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Friday, 27th August 2010
Juliet Samuel
THE number of holiday homes in the UK is on the rise, according to research by Knight Frank. After declining in 2008, the number of British second homes swelled 2.6 per cent last year and is set to rise another 2 per cent this year.
So with demand once again on the up, buyers should be on the lookout for homes that will retain both their peaceful appeal and their value. North-western Scotland is one of the few areas where it is not only possible to buy a rustic home set amid pristine scenery, but to buy a sizeable chunk of the scenery as well.
Strutt & Parker’s Suzanne Moss says that it...
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Friday, 27th August 2010
JESSICA MEAD
CENTRAL APARTMENTS
From £230,000
Ideal for first-time buyers, this new development comprises 113 apartments. All flats are open-plan and have their own balconies with views as far as the London Eye...
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Friday, 27th August 2010
JESSICA MEAD
BACK TO THE BOOM YEARS FOR PUTNEY
The property boom years are back, at least in Putney. An eight-bedroom house in Heathview Gardens has just sold for £5.3m, one of the highest prices ever paid for a...
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Friday, 27th August 2010
RUSSELL HUNT
MANAGING DIRECTOR, PROPERTY HUNT
Q.Dear Russell, with property prices projected to fall and interest rates forecast to rise, should I buy?
A.As with anything to do with property, it is all about...
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Friday, 20th August 2010
JESSICA MEAD
RIVERSIDE HOUSE, MORDEN ROAD
£199,950
This two-bedroom apartment in a smart riverside development is ideal for the first-time buyer. It has an undercover reserved parking bay. Contact: Ellisons on...
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Friday, 20th August 2010
CAMILLA DELL
MANAGING PARTNER AT BLACK BRICK
Q.Dear Camilla. I’m thinking about buying a property in London for investment but I keep seeing various contradicting indices and I am very confused. What is...
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Friday, 20th August 2010
ZOE STRIMPEL
LUXURY DEVELOPMENT ON FINCHLEY ROAD
A slice of leafy North-West London has just become more accessible with the unveiling of West Heath Place, a collection of 48 apartments, including penthouses and...
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Friday, 13th August 2010
Juliet Samuel
AMONG the UK’s high-earners, some race cars, others sail yachts and others engage in the age-old tradition of country sports. And with the grouse shooting season kicking off yesterday, keen field...
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Friday, 13th August 2010
TIMOTHY BARBER
CHURCH STREET
£750,000
A pretty, three-bedroom cottage in Hampton’s old village quarter, close to Hampton Court Palace and the Thames. Contact Tredinnick &?Bower on 020 8979 9922 or visit
www....
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Friday, 13th August 2010
James Davis
CEO of online lettings agent www.upad.co.uk
Q.My first ever tenant is nearing the end of their first six-month fixed tenancy. Should I get them to sign a new agreement?
A.It’s entirely your choice...
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Friday, 13th August 2010
TIMOTHY BARBER
SOLD! THE UK’S MOST EXPENSIVE HOME
A penthouse in One Hyde Park, the lavish development in Knightsbridge, has entered the record books as the most expensive residential property in Britain – and,...
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Friday, 6th August 2010
Juliet Samuel
LONDONERS in search of rental bargains are getting wise to the fact that moving a few miles east into the Docklands gets you more space and higher specs for the same money. Rental prices in the...
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Friday, 6th August 2010
JESSICA MEAD
£50M TO FUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING
The Mayor of London and London Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) have approved the funding for 16 schemes aimed at providing 518 affordable homes. The schemes’ future...
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Friday, 6th August 2010
Andrew Dunning
HEAD DESIGNER, APD INTERIORS
Q.Dear Andrew, my hallway seems to have become a general dumping ground – how can I make it more welcoming?
A.The appearance and design of the hallway is often overlooked...
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Friday, 6th August 2010
Timothy Barber
THE credit crunch kicked the bottom out of the Spanish property market. But if you’re looking for somewhere to bask in the sun this time next year, that simply means Spain is a more affordable place...
