House price rises limited to the south October 16, 2011 HOUSE prices in the south are now over twice as high as elsewhere in England and Wales, according to asking prices collated by Rightmove. Asking prices in southern regions have shot up by 4.7 per cent this month, wedging an even bigger gap between housing costs in the south compared to further north. In London [...]
City office take-up stays low October 16, 2011 THE TAKE-UP of new office space in London’s Square Mile this year could drop to its lowest since 2003 as economic uncertainty continues to dampen demand, property consultant Cushman & Wakefield has warned. Research published by the firm today shows that leasing activity in the City and the Docklands rose more than 73 per cent [...]
Letting agents say supply of rental homes is falling October 16, 2011 THE SUPPLY of residential accommodation available to rent is in sharp decline, according to a report released this morning. The number of letting agents reporting that there are more tenants than properties has reached the highest level since records began, the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) has said. Around three quarters of respondents to [...]
A journey to the promised land of New World wine October 16, 2011 It was a few years ago, on an evening near Christmas in a neon-lit office boardroom, that I set my heart on South African wine. Until that night, I’d floundered when faced with supermarket wine sections and restaurant lists. Nothing tasted worth the money. And yet wine played an almost daily role in my life. [...]
World still recovering from BlackBerry blackout October 16, 2011 When BlackBerry crumbled, nobody got any emails for three days. This made people angry; angrier than if you had approached them on the street, apropos nothing, and slapped them firmly across the face (I should know, I tried: they didn’t even react. They were too busy staring at their lifeless phones). The episode – crisis: [...]
CLAPHAM, SW4 October 13, 2011 CALDERVALE ROAD Price: £950, 000 On a tree-lined street just a few minutes walk from Clapham Common, this four bedroom family home stretches over 1,800 square feet and has room for extension. The property retains many of its original features. Contact: Douglas & Gordon on 020 8675 4400 or go to www.douglasandgordon.com CLAPHAM COMMON Price: £2.45m [...]
SELL October 13, 2011 CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT DESIGN CONSULTANCY APD INTERIORS Q. Instead of moving home I am thinking about converting my loft. What do I need to consider? A. Given the high costs associated with moving and the current state of the property market it can be easier to look at your existing home and consider how it [...]
THE LONDON BAROMETER October 13, 2011 DIRECTOR OF DOUGLAS & GORDON FAR fewer people are opting to move house since the cost of moving has become prohibitive for many homeowners. With current economic uncertainty we were expecting lower applicant numbers in September, but we were surprised by how they held up. We could be at a pivotal point in the market [...]
Next hotspots for price growth October 13, 2011 EVERYONE has read the headlines about the soaring prices of core prime central London properties – that’s homes in Chelsea, Mayfair and Belgravia. Foreign investment in the market has brought a price boom that the average well-to-do Brit just can’t keep pace with. Understandable, when the “square footage” – the price per square foot – [...]
A Bajan palace with Bali twist October 13, 2011 A BAJAN dream house – complete with home cinema, gym and several pavilions – would really be something to show your friends. Well – providing you have the dough ($27m) – your showstopper has arrived, in the form of Alang Alang Bay on the beachfront of St James (45 minutes from the airport), for sale [...]