achieve their investment goals through strong market research backed by third party experts.
Disclaimer: CSI Prop does not provide tax & legal advice and accepts no liability. Readers are encouraged to consult a qualified tax or legal advisor for a thorough review.
Need advice or clarification? Call us for more information and/or to find out about our projects / UK Property Investment Opportunities! Hotline: 03-2162 2260 (MY); +65 3163 8343 (SG)
UK rents are expected to increase by 15% over the next 5 years, according to research by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
The survey observed that smaller landlords were quitting the buy-to-let sector, affecting supply. “A reduced pipeline of supply will gradually feed through to higher rents,” RICS Chief Economist Simon Rubinsohn said.
Meanwhile, the supply of rental property in the UK continues to fall. In 2017, buy-to-let properties were sold at a rate of only 3,800 a month, leading to the first drop in the number of homes available to rent in 18 years, according to the latest report from the Ministry of Housing.
In total, the number of privately rented homes in England fell by 46,000 last year — the largest reduction since 1988.
The drop is attributed to the UK Government’s recent tax measures which, among others, increased stamp duty and reduced landlord relief claims against mortgage interest. The stamp duty changes have made it more expensive to purchase a buy-to-let property, and tax relief is set to drop further yearly until the 2020-21 tax year.
These changes have made it less profitable for UK landlords, especially those on a mortgage, to rent out their properties. House prices have also grown faster than rents, prompting many landlords to exit the sector. Trade association UK Finance highlighted a 19% fall in new mortgages approved for buy-to-let homes in the UK.
Demand continues to rise, and rents are expected to spiral over the next few years. This points the way towards the purpose-built rental sector as a replacement for the traditional buy-to-let properties, which are often older houses on the outskirts of city centres, geared toward owner-occupiers.
Still, rental properties located in prime city centre locations remain attractive to young working professionals who are unable to purchase their own homes. These rental properties are set to rise in the face of dwindling buy-to-lets.
Developing cities in the UK regions like Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool are growing quickly, and properties in the city centre offer access to business opportunities, employment, and entertainment demanded by a modern working lifestyle.
While interest rates remain low, investors looking towards the UK can thus take advantage of the shortage in supply for rental properties, investing in prime locations in developing cities where the demand is the highest.
Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham are the best places to invest in the UK. Click on the hyperlinks embedded into the cities if you want to learn more. If you are interested to explore investing in regional UK property for high returns, don’t hesitate to give us a call at +65 3163 8343 (Singapore), +603 2162 2260 (Malaysia), or email us at info@csiprop.com!
By Ian Choong
Edited by Vivienne Pal
Sources:
- https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/interestrates/uk-property-rents-to-rise-15-over-next-5-years-rics-1027444780
- https://static.halifax.co.uk/assets/pdf/mortgages/pdf/August-2018-House-Price-Index.pdf
- https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/buytolet/article-5771875/Landlords-offload-4-000-buy-lets-MONTH.html
- https://www.savills.co.uk/blog/article/243068/residential-property/buy-to-let-landlords-face-falling-yields.aspx
- Featured image: alfahir.hu
Manchester has chalked up yet another feather in its cap. The northern city now ranks among the world’s top 10 most popular cities for global investment, according to IBM’s latest Annual Report on Global Location Trends.
The report, IBM’s eleventh, tracked the movement of investment flows and its impact on economic growth around the world. This latest accolade adds credence to Manchester’s track record as one of the fastest-growing cities in the UK.
Along with Liverpool, Manchester attracted 68 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in 2017, beating other global cities like Toronto and Barcelona. Specialisms in cyber security, FinTech and advanced materials helped the city bring the largest number of investments into the UK, second to London.
The report echoes the EY Attractiveness Survey UK 2017/18 which ranked Manchester as the most successful city to attract FDI outside London. Manchester also retained its place as the UK’s Most Liveable City in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2018 Global Liveability Ranking.
The UK is currently placed fifth in the list of the worlds’ most influential FDI destinations. Britain was also ranked fifth for FDI job creation, with 51,500 new jobs born out of these global investments. Manchester and Liverpool jointly created 7,000 jobs last year.
Tim Newns, Chief Executive of MIDAS, Manchester’s inward investment agency, said: “This report once again confirms Manchester as a globally significant business destination and, together with Liverpool, illustrates the potential of the Northern Powerhouse.
“Greater Manchester is ambitious, visionary and passionate about the future. Billions of pounds are being invested to create inspiring, connected business environments that support innovation and reflect future needs, and ensure that the region continues to be a draw for the world’s most innovative companies and biggest brands.
“Talent is one of the key attractors for global businesses and with student retention figures at an all-time high in Manchester, it is creating an even more compelling case for investment.”
