Manchester Buy-to-Let Property
Considering investing in the UK property market? Here’s why Manchester should be on your investment radar.
With a population of over half a million, a rich cultural heritage, and a cosmopolitan feel to rival any city in Europe, Manchester is quickly becoming one of the prime property investment spots in the UK. It’s no wonder that Manchester was voted the third best city in the world in 2021 and the second friendliest city in the world!
From its range of exceptional employment opportunities and thriving culture, to its outstanding growth projections and exciting regeneration projects – here’s why you should invest in Manchester property in 2023.
Featured Development
Off-Plan investment opportunity
Northern Quarter, Manchester
Launching Soon
- Prime Manchester city centre location
- 85% price growth reported over the past 10 years
- 1 & 2 bed apartments just 5-minutes from Manchester Piccadilly
- Located in Manchester’s trendiest neighbourhood – The Northern Quarter
- Projected rental yields up to 8%
- JLL predicts 19.3% price growth and 21.6% rental growth by 2027
Prices From
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Why Invest in Manchester Buy-to-Let in 2023: Demand
With some of the most revered educational institutions in the country being located in Manchester, it’s no surprise that demand for property is high. 100,000 students are enrolled across the city, producing 36,000 graduates every year. Better yet, 46% of these graduates choose to stay in Manchester after their degrees have been completed, creating a consistent flow of talent into the city that increases demand year after year.
The city’s student population is not the only demographic keeping demand for Manchester property high – with an abundance of regional investment in Manchester being carried out, and with plenty more projects in the pipeline, more and more people are coming to Manchester. With 500 jobs being created from the Manchester Airport transformation, 20,000 at Atom Valley, and 1,000 at Cloud Imperium Games. The ongoing HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Initiative works are also creating thousands of local job opportunities that will create long-term careers pertaining to the upkeep of this new infrastructure.
Why Invest in Manchester Buy-to-Let in 2023: Rental Yields
Buy-to-let investors will benefit from exceptional yields across Manchester city and the broader metropolitan area, with yields being consistently high. The average UK rental yield is 4.71%, which Manchester consistently exceeds. Fallowfield and Rusholme, just to the south of the city centre, achieve yields of up to 9.5%. Similarly, Openshaw to the east of the city centre achieves average yields of 7.8%. As for the city core itself, M1, M2 and M3 postcodes can achieve yields of up to 5.6%.
Aside from having great yields, Manchester properties are relatively cheap to purchase, making them a great option for new and experienced buy-to-let investors. The average property in Manchester as of December 2022 costs £220,000, which is over £40,000 cheaper than the average property in the UK, and over £75,000 cheaper than the average city property. Despite this, Manchester property is experiencing impressive growth, with Zoopla recording year-on-year growth across the Manchester market of over 8% – as such, we don’t expect property prices in the city to remain low for much longer, making now the best time to invest.
Why Invest in Manchester Buy-to-Let in 2023: Culture
Local culture in Manchester is second to none – whether you’re looking to attend a sports game, delve into some local history, or explore the best that British nightlife has to offer, Manchester has it all. There truly is something for everyone: families will enjoy the city’s many museums, namely the Science and Industry Museum and Manchester Museum. Students and younger locals will appreciate Manchester’s thriving club culture at The Printworks, vibrant music scene and bustling LGBT nightlife found on Canal Street. Sports fans will undoubtedly be familiar with Manchester’s renowned football teams and famous cricket ground at Old Trafford, bringing the nation’s biggest sporting events to your doorstep. Lastly, Manchester’s retail culture offers something for everyone – whether you’re looking for big brands at the Trafford Centre or Arndale, or on the hunt for your new favourite independent shop in the Northern Quarter.
Why Invest in Manchester Buy-to-Let in 2023: Capital Growth
The residential sales market in Manchester is markedly more affordable than other cities, especially when compared to London. Despite the abundance of opportunity, redevelopment and growth that this northern city is experiencing, property prices remain reasonable in Manchester – the average home is sold for £215,700, which is less than half of London’s average. This is despite an annual change in property prices of +9% in Manchester – the second-highest surge in property prices in the UK. With such fast property price growth in Manchester, likely informed by the impressive regeneration projects and opportunities available in the city, investors are advised to consider investing sooner rather than later to avoid inflated house prices in the coming years.
