While there are, of course, confounding factors – including general growth in the UK economy, according to the data available on the UK land registry site, the period of 1994 to 2011 saw property prices outperform inflation by a considerable margin.
Reasons to be cheerful?
As the nation gears up for the end of the strictest lockdowns, there are several things that could prove to be major positives for the Wirral over the coming years – and many of them involve a reinvigoration of the region’s relationship with the sea.
From the investment in marine engineering and the building of a Maritime Knowledge Hub to help compliment the nearby Marine Engineering College and help to locally train the next generation of maritime expertise, to the recent announcement around free port status (both of which we’ve covered previously), the sea may once again prove to be a source of riches for Merseyside – and from the perspective of our audience, could prove to be a boon for the local property market.
This is not only a matter of import and export, however, or even of industry – there are plans which, if well executed, could boost tourism for the riverside, and even a number of environmental projects (including the 2019 decision to stop using pesticides on Hoylake beach which has led to the area becoming a haven for wildlife and praise from renowned naturalist David Attenborough).
All of this is likely to prove beneficial for property owners in the region – but, evidence suggests, the freeport status could supercharge the increasing value of Wirral property.
What is a free port?
Allowing goods to move via the UK without tariffs, freeports aim to boost local economies by increasing their attractiveness to transport companies which need to make stops for refuelling and supply between the exporting and importing nations. This is intended to increase the through flow for these free ports and, therefore, increase employment in everything from the service to engineering sectors. While there is mixed evidence as to the effectiveness of previous freeports, one thing that did improve during the period of 1984 and 2011 (when the Merseyside region was last designated a freeport) was property value.
Wirral property price boom?
While the data available from the land registry only dates back as far as 1994 and therefore only the last 17 years of the freeport’s tenure, what can be seen is that the average property value (using sale value) increased at a rate which massively outperformed inflation – with a cumulative 0.6% increase per month average (or 7.2% per year) which exceeded inflation by 4.3%. This, even when prices are adjusted for inflation, equates to a 90% increase in property values during the period.
If we take the years between 2012 and 2020 (for which we can attain figures), the performance of the Wirral property market – which averaged a 1.1% above inflation increase (at 3.36% per year) has still grown strongly, but nowhere near as well – even with the 2020 boost brought on by the global pandemic which skews the figures slightly.
Will this growth be repeated?
While it’s impossible to predict the future, the stars seem to aligning for a Wirral maritime renaissance and, combined with a predicted, albeit Brexit hampered, post pandemic economic recovery, the various construction projects and likely decentralisation of many previously office based jobs, the Wirral looks set to experience a huge regeneration over the next decade and that can only mean good things both for the local property market and the local population, which can hopefully look forward to some good times ahead.
Looking to invest in the Wirral property market, but not sure how or where to start? Looking for some help managing your growing property portfolio? Why not Contact Us today? Wirral Homes are your experts on the Wirral.