In August, Booking.com, the world’s third largest e-commerce company announced a £100 million investment into a new global HQ in Manchester, with online health and beauty retailer The Hut Group (THG) also announcing plans to move into MediaCityUK.
This weekend, learn how you can invest £75K & GET BACK £190K in 5 YEARS with the POWER OF LEVERAGE! Come for the EXCLUSIVE WORLD LAUNCH of an iconic new residential development in the Manchester city centre – THE CROWN On Manchester’s Skyline. Call +60162288691 to book your seats now!
By Ian Choong
Edited by Vivienne Pal
Sources:
- https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/manchester-foreign-direct-investment-ibm-15103754
- http://www.businesscloud.co.uk/news/tech-giant-bookingcom-to-invest-100m-in-manchester
- Featured image: Prolific North
One billion dollars.
Few can truly grasp the magnitude of that sum of money. But we could try and give you a rough idea in property terms!
With $1 billion, you can get 4585 homes in Manchester at a cost of £166,000* per home. With a rental yield of 5.90% p.a.** and annual capital growth of 7.4% p.a.*, that $1 billion can get you total returns of £2 billion*** in 7.5 years!
*Hometrack, June 2018
**Private Finance
***Total value of asset + 7.4% capital growth + 5.90% annual rental yields over 7.5 years.
Now that’s a whale of an investment! Why just blow it all away when you can put it into a growth asset and double your investment!
Got $1 billion to spare and fancy blowing it on some property? Give us a shout! Or let us know in the comment box below what you would spend your money on!
By Vivienne Pal
Sources
- https://www.hometrack.com/uk/insight/uk-cities-house-price-index/june-2018-cities-index/
- https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/buytolet/article-5315623/Where-invest-buy-let-2018.html
Manchester recorded a 7.0% increase in house price growth compared to London’s dismal 0.4%.
Manchester is England’s top performing city for house price growth, the latest data from Hometrack shows, while London remains on a flatline.
The data comes from the property research firm’s UK Cities House Price index, which tracks housing data across 20 UK cities and regionally.
For house price growth over the last 12 months, Manchester obtained top spot at a cool 7.0% increase followed by Birmingham at 6.5% and Liverpool at 5.9%.
Price growth in London showed no signs of recovery, staying at a stagnant 0.4%.
Across the UK as a whole, prices have gone up by 4.3% over the last 12 months.
Many cities in the Northwest have posted high capital gains over the average for the last 12 months. Yet, there is still much room for growth, as prices remain low, well under the national average.
The average price in Manchester was at £163,200, Birmingham is at a slightly lower £159,800, and Liverpool, at £118,800.
Comparatively, the average price of a home in Britain is £217,400.
Although price growth in London is stagnant, housing in the capital costs more than double the national average, at a whopping £491,200!
Richard Donnell, Insight Director at Hometrack says that the London market is going through a period of price alignment, having posted some very large gains over the past 8 years.
“Over the last 12 months, average prices in London have grown by just under 1%. This is much lower than the annual average growth of 9% over the last 5 years. These averages mask a wide range of house price growth at a sub market level. Actually, house prices are falling across a third of London’s local authority areas.”
Homes in the capital have become unaffordable for many people after years of surging prices, while wage growth remains meagre and lenders apply tougher mortgage criteria.
However, the price gap between regional cities and the capital is narrowing.
Hometrack expects the gap in prices between London and other UK cities to close further over the next two years. This follows a similar pattern from 2002 to 2005 when London house price growth was relatively weak compared with the rest of the country, after a period of surging prices from 1996 to 2000.
Richard says, “We expect house prices to keep rising across regional cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh over the next two to three years. During this time house price growth in London will remain flat, with annual price rises of approximately 0-2%. As a result, the gap between house prices in cities outside of the south-east and house prices in London will continue to contract.”
Manchester and Birmingham are expected to be the first cities to move closer to London prices, with demand for housing likely to be boosted by strong job growth. They are forecast to return towards average prices being around half of those in the capital compared to a third today.
“The level of house price inflation seen in large regional cities during the last peak, between 2000 and 2003, gives a good indication of how much prices may rise this time around. If history is to repeat itself and these cities are to get back to where they were, then prices could increase by as much as 20-25%,” Richard adds.
This weekend, learn how you can invest £75K & GET BACK £190K in 5 YEARS with the POWER OF LEVERAGE! Come for the EXCLUSIVE WORLD LAUNCH of an iconic new residential development in the Manchester city centre – THE CROWN On Manchester’s Skyline. Call +60162288691 to book your seats now!
By Ian Choong
Sources:
- https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/jun/29/london-house-price-growth-at-nine-year-low-amid-edinburgh-and-manchester-spurt
- https://www.hometrack.com/uk/insight/uk-cities-house-price-index/may-2018-cities-index/
Birmingham is a fast developing city, supercharged by regeneration and transport improvements (Source: Paradise Birmingham)
Two-thirds of buyers still work in the capital, and transport links are what enable them to live away from London. Larger homes are cheaper to find away from the capital, and, with improvements to the public transport networks, many prefer the larger living space, despite having to take a longer commute to work.
