Liverpool Landlords Reap the Rewards

It’s official and it’s great news for landlords in Liverpool – Liverpool has been listed as one of the top ten cities in the UK for landlords looking to receive a healthy return on their property investments.

The new report from HSBC confirms that rents on private homes are soaring and are on average 4.2% higher than they were in March 2012.  Buy-to-let landlords in Liverpool are amongst the best placed, achieving returns of nearly 7% on their investments – that’s a much better return than if they’d put their money into a savings account instead.

According to the report, the average property price in Liverpool is £91,012.  And for potential investors looking to get into the buy-to-let market in Liverpool, One Park West has a range of luxury apartments available with prices starting from just £90,000.

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It Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This…

The benefits of living in Liverpool don’t need highlighting to those of us who are lucky enough to live in this wonderful city, but it’s really nice when our city gets national recognition for the great place it is.

Just recently, Liverpool was named as the UK’s friendliest city, the best nightlife and with one of the fastest growing economies outside London.  Most recently it was also voted the second safest city in the UK.  It makes for an impressive list – who wouldn’t want to live here?

On the back of these accolades, we thought we’d list the things that we think make living at One Park West and Liverpool city living so desirable:

1.       The Nightlife

Liverpool’s nightlife is legendary.  With a thriving live music and comedy scene along with great clubs, bars and restaurants, it’s no surprise the Liverpool reigns as Britain’s party capital.

2.       Buildings

Liverpool has the largest collection of Grade II listed buildings outside London with 2,500 listed buildings and 250 public monuments.  The Anglican cathedral is the UK’s largest cathedral and the fifth largest in the world and looking out from One Park West onto the Three Graces has to be one of the most sought after city centre views in the country.

3.       Music

“We’re record breakers!” Liverpool holds the title in the Guinness Book of Records as the Capital of Pop as more number one artists have originated in the city than any other place in the UK.      Also, the annual Mathew Street Festival Music Festival held every August Bank Holiday is the largest city centre-based free music festival in Europe.  We can recommend it highly!

4.       Space

Even in the city centre, Liverpool isn’t too crowded.  With the most public parks outside of London and with the famous Albert Dock, where the rich heritage meets modern attractions, only a short stroll from the city centre and One Park West, you’re never far from open space.  There’s the buzz without the jam-packing.

5.       History

In 2007, Liverpool celebrated its 800th birthday.  Now recognised as a World Heritage City, the city’s Pier Head rates alongside Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China as one of the world’s most important places in the world.  Liverpool also has the oldest Chinatown in the world and the eight museums and galleries that make up National Museums Liverpool boast the greatest collection of artefacts, paintings, specimens and objects held under single ownership in the country.  For the culture vultures amongst us, there’s certainly plenty to keep us occupied.

6.       Retail

The shopping in our city is undoubtedly world class – amongst the dazzling new city centre shopping centres, the unique Liverpool One is one of Europe’s largest retail developments and the jewel in the crown.  On the doorstep of One Park West, Liverpool One offers shoppers a choice of over more than 160 famous high street names.   It’s a shopaholic’s paradise.

We could go on.  And whilst we can’t speak for all of Liverpool’s 450,000 residents, we think it’s these magical qualities that make living at One Park West in the heart of Liverpool’s city centre so desirable.

 

Live the Liverpool Lifestyle

We’ve all seen the films where the ambitious girl moves to a big city, has a rocky start but ends up with her dream job and the perfect boyfriend. As much as the One Park West girls love a chick flick, we know that’s a bit of a cliché.

Or is it? Liverpool may not be as big as New York or London, but you certainly can live the city lifestyle here.   Today, Liverpool is one of the fastest growing economies in the UK. The city is booming with regeneration projects and employment prospects are on the up. Did you know that Liverpool’s iconic docks are now home to more than 500 marine organisations alone?

Liverpool is not just about its famous docks, the city is also home to a financial hub which employs over 16,000 locals in more than 2,000 companies as well as a prestigious Institute of Performing Arts  and a thriving creative sector.

There are undoubtedly ‘high flying’ jobs in the city, but what about matching Carrie Bradshaw’s city lifestyle. Let’s start with the apartment…that’s easy!

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THE PERILS OF PRICEY PARKING!

There’s nothing more frustrating when you arrive home either with a boot full of shopping or after a long day in the office to find there are no parking spaces nearby; the last thing you want to be doing is driving round and round the block looking for a parking spot.

Incredibly 60% of motorists spend between six and twenty minutes looking for a space – what a waste of precious time in our busy lives.   And there’s nothing worse than having to disturb your weekend lie-in to rush out in your pyjamas to pop more money in the meter to avoid a penalty ticket.  We’ve all done it!

And if spending time looking for a space isn’t bad enough, the cost of parking just seems to be going up and up.  In fact, a recent survey shows that more than three quarters (78%) of motorists spend at least £150 on parking charges each month with another survey ranking Liverpool as the fifth most expensive UK city to park in.

To have access to a permanent car parking space in Liverpool city centre could set you back as much as £5,278 a year or some new developments are selling car parking slots for up to £20,000.  And it’s a cost that’s only going to keep going up – last year parking charges rose by a whopping 12.5% with the average cost per hour to park in a city hitting £12.

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APARTMENTS FIT FOR A FUTURE KING

As the Prince of Wales makes a welcomed visit to Liverpool this week, we are reminded how Liverpool really is fit for a king.

