Where we'll be investing in 2019

The one thing you can never change about a property is its location. That applies to its micro-location (is it near the train station? Is it next to a noisy industrial yard?), but also the city it's in.

And that can make a big difference. If you'd invested in the average property in Manchester a year ago, you'd be up 6.6% (according to Hometrack) and could be thinking about increasing the rent too. In Cambridge, you'd be 1.1% down on the deal over the same amount of time.

There are investment strategies that rely on being local, and that's totally fine. But if you're a hands-off investor open to buying wherever the medium-term prospects are best, the location you choose can make an enormous difference.

This year, as well as our own investments, we're targeting several new development sites – so "where" is something we've given a lot of thought to over the last few months.

Over at The Property Hub, we've published an article listing the top five areas that are on our wishlist. You can read the article here.

Or for even more depth, watch our free 25-minute video where we talk through each area in detail – and give you some practical tips for how to deepen your research in your location of choice.

Happy investing!