Migration out of London is at its highest ever level. The number of Londoners in their 30s leaving the capital has risen by 27% over the past 5 years, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Unsurprisingly, the most popular destinations for these leavers are concentrated around London’s commuter belt.
Savills data shows that 14% of all their new home buyers across the UK were moving from London in the last 3 years, with 39% of them upsizing to a larger property. Between 2015 and 2017, the average new build home bought by a Londoner was 14% larger than a home bought by someone moving from elsewhere.
Two-thirds of buyers still work in the capital, and transport links are what enable them to live away from London. Larger homes are cheaper to find away from the capital, and many prefer the larger living space, despite having to take a longer commute to work.
Transport improvements trigger higher demand
Transport has a key role to play in the delivery of new homes. As people look to move to a new area, a transport hub can fuel residential demand and, consequently, house price growth.
Train stations that have seen the largest increase in passenger use over the last two years are those that have seen larger volumes of new homes delivered. Areas such as these have, on average, seen house price growth that is 5% higher than neighbouring areas over the past five years.
As people continue to move out of London, improvements to infrastructure can provide an opportunity for developers to take advantage of the demand for new homes in commuter locations.
Commuter belt hotspots
Over the past 2 years, stations that saw the largest increase in passenger use were those within a 19- to 39-minute journey from a central London terminal. These are also the markets which have seen the largest increase in secondhand sale prices over the past five years – an average of 44% against the average for England and Wales of 20%.
Some of the highest increases in passenger use were in lower-value locations in the Home Counties such as Ebbsfleet, Apsley and Luton – areas on the cusp of higher-value ones. As affordability in the capital becomes more stretched, we expect these up-and-coming locations to remain popular with London movers, particularly if they are located on new or improving lines such as HS1 or the Midland mainline.
Beyond the commuter belt
Hotspots beyond traditional London commuter locations have already benefited from infrastructure improvements.
The upgrade of Birmingham New Street, for example, has seen a 33% increase in passenger use since 2015, while house prices within 2km of the station have increased by 44% over the past five years.
Ahead of High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) at Curzon Street station, there has been significant investment in the regeneration of Birmingham city centre. This has fuelled commercial investment from companies such as Deutsche Bank and HSBC, and has helped to support residential demand and subsequent house price growth.
This is also rippling out into markets surrounding Birmingham. Rugby, Coventry and Long Buckby have all seen an increase in commuters of between 18% and 19% while house prices have increased by 35%, 46% and 67% respectively over the past five years.
New residential developments in the city are attractive to investors as a result. One example is Arden Gate which is located in the prime city central area. These luxury apartments are only a few minutes away from the central New Street train station, close to entertainment, shopping centres, and major businesses, including the HSBC HQ. Currently the developer is offering a 6% rental assurance for the first 12 months. Prices start from £182,950, with up to 70% financing available.
Up in the Northern Powerhouse, Transport for the North (TfN) which became England’s first sub-national transport body in April revealed a £70bn 30-year plan that includes the Northern Powerhouse Rail. Under the plan, new lines and upgraded existing lines will be linked to the HS2, increasing connectivity between the North’s largest cities and enhancing opportunities for both workers and investors alike.
The ripple is taking effect for, as a direct consequence, Manchester’s Piccadilly station and its surrounding areas will be overhauled. This could be the start of a series of more overhauls across the Northern Powerhouse.
Outlook
The ripple effect of Londoners moving to the commuter belt is expected to gain momentum. Occupiers searching for more space are likely to bring London’s equity with them and will be targeting markets with the quickest links to the capital. These include established prime locations and up-and-coming areas which are more affordable than its surroundings.
This ripple effect will be expected to move beyond London’s commuter zone to markets in the Midlands and the North. House prices there have risen more in line with wages, and therefore remain more affordable. The most capacity for growth will likely be there over the next few years.
The strong local economy and infrastructure investment will remain catalysts for residential demand and house price growth. The £1.7 billion Transforming Cities Fund will provide funding for improved connectivity in areas such as Greater Manchester, Cambridgeshire, the West Midlands and Liverpool City Region.
What do you think about transport improvements driving house prices? Drop us a comment below. If you’re interested to take advantage of transport improvements in the pipeline, and invest in property in the UK regional cities, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 03-2162 2260, or email us at info@csiprop.com.
