Look to Brighton for hot property

The south coast city of Brighton and Hove is among the most attractive and rewarding places to invest in the UK according to local experts.

The areas close proximity to London, picturesque location, developed community and vibrant culture all culminate to make the region an interesting proposition, according to Brighton and Hove Family Homes (BHFH).

"Brighton has extremely good transport links to London. There is a fast train that goes to London very frequently," said Charlie Snell, director of BHFH.

"There is also the sea, which is a fantastic attraction for most people and the fresh air that it brings with it; there are a lot of parks. It is attractive particularly to Londoners."

The city stretches along the coast, and presently has a population of around 480,000. It also has a feel all of its own, according to BHFH.

"It's one of the only places outside London that sort of maintains a London feel to it and where you don't feel like you are in a provincial town," continued Mr Snell.

"It is quite a funky place and there are a lot of independent shops here. There are also a lot of independently-minded people; people who don't think in a mainstream way and this helps retain some of its unique identity," he added.

The buy-to-let market in the city is also highly developed.

"Brighton has a strong buy-to-let market because there are two universities here and numerous other colleges and language schools and this helps the rental market," explained Mr Snell.

"Also, people who want to move here usually rent first, just to test the water, so the rental market is extremely strong."

Finally, the city also appears to be relatively unaffected by the prevailing conditions in the market.

Research from BHFH finds 70 per cent of the city's inhabitants believe prices will continue to rise.

Furthermore, the Land Registry finds prices have increased 11.9 per cent in the past 12 months, well ahead of the national average of 6.7 per cent.