Colchester Buy-to-Let Guide

HM Land Registry’s UK House Price Index puts the average house price in Colchester at £307,706. This resulted in a year-on-year negative price growth of -2.70%.

If we look at prices by property type, detached houses cost £523,354 on average. Semi-detached homes cost £329,756. Terraced properties cost £266,143. Finally, flats cost an average of £169,882.

The average property price in the UK is £291,044, making Colchester roughly 5% more expensive than the national average.

The average property price in Essex is £371,735. As such, Colchester’s property market is good value compared to the rest of the county.

Meanwhile, according to Savills, the South East has a capital growth prediction of 16.7% by 2028.

Rightmove shows that Colchester’s most popular property type over the last year was terraced housing.

Learn More: Discover the latest UK buy-to-let rules with RWinvest’s updated insights! Our beginner guides also provide a full breakdown of how to make money in real estate in 2024.

Note: Property prices are found on Rightmove. Rental yields are calculated with data from housesforsaletorent.co.uk.

Colchester City Centre

Colchester City Centre has all the usual amenities – high street shops, commercial areas, apartments, etc. The surrounding streets have terraced housing and traditional properties. They appeal to people who need to go into the city centre but want to avoid the hustle and bustle. The area provides good access to Colchester train station.

Average Property Price in Colchester City Centre

The CO1 postcode has an average property price of £264,382.

Average Rental Yield in Colchester City Centre

The average rental yield in CO1 is 4.29%.

South Colchester includes:

• Barnhall
• Blackheath
• Berechurch
• Maypole Green
• Mockwick
• Shrub End

These are popular areas with mid-priced properties. Colchester Town train station is in the southern part of the city, serving the local line rather than the mainline to London.

Average Property Price in South Colchester

The average property price here is £292,510.

Average Rental Yield in South Colchester

The average rental yield is 4.35%.

Growth and Regeneration

Colchester is subject to extensive, ongoing transformative efforts.

A £3bn plan intends to improve the local sports and leisure scene, as well as introduce new homes and improve the city centre.

The area is expanding quickly. In 2022, Colchester was given city status. Plenty of new build residential developments are underway. This includes the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community. This initiative will result in up to 9,000 new properties, plus schools, local amenities and industrial and commercial job opportunities, attracting more people to the area.

Student Property

Colchester is the main base for the University of Essex, which has a campus in Wivenhoe Park and hosts around 17,000 students.

Popular student areas in Colchester include:

• Hythe
• Quayside
• Greenstead

Transport Links

As mentioned, Colchester was named London’s best-value commuter town. As such, it offers good access to London via the A12, A120 and Colchester train stations.

Despite property investment trends shifting towards new builds, many investors may find the high price point offputting. Investing off-plan (while the development is in the planning or construction phase) is one way to get a good deal on a new-build property. Investors can usually see below-market prices as the property is still being worked on. With flexible payment plans, investors can also spread the cost, allowing for more affordability.

However, as previously mentioned, opportunities to invest in new builds are quite limited in Colchester, and therefore, off-plan options are also uncommon. When looking nearby, there may be more chances for off-plan property in Chelmsford as it is closer to London, but generally, investors will want to look at major cities like London and Manchester to have the most diverse investment opportunities.