Pensioner paradise: London investor plans to open £600m luxury retirement home November 26, 2018 Here comes the world’s most expensive old folks’ home. Leading property investor Johnny Sandelson says he is planning to develop an ultra-luxury retirement complex in one of the priciest enclaves of west London at a cost of £600m, if it is approved by planners later this week. Speaking to City A.M., Sandelson said he was [...]
Sellers experience a house price ‘reality check’ despite a climb in mortgage approvals November 26, 2018 New home mortgage approvals inched higher in October, the latest data shows. High street bank lending for house purchases grew by 3.6 per cent compared to the same month in 2017, UK Finance figures released today demonstrate. However, remortgaging approvals fell by a huge 13.5 per cent, with total mortgage approvals down 4.1 per cent. [...]
Creative sector drives growth in October office space take-up as pre-let activity jumps November 25, 2018 Take-up of Central London office space surged last month, with demand from the UK’s creative sector helping to drive growth in the capital’s commercial property market. Roughly 1.3m square feet (sq ft) of office space was let in October, marking a 30 per cent rise on the same month last year, according to new data [...]
Poll: Millennials split on Help to Buy November 25, 2018 Fresh fears that the government’s Help-to-Buy programme has failed to help its target millennial market have been underlined today, with a new poll suggesting that young adults were the most likely group to oppose the scheme. According to a survey by property investment platform British Pearl, more than 40 per cent of people between the [...]
Yours for £4m: A piece of literary history goes up for sale as writer’s London home hits market November 25, 2018 THE HOUSE where William Makepeace Thackeray wrote Vanity Fair could be yours for around £4.5m as the iconic late-17th century building goes up for sale. Grade II-listed 16 Young Street, in the heart of Kensington, is currently home to both offices and Richmond University’s Kensington campus. It was once inhabited by 19th-century author William Makepeace [...]
London house price boom to end as buyer’s market returns November 23, 2018 The London property market is slowly returning into the hands of buyers, as the days of house price growth outpacing the rise of inflation look set to come to an end. Industry analysts and economists polled by Reuters over the last week have predicted house prices in the capital will fall 1.7 per cent this [...]
Norges moves up on rival Sammy Tak Lee after upping its stake in Shaftesbury Group November 22, 2018 Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) has upped its holding in West End landlord Shaftesbury for the second time in a fortnight, escalating a power tussle between the sovereign wealth fund and rival shareholder Sammy Tak Lee. The Norwegian fund increased its holding in the FTSE 250 group from 22 per cent to 23.15 per cent [...]
Ashley hits out at politicians and landlords ahead of committee hearing November 22, 2018 Mike Ashley today lashed out at politicians for failing Britain’s beleaguered high streets, as he demanded an audience with MPs in Westminster next month. The retail billionaire and Newcastle United owner, who has recently acquired House of Fraser and Evans Cycles, called on both politicians and landlords to do more to help struggling retail outlets. [...]
FTSE investor CLS Holdings strikes confident tone as occupancy rates improve November 22, 2018 Commercial investor CLS Holdings posted a fall in vacancy rates this morning, striking an upbeat tone in the wake of new leases and lower debt costs. The FTSE 250 firm said that the vacancy rate across its markets fell from 5.7 per cent to 4.3 per cent during the trading period between July and November. [...]
How Brexit could help mortgage prisoners break free November 22, 2018 In the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, lenders were dishing out large mortgages and asking for tiny deposits in return. Property values were rapidly outpacing wage growth, and buyers were being allowed to borrow eight times their annual salary. For many homeowners, the problems started after the crash when the regulators forced [...]