Bradford named 'off-plan' hotspot where new flats are being snapped up - along with Selby and Doncaster

Nationally, the North West has taken the top spot for off-plan flat sales, with nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of new flats in the region sold before construction was completed in 2024, overtaking London for the first time since 2007.

But Yorkshire and the Humber is not far behind, with 43 per cent of new flats in the region sold off-plan.

Bradford, in particular, ranked fourth in the UK, with 65 per cent of new flats sold off-plan, while Selby, in North Yorkshire, came in joint fifth at 64 per cent. Doncaster also made the top 10, with 60 per cent of its new flats sold before completion.

In 2021, Priestley Homes transformed Bradford’s Conditioning House, a former Victorian woollen mill, into a mixed-use development with 166 luxury residential apartments, a gym, café, office space and a grand covered atrium at the heart of the development that can be used all year round. Over 100 of the apartments were sold off-plan.

Prices started at £90,000 for a one-bedroom apartment and £140,000 for a two-bedroom duplex. In comparison, the average one-bedroom flat in Leeds city centre at the time was £120,000.

“The main reason Bradford is so popular is its relatively low entry price to the market. It’s substantially lower than neighbouring Leeds, making it more affordable, as well as having higher yields for investors compared to other major cities in the UK,” says Nathan Priestley, chief executive of Priestley Homes, based in Leeds, inset.

While Yorkshire’s 43 per cent off-plan sales share remains below the North West’s 63 per cent, it surpasses the South West, West Midlands and North East — highlighting Yorkshire’s rising appeal.

David Fell, lead analyst at Hamptons, said: "The expectation that prices will be higher tomorrow remains one of the biggest drivers of off-plan sales for both investors and owner-occupiers."

With parts of the North West having seen strong growth in property values in recent years, investors have been keen to lock in sales, Hamptons added.

Four in five (80 per cent) new flats in Salford were sold before they were built last year, according to Hamptons' modelling, the highest share in any local authority it looked at.

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Salford boasts an array of attractions for home movers, with its green spaces and waterways, access to the arts and theatre with venues such as The Lowry, and employment opportunities, with developments such as the MediaCityUK creative hub.

Meanwhile, in London , where house price growth has been relatively sluggish, just over half (55 per cent) of flats were sold before they were built, according to Hamptons' estimates, down from 59 per cent in 2023.

Hamptons' index combines its own new home sales data with Land Registry sales figures to model the share of homes sold before they were built (off-plan) across England and Wales .

The property firm's internal data stems from around 550 estate agency branches across England and Wales that form part of the Connells Group, Hamptons' parent company.