Berkeley Group faces opposition to new bonus policy September 1, 2019 Berkeley Group is facing opposition to its payment policy after a shareholder advisory firm urged investors to vote against the housebuilder’s new bonus structure at a meeting this week. The payment policy has been opposed by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), which said proposals to axe its bonus were “unlikely to affect the remuneration received by [...]
Mortgage approvals hit two-year high while consumer credit growth remains stagnant August 30, 2019 Mortgage approvals for July hit a two-year high according to official data released on Friday. The Bank of England data revealed that lenders approved 67,306 mortgages last month, up from 66,506 in June. Read more: Londoners pay highest UK house premium to live closer to a station The housing market has endured a slowdown since [...]
UK house prices remain stagnant as no-deal Brexit looms August 30, 2019 UK house prices grew at less than one per cent for the ninth month in a row in August, Nationwide figures revealed today, prompting calls for Boris Johnson to slash stamp duty. The value of homes did not grow between July and August, Nationwide’s House Price Index found. Read more: London commuter belt house prices [...]
Property of the Week: An avant-garde home where where architects once partied in the garden August 30, 2019 There is a niche sub-sector of the London property market consisting of homes that appeal mostly to architects – or at least to those with more than a passing interest in design. On the outside their appearance can be divisive, often consisting of a fair bit of concrete, aluminium or glass. Inside, though, you will [...]
New comparison website claims to be ‘Skyscanner for interiors’ August 30, 2019 Ever bought a piece of furniture that you thought was just right for your home, and then been dismayed to stumble across a very similar item that was a better shade, significantly cheaper, or just a bit nicer? This is the problem that Kuldea, a new comparison website billing itself as a kind of Skyscanner [...]
Focus on Balham: The family-friendly outpost is now pricier than Wimbledon and Putney August 30, 2019 In the post-war era, Balham was mocked as the ‘Gateway to the South’ in that infamous Peter Sellers sketch sending up radio adverts for far-flung holiday destinations. The joke was that nothing much exciting happened there – it was an archetypal dreary suburb. How times have changed. It is now a fiercely sought after location [...]
Debate: Should we be worried that some over-55s are using their pensions to help younger family members buy homes? August 30, 2019 Should we be worried that some over-55s are using their pensions to help younger family members buy homes? Yes – Helen Morrissey is a pension specialist at Royal London. While it is natural for people to want to help their children get a foot on the housing ladder, the worry is that they could damage [...]
London commuter belt house prices sink as train fares rise August 29, 2019 London commuter belt house prices have fallen while train fares into the capital rose, new research shows. Commuters making the journey from hubs such as Brentwood, Woking, High Wycombe, Southampton and Gillingham have seen the values of their properties sink over the last year. Read more: Grant Shapps indicates support for TfL gaining control of [...]
Brexit turmoil takes toll on FTSE housebuilder share prices August 28, 2019 Britain’s housebuilding stocks fell across the board this morning as Brexit turmoil dented investor confidence in the property sector. FTSE developer giants including Berkeley Group, Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon all suffered a drop in their share price as markets reacted to the news that Boris Johnson is planning to suspend parliament next month. Read more: [...]
UK mortgage approvals hit highest level in two years August 27, 2019 British high street banks approved the highest number of mortgages for house purchases in over two years in July, according to financial services body UK Finance, in a sign of life in a housing market which has struggled under the weight of Brexit. Read more: London house prices continue to slide under Brexit pressure There [...]