St Helens Buy-to-Let Guide

According to Rightmove, the average price of a property sold in St Helens over the last year was £174,829. This is significantly more affordable than the overall UK average of £284,691, as stated by the UK House Price Index.

St Helens’ average property price is down 2% on the year before and 4% up compared to the 2021 peak. This subdued growth has been observed across the UK property market in 2023, with modest price dips experienced in some areas. So, is it worth investing in property in St Helens in 2024 and beyond?

Most market forecasts for UK property state that a return to healthy growth in the next few years is likely. In particular, Savills Residential Property Forecast predicts that the North West will grow by 20.2% in the years leading up to 2028. This is even more optimistic than the UK average of 17.9, which is promising news for St Helens property owners.

The town centre is mainly populated by terraced housing dating from the late 19th to early 20th century and some newer apartment buildings. Outer areas have both period properties and newly built housing, including terraces, semi-detached, detached, and bungalows.

So, what was the most popular type of property sold in St Helens last year? According to Rightmove, most sales in St. Helens were semi-detached properties selling for an average price of £190,911. On average, terraced properties fetched £124,981, while detached properties went for £319,308.

Average Property Prices in Eccleston

The average property price in this area is £212,769.

Average Rental Yield in Eccleston

The average rental yield in this area is 4.30%.

Average Property Prices in Haydock

The average property price in this area is £162,880.

Average Rental Yield in Haydock

The average rental yield in this area is 5.05%.

(Average property prices taken were from Rightmove in March 2024; rental yield estimates were calculated with figures from housesforsaletorent.co.uk in the same period)

What is the Best Area of St Helens to Invest in?

Haydock is a small separate town from St Helens and it is known as a good value area and a popular place to live for families.

Thatto Heath is another affordable part of St Helens, with good access to surrounding towns and cities, which makes it sought-after by commuters. These areas have decent gross average rental yields compared to pricier districts such as Eccleston, but property prices are generally low across the borough.

Regeneration

Since the early 2000s, St Helens has been the beneficiary of urban regeneration initiatives that promote the town as a vital hub of the North West and encourage investment and business. The town has been improving since then, and revitalisation efforts are ongoing.

An ambitious regeneration plan for St Helens’ town centre aims to provide the local community with a new office building, hotel, market hall, housing, retail units, and other projects.

Popularity with Commuters

St Helens is a convenient commuter town for workers in the North West region, with strong road links with proximity to the M6, M62, M57, and A580.

St Helens has public transport links to other North West cities and towns. The area is home to several train stations with direct services to Liverpool and Manchester that take less than half an hour. Why not read our tutorial on how to get into property in 2024 with our guide.

New builds are increasingly popular as investment options, but they usually come with a premium and are more expensive than older properties. Due to this, off-plan has emerged as a way to acquire a newly built property at a lower price because investors can benefit from discounts or payment plans provided by the developer for those who invest earlier on in the project.

But investors searching for off-plan investment opportunities in St Helens may find options limited.

Off-plan opportunities are still usually concentrated in major urban centres. If you’re interested in a Merseyside off-plan investment, most opportunities will likely be in Liverpool city centre, so researching Liverpool new builds is one way to find current off-plan projects.