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Friday, 30th July 2010
Juliet Samuel
NEW data released by Lloyds TSB and the Land Registry this week revealed that since London won its bid to host the 2012 Olympic games, property prices in east London have climbed an average of 26 per...
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Friday, 30th July 2010
SELLING
Russell Hunt
MANAGING DIRECTOR,
PROPERTY HUNT
Q.Dear Russell, I am looking to invest in a London property. Is central London still the best place to buy?
A.It certainly makes sense to invest...
[Read more]
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Friday, 30th July 2010
MANAGING DIRECTOR,
PROPERTY HUNT
Q.Dear Russell, I am looking to invest in a London property. Is central London still the best place to buy?
A.It certainly makes sense to invest in prime central...
[Read more]
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Friday, 30th July 2010
JESSICA MEAD
HIGH DEMAND TO KEEP FARMLAND PRICES UP
Increased demand for commercial farmland and a continued lack of supply are keeping rural land price high, the latest Rural Land Market Survey from the Royal...
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Friday, 23rd July 2010
JESSICA MEAD
ROYAL MILITARY ACADEMY
Price: From £165,000
A luxury flat in an 18th century military school is not the typical home of a first-time buyer. But a regeneration project has turned the academy into a...
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Friday, 23rd July 2010
JESSICA MEAD
SAVILLS’ PROPERTY AUCTION NEXT TUESDAY
Bargain-hunting property investors rejoice. Next Tuesday sees Savills hold one of its residential auctions. There’s a tenanted three-bedroom flat in a portered...
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Friday, 23rd July 2010
CAMILLA DELL
MANAGING PARTNER
AT BLACK BRICK
Q.Dear Camilla, I am thinking of selling my property but I am concerned that it is summer and there are fewer buyers around. When is the optimum time to put my...
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Friday, 23rd July 2010
Juliet Samuel
MORE London leaseholders than ever are taking advantage of their right to freehold enfranchisement – that is, the right to buy the freehold of their property – before the lease length drops below 80...
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Friday, 16th July 2010
JESSICA MEAD
COBURG LANE,
Price: £152,500
This smart two-bedroom maisonette would be ideal for first-time buyers. It comes with off-street parking and access to communal gardens. There’s no onward chain. Contact...
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Friday, 16th July 2010
JESSICA MEAD
BISHOPS AVE SITE SOLD FOR £30M
One of London’s best development opportunities in Hampstead’s Bishops Avenue has sold for more than £30m. The 2.47 acre site has two planning consents in place – either...
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Friday, 16th July 2010
JAMES DAVIS
CEO OF ONLINE LETTINGS AGENT UPAD.CO.UK
Q.I have three properties which I let to tenants on Local Housing Allowance. How do I find out if the new rates of housing benefit will cover their rent? If...
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Friday, 16th July 2010
Zoe Strimpel
FITZROVIA, the area around the BT Tower, bordered by Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road, Great Portland Street and Euston Road, should be Londoners’ idea of property heaven. The West End is on your...
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Friday, 16th July 2010
Juliet Samuel
WITH global growth likely to be sluggish in the coming years, it might seem like a poor time to invest in a holiday home. But with a clear strategy for renting out the place when you’re not in...
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Friday, 16th July 2010
JULIEAT SAMUEL
SUNSET VILLA, MYKONOS, GREECE
Price: €2.2m
This clean, white villa in the town of Mykonos has five bedrooms, six bathrooms and a wide terrace overlooking its large swimming pool. It is available...
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Friday, 16th July 2010
FOR most Brits with second homes abroad, renting out the place will only generate supplementary income while you slave away in the office. But for Tim Forster, a former navy officer, holiday tenants...
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Friday, 9th July 2010
Juliet Samuel
ESTATE agents love taking on “conversions” – it allows them to market the “authenticity” of a property. But what does a conversion actually offer
buyers?
One of the advantages, says Anup Pankhania...
