In recent years a number of UK towns and cities have been transformed through exciting regeneration and development projects.
With new homes, jobs, and office spaces available, as well as improved transport links and green spaces, many of these areas are becoming increasingly appealing to live in. And even better news is that in the areas where development is ongoing, house prices often haven’t caught up yet.
With this in mind, here’s our rundown of 11 up-and-coming places to live in the UK.
1. Dundee, Scotland
While other Scottish cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow are often in the limelight, Dundee has recently undergone some serious regeneration.
Scotland’s fourth-largest city is currently enjoying the results of its award-winning £1.6 billion waterfront redevelopment, which has resulted in the construction of swanky new flats and bistro-style restaurants.
It’s hoped that this, paired with other regeneration schemes – such as the opening of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2018 (the first one outside of London) – will put Dundee on the map, both culturally and in business terms. This will hopefully lead the way for further economic and social development in the near future.
Over the previous year, property prices in Dundee averaged £171,110.
2. Bolton, Greater Manchester
Bolton is one of the 10 boroughs that make up Greater Manchester and the town’s regeneration continues to gather momentum – with several major developments currently underway and more in the pipeline expected to be completed by March 2026.
Awarded an additional £20 million in November 2023 (alongside over £50 million previously), work to modernize Bolton Market, refurbish Bolton Central Library, and transform a 4.5-acre former bus station site into new homes, shops, and green spaces is due to be completed this year.
This summer will see refurbishment of the council-owned Wellsprings office building finished, which will provide a modern workspace to hopefully attract a variety of digital and creative companies.
Bolton also benefits from being close to the economic powerhouse of Manchester, which lies about 10 miles southeast. This makes Bolton a popular choice for those who work in Manchester – a commute made even more convenient by the 2017 £48 million Bolton Interchange project, which connected Bolton railway and bus station.
Despite its proximity to Manchester, Bolton still offers property prices that could be seen as a bit of a bargain. Overall average property prices in Bolton over the past year were £203,406.
3. Reading, Berkshire
Reading has experienced exponential growth over recent years. And with a number of developments currently in the works, it’s not set to slow down.
One of the best-connected towns in the UK, Reading has excellent transport links. It takes just 22-minutes to London Paddington, while direct journeys to a number of major cities including Manchester, Southampton, Exeter, Bristol, and Birmingham are also available.
The town has recently become the western terminus of CrossRail, has an award-winning bus service, is connected to all major London airports, and sits conveniently on the M4 corridor.
Upcoming regeneration in the town centre is to include a new market square for the high street that’ll host Christmas markets, street food vendors, and live theatre events.
Plus, a major construction project, Station Hill, set to be completed this year, will also see the creation of over 750 new homes, 625,000 square feet of offices, and a 60,000 square feet lifestyle-led space for retail, restaurants, and cafes.
Overall average property prices in Reading were £428,962 over the past year.
4. Hull, East Yorkshire
After Leeds, Sheffield, and Bradford, Kingston upon Hull (or simply ‘Hull’) is the fourth-largest city in the Yorkshire and Humber region, and it’s been on a swift upwards trajectory since 2012.
Hull hasn’t always been given a good rap, but ever since German engineering company Siemens built a wind turbine factory in the city in 2016, its economy has boomed. Hull’s now recognised as a hotspot for renewable energy production and has attracted a number of huge businesses including BP, KCom Group, and Ideal Standard.
Plus, after being named the ‘UK City of Culture’ in 2017, over five million people were attracted to the area, which led to the creation of over 800 new jobs and encouraged significant investment in the city. This included £25 million put towards art installations, pedestrian streets, and major city centre refurbishment.
When it comes to transport, the city also aims to become carbon neutral by 2030 by creating greener travel options, minimizing pollution, and tackling congestion. These plans include the introduction of a bus service improvement plan.
Despite its growth, Hull remains one of the most affordable places to live in the UK, with an average property value of £162,686 over the past year.
5. Chepstow, Monmouthshire
A number of Welsh towns are soon to be undergoing major regeneration as a result of the Welsh government’s 2022 to 2025 £100 million development plan.
This came after a survey which, among other things, revealed that only 3% of people in Wales felt their high street was thriving. The main aim of the regeneration is to boost the Welsh economy, create new jobs, and improve the places where people live, work, learn, and socialise.
Among the towns undergoing development is Chepstow in Monmouthshire, which has its own Transforming Chepstow Masterplan.
The plan outlines how it hopes to make the town more vibrant, attractive, and suited to both existing and future residents. This includes building new homes, improving transport and traffic volume, and providing access to high-quality green spaces.
Properties in Chepstow had an overall average of £354,729 over the previous year.
6. Inverness, Scottish Highlands
Located in the Scottish Highlands, Inverness was labelled one of the UK’s fastest-growing cities in 2020, having benefited from a population growth of 15% since 2001.
Significant investment has been put into the city’s infrastructure, which makes getting into both the Highlands and southern Scotland simple by train and bus. And with the construction of a new airport train station, Inverness airport is now directly linked to the main city.
