UK mortgage approvals for new house purchases tumble despite growth in remortgaging September 26, 2018 The number of mortgages approved for house purchases was almost five per cent lower in August compared with the same time last year, providing fresh evidence of flat activity in London’s property market. Despite the fall in new mortgage approvals, remortgaging soared 9.2 per cent during the month, as a rising number of homeowners [...]
They’re already a way of life for tens of thousands of people, but are water cities the answer to climate change, rising sea levels and the housing crisis? September 25, 2018 How do you solve a problem like the Houses of Parliament? The neo-Gothic palace, parts of which are nearly a thousand years old, is crumbling and MPs voted recently to decant to another building for around six years – most likely to nearby Whitehall – while refurbishment works are carried out. So far, so [...]
The story behind the steady rise of ethical homeware and why it’s the next frontier in sustainable shopping September 25, 2018 Did you know that the global fashion industry is on track to consume over a quarter of the world’s annual carbon allowance by 2050? Stella McCartney does and she’s been travelling the world with sailing wonderwoman Dame Ellen MacArthur shouting about it for the last couple of years now. Perhaps that’s why so many [...]
Hostel market showing ‘early signs of success’ as customer base broadens beyond backpackers September 25, 2018 One of the UK’s leading premium hostel operators reported a 60 per cent rise in revenues in the six months to the end of June, in the latest sign of the growing demand among families and business people to a market traditionally dominated by young backpackers. Safestay, an emerging high-end owner of hostels in Europe, [...]
Cost-cutting overhaul unveiled as McCarthy & Stone shares climb September 25, 2018 McCarthy & Stone shares climbed more than seven per cent in morning trading, after the retirement housebuilder unveiled a new direction which is to focus more on cost-cutting and less on expansion. As part of the overhaul the FTSE 250 firm said that John Tonkiss, the company’s chief operating officer, will take over as [...]
Kanye West, rap’s most enigmatic star, has dreams of making affordable, brutalist homes September 24, 2018 The students were a combination of shocked and awed when their lecturer jumped on top of a desk and cried, “The world can be saved through design!” It could have been a scene from 1989’s Dead Poets Society, but in fact it was an overexcited Kanye West taking a class at Harvard Graduate School of [...]
German money rises in West End after Verde deal September 24, 2018 German investment in the West End has reached £515m for the year-to-date on the back of last week's announcement that German fund manager Deka Immobilien GmbH completing one of the largest deals this summer, buying the Verde office building in Victoria for roughly £460m on Friday. The deal pushed investment levels up to £515m, compared with £476m [...]
West End retailers ‘hit by staff shortages’ as property boss urges action on visa rules September 24, 2018 London’s renowned West End retail economy is under threat from staff shortages, according to the boss of one of the area’s largest investment firms. Shaftesbury Group’s chief executive Brian Bickell, whose £3.86bn FTSE 250 property company represents nearly 600 West End businesses, told City A.M. that a combination of tight visa restrictions and uncertainty around EU [...]
Opinion: How do you know when you’ve got a terrible property managing agent and what do you need to do about it? September 24, 2018 It’s fewer than 100 days until Christmas so now’s the time to ask Santa to bring you better estate managers for 2019. The process of changing agents tends to take at least three months, which is a long time to put up with under-performance but if you start now, you and your neighbours could start [...]
How much is your property’s view of the London skyline worth and are some landmarks worth more than others? September 24, 2018 As the capital’s residential buildings get taller and the views more panoramic, the new kids on the London skyline are bringing the capital into sharper focus for property buyers. The Shard, Cheesegrater and Walkie Talkie are now vying for attention with the likes of age-old landmarks like Tower Bridge or the historic royal palaces. For [...]