With signs of recovery in the property market, now is the time to invest. Graham Norwood suggests the 10 best places to buy in the UK
1 Kent
This is an easy domestic winner for one reason – transport. Commuter favourites such as Sevenoaks are now vying for attention with new hot spots including Ebbsfleet (just 17 minutes to London’s St Pancras). New fast services will soon link the capital with hard-to-reach locations such as Folkestone and Ramsgate, where you can still buy a family house for £200,000. Kent’s villages are beautiful, but if you want to make money choose a more functional property in an urban location which can be rented to commuters. Kent Estate Agencies (01227 463344; www.kent-estate-agencies.co.uk).
2 Milton Keynes
Forget concrete cows and roundabouts – these days MK is all about housing. It is London’s official overspill town, with quick rail and road links to the capital. There are new suburbs being built that do not stick to MK’s Stalinist grid system, too. Spend £150,000 and you will have secured a good apartment to let. Astley Sharpe estate agency (01908 571555;www.astleysharpe.co.uk).
3 Exeter
It’s on the M5, has new business parks and an airport that is Flybe’s main hub. The university is highly rated and the city’s rugby team is in the premiership. A prime-location one-bedroom apartment costs about £130,000 and two beds is approximately £175,000. What’s not to like? Whitton & Laing (01392 259395; www.whittonandlaing.com).
4 Aberdeenshire
Aberdeen has always been rich thanks to its oil, but now the region has been voted as having the best quality of life in Scotland. “It scores highly on several indicators such as health, life expectancy, employment, average earnings, school results and climate,” says Nitesh Patel, survey author for the Bank of Scotland. Around £250,000 will get you a small house. Bain Property Agency (0845 337 6907; www.bainprop.co.uk).
5 Corby
A decade ago it was known for £30,000 homes, high unemployment and a higher crime rate. Now it has a regenerated centre, a new swimming pool and theatre.
And, crucially, there is a rail link to London. Homes now start at £90,000 and post-recession this place will fly. Yates Walker (01536 261666;www.yateswalker.co.uk).
6 Yorkshire market towns
Northallerton, Skipton, Immingham and the rest offer low-cost homes (apartments from £70,000) ripe for investment and improvement. “Market towns command a significant premium. They’re often attractive for those looking to more idyllic surroundings without sacrificing important amenities,” says Martin Ellis from the Halifax. Dacre, Son & Hartley (01274 560421; www.dacres.co.uk).
7 Basingstoke
A three-bedroom family house for £190,000 or an apartment for under £100,000 this close to London and near a mainline station? It is possible, and the town also hosts many private corporations’ British bases, so may resist the public sector cuts.
Barons (01256 840111; www.baronsestateagents.co.uk).
8 Oxford
It’s not cheap but this city remains resilient to the downturn. North Oxford houses (up to £1.5 million) are popular for schools. Smaller homes to the east (up to £500,000) are closer to the M40. Chancellors (0800 454 898;www.chancellors.co.uk).
9 Newport
Unglamorous yet sought-after by renters and buyers priced out of more fashionable Cardiff down the road. The riverside has been sexed-up and plans are afoot for a new centre. You can find a good house for £160,000 here, or a new apartment for £125,000. Roberts & Co (01633 267788; www.robertsandcoestateagents.co.uk).
10 Central Birmingham
Right now Birmingham looks like a poor investment. There are too many empty flats and too few buyers plus tenants. But if the controversial High Speed Two (HS2) rail link brings Britain’s second city within just 49 minutes of the capital, then this may turn out to be a shrewd investment.
Birmingham’s city centre is surprisingly cheap. About £200,000 will buy you a top-end flat and £300,000 should secure you an executive house.
A good estate agency to check out is James Lawrence Investments (0121 604 4060; www.jameslaurenceuk.com).
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