Home buyers face stamp duty of up to 881 per cent higher after Covid-inspired tax holiday March 24, 2022 Since the pandemic-inspired stamp duty holiday came to an end, the amount of SD the average homebuyer in England is now required to pay is 84 per cent higher than it was before the tax break was introduced, and some areas have seen this cost increase by as much as 881 per cent, according to [...]
Russian foreign minister’s stepdaughter who lives in £4m Kensington flat is sanctioned by UK March 24, 2022 Russia’s foreign minister’s stepdaughter, who lives in a £4m flat in Kensington, has been added to Britain’s sanctions list. The Instagram influencer and socialite Polina Kovaleva is the latest target of Britain’s campaign against Kremlin-linked individuals, as Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its second month. Kovaleva, 26, who was privately educated, has documented her lavish [...]
Row erupts as new London arena dubbed ‘enormous glowing blight’ gets planning approval March 23, 2022 A row has erupted over a new music venue branded an “enormous glowing blight” which has now been granted planning permission. The MSG Sphere in Stratford at the site of the 2012 Olympics got approval from the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) today, despite more than a thousand complaints from residents about the 21,000-seater arena. [...]
£5bn investment turnover for central London office market since start of 2022 March 23, 2022 Central London’s office market has marked £5bn investment turnover since the start of the year, as confidence in the category returns. Property advisors Knight Frank have revealed a 300 per cent increase in comparison to the first quarter of 2021 when there were transactions worth £1.2bn. There are £5.8bn worth of central London office deals [...]
Abrdn urges housebuilders to go further than legal requirements in coughing up cladding cash March 23, 2022 FTSE 100 asset manager Abrdn has called on housebuilders to do more than the bare minimum to foot the bill to fix blocks with unsafe cladding. According to a report from Sky News, the City investor has written a letter to big players in the construction sector, urging them to do more than they are [...]
Average UK house price stands at £274k, a £24k annual increase March 23, 2022 The average UK house price hit £274,000 in January, a £24,000 uplift compared to the year prior. Average house prices increased 9.6 per cent over the year to January, a dip from 10 per cent in December 2021, according to the latest official statistics. London continues to be the region with the lowest annual growth [...]
Alisher Usmanov: Ex Arsenal and Everton backer has assets ‘transferred into irrevocable trusts’ March 23, 2022 Former of Arsenal FC shareholder Alisher Usmanov says most of his property has been “transferred into irrevocable trusts” in a bid to evade UK sanctions. The Russian billionaire claims he has protected some of his most valuable properties and his £437m yacht after they were frozen earlier this month. According to The Times, a spokesperson [...]
Makeover for high street as cosmetic treatment firms snap up commercial units March 22, 2022 The UK high street is undergoing a makeover with fresh demand for units from dentists, cosmetic clinics and private healthcare. According to London estate agent Winkworth, commercial units are going to sealed bids as there has been a momentous pandemic interest in cosmetic procedures. Specialist medical services – including dentistry and cosmetic treatments – have [...]
Wates Group marks highest ever operating profit in 125-year history March 22, 2022 Construction firm the Wates Group has posted its highest ever operating profit of £40m, thanks to booking new projects last year. The family-owned firm said it secured £2.3bn of new work during 2021 and ended the year with a record forward order book of £7.1bn – up seven per cent from a previous record in [...]
Home transactions up with market for pricey properties booming compared to pre-Covid levels March 22, 2022 Property transactions hit 96,250 last month, with big spenders buying more than before the pandemic. Transactions were up 15 per cent in February, compared to 83,450 in January, according to HMRC’s latest data on home transactions. Total sales for the first two months of the year stand at 179,900, some 18 per cent lower than [...]