Holiday Homes: We visit the resort in Portugal that’s out to prove that resort golf doesn’t have to be amateur hour March 15, 2019 If you’re serious about golf, but would also like a place in the sun, it’s often hard to find a golf resort with a course that aims above pitch and putt. Monte Rei, a prestigious resort in Portugal in one of Europe’s most sought after golfing destinations, is trying to change all that and be [...]
Focus On Clapham: Commons, good schools and cosy gastropubs means families stay put in SW4 March 15, 2019 The appeal of living in Clapham is clear for all to see. It has great transport connections along the Northern Line and Clapham Junction – one of the most well-connected stations in the UK – , particularly for south London. It’s better value for money than its north-of-the-river counterparts. The 220-acre Clapham Common is all [...]
Interiors: Allow us to introduce you to ‘lagom’, the latest Swedish interior design trend you’ve never heard of March 15, 2019 The more-is-more, maximalist approach to home interiors is everywhere at the moment, but it’s not for everyone. Do you crave a little calm? Are you not the type to pimp your place in a rainbow of colours? Perhaps you like balance. You like blond woods, clean lines and sculptural shapes. You’re partial to some ‘hygge’ [...]
Opinion: First time buyers purchasing new builds with the help of Mum and Dad are missing out on SDLT relief March 15, 2019 Stamp duty land tax relief for all first-time buyers for purchases up to £500,000: this was the pledge made by the Chancellor, Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, in the 2017 Autumn Budget. Given the usual stamp duty threshold is far lower than the average house price in London, this was a big win for first-time [...]
Property of the Week: The historic lodge of the former St John’s Wood dairy is on sale for £5.35m March 15, 2019 It’s hard to imagine it now, but there was a time when Tesco didn’t even exist and Londoners got their milk from cows that wandered the streets. This lodge harks back to this simpler time, as it used to service the St John’s Wood farm and dairy. There used to be hundreds of milking parlours [...]
Opinion: Post-Brexit Britain should be open to the world and a foreign buyer tax sends exactly the opposite message March 15, 2019 House price growth is at its lowest rate in five years, according to the latest ONS statistics. While Brexit is clearly a contributing factor, stamp duty is the main culprit in the London market. It is therefore highly alarming that the government has decided to press ahead with divvying out yet another stamp duty burden. [...]
New homes: Our pick of the new builds going on sale in London this weekend March 15, 2019 New developments on the market this week Boat Race House, Barnes From £485,000 Enjoy a prime view of the finishing line of the Boat Race in the comfort of your own home at this new riverside development. As well as a view of the Thames, buyers of these new homes will be guaranteed private outdoor [...]
Property Legal Q&A: We believe our new build flat should be ready in three months’ time and have just been advised our mortgage offer has expired. What should we do? March 15, 2019 There are a few issues for you to consider. You do not say whether you have received formal notification from the developer requiring you to complete in three months. Usually, a contract for the purchase of a property not-yet-built will contain a procedure stating that completion is on notice i.e. the developer will notify you [...]
Under the Silver Lake film review: It Follows director David Robert Mitchell’s follow-up is bonkers but brilliant March 14, 2019 David Robert Mitchell’s 2014 teen horror It Follows is up there with Jordan Peele’s Get Out as one of the best scary movies of the last decade. It was a lean, stripped back study of teenage anxiety and the perils of sexual awakening. For his new movie he takes a different tack, turning out a [...]
Betrayal at the Harold Pinter Theatre review: Tom Hiddleston is brilliant in this gut-wrenching play about infidelity March 14, 2019 It’s been a hell of a year for Harold Pinter fans. Over seven productions, director Jamie Lloyd resurrected dozens of the playwright’s one-act works, many of which hadn’t been performed in decades. That series ended last month, but Lloyd, now surely the world’s go-to Pinter guy, has lost none of his enthusiasm, following it up [...]