Why I Buy in Leicestershire

One of the most common questions I’m asked is this: “Where’s the best place to buy property?”

For me the answer is simple: Leicestershire.

Not because I’m blind to opportunities elsewhere, but because it has been my home for 55 years.

Where my journey began
When I started investing, I lived in LE3. Naturally, my first few properties were in LE3. They were on the streets I walked every day, in the communities I already knew.

Later in life, I moved to LE9 and my last few properties have followed me there. Again, it was never about chasing “the next hotspot” in some faraway city. It was about buying where I lived, where my family grew up, and where I understood the rhythm of daily life.

Stepping outside my comfort zone
I often say that almost all my portfolio is in Leicestershire. That’s true, but there was one exception.

I once bought a guest house on the East Coast and I did it for one reason: to push myself beyond my comfort zone. It was a deliberate stretch, a test of whether I could make something work in a place I didn’t know as well.

That experience taught me two lessons. First, it proved that you can adapt, grow and succeed outside familiar ground. Second, it reminded me why my long-term heart and strategy, remain rooted in Leicestershire, where knowledge, relationships and legacy give me the strongest foundation.

Leicester’s deeper story
This county has always been a place of meeting and movement.

• The Romans built Leicester’s foundations, you can still see part of their Jewry Wall today.
• The Saxons and Vikings left their marks in place names: Wigston comes from Saxon roots, while names like Thurmaston reflect Viking influence.
• The Normans raised castles that still shape our landscape.
• The Industrial Revolution made Leicester a powerhouse of textiles, shoes, and engineering, industries that built the terraced housing still standing today.
• In 2012, the city found itself in the global spotlight when Richard III was discovered beneath a car park and reinterred with dignity in Leicester Cathedral.
• Today, the city is one of the most culturally diverse in the country, from the Golden Mile’s Diwali celebrations and the Asian Mela to Polish shops and Caribbean carnivals, while the wider county retains the steadier pace of villages, market towns, and countryside.

Sporting pride
Leicester isn’t only about history, it’s about pride in the present.

• Leicester City FC showed the world what’s possible when underdogs believe, lifting the Premier League trophy in 2016.
• The Tigers have a rich rugby heritage.
• Leicestershire County Cricket Club continues to nurture talent recently getting back to winning ways and being promoted to Division 1 after 27 years.
• And the Leicester Riders, the oldest professional basketball club in the UK, have built a remarkable record of trophies.

Sport here is more than entertainment. It reflects the resilience and spirit of the people who call this place home.

Property through the years
Over the last quarter of a century, Leicestershire property has told its own story.

• House prices have more than doubled since the early 2000s. Even with market cycles, the long-term trend has been upward.
• Rents have risen steadily, especially in recent years, providing reliable income for landlords who manage well.

In other words, patience has rewarded those who bought and held. Time, more than anything else, has been the quiet partner in building wealth here.

Why I still buy close to home
For me, property is not about chasing distant bargains or following headlines.

• It’s about knowledge: knowing which streets are quietly brilliant, which schools parents ask for, which corners of the market are about to turn.
• It’s about relationships: with builders, trades, agents, and planners I’ve known for years.
• And it’s about legacy: investing in the same county where my children and grandchildren are growing up.

So where should you buy?
Property is about people as much as it is about bricks. By investing in Leicestershire, I’m not just building a portfolio, I’m honouring the place that has shaped me and my family.

So when people ask me where to buy, my answer is always the same:

Buy where you know. Build where you belong. And never forget the story of the place you’re building in.