The student property market represents a lucrative investment opportunity right across the UK. According to Parliament UK, the number of students enrolled on undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the academic year 2017/2018, was 2.3 million, and despite the costs of studying, the numbers of both domestic and international students applying to University courses is expected to see an even greater increase in future years.

Sheffield is England’s fourth-largest city and is an exciting and modern place with a population of over 560,000. It is one of the UK’s most popular destinations for students, playing host to over 60,000 domestic and overseas students, a high proportion of whom choose to stay, or return and settle in the city. Sheffield has an international reputation for steel making. It was this industry that established it as one England’s main industrial cities during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. This industry used Sheffield’s unique combination of local iron, coal and water power supplied by the local rivers.

The steel industry now concentrates on more specialist steel-making and currently produces more steel per year by value than at any other time in its history. The industry has become highly automated and employs far fewer staff than in the past. Around 240,000 people work in Sheffield in approximately 20,000 businesses. Sheffield has a thriving commercial centre with branches of some of the world’s most famous organisation located in the city (including IBM, Rolls Royce and Boeing). The largest employers are now all public sector: the two universities, NHS, and national and local government employees. Private fee-paying international students are also a major source (£120m per year) of income to the local economy through the universities.