Legal Q&A: Should I invest in an apartment building with exterior cladding? October 25, 2019 The Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 brought into sharp focus the fire risks posed by flammable external wall systems known as ‘cladding’. From a buyer’s perspective the presence of cladding will impact a number of areas, not least the ability to obtain a mortgage, potential remedial costs and the future saleability of the property. Commonly, [...]
New builds: Homes on the market in London this week, from a Battersea tower to a former camera factory October 25, 2019 Shoreditch Exchange, Shoreditch From £785,000 for a one-bed Two new show homes have just been launched at Regal London’s Shoreditch Exchange. Located on Hackney Road, the development includes 184 one, two and three-bed apartments with access to cinema rooms, a gym and roof terraces, as well as a WeWork office. The show homes, one of [...]
What are reservation agreements, and could they really stop gazumping? October 25, 2019 A sale falling out of bed at the eleventh hour is one of the biggest bugbears for those wanting to move home. But the government has now proposed a solution in the form of ‘reservation agreements’, which it now plans to trial early next year. Under this system, which is common in Europe, both buyers [...]
Why The Apprentice is actually really good for business October 25, 2019 Last week, Matt Clifford was lambasted by Lord Sugar on Twitter for his piece in City A.M. on why The Apprentice is bad for business. But having watched the past 15 series of the UK version of the show, there are many positives about the programme. The business world is constantly changing, but the fundamentals [...]
Property of the Week: This Regent’s Park mansion was the setting for a Victorian scandal October 25, 2019 Owning a neoclassical mansion in Regent’s Park would be quite nice in itself. Buy this former ambassadorial residence that has just come to the market on Cumberland Terrace, though, and you will also be able to retrace the steps of 19th century royalty, artists and high society. The grade I-listed, five-bedroom mansion was built in [...]
Focus on Victoria: Once just a train station, this central postcode now has an identity all its own October 25, 2019 There was a time not so long ago when Victoria was a train station, not an area. You could be ‘near Victoria station,’ but not ‘in Victoria’. Happily, it’s now made the transition thanks to an explosion of new bars, shops, offices and restaurants which have put the district firmly on the map. “For many [...]
Opinion: Uncertain times are leading to London property ‘microclimates’ October 25, 2019 The fluctuations and instability experienced by the capital’s housing market continue to be underpinned by, for want of a better phrase, ‘Brexit uncertainty’. A market once dictated by patterns and trends has been shaken by political turbulence, leaving buyers and sellers with little direction on how to navigate it, which is ultimately resulting in inconsistencies [...]
On the right track: We take the world’s slowest express train linking the plush ski resorts of Zermatt and St Moritz October 23, 2019 You could almost feel our compartment teeter over the edge of the crossing as the whole carriage readied cameras and phones to capture the iconic photograph. The Landwasser Viaduct on the Swiss rail network’s Glacier Express is the pièce de résistance of the journey between swish alpine resort towns of Zermatt and St Moritz. And [...]
‘Houseplant hotel suites’ showcase greenery that can make us feel calm, loved-up or more productive October 18, 2019 The UK’s first ‘houseplant hotel rooms’ are opening in East London this weekend. The jungle-like suites at the Leman Locke in Aldgate were created by three green-fingered experts as part of a project by The Joy of Plants, a Dutch organisation which promotes their wellbeing properties. ‘Biophilic designer’ Oliver Heath’s room is aimed at business [...]
These are the London boroughs where first-time buyers are getting the biggest discounts October 18, 2019 Recent reports of lagging London house prices have generally been met with a groan, as the mortgaged majority fret over the value of their property investment. This is not the case for would-be first-time buyers, though, who might find that they can snap up a home for less than they initially expected, or be able [...]