Article by Ian Choong
Sources:
- https://www.savills.co.uk/research_articles/229130/228279-0
- https://csiprop.com/uk-government-continues-focus-northern-powerhouse/
- https://www.buyassociation.co.uk/2018/05/15/transport-for-the-north-will-unleash-new-opportunities-outside-london/
- https://www.buyassociation.co.uk/2018/03/15/hs2-northern-powerhouse-rail-transform-manchester-piccadilly/
The 2018 Oscars was, in its own way, an homage to British history and talent, following the announcement of several British winners.
For as long as you and I have been alive, the UK has been a superpower. The expanding crosses of the Union Jack seem to be mirrored by Britain’s far-reaching hands of success into pretty much every industry: education, manufacturing, culture, fashion and more. And, if the 90th Academy Awards is anything to go by, then Britain’s film industry has surely demonstrated its triumph in the form of several golden statuettes.
The 2018 Oscars was, in its own way, an homage to British history and talent, following the announcement of several British winners.
Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan’s depiction of the Dunkirk evacuation in World War II, managed to scoop three out of seven awards it was nominated for, which are Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.
Following in Dunkirk’s success is Darkest Hour, a British war drama regarding Winston Churchill’s account of his early days as Prime Minister during World War II. For this, English actor Gary Oldman won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Winston Churchill while Kazuhiro Tsuji took the award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Phantom Thread, a film set in the glamour of the 1950’s British fashion scene, most deservingly received Best Costume Design while The Silent Child, a British short film, took the award for Best Short Film (Live Action).
Oscars 2018 Proves UK is Home to Great Talent
The Oscars this time around, most definitely proved the UK is home to many talented artists and a thriving film industry — Christopher Nolan, director of Dunkirk amongst many other famous movies, revealed in Total Film that he was adamant that all of the cast be British for Dunkirk, which, evidently, worked out well in terms of film success and historical accuracy. Nolan himself was raised in Westminster, UK, crediting his own trip across the channel to Dunkirk and his knowledge of Britain’s rich history, for inspiring him to make the film.
Inspiration for the Darkest Hour came quite the same way, with the film’s equally decorated English director, Joe Wright being enamoured by Winston Churchill, and his interesting leadership qualities.
It goes without saying how important the filming locations were in bringing historical movies such as the Darkest Hour to life. Manchester, the second largest city in the UK, was featured heavily in the movie. Permission to film in Manchester Town Hall and John Rylands Library in the University of Manchester, which doubled for a World War II-era House of Parliament, provided the crew of the Darkest Hour the perfect solution to their location hunt.
Location manager Joe Cairns, explains, “We were met with such a warm welcome and the ease of filming at both busy city centre locations made the production’s experience in Manchester an extremely positive one. To now have Screen Manchester, which is the dedicated film office for the City of Manchester, further develops the city’s strong commitment to supporting film & TV production and the clear understanding of the huge investment it can add to the local economy.”
Screen Manchester was recently established as the city’s official film office, to support location filming in the area. Along with Manchester’s brand new film office are many other film offices and studios spread out across the country, proving that the UK has a good eye for spotting industries that provide great returns.
Not surprisingly, Manchester is home to the fastest-growing creative industry in the UK outside London, with some 48,515 people working in industries such as design, film and TV, publishing and architecture. Many defining achievements in science and technology come from Manchester, too. It is where the world’s first IVF baby was conceived, where they split the atom and isolated graphene.
Manchester’s staggering development makes it an attractive place for investors looking for the next big thing to invest in. With all this economic progress happening in Manchester (and most of the UK, as proven with a little more research) one would be regretful not to take a look at the UK’s booming property market following high demand for more housing spaces. Should your interests extend beyond the Oscars and into real estate, please feel free to contact us. We can definitely help you with that!
What did you think about the Oscars 2018? Do you agree that the UK has much talent? Share with us your thoughts in the comment box below!
By Nimue Wafiya
Source:
bcnews.go.com/Entertainment/director-christopher-nolan-tells-inspired-dunkirk/story?id=48772403
http://collider.com/bruno-delbonnel-interview-darkest-hour/
https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/news/broadcasting/2018/01/manchester-looms-large-darkest-hour
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/manchester-fastest-growing-creative-industry-14295016
csiprop.com/manchester-original-modern-city
csiprop.com/uk-property-outlook-2018
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CSI Prop proudly promotes international investment property with high yields at low risk. Our portfolio comprises residential and commercial property including student accommodation and carehomes, in cities across the United Kingdom (London, Luton, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Glasgow, Scotland; Sheffield, etc) and Australia (Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane). Our projects are concentrated in high-growth areas with great educational, infrastructural and job growth potentials. We aspire to make a difference in the lives of our clients by helping them achieve their investment goals through strong market research backed by third party experts.
Disclaimer: CSI Prop does not provide tax & legal advice and accepts no liability. Readers are encouraged to consult a qualified tax or legal advisor for a thorough review.
Need advice or clarification? Call us for more information and/or to find out about our projects! Hotline: 03-2162 2260