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Friday, 9th July 2010
ANDREW DUNNING
HEAD DESIGNER, APD INTERIORS
Q.Dear Andrew, we have a spare room and I would like to turn it into a home office. Can you give me some advice?
A.First, consider how you want to use the...
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Friday, 9th July 2010
PRIORY ROAD
Price: £830,000
This is a four-bedroom house with a kitchen/dining room, reception room, two bathrooms (one en-suite) and a garden. Chiswick Park, South Acton Tube and rail stations are a...
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Friday, 2nd July 2010
Juliet Samuel
IF you are looking for a family home, Surrey is a good place to start. Unlike some of the suburbs closer to London, Surrey has villages with character and history, fine pubs and some wonderful...
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Friday, 2nd July 2010
Zoe Strimpel
THE appeal of white sand, turquoise sea and a developed infrastructure all in one is too strong to be destroyed by an economic downturn, even this one. While prices sank by 20-25 per cent in two of...
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Friday, 2nd July 2010
Zoe Strimpel
PICTURE the idyllic country home and the chances are you’ll conjure up some quaint, mullioned stone cottage in the Cotswolds. Far beyond a fad, the Cotswolds are home to what many consider England’s...
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Friday, 2nd July 2010
Juliet Samuel
WITH prices still slightly down from their 2008 heights, now is the time to get into the London rental market if you or your company are looking for non-permanent living space in the capital....
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Friday, 2nd July 2010
Jeremy Hazlehurst
vitra vegetal chair in brick red £284, see www.vitra.com for stockists
glow coffee table £149 www.dwell.co.uk
lighthouse oil lamp £16.95 www.dwell.co.uk
Kanpazar Garden Light £580 www.gomodern.co.uk...
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Friday, 2nd July 2010
Jeremy Hazlehurst
ACCORDING to anthropologists, in our hunter-gather days men only ever prepared food in two situations; at feasts for special occasions, or making quick, simple meals of meat cooked over open fires...
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Friday, 2nd July 2010
Russell Hunt
MANAGING DIRECTOR
AT PROPERTY HUNT
Q. Dear Russell, has the abolition of home information packs (Hips) helped the London property market?
A.I think that the removal of Hips has...
[Read more]
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Friday, 25th June 2010
Timothy Barbert
IN warm weather those living near the river in London have a big advantage. It’s not just the views or access to riverside beer gardens – it’s the fact that they don’t have to jam themselves into...
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Friday, 25th June 2010
CAMILLA DELL
MANAGING PARTNER AT BLACK BRICK
Q.Dear Camilla, I am a London property developer and in light of this week’s Budget, what will the week’s announcements mean for the capital’s housing...
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Friday, 25th June 2010
Juliet Samuel
THERE are not many ways to make a 10 per cent tax hike look business-friendly, but Chancellor George Osborne pulled off a neat trick this week by doing just that.
Expectations of a massive capital...
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Friday, 25th June 2010
Zoe Strimpel
YOU’VE given your life to work – and you’ve made a mint in return. It’s high time you rewarded yourself with a show-stopper of a home.?Don’t beat around the property bush – buy yourself a bachelor...
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Friday, 18th June 2010
Juliet Samuel
THERE aren’t many areas of London where less than a million pounds can get you an original Victorian house with four bedrooms, close access to three parks, independent shops and a commute under 20...
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Friday, 18th June 2010
JESSICA MEAD
PRIORY ROAD, N8 8LH
Price: £785,000
This two-storey terraced house has the potential for a loft conversion, should you desire extra space. There are already four bedrooms and two reception rooms in...
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Friday, 18th June 2010
James Davis
ceo of online lettings agent upad.co.uk
Q.Dear James, my tenant has moved out but still owes me two months’ rent. I have no forwarding address for her and would like to at least get the...
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Friday, 11th June 2010
Zoe Strimpel
IN 2005, South Africa’s property market was the fastest growing in the world. Although its rate of growth has slowed, property in Africa’s most developed economy is increasingly in hot demand. This...
