Hopeful house buyers put off by low supply February 5, 2012 A SHORTAGE of suitable housing is preventing potential first-time buyers from stepping onto the property ladder, according to data released this morning. Asked to name their biggest concern about buying a home, the second most common response among potential buyers was the difficulty of finding a property. “In the final quarter of 2011, the numbers [...]
Rich pickings in poor man’s Verbier February 5, 2012 IT’S unlikely you’ll have heard of La Tzoumaz. With just 300 permanent residents, few hotels and no town centre (or après ski) to speak of, it’s not the sort of place you’d expect to find a ten-minute ski from Verbier, Switzerland’s sexiest resort. No: La Tzoumaz (rhymes with satsuma) is quite definitely Verbier’s shy, unfashionable, [...]
Ski like an amateur, race like a professional February 5, 2012 THREE, two, one, the race countdown began, as my heart knocked treble-time. With my ski racing bib on, adrenalin pumping, I was staring down a steep, crisply-groomed slope, preparing to race it in my first ever downhill speed run. Then the horn sounded and I was off. I skated a few steps to pick up [...]
TRAVEL NOTES February 5, 2012 Literary London V-Day dinner at Brown’s This romantic package is perfect for those who find exquisite poetry and great food. A tour of the beautiful, private London library is followed by a three course dinner and fizz at the hotel’s Albemarle restaurant by Mark Hix. £160, 14 Feb. To book, call 0207 518 4060 Cupid’s [...]
FOCUS ON: TUNBRIDGE WELLS February 2, 2012 DOWN HOUSE Price: £1.1m A five bedroom Georgian house, situated in the edge of a village setting, with off-road parking, garden and extensive grounds. Contact Knight Frank on 020 7629 8171 or knightfrank.co.uk FERNCLYFFE Price: £3.6m Gigantic home featuring entrance hall, four reception rooms, conservatory, kitchen, games room, utility room, eight bedrooms, dressing room, and [...]
Oh I do long to be beside the (British) seaside February 2, 2012 IT’S not the South of France or the Amalfi Coast. But Britain’s seaside has plenty of charm of its own – and not just of the quaint and slightly run-down variety, but of a beautiful, unique and in some cases, highly exclusive type. For instance, Knight Frank recently sold a mansion in south Cornwall to [...]
PROPERTY NEWS February 2, 2012 NEW DEVELOPMENT TO LAUNCH IN LEWISHAM Contributing to the major regeneration of Lewisham, housing provider, Family Mosaic is delighted to announce the launch of its impressive new development, Central Park, this April. The high specification one, two and three bedroom apartments are in close proximity to neighbouring Blackheath and Greenwich and perfectly placed in one [...]
BUY February 2, 2012 DIRECTOR, DOUGLAS & GORDON Q.I am about to put my flat on the market and have about £5,000 to spend getting it looking it’s best. How should I spend it? A.The trick in selling a property is to realise that most people buy within the first 30 seconds of walking in, so first impressions are [...]
Great Portland’s NAV jumps February 2, 2012 GREAT PORTLAND Estates, the London property developer, has seen its net asset value jump in the quarter after landing two major pre-lets with media firm UBM and property agency Savills. The group said the value of its portfolio rose 2.6 per cent in the three months to 31 December and gained 10.6 per cent to [...]
Nasty, bitchy and…brilliant February 2, 2012 Film YOUNG ADULT Cert: 15 ***** YOUNG Adult takes a premise from the Hollywood Rom Com Storyline Generator™ and subverts it deliciously. Charlize Theron plays ageing prom queen Mavis Gary, who returns to her “hick” hometown to try to rekindle her high school romance with Buddy Slade, who is now married with a baby. She [...]