Explore developments close to top universities in the UK

The UK continues to be one of the most sought-after countries for higher education, and a popular destination for many Malaysian parents sending their children for higher education. In 2023/2024𐩑, there are over 12,760 Malaysian students who went to the UK, out of a total of 732,285 international students for that year, charting Malaysia as one of the top 8 countries sending students to the UK.

As education is an important aspect to many Malaysian parents, many have the preference to rent or purchase nearby these top educational institutions, for convenience and safety, favouring homes that are next to or within walking distance, or direct transport connections to the universities.

Locations that we are showcasing that are close to some of the UK’s top universities:

• London: Southbank, Marylebone, White City
• Reading
• Cambridge
• Birmingham
• Manchester

Besides buying a property for your children, it can also be a source of income once they have graduated. These properties have historically been in high demand from both student and professional tenants, as they are located in business hubs, garnering a high rental yield. As for investors, this is an opportunity to diversify your income through rental properties.

Homes are attractively priced from £230,000, offering options for both investors and owner occupiers. Join us to compare the differences in each UK city, development size, growth rates & rental returns from different well-known UK developers.

London

Marylebone, Zone 1

Located in prime Marylebone & St John’s Wood postcode in Central London, this low-rise development is phase 1 of Westminster’s City Council Church Street regeneration project, estimated at £1.3 billion.

The location offers effortless connections, with 4 tube stations within a 4 to 15 minute walk, accessible to more than 7 transport lines (Edgware, Paddington, Marylebone & Baker Street stations). It is walking distance to some of London’s well-known world-class restaurants, boutique shops, and cultural landmarks, such as:

• 10 mins to Paddington (Paddington Bear statue, St Mary’s Hospital (Imperial College Healthcare))
• 15 mins to Regent’s Park, Regent’s University, London Business School & Uni. of Marylebone
• 20 mins to Hyde Park, Marble Arch and Oxford Street – 22 Michelin-starred restaurants in Marylebone and Mayfairᐩ, cafe hopping, shop for the latest fashion trends in Selfridges, grab a book in Daunts Bookstore, or visit a theatre.

Limited units of only 215 units of suites and 1–3 bed apartments with prices starting from £599,000, 2 beds from £982,000, with rental yields up to 5%.

Southbank, Zone 1

Southbank is a riverside neighbourhood near many famous London landmarks. Within 15 minutes, you can get to River Thames, Tate Modern, London Eye, Borough Market, The Shard, and St Paul’s Cathedral. Apart from the iconic landmarks, it is accessible to 4 stations, the nearest 6-minute walk to Southwark station, 10- to 12-minute walk to Blackfriars, Waterloo, and London Bridge Stations, accessible to 8 transport lines.

Southbank is an ideal location for university students who are planning to attend King’s College London, LSE, and the University of Southbank. It is walkable to all 3 King’s College campuses and South Bank University within 20 minutes, and to LSE in 26 minutes. Students attending universities such as UCL, UAL, Regent’s University, and London Business School can easily reach their campuses via direct bus and tube services.

This exclusive boutique development has 95 units in total with studios, 1, 2 & 3-bed + study apartments starting from £730,000, with a strong rental yield of up to 5.2%.

White City, Zone 2

Imperial College London is one of the global top 10 Universities in the world, and their newest White City campus is a 23-acre new campus focusing on innovation, science, technology & business.

The development is located next to Imperial College London White City campus and at the entrance of 2 tube stations (White City & Wood Lane), with Shepherd’s Bush a bit further away. Residents can enjoy easy access to the City and beyond via the Central, Circle, and Hammersmith & City tube lines, allowing one to easily reach more than 10 London universities directly.

It is also part of the White City £8 billion regeneration plan, which also includes Westfield London (Europe’s largest mall with 400 shops, including Ichiba, the UK’s largest Japanese food hall), White City commercial centre, home to top companies such as L’Oréal HQ, ITV HQ, BBC, Mapletree, and more.

Offering suites, 1 – 4 bedrooms & penthouses with prices from £625,000, with a rental yield of up to 4.5%. Whether you are looking to buy for your own use or as an investment, owning in one of West London’s prime addresses next to global education hubs offers long-term comfort, allowing you to also build a consistent rental income and strong wealth preservation.

Reading Town Centre

23 mins from London Paddington

A brand new riverside development in Reading Town Centre, only 3 minutes walk to Reading station (access to the Elizabeth Line, Great Western Railway & bus networks), and 23 minutes to Central London, and only 12 mins to the University of Reading.

