National housebuilders and independent developers.Albany Apartments
If you're looking for an achingly-cool apartment with character, look no further than The Albany Buildings in central Liverpool. A painstaking restoration programme has brought exquisite city living to the North West.
Abito
Developers of micro living, Abito honed intelligently-designed city pads in central Manchester after much exhaustive research. Is the UK ready for the Abito concept? With low entry level prices, the debut scheme indicates so.
Barratt Homes
The dreadful man in the helicopter's long gone, thank goodness, and the Barratt build quality has much improved, to provide units ready for all sections of the rentals market. Some good investor deals to be had.
Beal Homes
Independent, East Yorkshire based developer well poised to capitalise on the forthcoming regeneration of Hull. Well designed residentical schemes at low entry prices in Hull's surrounding villages and an excellent development just outside Lincoln. One to watch.
Beetham
Big boy developers of huge city towers with swanky apartments above glitzy hotels. Known for its edifices in Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. Units sell well off-plan to investors and some are still available in the NW cities. The views are fantastic for those with a head for heights.
CALA Homes (Yorkshire)
National developer of Scottish origin, with excellent projects in Yorkshire as well as back in the old country. Specialises in new build developements in central locations/some refurbishment of character buildings.
City Loft Developments
A leading developer of mixed used schemes - primarily outside London, with a focus on brownfield sites in the north of England.
Country and Metropolitan
Known best in the north for its city centre schemes in Leeds, Chester and Manchester, C&M has delivered some great new build schemes in great locations and some rather mediocre schemes in the suburbs. A case of look before you buy - those who invested in the company's Blue scheme in Leeds will be rightfully smug by now.
Downing Developments
Liverpool based developers behind some of the city's most impressive new schemes.
Edge
Small, independent developer of great vision. The new Fernhill scheme at Saddleworth has proved outstanding in terms of design and layout - these are the people to build you that dream house. Thus far, Brian Franklin's projects are based in NW - let's hope they embrace the rest of the UK.
Lace Market Properties
A developer with enormous influence on Nottingham's changing skyline. Lace Market Properties has created more apartments from semi-derelict properties in the city than any other developer.
Lowry Homes
Independent developers unafraid of demanding schemes. Titanic Mill, a Lowry Renaissance developement at Linthwaite, Huddersfield, is an ambitious redevelopment of a gigantic mill, now home to 30-somethings, a leisure and health spa and restaurant. It's not what one expects in Huddersfield, which makes it a very good thing. With its eco-friendly design criteria, it's hats off to Lowry. Salford Quays will take off eventually, there's a lot of redevelopment in the Quay Basin right now, so look at Lowry's XQ7.
LPC Living
Award winning residential property developer with over £150m of residential schemes in development.
Magellan Residential
Yorkshire based developer with an eye for quality transformation of character buildings and cutting edge new build schemes.
Newmason Properties
Independent developer with a taste for ambitious, well-thought-out schemes, such as the redevelopment of Victoria Mills - the refurbishment of a canalside building near Bradford into a sought-after scheme with leisure facilities on site. Great attention to detail ensures Newmason projects are well supported by a loyal following of investor clients.
Oakapple
Leeds based developer with wide commercial and residential portfolio. Interesting schemes in Yorkshire's mill and coastal towns. We favour the Scarborough scheme in light of the investment coming into the town. Also of note is the scheme in LS7 - a trendy suburb beloved by young urbanites.
Redrow Homes
Redrow builds more than 4000 new homes annually, UK-wide. Its credentials as a city developer include award-winning ventures in London, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester. However, Redrow also caters for investors looking to expand their portfolios outside the city centres.
Urban Splash
One of the UK's best respected independent developers with a nose for regeneration in areas of deprivation. The results of Urban Splash's efforts in Manchester brought loft living to the North and sparked a host of industrial transformations throughout Lancashire.
Weston Homes
A developer with a portfolio of schemes stretching from Ipswich to London's Docklands, Battersea and East End, via Cheshunt and St Albans. Metropolitan apartment complexes and select housing developments.