Located in the North West of England, Chester is often overshadowed by its more well-known neighbours, Liverpool and Manchester – but this small city is packed with potential and should not be overlooked when it comes to property investment.
The walled roman city of Chester is located in Cheshire West and is mostly known for its history and stunning architecture. Although it may look very quaint on the surface, Chester has plenty going on – from lively nightlife to a wealth of employment opportunities. The city is also in the process of undergoing some major regeneration – there has already been a new bus station built in the city centre and a new arts centre in the form of Storyhouse, which is home to a cinema, theatre and library. The city is also about to go through the ‘Chester Renaissance’ – a £1.3 billion project which will introduce new homes, retail space and transport links into the city.
Here are some of the key features of Chester that make it one of the most exciting investment locations in the current market:
University of Chester
Chester is currently home to more than 14,763 students from all over the world, 72% of which are undergraduate students. The University of Chester is becoming increasingly popular with prospective students and is consistently in the top 100 of the university league tables. The University currently has five main campuses, four of which are in Chester and one in the nearby town of Warrington. Chester is currently experiencing a shortage of high-quality student accommodation and with the University become increasingly popular, now is a great to invest in student properties in the city.
Transport
Chester has excellent transport links for such a small city, providing direct access to various key locations in the UK. Chester is ideal for those commuting to Liverpool, Manchester and the surrounding areas – you can get to Liverpool in 42 minutes and Manchester Piccadilly in a little over an hour, with four hourly and two hourly trains, respectively. There is also an hourly service to London Euston which takes just two hours. Chester also sits on the edge of the M56 and M53 motorways, allowing commuters the ability to drive to both Liverpool and Manchester in just under an hour.
Employment Opportunities
There are numerous employment opportunities in Chester and the city has a number of notable companies calling it home, including Bank of America Merrill Lynch, M&S Bank, Tetrapak and Airbus, which only strengthens its appeal to graduates from the university and other young professionals moving into the city. The employment rate in Chester currently stands at 75.6% and with the proposed ongoing investment into the city, this figure is only going to grow further.
These are just a few examples of why Chester is the ideal location for your next buy to let investment and with the city undergoing extensive regeneration, now is the perfect time to invest!
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