Virginia House, The Butts, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR1 3PA
Freehold Student Investment Opportunity
Features
- Rare Long Income Student Investment with 122 Years Unexpired
- Recently converted and refurbished to a high specification
- 15,332 sq. ft. comprising 42 rooms with ground floor cinema room, gym, dining and recreational areas
- Situated in Worcester city centre, adjacent to The Hive Library and only 450 m from The University of Worcester City Campus
- Let to Virginia House Limited, part of the Living Worcester Group, at a passing rent of £145,000 per annum
- Yearly upward only rent reviews
- Freehold – offers based on £2,750,000, equating to a net initial yield of 4.95%
Description
Virginia House is a former office building that underwent a back to frame strip out in early 2020. The property has been refurbished to a high specification including full replacement of mechanical and electrical installations and windows.
Location
Worcester is a Cathedral City located in the West Midlands and is the commercial & administrative hub for Worcestershire. The city has a population of 100,300 (2020) and is located approximately 135 miles north west of London, 32 miles south west of Birmingham and 25 miles north of Cheltenham. Worcester city centre is situated approximately 3 miles to the west of the M5 Motorway (Junctions 6 & 7). The M5 Motorway connects with the M42 Motorway approximately 16 miles north of the property and to the M50 Motorway approximately 12 miles to the south. SITUATION Virginia House is situated in a highly prominent corner position on The Butts one of the principal routes linking the inner ring road, Crowngate Shopping Centre and Worcester City Centre. The property is positioned in the heart of Worcester City Centre only 30m from The Hive Library and 15m from The Crowngate Shopping Centre which incorporates Worcester Bus Station and Crowngate Car Park. The property is situated close to the junction with Croft Road (A449) and All Saints Road (A44) which forms part of the Worcester Ring Road and provides easy access to the M5 motorway. THE UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER The University of Worcester has been ranked in the top 3 in the UK for quality education in 2019, 2020 & 2021 (Times Higher Education's University Impact Rankings). The university has been shortlisted three times as the Times Higher Education's University of the Year - in 2016, 2019 and 2020 - and twice for University of the Year in the UK Social Mobility Awards in 2019 and 2020. The student population for the 2019 / 2020 academic year was 10,179 with approximately 82.5% of students studying an undergraduate course.Accommodation
The property extends to 15,332 sq. ft. (1,424.90 sq m) of accommodation on a site of 0.23 acres (0.09 hectares).Externally, the property benefits from 10 car parking spaces including 1 disabled parking space.
Ground Floor - Common Entrance, Cinema Room, Dining Room, Student Lounge, Gym, Fitness / Yoga Studio.
First Floor - 6 Studios, 4 Deluxe Studios, 4 Double Apartments, Laundry
Second Floor - 6 Studios, 4 Deluxe Studios, 4 Double Apartments, Laundry
Third Floor - 6 Studios, 4 Deluxe Studios, 4 Double Apartments, Laundry
Total - 18 Studios, 12 Deluxe Studios, 12 Double Apartments.
Tenure
The property is held Freehold under Land Registry Title number WR22172.Tenancy
The property is let to Virginia House Limited (company registration number 11487209) on a FRI lease term of 125 years from 10 March 2020 until 9 March 2145, reflecting an unexpired lease term of 122 years.The current passing rent is £145,000 per annum, subject to annual (10th March) upward only rent reviews. The rent will increase by a percentage of the gross rent received by the tenant, Virginia House Limited.
This opportunity provides long term income security with minimal asset management input.
Price
Offers based on £2,750,000 for the Freehold interest, equating to a net initial yield of 4.95% (allowing for purchasers costs of 6.42%)Additional Information
COVENANT INFORMATIONVirginia House Limited was incorporated in 2018 (company registration number 11487209).
The company was established for the sole purpose of operating a student letting business from the property. The company operates as a student accommodation provider and is part of The Living Worcester Group Limited (company registration number 12841293). The group operates two sites within Worcester City Centre, Virginia House and Farrier House.
Virginia House is the flagship property and occupiers of Farrier House are permitted to use the modern gym facilities located at Virginia House. Additional information is available on the Virginia House website; https://virginiahouse.net/
The current rent payable by Virginia House Limited (£130,000 per annum increasing to £145,000 per annum) is significantly lower than the rent generated from the student letting accommodation which currently stands at circa £375,000 per annum.
Virginia House has maintained 100% occupancy since trading commenced in 2020. The schemes success has prompted the tenant to explore the possibility of adding an additional two floors to Virginia House.