It is a low-density development, with only 209 units in total in a sought-after out-of-London UK Business address. Strategically positioned within 10 minutes walking distance to commercial district (PWC and Deloitte offices) and lifestyle amenities (Oracle Mall, Reading High Street), perfect for owner occupiers who like the convenience and investors who want to invest for rental yield, and students who plan to study at the University of Reading.

Get to other business parks such as Thames Valley, Green Park, Suttons & Arlington business parks within 25 minutes via bus.

The first release features 3 out of the 7 buildings, consisting of 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments. Malaysians can now secure a safe investment property priced from £332,000, with estimated rental yields of up to 6.5%.

Cambridge

Part of the University of Cambridge masterplan township extension

Located within the University of Cambridge’s masterplan township extension, this Cambridge development offers both apartments and houses for those who want to call Cambridge their second home or invest within the vicinity of the prestigious University of Cambridge and its 31 colleges.

The development will feature new research facilities, sporting grounds, supermarkets, a community centre, a nursery school, a co-working space, 50 hectares of green spaces, a new University of Cambridge Primary School, bus & bike networks to allow ease of traveling to the city centre, River Cam, the University Library & more. Apart from the University, Cambridge’s economy also boasts a flourishing research-based industry, life sciences & healthcare, advanced manufacturing & materials & clean technology, with more than 25,000 companies, including global brands such as AstraZeneca, Arm Ltd, GSK, Microsoft, Samsung, Apple & many more.

Apartments price from £474,950, freehold houses from £929,500, with up to 5.5% rental yield.

Birmingham

Next to Birmingham City & Aston University

A canal-side mixed-use development in Birmingham, located just next to Birmingham City University and Aston University. The site is located just a 7-minute walk away from the forthcoming HS2 Curzon Street railway station, cutting short journey times to London Euston in just 49 minutes. Business centres and shopping districts are not far away, restaurants and malls like Bullring, Selfridges, Chinese Quarter, Town Hall, Mailbox, Colmore Row, Paradise & Brindley Place (home to PWC, Barclays, Deloitte, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, etc), all within 20 – 30 minutes walk.

Consisting of 1 – 3 bedroom apartments across multiple phases, the development offers top-tier facilities such as a coffee bar, games area, lounge, gym, library, meeting room, 24-hour concierge, co-working stations, and cinema room, along with 20,000 square feet of commercial space within the development to cater to a wide range of tenants and owner occupiers. Apartments are priced attractively from £230,000, with up to 6% rental yield.

Manchester

Next to the Education and Business district

A prime mixed-use development in Manchester City Centre bordering the education, business, and shopping district. This is a rare opportunity to own or invest in this location off Oxford Road, Manchester. A short 3-minute walk to Manchester Metropolitan University, a 4-minute walk to Manchester Oxford Road Station, a 9-minute walk to the University of Manchester, and a 10-minute walk to Manchester Google.

The mixed-use development is worth £850 million, consisting of both commercial & residential buildings, situated next to future SISTER regeneration, a JV between the University of Manchester and Bruntwood SciTech that is worth £1.7 billion, aiming to provide 2 million sqft of commercial & retail spaces and a research hub with groundbreaking technology.

The development appeals to not only students, but also young working professionals and corporate tenants, as there are several commercial offices with global brands such as PUMA, JP Morgan, HMRC, Santander Bank, HSBC, and many more that have offices on-site in the development.

The first building to be sold now is a 15-storey apartment building complete with facilities such as co-working spaces, an urban rooftop garden, an outdoor cinema, the 15th-floor terrace, and private dining rooms. Besides facilities, the development has on-site shops, from grocery stores, Asian markets, to gyms and independent cafes. Fully furnished 2-bedroom apartments start from £418,000, with potential yields up to 7%.

For those who’re interested in studios and 1 beds, please register in advance for future release.

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Already own a London or UK property and would like to discuss management or ownership-related matters? This is a good time to explore our range of services:

• Transfer of ownership
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If you are looking to acquire a property in London or the UK and have no clue on where to start looking, what prices to pay for, quality of the developer who develops in the neighbourhood, comparing value, types of properties that would suit your needs, the difference in holding costs that you should be aware of and financing options that are available for you, having neutral conversations helps in the decision making process.

*Disclaimer: Prices above are correct at time of publish and are subject to availability. Travel times and walking times are sourced from maps.google.com and are subject to service availability and route taken. Property development and details are deemed accurate taken from materials/information provided by the developer, for specific details and latest progress on site please reach out to us for more info and clarification. ᐩSource: Mayfair Foodie 𐩑UK Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)