The North West has the well-deserved reputation of being a buy-to-let hotspot in recent years, bringing underrated towns like St Helens to the attention of property investors.

Merseyside is definitely an area on the up, but is St Helens the best choice out there?

While St Helens has many advantages, it may still be hard to find enticing investment opportunities like those found in major urban centres such as Manchester and Liverpool. These cities can offer more diverse investment strategies, including student accommodation, short letting, and more new build and off-plan options. According to Zoopla, Liverpool has even been named one of the best buy-to-let locations in the UK, with a rental yield of 7.43% – much higher than those in St Helens. The property portal also states that the city’s average price of buy-to-lets for sale is just £128,905.

Liverpool property prices are also at a similar level of affordability to St Helens, with the average standing at £174,603, according to the UK House Price Index.