As estate agents, we know that the investments in new homes in Birmingham are increasing. Recently we have also know that transactions in commercial property hit £845 million in 2015 due to the fact that the city is attracting more interest and investors. It is a new record and means almost double the five-year average.
The biggest percentage of the investment was in offices sales, a 76%, with £641 million from 25 deals, a 2% more than in the previous year's tally of £626 million, according to research by the CoStar Group.
Commercial real estate investments reached the amount of £67.5 billion, which is a 5% less than the record of £70.7 billion hit in 2014. However, 2015 has been the second strongest year in this kind of investment, with a 46% above the ten-year average.
Last year there were very important commercial property deals in Birmingham city centre, such as the acquisition of Colmore Plaza for £138.3 million by Ashby Capital or the purchase of 1 Colmore Square for £87.3 million by Legal & General.
The truth is that Birmingham is becoming more and more attractive for banks. A proof of this is Deutsche Bank’s back office move to Birmingham. HSBC has also announced their plans to relocate its retail operations from London to Birmingham.
According to the real estate analyst at CoStar Marianne Fitzpatrick, international investors are looking for value outside of London and the city of Birmingham is in a great moment thanks to the regeneration of its infrastructures.
As examples of this regeneration are New Street Station, the tram lines, which has been extended, and the plan to build the HS2 railway link to London. In addition, London has become more and more expensive, which has moved the attention from the capital to other cities such as Birmingham.
The county of West Midlands had also a rise of 6% in commercial property investment, with £2.66 billion in transactions in 2015.
The volume of investments in the office sector in West Midlands is higher than in other sectors, with a 31% of the total volume invested at £822 million, according to the UK Investment Transactions report created by the consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton. The second most important is retail, accounted for nearly 28%, which means £744 million of acquisitions.
In third position, the industrial sector reached the figure of £453 million, a 17%. Other sectors accounted for £645 million of transactions.
In total, the report shows that 2015 was a great year, being the performance a 54% above the five-year average and a 49% above the region's ten-year average. One of the most valuable deals in the region was the sale of the NEC for £307 million to LDC.
Monday 8 February 2016
Monday 25 January 2016
Where to live in Birmingham city
Birmingham has over one million citizens and a lot of residential areas. It’s Englands’s biggest city after London. Why is it becoming more and more popular as a place to live and work? In this guide from our estate agents in Birmingham you can discover why the centre of this city is one of the most attractive places to live in UK. We invite you to discover the most important areas in the centre.
At a short distance from the Bull Ring and New Street, you can find Digbeth, a well-known quarter for being the home of the most creative people in the city. You may consider moving here if you love attending cultural activities, as there are a lot around this quarter.
Population in Digbeth is multicultural and it is growing. This place is the home of the Irish community in Birmingham and large Chinese and Polish populations. Another interesting thing you should know is that it has a very active residents association which organizes events and collaborates with local businesses. This gives Digbeth a real sense of community.
Digbeth used to be an industrial area, but nowadays it’s transforming its old buildings, formerly warehouses, into new apartments. One of the most representative buildings is the Custard Factory, converted into a shopping and business hub. However, not everything is industrial buildings, you can also find a large green space: the Eastside City Park.
Take a look at this video:
If you wish to learn more about Digbeth, visit the blog Digbeth is good: http://digbeth.org
One of the most iconic buildings in this quarter is The Cube, a building with luxury studios and one and two bedroom flats with stunning views and automated car park. A great option if you can afford it.
You can also find high-standard properties to rent in Birmingham in other buildings of this quarter.
Population in this quarter is increasing at the same time as the economic activity, with more a more businesses established in this area. Jewellery Quarter is also well-known for being the home of over 100 jewellery retailers. There is also a large quantity of fine restaurants, pubs and art galleries.
For those thinking of moving here is good to know about the existence of the the Jewellery Quarter Neighbourhood Forum (JQNF), that has become the voice of the residents and work to improve the life in this quarter.
Other interesting areas are Moseley, Kings Heath, Edgbaston, Harborne and Sutton Coldfield.
Digbeth
At a short distance from the Bull Ring and New Street, you can find Digbeth, a well-known quarter for being the home of the most creative people in the city. You may consider moving here if you love attending cultural activities, as there are a lot around this quarter.Population in Digbeth is multicultural and it is growing. This place is the home of the Irish community in Birmingham and large Chinese and Polish populations. Another interesting thing you should know is that it has a very active residents association which organizes events and collaborates with local businesses. This gives Digbeth a real sense of community.
Digbeth used to be an industrial area, but nowadays it’s transforming its old buildings, formerly warehouses, into new apartments. One of the most representative buildings is the Custard Factory, converted into a shopping and business hub. However, not everything is industrial buildings, you can also find a large green space: the Eastside City Park.
Take a look at this video:
If you wish to learn more about Digbeth, visit the blog Digbeth is good: http://digbeth.org
The Mailbox
If you enjoy fashion, The Mailbox is definitely your place. There you will find high fashion shops and fine restaurants, such as Côte Brasserie, Miller & Carter, Harvey Nichols and Aluna.One of the most iconic buildings in this quarter is The Cube, a building with luxury studios and one and two bedroom flats with stunning views and automated car park. A great option if you can afford it.
You can also find high-standard properties to rent in Birmingham in other buildings of this quarter.
Jewellery Quarter
For classic homes lovers, there is Jewellery Quarter, a historic area in Birmingham with over 200 listed buildings from the 18th and 19th-century, although there are also plenty of redeveloped buildings, former factories converted in new apartments.Population in this quarter is increasing at the same time as the economic activity, with more a more businesses established in this area. Jewellery Quarter is also well-known for being the home of over 100 jewellery retailers. There is also a large quantity of fine restaurants, pubs and art galleries.
For those thinking of moving here is good to know about the existence of the the Jewellery Quarter Neighbourhood Forum (JQNF), that has become the voice of the residents and work to improve the life in this quarter.
Other interesting areas are Moseley, Kings Heath, Edgbaston, Harborne and Sutton Coldfield.
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