Commercial Property in the North West Soars

Posted on 8 November, 2011 by MOVEHUT

Commercial property transactions have increased in the run up to September of this year, according to research conducted by Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH).

The result of the research revealed that the value of investments increased by 22 per cent overall throughout the UK, but in the North West, this figure increased by 158 per cent from £118.87 million to £306.5 million. The investments were made up of roughly 50 per cent in office space, and the remainder included shops, hotels and restaurants.

Abid Jaffry, spokesperson for Lambert Smith Hampton, expressed: “The investment market is still continuing to demonstrate an enthusiasm to acquire appropriate opportunities. There are signs that investors are moving up the risk curve but the precursor to the majority of buys is largely quality led with assets which do not deviate from core fundamentals.”

The majority of the sales came from the UK; a third of all purchases came from overseas and one fifth came from private investors.

Speaking of the commercial property market, Mr Jaffrey, stated: “Purchasing activity is still punctuated by pauses which are caused by a reaction to financial data which can change performance parameters and drive sentiment but this may ultimately form the stimulus for much needed stock as the banks begin to manage their loan book liabilities.”

Recent commercial property purchases include:

  • Europe Capital Partners bought One Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester for £67 million
  • Scottish Widows bought Barbirolli Square, Manchester for £30 million
  • ICL Pension Trust bought a B&Q store in Crewe for £23 million.



Ezra Nahome, Chief Executive Officer at LSH, explained of investments: “Commercial property continues to provide attractive returns to investors in comparison to other asset classes and following the Bank of England’s second round of Quantitative Easing, which will support continued low finance costs and stimulate interest in the market, we could witness increased investment activity over the coming 12 months.”

Speaking of the future, Ms Nahome, put across: “The underlying concerns over the stability of the UK economy could lead to a slowdown in traditional sales activity [from October to December 2011], but we do expect an increase in portfolio and debt sales as banks further downsize their loan books.”




Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


Recent Posts

Interest Rates Impact on Commercial Property

Commercial Property Investment Outlook for 2023

The best places to stay on the Riviera

The latest property data has identified Newquay as the fastest property seller’s market in the UK

Investing in your garden can increase your property’s value

French Riviera temping high-end homebuyers

How can the ownership rights of my commercial property impact a business sale?

Should I incorporate virtual property viewings permanently?

Investment expected to increase across Asia-Pacific in 2021

UK property industry slows as the conclusion of tax break looms

BNP Paribas cautioned investors on Friday as debt-trading bonanza that increased its earnings this past year

Over 300,000 property purchases fell through in 2020 – we show the most frequent motives and the best way to get your house sale back on track

House Prices in the Capital Surpass £500,000

Optimism from the Bank of England’s chief economist

The most expensive commercial properties.

Businesses operating from shared premises will miss out on grants