House transactions edge up despite Brexit uncertainty denting Spring bounce March 21, 2019 Signs of growing activity in the UK housing market have emerged this morning, with new figures signalling a potential change in tune among buyers who have so far been holding off on deals in the run-up to Brexit. A modest rise in property transactions last month has industry experts noting that some buyers are choosing not [...]
Debate: With recent attention on Section 21 of the Landlord and Tenants Act, should it be scrapped? March 21, 2019 Debate: With recent attention on Section 21 of the Landlord and Tenants Act, should it be scrapped? Yes – Hannah Slater is policy and public affairs manager at Generation Rent. Section 21 allows landlords to evict tenants with just two months’ notice and without giving them any reason. It’s an outdated bit of law. Three decades on [...]
UK house price growth hits six-year low as experts warn of ‘Brexit downward spiral’ March 20, 2019 London house prices fell 1.6 per cent in the year to January, official data revealed today, as experts warned a mix of Brexit uncertainty and the death of buy to let are hurting the value of homes. The sharp price drop in the capital's housing market meant overall UK house prices rose just 1.7 per [...]
Rent rises: East London outpaces West London in rental growth race March 18, 2019 Fresh evidence of demand for East London’s housing market has been underlined by new figures today, with traditional high-growth areas in the west of the capital seeing more of a slowdown in recent years. Rents in East London’s nine boroughs rose on average by more than 20 per cent since January 2012, compared with growth [...]
House prices fall in London as buyers await Brexit resolution March 18, 2019 London house prices fell in March as Brexit uncertainty held back the usual spring bounce, and are down almost four per cent year on year, a new report has said. The number of sales agreed by estate agents in February was also nearly 10 per cent lower in the capital than a year before, property [...]
London hosts bulk of Britain’s £100bn of secretly owned property March 17, 2019 Over 87,000 properties in England and Wales are owned anonymously through companies registered in tax havens, it has been revealed today. Together, these properties are worth at least £56bn, according to Land Registry data, and likely worth more than £100bn when accounting for inflation, according to new analysis by anti-corruption organisation Global Witness. Read more: [...]
Queensgate Investments buys four Grange hotels in central London for £1bn March 15, 2019 Real estate investment firm Queensgate has snapped up four Grange hotels in central London in a deal worth roughly £1bn. The company has acquired the Grange’s upmarket hotels at St Paul’s, Tower Bridge, the City and Holborn. In total the portfolio comprises 1,345 rooms and roughly 930,000 square feet (sq ft) of real estate. Read [...]
Holiday Homes: We visit the resort in Portugal that’s out to prove that resort golf doesn’t have to be amateur hour March 15, 2019 If you’re serious about golf, but would also like a place in the sun, it’s often hard to find a golf resort with a course that aims above pitch and putt. Monte Rei, a prestigious resort in Portugal in one of Europe’s most sought after golfing destinations, is trying to change all that and be [...]
Focus On Clapham: Commons, good schools and cosy gastropubs means families stay put in SW4 March 15, 2019 The appeal of living in Clapham is clear for all to see. It has great transport connections along the Northern Line and Clapham Junction – one of the most well-connected stations in the UK – , particularly for south London. It’s better value for money than its north-of-the-river counterparts. The 220-acre Clapham Common is all [...]
Interiors: Allow us to introduce you to ‘lagom’, the latest Swedish interior design trend you’ve never heard of March 15, 2019 The more-is-more, maximalist approach to home interiors is everywhere at the moment, but it’s not for everyone. Do you crave a little calm? Are you not the type to pimp your place in a rainbow of colours? Perhaps you like balance. You like blond woods, clean lines and sculptural shapes. You’re partial to some ‘hygge’ [...]