Exclusive: Home improvement boom gives SME construction a 35 per cent lockdown boost September 9, 2021 The home improvement boom experienced during three strict lockdowns has led to a 35 per cent increase in sales for SMEs in construction, according to new data that was shared exclusively with City A.M. today. Figures from almost a quarter of a million invoices recorded by 915 trade SMEs has shown that the average invoice value [...]
How Hastens luxury beds are helping beat ‘Covidsomnia’ September 8, 2021 Before the onset of the pandemic, insomnia was something I’d only experienced vicariously, through the red-eyed stares of characters on screen, or the defeated anecdotes of colleagues with young children. I’ve always been a big sleeper, never really growing out of that teenage phase of lying in bed late at weekends and occasionally enjoying an [...]
Here’s how much you must put into your child’s JISA to get them on the housing ladder September 6, 2021 Parents and grandparents face putting away more than £3,000 per year typically to help children on to the property ladder in adulthood, and in London it’s more than double that. A child born in 2021 would need average annual deposits of £3,129 into their Junior Isa (Jisa) to afford the average UK first-time buyer deposit [...]
Foreign cash influx: UK properties firmly back on the radar of foreign investors September 6, 2021 New and returning overseas investors are poised to enter the UK property market following the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, new figures that were released today suggest. Knight Frank said its web traffic data showed nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of users looking at sales and lettings properties in August were based abroad. [...]
Housebuilder Vistry ties bosses pay to carbon cutting efforts September 3, 2021 Housebuilder Vistry has confirmed it will link its executives pay to sustainability targets from next year onwards, amid the UK’s push for net zero. The new practice appears a tangible effort to make the carbon-heavy construction and housebuilding sector more sustainable, ahead of the UN’s flagship climate conference COP26 in November. While bosses have been [...]
Berkeley on track with profit guidance despite ‘challenging’ market conditions September 3, 2021 Housebuilder Berkeley Group has said it is on track with its profit guidance for the current year after “resilient market conditions” continued over the past four months. The company said reservations are currently in line with those seen two years prior to the pandemic, after seeing a “gradual firming” of the London market in recent [...]
Exclusive: Half of all UK businesses currently unable to run at full capacity September 2, 2021 Half of all UK businesses are still unable to run at full operational capacity, according to new research shared with City A.M. this afternoon. Global logistics firm One World Express commissioned a survey of more than 350 decision-makers within UK businesses. It found that 50 per cent had not seen improvements in business performance since lockdown restrictions began [...]
Exclusive: Homeowners borrow more than ever as remortgage applications jump by 176 per cent September 1, 2021 Homeowners across the UK are now borrowing more money from mortgage lenders than ever before to fund home improvements, according to new figures shared with City A.M. this morning. According to mortgage broker Mojo Mortgages, the average amount of money being applied for by existing homeowners to fund renovation projects has increased by just over £13,000 [...]
UK house prices jump unexpectedly in August September 1, 2021 UK house prices jumped unexpectedly in August driven by strong demand for homes in the lower segment of the market, according to new figures released today. Data from Nationwide shows house prices rose 11 per cent annually in August, up from July’s 10.5 per cent increase. The shock rise is likely being driven by the [...]
60 per cent of all properties sold in London hit by down valuations August 31, 2021 Nearly 400,000 UK property transactions have been down valued in the last year alone, according to research by London property agent Benham and Reeves, shared with City A.M. this morning. At 59 per cent, London is home to some of the largest levels of down valued homes of all UK areas and it also ranks third [...]