A mecca for shoppers and leisure seekers, a promise of profit in new build
Birmingham. The city whose economy is growing faster than the whole of France. The city with more canals than Venice. The youngest city in Europe. All of this is true. It’s also a city offering huge promise for off-plan property investment.
The UK’s second largest city, Birmingham has an enormous economic output of £23 billion. It’s the regional capital of the Midlands, and it’s an economic powerhouse. Families benefit from education establishments that produce results above the national average. The 2017 annual Quality of Living Survey (conducted by Mercer) ranks Birmingham as the third best place to live in the UK after London and Edinburgh. Visitor numbers to Birmingham have doubled in the last three years.
For investors in new build, Birmingham’s transport links place it firmly in the list of the best places to invest in property UK. 90% of the nation’s population is within four hours’ drive, making it an ideal centre for business. The already exceptional connectivity will be improved further with HS2. Journey times to London by rail will be slashed from 80 minutes to less than 50 minutes. It will provide options for inward and outward commuting, as well as improve the movement of goods. Birmingham Airport currently provides an access and exit point for 25 million passengers each year. It’s the seventh busiest airport in the UK, with plans to expand capacity to 50 million passengers by 2050.
Birmingham is also benefiting from billions in investment, both governmental and private. It includes huge investment commitments from China and the Middle East. The whole fabric of the city and its suburbs are being transformed, helping to place the city in the top league of European cities ideal for investment.
In this article, you’ll learn about the incredible lifestyle Birmingham offers its residents. From shopping to leisure, Birmingham has it all. You’ll also discover a fantastic Persimmon Homes development, which promises incredible investment potential.
Birmingham – a retail therapy paradise
Birmingham is a paradise for shoppers. Here you’ll find whatever type of shopping you seek. Mega shopping centres. Big brand names and independent boutiques. Bustling streets, indoor and outdoor markets. Local produce, and food from around the world. There is a jewellery quarter to rival London’s Hatton Garden, and the Balti Triangle is the heart of Asian fashion in the UK.
Birmingham has a range of spectacular shopping centres. These include:
- Piccadilly Arcade, famous for its hand-painted ceilings and independent retailers
- The Great Western Arcade, which has maintained its Victorian architecture, houses independent boutique specialist retailers, and a few high street names for good measure.
- Grand Central has more than 60 premium shops, as well as restaurants, cafés and bars, and has one of the UK’s largest John Lewis stores.
- The Mailbox is a luxurious centre, offering high street fashion brands and contemporary art and furnishings. It also houses the John Lewis department store.
- The Custard Factory is home to 30 independent shops and hair and beauty salons. In the centre of the city’s creative quarter, you can expect plenty of weekend events, fairs and festivals. Or you could watch a film in its independent cinema.
- Finally, there is the Bullring, one of the UK’s largest shopping centres. Among its 160 shops, there is no item that cannot be bought.
Arts and museums
Art lovers will fall in love with Birmingham. Culture lovers will lose themselves in the city’s plethora of museums. Birmingham’s art galleries rival all other UK cities, both in number and quality. And some of the art galleries are works of art themselves. Its museums hold artefacts and exhibits from around the world.
The biggest museum/gallery in the city is the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Exhibits include one of the world’s most comprehensive pre-Raphaelite collections. There are relics from Egypt, ancient Greece and ancient Rome, as well as the largest collection of Saxon gold ever found.
Collections of local and international artist can be found at the Ikon Gallery, and the Eastside Projects houses two galleries which each exhibit four or five collections each year. For something more eclectic, mac Birmingham offers everything from theatre and comedy, to the cinema, dance and visual art.
One of the best museums for hyperactive children (and young-at-heart adults) is Thinktank. There are four floors of interactive displays here. Many of these relate to Birmingham’s industrial past. You can engage with science workshops, and solve crimes using modern techniques.
Eating out
Birmingham offers foodies an incredible array of eating options, from family favourites to some of the best Indian restaurants in the UK. Birmingham is also home to eight Michelin-starred restaurants. Five of these are within the city itself, and three within an hour’s drive.
Recreation in Birmingham’s parks and gardens
From the city centre to the surrounding countryside, Birmingham is a place for outdoor entertainment of all varieties, with thousands of acres of park space.
Beautiful country parks ideal for walking or cycling include Woodgate Valley Country Park, where you’ll find 450 acres of mixed habitats and all kinds of wildlife.
At Lickey Hills Country Park, you can climb to the top of Beacon Hill. On a clear day, the vista takes in 13 old counties.
In the city, Eastside City Park is Birmingham’s first new park for 130 years, and sets the standard for the use of the public realm, offering a green route into the heart of Birmingham. In Cannon Hill Park, there is a children’s mini funfair, a lake with pedalos, a mini golf course, bowling green, and five tennis courts.
St George’s Park is the home of England’s 24 national football teams. There are 330 acres, in which are housed facilities including a hotel, outdoor leadership centre, and a 40-foot climbing tower.
Sport and Leisure
Like all big cities, there are leisure and sports facilities and opportunities for all. Whether seeking team or individual sports, opportunities exist around every corner.
In terms of sporting prowess, Birmingham is home to two professional football teams: Birmingham City and Aston Villa. Athletics is popular in Birmingham, and club Birchfield Harriers has produced several international athletes including Denise Lewis and Kelly Sotherton. The Barclaycard Arena (formerly known as the National Indoor Arena) is Britain’s top indoor athletics stadium and hosted the 2003 World Indoor Championships.
The Birmingham and District Cricket League is the oldest in the world, and Edgbaston Cricket Ground is the home of Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
Other sports in which Birmingham is represented at the national level include speedway, basketball and American football.
Avery Fields – Homes from Persimmon that let residents enjoy city life at its best
Conveniently close to Birmingham’s beating heart, you’ll find a new development of 89 properties by Persimmon Homes, ranging from two-bedroom apartments up to five-bedroom homes.
These properties are very close to schools rated as ‘good’ by Ofsted and benefit from a variety of local amenities on the doorstep.
The development is close to excellent transport links, with road and rail nearby. There are large expanses of grassed areas within a short walk, and Summerfield Park is perfect for joggers and cyclists or for simply walking the dog. Edgbaston Reservoir is similarly close.
For sports-minded residents, local football, rugby, golf and tennis clubs are in abundance. The Harborne Pool and Fitness Centre is within two miles and offers leisure facilities and a modern pool.
Persimmon is one of the UK’s premier house builders. It uses the latest technology to deliver exceptional quality and value. It even produces its bricks. Not only is Persimmon renowned for its build quality and use of technology, but it is also renowned for creating places to cater for lifestyle living – properties that are near to all the amenities, shopping and leisure facilities that modern-day residents desire.
Birmingham is a city that is sucking in business, and which is likely to see above-average population growth. It is a mecca for shoppers and has the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK outside of London. The city is a centre of culture, boasting its symphony orchestra, a royal ballet, and leading art galleries and theatres. Ideal for property investors looking for the best off-plan and new build opportunities.
Contact one of the Gladfish team today on +44 (0)207 923 6100 – discover more about the amazing property investment opportunities in Birmingham, and be kept informed of off-plan and new build property investment opportunities in Birmingham as they get the green light.
Live with passion,
Brett Alegre-Wood