House prices: First-time buyers fell last year – and crash may not be as drastic as predicted January 3, 2023 A predicted fall in house prices may do little to change the prospects for first-time buyers in London The number of first-time buyers is estimated to have fallen by around nine per cent in 2022, according to analysis by a building society. Across the UK, the number of people taking their first step onto the [...]
House price growth falls for fourth consecutive month, worst run since 2008 December 30, 2022 House prices have plummeted for the fourth consecutive month by 2.8 per cent in December, the worst run since the financial crisis of 2008. Nationwide’s latest House Price Index shows this month proved to be another sharp slow down in growth down from 4.4 per cent in November. House prices fell by 0.1 per cent [...]
The City in 2023: Real estate and infrastructure increasingly inflation-proof alternatives for investors December 29, 2022 Half of UK investors have either made alternative investments this year or are considering doing so in 2023 as they seek inflation-beating options. They primarily focus on investments in assets such infrastructure, real estate but also private equity and commodities. Two in five investors are more likely to consider alternative investments as a result of [...]
‘Bank of mum and dad’ to return in fight against mortgage and rent double whammy December 27, 2022 The “bank of mum and dad” may be called upon for more help in the new year, as aspiring first-time buyers deal with a double whammy of higher mortgage rates and surging rental costs while they try to save. But for those buyers who are able to make the jump onto the property ladder next [...]
End of the exodus? Number leaving London begins to fall December 26, 2022 Moves away from London appear to have passed a peak, with estimates suggesting around 20,000 fewer properties being bought outside the capital this year than in 2021. In a year which has seen strong house price growth outside London, just over a quarter (26%) of “London leavers” in 2022 bought properties with at least four bedrooms, down from 30% [...]
London flexible office occupancy rates recover to pre-pandemic levels December 22, 2022 Flexible office spaces in central London have seen their occupancy rates recover to pre-pandemic levels, new data shows. A majority (86 per cent) of the world’s top 30 flexible workspace providers have seen now seen occupancy rates in their central London offices surpass levels of 60 per cent, a survey by Knight Frank shows. A [...]
London calling: Capital regains prize as most searched-for property location December 21, 2022 The allure of the countryside during the pandemic has subsided as searches for homes in London have spiked to their highest levels since going into lockdown. Cornwall and Devon held the most searched-for locations for several months in 2021, now Brits are looking to head back to the capital, research from online property agent Rightmove [...]
Brits untroubled by rising mortgage rates as property transactions rise December 21, 2022 Monthly property transactions have increased across the UK and returned to pre-pandemic levels despite the ongoing cost of living crisis. Today, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) published statistics indicating that monthly property transactions in the UK above £40,000 have increased consecutively over the past nine months. Frances McDonald, research analyst at Savills said: “In light [...]
EXCL – Renters and homeowners go head to head: Tenants want price controls while landlords feel penalised December 21, 2022 While landlords say there is too much regulation in the private rental sector, a majority of tenants in the UK say that there is not enough, according to new research shared exclusively with City A.M. today. Almost three in four tenants say that the rental market needs tighter regulation to protect renters, but over three [...]
Relief for mortgage prisoners: Six banks to begin lending on flats with unsafe cladding December 20, 2022 A handful of the country’s biggest banks will consider mortgage applications for some flats with dangerous cladding from January, in a sigh of relief for people trapped in unsellable properties. Lenders withdrew mortgage provisions for unsafe flats following the Grenfell Tower disaster, when 72 people were killed in a fire at a high-rise block in [...]