Furthermore, the city experienced the largest boost in rental prices over 2022, with annual rents being raised by an average of 15.6%. This is far beyond comparable cities, with fellow northern cities Leeds and Newcastle seeing 11% and 10.5% boosts respectively. In this regard, Manchester is achieving the most impressive rental price growth in the UK. This is only set to continue, with JLL predicting that the city will experience 19.3% further price growth and 21.6% rental growth by 2027, the highest forecasts across all UK cities considered in the latest report – excellent news for those asking ‘why invest in Manchester buy-to-let property in 2023’
Why Invest in Manchester Buy-to-Let in 2023: Business
Large and small businesses can thrive in Manchester, with large tech businesses like Klarna and Microsoft, as well as giants such as Siemens, Amazon, Kellogg’s and Unilever all having bases in the city. BBC and ITV also have studios in the city, making it a particularly important place for British media culture and television production. Manchester was also named the best place for small businesses in 2021, with local traders thriving across the city and making up a significant amount of the 22,850 enterprises that base themselves in the greater metropolitan area.
Job opportunities are abundant thanks to regeneration in city, which is set to accelerate GVA in Greater Manchester by 2.4% per year, which far exceeds the national average. This could create over 260,000 jobs in the broader metropolitan area, to be met by a projected population increase of 295,700. With each of these prospective employees requiring local housing, there is no better time to invest in the Manchester buy-to-let market.
Featured Development
Off-Plan investment opportunity
Northern Quarter, Manchester
Launching Soon
- Prime Manchester city centre location
- 85% price growth reported over the past 10 years
- 1 & 2 bed apartments just 5-minutes from Manchester Piccadilly
- Located in Manchester’s trendiest neighbourhood – The Northern Quarter
- Projected rental yields up to 8%
- JLL predicts 19.3% price growth and 21.6% rental growth by 2027
Prices From
£
Why Invest in Manchester Buy-to-Let in 2023: Regeneration
As the second largest city region economy in the UK coming second only to London, Manchester has an impressive GVA of £74.85 billion, making it a prime hub for investment. Many public spaces and key business hubs are already beginning to benefit from investment in the region – Piccadilly Gardens is being made more accessible with its own interchange which is anticipated to fuel £30 million of investment into the commercial core of the city. A new arts centre and two public squares are under construction at The Factory and will create a new commercial hub for media and creative industries in Manchester. Lastly, 155 hectares of brownfield land is being rejuvenated to create the Northern Gateway which seeks to create affordable housing on otherwise dilapidated grounds, thereby creating a catalyst for further growth.
The regional economy is expected to receive an even bigger boost from the construction of HS2 at Manchester Piccadilly which will not only create 40,000 jobs but will strengthen the infrastructure that connects Manchester to the rest of the UK. London will be just 71 minutes away – a reduction in travel time by almost an hour – and Birmingham will be reached within 41 minutes, which is half the existing travel time. Similarly, the HS2 station set for construction at Manchester Airport is anticipated to create 20,000 jobs and will make Manchester more accessible to the rest of the globe thanks to its swift and easy international travel connections.
Investment is also taking place on a local level, namely with the investment into the Northern Powerhouse. This initiative will create greater connectivity between towns and cities in the north, making the region an even better place to live, work and invest. With one-quarter of the north’s population being part of Greater Manchester, and 27% of all jobs in the north being situated in Manchester, much of the Northern Powerhouse’s funding pertains directly to Manchester itself. The city will become even better connected to other northern cities such as Leeds, Hull, Newcastle, Liverpool and York, whilst simultaneously being more accessible to smaller towns that may otherwise find Manchester inaccessible with existing travel facilities. This investment will make Manchester an even more viable place to live, work and visit, thereby boosting the local economy, driving growth, and bolstering the already strong property market.
Why Invest in Manchester Buy-to-Let in 2023: Overseas Investors
For those looking to invest in the UK from overseas, Manchester is an excellent location to consider in 2023. Investors from the UAE, South Africa and South East Asia can take advantage of exceptional potential growth, within a stable market that has experienced steady and sustainable yields for the past decade.
For more information on investing in Manchester buy-to-let property in 2023 from overseas, talk to our expert international team today, or explore our dedicated international investor hubs here.