Purplebricks quits US market as losses almost double July 3, 2019 Online estate agent Purplebricks today confirmed it is pulling out of the US, just two years after launch. The figures Revenue at the company grew 55 per cent over the year to £136.5m in the year ending 30 April. Loss before tax shot up to £56m, from £29.2m. Read more: Purplebricks beaten black and blue [...]
Risk of missing housing targets if modern methods are not embraced July 3, 2019 An influential group of MPs has warned the government that it risks missing its target to build 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s if it does not shrug off a reliance on traditional construction methods. Fears over a current shortage of housing have been underlined in a new report from the housing, communities and [...]
St Modwen boosts profit on growth in logistics sector July 2, 2019 FTSE 250 property developer St Modwen boosted profit in the first half of 2019 driven by its expansion in the warehouse and logistics sector. The figures Profit for the six months to the end of May was £23.1m, up from £20.8m compared to the first half of 2018. Basic earnings per share increased from 9.4p [...]
UK house prices: Growth falls to four-month low in June July 2, 2019 UK house prices remained “subdued” in June, new figures showed today as the cost of buying continued to fall in London and the south east. The price of a UK home grew 0.5 per cent year-on-year over the month, lower than May’s 0.6 per cent growth. The rate was the worst since February’s 0.4 per [...]
Why this new build is already a Grade-I listed building June 28, 2019 It’s hard to think of a more enviable location in London to call home than Regent’s Crescent. With the 400 acres of Regent’s Park on your doorstep, extensive private gardens front and back, and the shops and restaurants of Marylebone just minutes away, the three-million budget you need to move in (and that’s for a [...]
Focus On Canary Wharf: there’s more than just money in E14 June 28, 2019 Most parts of London have had their ups and downs, but few areas have experienced shifts as seismic or profound as Canary Wharf. With the advent of the London Docklands, it went from being uncultivated marshland to the site of the world’s largest port. Following the docks’ closure in 1960, Canary Wharf became an economic [...]
Housebuilders boosted by Boris Johnson no-deal Brexit budget June 28, 2019 Housebuilders were among the biggest risers in the FTSE 100 this morning after Boris Johnson, the front runner to be the next prime minister, said he would slash stamp duty and tax in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Berkeley Group shares were up 3.16 per cent today followed by Persimmon, which rose 2.63 per [...]
Reforms to planning and Help-to-Buy unveiled by government June 27, 2019 A shake-up of Britain’s planning system that will let councils approve applications more quickly and enforce tougher Help to Buy rules on developers was unveiled today. Housing secretary James Brokenshire has revealed plans to introduce new quality controls on housebuilders, while also pledging to prevent developers from selling leasehold houses through its Help to Buy [...]
Oxford University strikes £4bn partnership with Legal & General June 27, 2019 Legal & General has signed a £4bn partnership deal with Oxford University in its latest bid to tap into the growing market of student accommodation. The property giant has struck a 10-year partnership with the country’s oldest university as part of a plan to deliver 1000 subsidised home for university and college staff, 1000 units [...]
UK property market: Mortgage approvals dip from 26-month April high June 26, 2019 The number of residential mortgages approved by banks dipped last month, easing back from a 26-month high in April but remaining above the monthly average. Seasonally adjusted figures show that banks in Britain approved 42,384 house purchase mortgages in May, falling from roughly 42,900 in April but beating the consensus of 41,000. Read more: London [...]