With London prices being
forced upwards by the Olympic Factor, good value is becoming harder to secure
in the investment capital of the world! However, a shrewd eye for value, in
those even remotely familiar with London, will recognise the city's largest
borough as an increasingly attractive alternative to the central metropolitan
area, where returns and capital gain potential are being constantly squeezed by
a 'frenzy' of international investment activity.
This
has in fact led to growing interest in opportunities outside of the immediate
London Metropolitan area in large satellite towns with good transport links to
the city. The most popular of ‘suburban’ London areas is unquestionably Surrey,
traditionally a sought after area with many affluent and (economically)
thriving communities.
Croydon
in particular is an area now coming into vogue as a potentially lucrative
investment location. A ‘boom town’ during the ‘60s and ‘70s it had become tired
and almost soulless in the following decades to the turn of the century. That
is now changing and in recent years significant and substantial development and
regeneration measures have been put in place which is re-invigorating this
large historic market town. Significant recent investment in the bustling town
centre has seen the arrival of many ‘high street’ shops and brands and the
impressive and central Whitgift Shopping Centre was recently purchased by an
Irish investment consortium led by Anglo Irish Bank…It is planned to treble it
in size! A large new ‘John Lewis’ department store is also due to open there
shortly, which will further enhance the shopping and lifestyle experience for
the growing local population.
Irish
owned International development company Howard Holdings, whose UK headquarters
is based in Croydon, are developing The Exchange, which is situated in the
towns Cultural Quarter, as part of a planned new dimension of central Croydon's
£2 billion regeneration programme. The
residential element will comprise just 66 apartments of which a limited number
only will be sold to investors, thus reducing the number available to rent.
Dublin based Investment Specialists, Christies Estates have a limited selection
of one and two bedroom apartments available exclusively off-plan with prices
from Stg £215,000.
Christies
Estates have been sourcing and offering excellent UK investment options to
Irish investors sine the mid 1990s and can be contacted at (01) 6670099 or
freephone 1800465 465 sales@christiesestates.com or www.christiesestates.com.
