How regeneration masterplans can supercharge your investment

February 26, 2025

Regeneration is one of the key indicators investors should look for when considering the best places to invest in UK property in 2025.

It’s getting quicker and easier to buy property in the UK – but whatever investment strategy is the right one for you, some things always stay the same. One of those is the fact that regeneration raises property prices.

At a time when it’s getting cheaper to buy and house prices are rising, that means buying in a location undergoing regeneration can supercharge your investment and make it perform even more strongly.

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What types of regeneration should an investor look for?

Regeneration projects come in many forms, including:

Major transport links like HS2 or local services like Manchester’s Bee Network
Public realm and new green spaces that improve the lifestyle offering
High street and shopping centre redevelopments that boost the local economy
Refurbishing old commercial spaces into modern offices that bring high-quality jobs
Underused spaces repurposed for quality city centre housing
Retaining heritage assets and preserving them for the future

Each of these types of regeneration plays its part in the development of a town or city, but there is one type which combines the best of all worlds to transform the local area – the regeneration masterplan.

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What is a regeneration masterplan?

A regeneration masterplan is a long-term plan which takes a wide view of how to change an entire area of a town or city. Rather than looking at how to upgrade a small area of a high street, or improve one area of public realm, a masterplan considers a large area as a whole.

By doing so, a masterplan lays out the future for hundreds of acres at a time. This creates neighbourhoods that work conveniently, provide what people want and become extremely desirable places to live as a result.

Because of the scale, a masterplan will often include all the types of regeneration mentioned previously in one place. For anyone considering their next move, a regeneration masterplan area becomes the easiest, most attractive choice.

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Do regeneration masterplans increase house prices above the average?

In theory, building more desirable modern neighbourhoods that are more attractive to buyers and renters should increase demand, leading to increased property values – but is this the case in reality?

Research from CBRE suggests that the answer is ‘yes’.

After analysing 11 regeneration masterplan areas in London, a clear regeneration premium was found in the growth rate of properties compared to the surrounding boroughs. From the minute regeneration started, property values in the affected areas grew faster than those around them.

The average growth premium was 2.2% in addition to the overall growth in the area, with some areas achieving premiums as high as 5.8%. Throughout a regeneration masterplan project, that is a substantial uplift in value.

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How can investors make the most of regeneration masterplan premiums?

The numbers are clear – if you want to supercharge your investment portfolio, you should buy a UK investment property that is either in a regeneration masterplan area or next door to one. In both cases, you will attract tenants who want to live in these popular, high-quality areas and will pay higher rents to do so.

Manchester is a city packed with regeneration areas, including NOMA, Great Ducie Street, Greengate and more.

Each is bringing thousands of jobs, high-quality residential accommodation, improved transport links, green spaces, shops, bars, restaurants, and everything else that makes for a high-end modern lifestyle.

The city is changing rapidly as the future is built in front of our eyes. Developments like Waterhouse Gardens, which sit at the centre of multiple regeneration masterplan areas, are in a prime position to benefit from Manchester’s modern revolution.

More examples of world-class regeneration master planning can be found on both sides of the River Mersey in Liverpool. This is another area in the North West – the UK’s best property investment location – that is in the middle of profound change.

Huge amounts of money are being invested into regeneration projects to bring the old industrial areas back into modern use as highly desirable new neighbourhoods.

Wirral Waters and the Birkenhead 30-year masterplan are exactly the sort of projects that should capture the attention of any property investors. Long-term plans for jobs, growth and the creation of sustainable neighbourhoods deliver the exact conditions needed for accelerated property growth.

Developments like Hordan House which sit in between these multi-billion-pound regeneration projects are in a prime location to harness that potential and offer enhanced capital appreciation for years to come. As a bonus, the scheme offers outstanding views of Liverpool’s iconic skyline, making it even more attractive to potential renters.

Want to learn more about UK property investment and discover how regeneration masterplans can supercharge your portfolio? Get in touch with our team today to discover locations with the greatest potential and buy high-growth UK property.

How regeneration masterplans can supercharge your investment

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