Build to rent, build to sell & later living development
Top 10 locations in England
Where are the best opportunities for different residential development types – including build to rent, build to sell and later living – in England in 2023?
Our comprehensive research report analyses opportunities across all the Local Authorities in England, to pinpoint those that offer the most promising prospects for a successful development scheme.
We examined a broad spectrum of both current and future-looking indicators, considering factors that impact both demand and supply. These factors were weighted based on their relevance to the specific development type and the result was a ranking of all 308 local authorities.
This assessment included a total of 17 different metrics although not all metrics were used across every tenure type, and this is explained further in each individual report.
What did our analysis of development opportunities examine?
build to rent development
in England
Top 10
locations for
There are only 82,500 completed build to rent units in England, accounting for just 2% of households in the private rented sector, showing that it is really in its infancy.
The wider private rented sector is dominated by
a fragmented system of private landlords. Many of these however are now leaving the sector for many reasons, causing a drop in supply at the same time as demand is surging. This has lead to widespread rising rents across the country.
All of this suggests that the more centrally managed build to rent sector should perform well.
Find out the top 10 locations for build to rent development in England, including four in the South East, two in the South West, and four in the East of England.
Read the report
Since peaking in 2003 at 70.9% of households, owner occupation – despite being a desire for many – has
rapidly declined and now sits at 64.3%.
A key reason often cited for the decline in owner occupation is the unaffordability of purchasing a
new home, and there is a clear need for new homes
across England.
The top location for build to sell development in England
is East Devon. Find out what others are in the top 10.
Read the report
build to sell development
in England
Top 10
locations for
The UK has an aging population.
There is a severe undersupply of accommodation in the later living sector, with research showing there are currently fewer than 750,000 units of senior living accommodation in the country, against a population with over 5.6 million people over the age of 75.
Research shows that UK will need to allocate nearly 25% of all new homes to senior living by 2040. Find out where the top 10 opportunities for later living development are.
Read the report
later living development
in England
Top 10
locations for
About our findings
While numerous variables considered in this analysis predominantly relate to demand-side measures, supply-side measures are a more challenging aspect to quantify accurately. Metrics related to pricing and affordability, however, bridge the gap between demand and supply considerations. Another metric utilised to assess potential future supply involves determining the proportion of net additional dwellings concerning the total number of households. This metric serves as a proxy for gauging the local authority’s inclination towards or resistance against development in general. Moreover, it offers insights into the current levels of supply.
For developers, investors, housebuilders and funds, a range of appraisal fundamentals and analytical approaches come into play. These stakeholders must also take into account various other factors, including and supply, pricing, and construction costs. Despite this complexity, our analysis of the 308 local authorities can serve as a useful starting point.
Contact us
EMAIL ME
Francis Truss
Partner, Strategic Land
07787 282092
EMAIL ME
Lisa Simon
Head of Residential
07976 761721
EMAIL ME
Lee Richards
Head of Build to Rent and PRS
07776 470858
EMAIL ME
Francis Truss
Partner, Strategic Land
07787 282092
EMAIL ME
Lisa Simon
Head of Residential
07976 761721
EMAIL ME
Lee Richards
Head of Build to Rent and PRS
07776 470858
EMAIL ME
Leslie Schroeder
Head of Residential Research
07775 562081