One Park West’s Signature Apartment

Prince Charles was in Liverpool as part of his UK tour celebrating the best of British engineering and manufacturing.  On Monday, he visited the Jaguar Land Rover Halewood plant, Knowsley Primary School, a number of local employers and opened the recently restored Florence Institute for Boys (“Florrie”).

Liverpool’s official history and royal connections date as far back as King John in 1207.  At the time the population was only 500, now the vibrant city has grown to be one of the most iconic places in the UK with a global reputation for sport, industry and music.  For those of us who are lucky enough to live here, Liverpool really is an exciting place to work, rest and play.

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME…

…A beautiful two bedroom apartment!  Wouldn’t that be great?  Well as everyone loves a good deal, especially at this time of year, we have pulled together a special 12 Days of Christmas offer for those in the market for a top of the range, stylish two bedroom apartment in one of the most desirable locations in Liverpool.

To celebrate the start of the festive period, we are offering a 12% discount on a selection of our beautiful two bedroom apartments.  So what does that equate to in real terms?  Well, it means that anyone who purchases one of our selected two bedroom One Park West apartments between 1st – 17th December will save themselves between £23,000 – £36,000.  Now, if that’s not a good buy, I don’t know what is!

Whether looking to buy an apartment as a primary residence or looking for an investment opportunity, this is a fantastic one-off chance to secure a luxury apartment in “the jewel in the crown of Liverpool ONE”, at a fabulous price.  There aren’t many finer addresses in the North West; but then with stunning waterfront, park and city views, it’s hardly surprising that One Park West apartments are highly desirable.

So to make a Christmas dream come true, interested parties should contact Kingston Shaw Residential on 0151 232 333 or why not pop in and visit our new marketing suite, open 7 days a week?  And you never know, you might be decking the halls of your new One Park West apartment with holly this Christmas…

Who wears the trousers when pushing for a property?

All men like to think they wear the trousers.  But when it comes to pushing to get on the property ladder, it appears that it is the women who are leading the charge.  As a couple, you may visit several homes in different locations, and have compromising discussions on them all, but evidence now confirms that it’s the ladies who are pushing hardest to get on the property ladder.

Experience suggests that men tend to take a practical approach when buying an apartment or a house. Is it in the right location? Has there been a significant investment in the area? Have house prices risen recently or are they likely to do so if the property was renovated? And in the current tough market it seems that if the right boxes are not ticked, they are unlikely to want to buy. Continue reading

MILK, BREAD, CHEESE, AND A MORTGAGE…?

Well known for its ‘Every Little Helps’ slogan, the high street giant has announced that it will now be offering mortgages alongside your online groceries. Three years after it first said it would launch into the mortgage market, Tesco has announced it is now offering a range of fixed rate and tracker mortgages, available for both home purchase and remortgaging.

The long-awaited launch coincides with a rate-cutting war, but the scheme has been criticised though for its ‘safe rates’. Rather than encouraging competition in the market place as was hoped, Tesco seems to have slotted in with the rest, relying on their trustworthy brand name to bring in the buyers. Continue reading

MERSEYSIDE WOMAN OF THE YEAR…

After spending an afternoon at the Merseyside Woman of the Year Awards, we feel it is only right to mention some of the truly inspirational work that is going on in and around Liverpool.

With a ‘Dress to Impress’ dress code for the event the ladies of Liverpool did not disappoint with some truly glamorous attire.  The glamour and excitement of the day was added to with the presence of top politicians, Iain Duncan-Smith and Esther McVey, both offering their support to the event.  In fact, Esther herself was a nominee back in 2004. Continue reading

IT’S TIME TO GET A LIFE!

What a great week it has been here at One Park West!  On Friday our representatives were invited by our friends and neighbours at Juice FM to help them choose a winner for their brilliant “Get a Life” competition.

The winner of the competition gets to live a luxury celebrity lifestyle for a year, with the main attraction being the chance to live in an apartment in One Park West (which we all know is Liverpool’s most prestigious residential apartment building)!

But what pressure and responsibility it was to select the final five candidates, how did we manage?  Well it was simple really, we sat down and had a relaxed chat with the shortlisted few in an effort to whittle them down to a final five.  Although it was tempting to pull up the trousers and adopt a Simon Cowell attitude, the urge was resisted and instead we got the chance to meet some fantastic young candidates from across Liverpool. 

Who will come to live in One Park West?!

The final five were selected to be: Steven Hourihan, a 28 year old from Aintree who is due to get married in April; Tom Cordey, a 24 year old racing car mechanic living in Toxteth but originally from Darlington; Gill Dabek, a 24 year old physio and former GB badminton player from the Wirral; Kate Farrell, a 27 year old Desperate Scousewife wannabe from West Derby and Orla McElroy, a 29 year old special needs teacher from Wavertree.

The great news is that that is where our hard worked ended.  Each remaining candidate is now tasked with going out to get their local communities to support them with their nominations.  The person with the biggest support base will win the luxury lifestyle for a year and move into one of our stunning designer apartments in April. 

If you want to check out the final five and cast a vote as to who you think should move in with us at One Park West visit Juice FM’s website.  The voting closes at midnight on Sunday 19 February so it is likely to be a frantic race between the five remaining contestants.

If you missed the opportunity to enter the competition but still want to lead a fun and active lifestyle here at One Park West, contact the team at Kingston Shaw Residential.  With city centre designer apartments available for as little as £90,000 it may not be that hard to get the life we all dream of.