Why many Hong Kong nationals are moving to Warrington

So why is the town becoming a hotspot for ex-pat Hongkongers, and what does it mean for residents?

Hong Kong has experienced something of a mass exodus over the past year after the Chinese Government imposed new laws criminalising protests in June 2020.

Critics of Beijing have been left fearing for their safety as a result.

A visa scheme allowing natives of Hong Kong – a former British colony – to apply for UK citizenship opened in February, with around 300,000 expected to apply over the next five years.

Manoj Patel, director of Warrington Business Park-based Hamlet Homes, told the Warrington Guardian: “It’s a big risk to relocate your whole family halfway around the world, packing everything you’ve known into a box and taking it over to this cold and rainy country.

“If people are prepared to do that, then clearly they feel a risk to their safety."

Initially, the influx was concentrated on London.

But, increasingly, others are realising that they can get better value for money by purchasing property in the north.

And Warrington is ideally located for new arrivals, who are able to look for jobs in both of the nearby Liverpool and Manchester markets.

Most are cash buyers who can offer over the asking price on houses, with the lack of a chain and reduced chance of a deal falling through due to no mortgage being needed also being an attractive proposition to sellers.

Many estate agents have been set up specifically catering to the new market, with scores of videos posted on YouTube in Cantonese showing tours of properties and facilities – some of which have attracted tens of thousands of views.

Some of the Cantonese YouTube videos featuring properties in Warrington

Areas including Chapelford and Great Sankey are proving to be particularly popular with Hongkongers, with the recently-opened Warrington West station being one reason why these neighbourhoods are a draw.

Hamlet Homes' property consultant Tesh Patel said: “At first, the investment was in London.

“Now I think they’re wising up and realising that you can get a lot more property for your money up north, and you’re still close to big cities like Liverpool and Manchester.

“They’re wealthy refugees and they’re very skilled and smart people – they’re here to stay, settling down and creating a life.

“Chapelford has a great community.

“It’s got a school, a supermarket and a pub, they’re nice houses and then it has the transport links with the train station.

“A lot of them don’t drive, so they need to be near these things."

Dakota Park in Chapelford

Some are also buying in order to let to their fellow countrymen, many of whom would struggle to rent through traditional means as they would not pass credit checks here in the UK.

Landlords are able to charge a premium as a result.

Tesh said: “Hongkongers are not only buying properties to live in, they’re also buying to invest.

“Some families coming from Hong Kong won’t be able to buy, so they’ll rent.

“But they will prefer to rent from someone from Hong Kong as there is a language barrier, a trust barrier and a culture barrier.

“One estate agent has a client who is investing around £3million in three-bedroom semis in Warrington, and he’s planning to rent them out to people from Hong Kong.

“The British housing market has always been resilient, so they know it’s a safe place to invest.

“They’re charging rents that we wouldn’t be able to get from Warringtonians tenants, 30 or 40 per cent higher."

While sellers have benefited from receiving a price over the odds for their home, they are also struggling to find a new house in a market that has become more competitive as a result.

So what is Tesh's advice for anyone finding themselves caught between properties?

“Ninety per cent are cash buyers, so it makes it difficult for local buyers to compete”, he said.

“They will overpay to secure that home, because it’s a move of desperation.

“Sometimes they’re overpaying by 10 to 15 per cent, just to secure that home and to protect their families.

“They’re buying new-build homes from abroad, based off plans alone.

“We have noticed a knock-on effect where sellers are struggling to find their next home because they’re getting outbid.

“It’s just pushing prices up, and they’re maybe better off going into rental.

“You’re getting £20,000 or £30,000 more than your home is worth anyway.

“Consider sitting on that and renting for a bit so you can take your time to find the right home.

“People have to think outside the box a bit.

“You’re making a premium on your property anyway, so you could put £5,000 aside for 12 months to pay for a rental property.

“And there are still other areas of Warrington people can buy where the demand isn’t there."

Jack Liu is one Hongkonger who has made the 6,000-mile move to Warrington.

The 49-year-old moved from his home country to Manchester two months ago with his wife and eight-year-old son.

And he has now bought a house in Bewsey.

Jack, who worked as a regional director of IT and logistics for a fashion company in Hong Kong and is also a wakeboarding instructor, said: “We are currently experiencing political turmoil, and for young families especially it’s very difficult to plan long-term.

“The British people have been very generous since I moved, and I’ve been watching lots of football.

“When I lived in Hong Kong, I lived in the countryside so I don’t like living in a big city.

“I moved to Manchester to plan where I would settle down, and I was mainly looking at Sheffield, Bolton, Wigan and Warrington.

“Then I found a nice place here, so I made the decision – why not?

“In terms of location, it’s in between Liverpool and Manchester and Bolton and Wigan are within 15 or 20 minutes’ drive as well.

“I think it’s a very good choice.

“I’d also like to reach the seaside easily and I like Liverpool, but the housing seems to be a little bit more expensive.

“We’ve been staying in hotels and Airbnbs for almost nine months, moving here and there, so I want to settle down for our little boy."

Another new resident, who only wanted to be known as Mr Lo, recently moved to the Brook at Taylor's Chase in Sankey with his wife.

Mr and Mrs Lo

He told the Guardian earlier this year that the town had 'everything they needed', adding: "Homes in England offer more for your money than in Hong Kong.

“To compare living costs and house prices in Hong Kong to somewhere over here, it would be like London but still much more expensive so we feel very lucky that we’ve managed to find a lovely home to settle into and start our new life here.”