For outdoorsy people, Inverness is a haven for adventure and activity. Surrounded by stunning natural beauty and sat beside the world-famous Loch Ness, it’s home to medieval ruins, prehistoric sites, and natural landscapes.
Over the past year, properties in Inverness had an overall average price of £219,458.
7. Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Half an hour’s drive outside Bath lies the small town of Trowbridge in Wiltshire. Like many other towns that surround Bath, Trowbridge benefits from beautiful Georgian and Victorian architecture.
The neighbouring towns of Frome, Corsham, and Melksham underwent a huge resurgence in recent years – becoming the bustling homes of quaint coffee shops, independent cafes, and a range of bars.
While Trowbridge continues to fly below the radar, it’s got a lot to offer. For example, it boasts excellent transport links – with regular trains taking less than 20 minutes to Bath, 25 minutes to Bristol, and five minutes to Bradford on Avon. There are also direct trains available to London, Swindon, Gloucester, Portsmouth, Cardiff, and even Brighton. Plus, the M4 motorway is just around the corner.
Despite this, house prices in Trowbridge remain well below the average of neighbouring areas and over the past year properties in Trowbridge had an overall average price of £287,625.
8. Derby, Derbyshire
Derby is the UK’s most central city. It’s home to some of the country’s first factories and spinning mills which were responsible for setting Britain’s Industrial Revolution in motion.
The recent growth of Derby’s population (increasing by 5.1% over 10 years), has helped to put it on the map as an up-and-coming, desirable place to live, alongside being an economic centre.
More and more regeneration projects and housing plans continue to pop up across the city. This includes the 2030 Derby City Centre Master Plan, which is set to pump £3.5 billion worth of investment into the city – creating 4,000 new jobs and 1,900 new city centre homes.
Derby has always been a great transport hub, providing excellent road, rail, and air access across the UK – and this is only set to improve. Currently under construction, when the High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) government project is completed, commute times from Derby to a number of major UK cities, including London, Leeds, and Birmingham, will be cut down to less than 55 minutes.
Property prices in Derby had an overall average of £230,540 over the previous year.
9. Derry, Northern Ireland
For the last 100 years or so, the city of Londonderry (or ‘Derry’, for short) in Northern Ireland has suffered a range of economic and social pitfalls – including below-average income and a worryingly high proportion of its population living in poverty.
However, as part of the UK government’s mission to level up the area, millions of pounds have been invested into transforming Derry.
This injection of cash involves £18 million devoted to infrastructure, community sports, and skill development alone – all with the aim of helping Derry residents live longer, happier lives by improving their living standards. There are also big plans to transform The Central Riverfront, remodelling it to help bring together old and new parts of the city.
Derry’s employment growth is expected to triple, with an additional 7,000 jobs planned to be available by 2032. The council will also be investing in improved transport links, public services, and green spaces. Plans for a major residential development were also approved in 2022, which will create over 250 new homes.
Properties in Derry had an overall average price of £199,238 over the past year.
10. Slough, Berkshire
Slough is one of the original commuter towns, and it’s got a lot going for it.
Having recently benefited from the construction of CrossRail, Slough’s transport links mean London and Heathrow are just 20 minutes away by train. The town is also accessible via the M25 and M4, which makes it an appealing option for commuters.
Having undergone significant redevelopment in recent years, with new apartments and office blocks popping up across town, Slough’s now home to a number of large businesses. And, because it’s still developing, property prices are relatively low compared to other areas in the south of England offering the same perks.
The average property price in Slough over the last year was £439,015; though flats in the area sold for an average of £237,591.
11. Ipswich, Suffolk
The town of Ipswich, situated not far from the Suffolk coast, has previously suffered from a reputation that labelled it as one of the worst places to live in England.
However, following significant investment in recent years, the town has gone from strength to strength in terms of development. While officially still a town, Ipswich is known as one of the fastest-growing cities in the UK.
In 2020 Ipswich was the only UK destination to make it onto TripAdvisor’s list of top emerging destinations in the world, and in October 2023 funds of £7.9 million were approved to develop the town centre and address empty retail space. With this project due to kick off later this year, it’s clear that Ipswich has a lot to be excited about.
There are also plans for a new development that’ll see 173 new homes, shops, restaurants, and bars built between the River Gipping and Cardinal Park, located in the town centre. This is accompanied by ambitions to create new green spaces that offer habitats for insects and birds, as part of an initiative to support local wildlife.
Ipswich also boasts impressive transport links to Norwich, Cambridge, London, and beyond. With London just over an hour away, Ipswich is one of the most affordable commuter towns in the UK, with average property prices standing at £279,703 over the past year. And there’s also the added draw of local beaches, which can be found just a short walk away.
Final thoughts…
From the creation of green spaces and new homes to the construction of impressive transport services, it’s interesting to wonder what many of these areas could look like in just a few years time.
We hope you enjoyed reading our list of 11 up-and-coming places to live in the UK. Naturally, with so many regeneration projects going on across the country, this list is by no means exhaustive.
For more inspiration on your next move, you might like to read our articles; 20 happiest places to live in Great Britain and 14 of the best places to retire in the UK.
Do you live in any of these areas? What other areas would you include on this list? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.