Uber eyes Square Mile move despite London licence ban December 1, 2019 Uber is eyeing offices space in the Square Mile as it looks to expand in the capital despite Transport for London’s decision last week to not renew its licence. The ride-hailing app is reportedly looking for a bigger European headquarters after the lease on its Aldgate office expires, and is mulling options at 60 London [...]
Focus on Lewisham: New social scene sparks interest from first-time buyers November 29, 2019 One might assume there is something in the water in Lewisham. Although it is a relatively unassuming corner of South East London, it has been the birthplace of a wealth of musical talent: Cream drummer Ginger Baker, Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman and Sex Pistols frontman Sid Vicious were all born there. The town’s own [...]
How a Notting Hill garage was transformed into an LA-style luxury home November 29, 2019 When you think of Los Angeles, you probably imagine broad, sun-drenched streets, palm trees and the kind of airy, modern villas that we see on TV and in the movies. It doesn’t have much in common with rainy London – but that didn’t deter the designers of a new home in Notting Hill, who set [...]
New builds: homes on the market in London this weekend, including a former BHS in Ealing and shared ownership in the Docklands November 29, 2019 So Resi, Ealing From £106,000 for a 25 per cent share of a one-bed The former BHS store on Ealing Broadway has been transformed into a collection of one, two and three-bed apartments by Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing. The building contains plenty of outdoor space, with a communal podium garden on the first floor and [...]
Fancy a Christmas tipple? Here are London’s best-dressed festive bars and hotels November 29, 2019 Since writing this column my bah humbug feeling about the run-up to Christmas has been transformed. Now that I am blissfully untouched by Christmas jingles bombarding me from shops and TV (thanks, internet), Christmas cheer is all around me as London slowly lights up. We are spoilt for choice in terms of where to gather, [...]
Opinion: Reservation agreements can take the stress out of selling your home November 29, 2019 Reservation agreements – the practice of buyers and sometimes sellers paying a fee to show their commitment to buying a property prior to exchange – are having their moment in the spotlight as the government is on the cusp of launching its official trial. Early in the new year, it will ask selected estate agents [...]
UK house prices: Growth hits seven-month high November 28, 2019 UK house price growth ticked up this month, showing the strongest annual rise since April. However, annual house price growth remained below one per cent for the 12th month in a row at 0.8 per cent, reaching an average price of £215.734. House prices were up 0.5 per cent month-on-month, according to the latest Nationwide [...]
London house prices finally show ‘signs of life’ in one per cent October rise November 27, 2019 London house prices started to show “signs of life” last month due to renewed buyer demand and a shortage of property coming to the market. House prices in the capital grew one per cent year on year in October following a period of year-on-year price falls. In October 2018 London house prices dropped 1.1 per [...]
Bovis Homes faces shareholder backlash over executive pay November 26, 2019 Housebuilder Bovis Homes is facing investor backlash over executive pay proposals as it prepares to approve a £1.1bn takeover of Galliford Try’s residential development arm. A number of institutional investors are preparing to vote against Bovis Homes’ long-term incentive plan (LTIP) and remuneration policy at a shareholder meeting next week, Sky News reported. Read more: [...]
Covent Garden JV writedown hurts Shaftesbury profit November 26, 2019 West End landlord Shaftesbury suffered a sharp drop in profit this year after taking a writedown on the value of a retail joint venture in Covent Garden. The figure Profit after tax fell from £175.5m to £26m due to the revaluation of the portfolio, which dipped 0.6 per cent to £4bn overall. However, the company’s [...]