Bitcoin, gold and London bricks and mortar have been revealed as being among the best investments of the last ten years.
London’s largest lettings and sales estate agent brand, Foxtons, pitted the performance of the capital’s residential property market against nine other popular investment options, from wheat to crude oil, natural gas to the FTSE 100.
The research shows that, based on the latest sold price data from the Land Registry (Dec 2023), the average value of a London home has increased by 44.3 per cent over the last decade.
In December 2013, the average London home commanded £352,028, but today it averages £508,037 – an increase of more than £156,000.
Of all the investment assets analysed by Foxtons, just two have seen a greater return on investment over the same period.
Bitcoin sits top of the table having increased by 4,963 per cent, while the price of gold is up 66.8 per cent in the last 10 years.
Silver, comparatively, has increased by just 22.9 per cent in value, while investing in the FSTE 100 would have seen a return of 15.7 per cent, with corn increasing in value by 7.9 per cent.
Wheat, on the other hand, has seen a decline of -2.5 per cent in value over the last 10 years, with WTI Crude Oil (-26.3 per cent), Brent Crude Oil (-30.2 per cent) and natural gas (-41.5 per cent) also seeing a decline in value.
Foxtons CEO, Guy Gittins, commented: “The investment landscape is constantly changing and while some traditional vehicles have seen a sharp decline in value over the last decade, such as natural gas, other emerging markets such as cryptocurrency have experienced a boom period, albeit with a heightened degree of volatility.
“However, it’s fair to say that bricks and mortar has remained one of the most consistent investments one can make down the years and the long-term returns speak for themselves.
“The London market is undoubtedly the pinnacle when it comes to UK property investment and while the last year may have been a challenging one, the value of a London home has still climbed considerably over the last decade.
“With the property market having now turned a corner 2024 has started on a very promising note and we expect London to continue to attract a high level of investment from investors of all shapes and sizes.”
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