With strong price growth predicted for the regional housing market coupled with ongoing low interest rates, the buy to let market is looking favourable for landlords seeking to invest outside of London. In the South East, house prices are predicted to grow 17% by 2025 according to recent data from Savills compared to 12% in London. One of the hottest regional locations is Winchester where the strong property market has boosted the influx of people relocating to this small but vibrant city. At Knights Quarter close to the heart of Winchester, renowned developer Berkeley is offering an outstanding collection of apartments, penthouses and houses that make an exciting investment opportunity.
Winchester boasts all of the pull factors that attract tenants – a thriving jobs market, good transport links and excellent schools for families with children. And with tenant priorities changing post-Covid, more people are looking to move out of London with better access to the great outdoors. According to Dataloft research, access to a garden or outdoor space has become more important for over two-thirds of tenants, as has broadband speed and the availability of space to work from home, while nearly a third are prepared to pay a premium for access to an on-site gym.
Tenants renting a home at Knights Quarter will have access to tranquil landscaped gardens, a private residents’ gym, on-site concierge services and secure car parking, all within easy walking distance of everything Winchester has to offer. Investors will be assured of strong yields as well as the peace of mind of buying from a high quality housebuilder like Berkeley. The city has seen a 3.6% rental price growth over the past year, a trend that is set to continue.
Ben Annetts, Sales and Marketing Director at Berkeley Homes Southern, comments: “Winchester’s rental sector is robust and attracts a wide variety of tenants reflecting the city’s flourishing nature. Investors will find much better potential here than in London with market conditions indicating strong growth in the next few years and the cost of borrowing made easier by historic low interest rates. The homes at Knights Quarter are conveniently located within easy reach of the station, city centre and green spaces ticking all of the boxes for tenants that want convenience and an excellent quality of life. We understand that tenants’ needs are evolving especially in light of the pandemic and that those renting new build properties are particularly discerning but our flexible, high specification properties are carefully designed to suit different lifestyles.”
Job opportunities in Winchester are booming and the employment centres of Southampton and Portsmouth also close by, meaning this sought after place to live is continuing to rise in popularity. The city is is ranked in the top 7% in the UK for its economic growth potential, attracting workers from many professional industries especially technology and bringing many new residents to the area.
Knights Quarter is set in an elevated position with views across Winchester’s historic city centre and convenience is a key factor. It is ideally located just a short walk from Winchester station from where direct train services into London Waterloo take around an hour. The city centre shops, restaurants and other attractions are also a ten minute walk away, making life easy for tenants. Properties come in a wide range of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, penthouses and four and five-bedroom townhouses. Carefully designed communal spaces will help create a sense of community bringing residents together.
When it comes to interiors, those renting a new build property are nearly twice as likely to consider the quality and design features of the building according to the Dataloft findings, and the homes at Knights Quarter do not disappoint. The apartments feature generous open plan living spaces filled with natural light that lead to a private terrace or balcony. Each comes complete with the quality specification and attention to detail that Berkeley is known for, including stylish kitchens with a range of integrated, energy efficient Siemens appliances, low energy LED lighting and sleek contemporary styled bathrooms. There are spacious fitted wardrobes to the master bedrooms and exclusively designed furniture packs are available so that properties can be let funished allowing tenants to move straight in.
Prices for properties at Knights Quarter currently start from £315,000 for a one bedroom apartment. For more information on the available properties, please call 01962 679000 or visit www.knightsquarter.co.uk
Property & Development Magazine
