Brookfield Property Partners to launch £4bn auction for Center Parcs UK January 29, 2022 Property giant Brookfield Property Partners is reportedly launching a £4bn auction to sell its subsidiary Center Parks UK, Britain’s largest chain of holiday villages. Brookfield’s decision comes after Center Parks UK reported £120m in EBITDA earnings in the half year ended 7 October as a result of Covid restrictions and the consequent surge in staycations. [...]
Weekend Read: What are London’s property hotspots? January 29, 2022 Which London boroughs have been the busiest housing markets in the past 12 months when it comes to the number of homes sold as a percentage of all private dwellings within each borough? On an individual borough-by-borough level, the busiest area n 2021 in London was Havering, according to data shared with City A.M. this [...]
FCA investigates ‘crippling’ cladding insurance costs January 29, 2022 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is launching an investigation into the ‘crippling’ insurance costs paid by residents with cladding issues. In letters sent today to chief executives of insurance firms, the City watchdog said it will be investigating whether “products provide fair value and premiums fairly and accurately reflect risk.” The FCA will look into [...]
Sadiq Khan: London home-building ‘at risk of stalling’ amid hiked construction costs January 28, 2022 Skyrocketing construction materials are slowing house-building progress in London, Sadiq Khan has warned. The Mayor of London warned new-build developments and extension projects were being hit by a cocktail of rising costs thanks to Brexit and the pandemic. Prices for materials, including steel, timber, and concrete, shot up 23 per cent last year, according to [...]
Office market booms as Tfl passenger numbers climb again January 28, 2022 Take up of Central London office space soared at the end of last year, in a major boost for the City’s revival this winter. Tenants took up 3.2m sq ft of London office space in the final quarter, exclusive data from real estate firm CBRE revealed. This was the strongest take-up since the end of [...]
FCA requested to review buildings insurers as Gove says leaseholders hit with ‘rapidly escalating’ costs January 28, 2022 The financial services regulator has been requested to review the buildings insurance market for blocks of flats. In a letter to the regulator, housing minister Micheal Gove said he was “extremely concerned” to hear from leaseholders about their experience of “rapidly escalating” insurance premiums on high and medium-rise blocks. There have been cases where insurance [...]
Fervour for flats thanks to return to city working and ‘relatively modest’ price rises January 27, 2022 Demand for flats in London has hit its highest level for 19 months, as buyers looked to move closer to city offices. Estate agents have said an influx of overseas buyers from Hong Kong thanks to new visa rules has driven interest. The trend was revealed in Zoopla’s House Price Index, which found the average [...]
M&G snaps up majority stake in sustainable housebuilder Greencore January 27, 2022 Global investment firm M&G has snapped up a majority stake in sustainable housebuilder Greencore Construction, the firm announced today.
London residents’ council tax bill hits almost £5bn a year January 25, 2022 London homeowners and renters have had to pay almost £5bn in council tax bills a year, according to new research. According to one of the capital’s estate agents, Benham and Reeves, said Londoners had paid £1.2bn more per year compared to five years ago. The average resident in the city pays £1,374 in council tax [...]
Cladding suppliers shares tumble after Gove threat on remediation costs January 24, 2022 Building material manufacturers and property developers’ shares plummet on Monday morning as the government toughens up on firms unwilling to pay to fix unsafe homes. Housing secretary Michael Gove threatened a UK trading ban on manufacturers of combustible cladding and insulation in a letter to the Construction Products Association. In the letter, Gove said more [...]