Bovis Homes takes £7m customer service hit as shares slump on falling profits February 20, 2017 Shares in Bovis Homes slumped around eight per cent this morning after the house builder counted the cost of customer service problems. Shares were down 7.86 per cent to 774.89p at the time of writing, after opening around 10 per cent lower, following the housebuilder saying this will be the year "when we reset the business" after a "difficult" [...]
The business rates backlash continues… this time Sainsbury’s speaks out February 19, 2017 Sainsbury's is the latest company to raise its voice amid growing concern over the impending rise in business rates which will see thousands of businesses with a bigger bill. The supermarket's chief executive Mike Coupe slammed the levy as "archaic" and called for reforms to "level the playing field with firms such as Amazon which [...]
Don’t dig yourself into a hole! Here are our top tips to keep in mind if you’re planning to dig out your basement February 18, 2017 Barely a week passes without news stories reporting various problems with botched basement digs throughout London. Just recently a Georgian townhouse in Barnes collapsed “like a pack of cards” due to basement work, and similarly a family in Chester Row are still waiting for repairs worth £250,000 to their house after a neighbour’s skip fell [...]
Opinion: What to look out for when you’re buying a new build property in London February 18, 2017 As property advisors, we are often asked what is the best kind of investment in London – a new build property or an older style or period property? New build developments certainly have a natural appeal in that everything is brand new, which means buyers can put their own stamp on the property and maintenance [...]
Property Legal Q&A: I own a flat that has 87 years left to run on the lease. Should I extend the lease? February 18, 2017 A: A longer lease has the advantage of being both more mortgageable and more attractive in the market. A leasehold flat whose term has significantly reduced (say to below 50 years) is a wasting asset, and extending its lease term is essential to preserve the value. The Government in the recent Housing White Paper states [...]
Kelly Hoppen interview: The interior design entrepreneur tells us why she’s gone all retro February 18, 2017 Kelly Hoppen tells me that she’s gone all retro: basketry chairs, bold fabrics, colour, leaf. Does this mean that the queen of taupe, corkscrew– curled Hoppen is turning hippie? “Homes are becoming much more loose,” she says, citing the OTT banana–leaf wallpaper, as seen in the Beverly Hills Hotel, that she says is coming back. [...]
RIBA’s new exhibition examines the story behind the 30-year fight for Bank junction February 17, 2017 In a city where buildings are always rising, architectural taboos are quickly digested; and nowhere is this more true than in the City of London. Since the Big Bang, it has been impossible to preserve the City’s original layout, but conservationists have still been active in trying to maintain the Square Mile. In an upcoming [...]
New homes: Spanking new property going on sale this weekend in Greenwich, Blackwall, Southfields, Hendon and Old Isleworth February 17, 2017 Kidbrooke Village, Greenwich From £850,000 Buy a home that you can grow into over time by snapping up an adaptable Urban House. Berkeley Homes has designed these three to four bedroom houses on its development in Greenwich so you can upgrade them over time, depending on your living situation. The ground floor, for instance, can [...]
British homeowners think they’re sitting on a good investment as Brexit effect recedes February 17, 2017 UK homeowners are the most positive on the value of their biggest asset since before the EU referendum, according to a survey. An index of perceived current value of house prices rose to 57.5, according to research by Knight Frank and IHS Markit, its highest point since the Brexit vote led homeowners to think prices [...]
The boss of this FTSE 250-listed housebuilder just made one of the largest ever charitable donations by a UK businessman February 17, 2017 Steve Morgan, the boss of FTSE 250-listed housebuilder Redrow, has donated £200m to charity – thought to be one of the largest donations ever made by a UK business person. A regulatory filing showed Morgan has donated 42m of shares in the housebuilder to his family's charitable foundation, The Morgan Foundation, which he founded in 2001 to [...]