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Friday, 11th June 2010
JESSICA MEAD
APPLEBY
Price: £885,000
A late Victorian detached house, this five double bedroom property is ideal for families. It is set in grounds of 0.3 acres and also has a detached coach house – perfect for...
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Friday, 11th June 2010
Andrew Dunning
HEAD DESIGNER,
APD INTERIORS
Q. Dear Andrew, I am thinking about replacing my kitchen. How should I go about doing this?
A. Before you get carried away with designing your new kitchen...
[Read more]
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Friday, 11th June 2010
Juliet Samuel
STEPPING off the end of a Tube line seems like entering a vacuum to most Londoners. One imagines a tangle of motorways, perhaps. Some cows. A few car parks.
Visitors to Stanmore might be surprised....
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Friday, 4th June 2010
Juliet Samuel
WITH the recent fresh spates of sunshine over the City, workers commuting from office to apartment might be thinking longingly uprooting from London for somewhere more rural. With expanding rail...
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Friday, 4th June 2010
TIMOTHY BARBER
FINDING hip, loft-style homes in west London can be rather tricky – Notting Hill and Fulham are hardly rife with the kind of ancient industrial buildings that made east London so fashionable in the...
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Friday, 4th June 2010
JESSICA MEAD
WARLEYS LEA, WARLEY ROAD, GREAT WARLEY, CM13 3HT
Price: £3.75m
Architectural connoisseurs will love this early 19th century house that was remodelled by Sir Edwin Lutyens. It is ideally located just...
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Friday, 4th June 2010
Russell Hunt
MANAGING DIRECTOR, PROPERTY HUNT
Q. Dear Russell, is it easier to get a mortgage now and what’s the best way for me to go about getting one?
A.It is certainly still difficult for...
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Friday, 28th May 2010
Juliet Samuel
AFTER a weekend of Mediterranean weather evaporated this week, sun-hungry holidaymakers could be forgiven for looking to France. And with sellers dusting down wine cellars for the high season, there...
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Friday, 28th May 2010
JESSICA MEAD
CHALVEDUNE, WILDERNESS ROAD
Price: £5.5m
This is an extremely spacious home built on a sought-after private road with views to the rear over Chislehurst golf course. There is a master suite with two...
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Friday, 28th May 2010
Camilla Dell
MANAGING PARTNER
AT BLACK BRICK
Q.Dear Camilla, Hips were originally introduced to protect buyers, now that they have been abolished what protection do buyers have?
A. HOME Information...
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Friday, 28th May 2010
Judith Baker
AT the turn of the last century a visit to the imposing Mont Pelerine Palace in the Swiss Alps was a favourite pastime among wealthy travellers. They arrived by train to the quiet commune of...
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Friday, 21st May 2010
Zoe Strimpel
THE UK is committed to ensuring that all new homes meet an ambitious zero-carbon standard by 2016. And with only a smattering of them in the country to date, there’s a long way to go. Indeed, Barry...
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Friday, 21st May 2010
James Davis
CEO OF ONLINE LETTINGS AGENT WWW.UPAD.CO.UK
Q. I've heard I need planning permission to let a house to three people sharing. Can this really be true?
A. As of 6 April, if property previously occupied...
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Friday, 21st May 2010
TIMOTHY BARBER
MANOR HOUSE DRIVE, NW6
Price: £2.8m
You get peace, charm and space in this five bedroom family house on Manor House Drive in Brondesbury, not far from Queen’s Park. The best feature is the double...
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Friday, 21st May 2010
Timothy Barber
WITH three weeks to go until the World Cup, the red and white flags and bunting have started appearing in the shops this week, which must mean it’s okay now to be getting excited. Notwithstanding the...
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Friday, 14th May 2010
Zoe Strimpel
THERE have been many pretenders to the throne of Italian property gold, but the fact is that Tuscany is still the place everyone wants to be. The downside to any oversubscribed spot is inflated...
[Read more]
Thursday, 2nd September 2010