The best buy-to-let and buy-to-live locations in the UK
The latest research by lettings platform Howsy, has looked at where in the UK is currently the best place to invest in bricks and mortar to put a roof over your own head, and where is the best location to invest in a buy-to-let to combine the best of both worlds in tough market conditions.
Howsy looked at where has seen the best house price growth over the last year, where is home to the highest rental yields and where is the best option for a mix of both when investing on your doorstep.
The best buy-to-live locations
Brexit has caused house price growth to stutter across much of the UK but for those looking to invest in their own piece of property, there are still pockets enjoying notable price growth.
North Devon tops the table at 15% growth year on year, followed by Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent in Wales, both at 13%, along with a third Welsh option in Caerphilly, up 11%.
Camden is the best bet in London with house prices up 10% in the last year, with West Devon, Forest Heath, Rochdale and Monmouthshire all up 9%, and Trafford seeing annual growth of 8%.
So you know where to live for the healthiest return on your house price but where should you invest when it comes to buy-to-let?
The best buy-to-let locations
When it comes to current rental yields, Glasgow is the best spot for a return at 7.5%, with Scotland also accounting for the next best three in Midlothian (6.8%), East Ayshire (6.8%) and West Dunbartonshire (6.7%). Burnley and Belfast are home to current yields of 6.5%, while Inverclyde (6.4%), Falkirk (6.3%), the Western Isles (6.2%) and Clackmannanshire (6.1%) complete the top 10.
So there you have it, buy and live in North Devon and invest in Glasgow and your sure to beat the Brexit blues to see an all-round return.
Founder and CEO of Howsy, Calum Brannan, commented:
“The face of the lettings sector has changed quite considerably with the advent of technology-based solutions to traditional problems, and now even the most amateur of buy-to-let landlords can own a home on the other side of the UK and manage their investment efficiently and effectively.
More accessibility via digital rental platforms now provides landlords with greater empowerment when managing their property portfolio and they can do so anytime, day or night, with greater peace of mind
The new age of letting agent not only provides this greater peace of mind but as they tend to operate on a UK-wide scale, they are better placed to deal with the day to day needs of the buy-to-let sector, whether it’s one property at the other end of the country, or a number of properties spread over different regions.
As a result, landlords are no longer restricted to investing within the local vicinity to keep tabs on their property or forced to pay exuberant fees for an agent to do so, leaving them free to buy in one section of the market and invest in another to maximise their financial gain across the board.”
|
Best place to live – Rankings by average annual house price growth
|
|
|
Location
|
Annual House Price Growth
|
|
North Devon
|
15%
|
|
Merthyr Tydfil
|
13%
|
|
Blaenau Gwent
|
13%
|
|
Caerphilly
|
11%
|
|
Camden
|
10%
|
|
West Devon
|
9%
|
|
Forest Heath
|
9%
|
|
Rochdale
|
9%
|
|
Monmouthshire
|
9%
|
|
Trafford
|
8%
|
|
England
|
0.3%
|
|
Wales
|
4.2%
|
|
Scotland
|
1.4%
|
|
Northern Ireland
|
1.6%
|
|
United Kingdom
|
0.7%
|
|
Place to invest – Rankings by average rental yield
|
|
|
Location
|
Current Rental Yields
|
|
Glasgow City
|
7.5%
|
|
Midlothian
|
6.8%
|
|
East Ayrshire
|
6.8%
|
|
West Dunbartonshire
|
6.7%
|
|
Burnley
|
6.5%
|
|
Belfast
|
6.5%
|
|
Inverclyde
|
6.4%
|
|
Falkirk
|
6.3%
|
|
Western Isles
|
6.2%
|
|
Clackmannanshire
|
6.1%
|
|
England
|
4.1%
|
|
Wales
|
3.7%
|
|
Scotland
|
5.7%
|
|
Northern Ireland
|
5.4%
|
|
United Kingdom
|
3.5%
|
|
Sources
|
|
|
Average House Price
|
Source
|
|
All UK
|
|
|
Private Rental Market
|
|
|
England
|
|
|
Wales
|
|
|
Scotland
|
|
|
Northern Ireland
|
|
You May Also Enjoy
Property values hit £300k for first time
Average UK house price rises at the start of 2026
London basements boost value by up to 20%
Bailey applies the brakes but ‘two more 2026 cuts priced in’
Bank of England to hold interest rates at 3.75%
