From idea to IPO in three years: Purplebricks founder Michael Bruce November 21, 2016 "Every time you mention the word ‘estate agent,’ everyone gets a little bit of a smile on their face and an inner feeling of unhappiness,” says Michael Bruce, chief executive at Purplebricks, the online estate agency that has turned the industry on its head in a little over four years. Bruce has traversed the world [...]
Helical sells £35m investment property November 21, 2016 Property developer Helical has sold an investment property in Hammersmith for £34.5m. The property, One King Street, was bought by Orchard Street Investment Management, providing a net yield of 4.85 per cent for Helical. Helical purchased the building in 2012 and has since refurbished it, adding an additional floor. The offices, combined with the retail [...]
Why there won’t be much property magic in the Autumn Statement November 21, 2016 There is a long list of measures which, were they to appear in this Wednesday’s Autumn Statement, would be regarded as a magical outcome for us real estate types. For example: serious increases in the capital budget to fund infrastructure, which is both a facilitator of new development and a prerequisite for community acceptance of [...]
Opinion: Installing tech gadgets could increase the value of your home by £25,000 – if you do it tastefully November 18, 2016 Performing a valuation is never as simple as it appears. A property's true value can only be determined once you step inside and inspect in great detail. A home’s more obscure characteristics, from off-street parking to its historical significance, can often add a substantial premium. In our most recent agent survey, Savills looked at what [...]
Interiors: Two big trends are dominating Christmas homeware – contemporary and cosy – what will you choose? November 18, 2016 Contemporary The depths of winter always benefit from a little razzle-dazzle, which is one reason we like to put on the glitz for the party season. And this year it's true of our homes, too. Trailblazer Tom Dixon adopted metallics as a signature look many moons ago and his copper Melt pendant lights, as seen [...]
This is what the property industry wants from the Autumn Statement November 18, 2016 The big day is almost here – Autumn Statement day. The housing crisis has been at the top of the political agenda for years, but successive governments have failed to get a handle on it. Chancellor Philip Hammond is promising new funding to help get Britain building, but the property industry wants a range of [...]
People are pretty confident UK house prices rose this month November 18, 2016 Forget the slightly precarious economic situation both at home and across the pond – UK households are fairly confident the price of their properties have risen this month, new research has suggested. Knight Frank's house price sentiment index was at 55.3 points in November – suggesting the overall view is that prices were up during [...]
House prices at the top end of the London market are down 5.4 per cent November 18, 2016 House prices at the top end of the market are faltering due to stamp duty reforms – and estate agents are calling for the government to reverse the trend for the sake of the wider property market. Prices in the top quarter of the London market dropped 5.4 per cent between the second quarter of [...]
Sterling’s slide spurs international buyers into looking for a London home November 18, 2016 The slide in sterling since the Brexit vote has encouraged foreign buyers into the London property market. The proportion of international buyers increased six per cent in the third quarter, as compared to the second, according to research from Fionnuala Earley, residential research director at Hamptons International. The proportion of international buyers now sits at 29 [...]
Focus On Lewisham: Historically undervalued, Lewisham is undergoing a major upgrade November 17, 2016 It may surprise you to learn that Lewisham, that underloved pocket of South East London, is one of the fastest growing boroughs in the capital. Since the arrival of its DLR station and the rise of Canary Wharf – a wealthy neighbour where employment has quadrupled in the last 10 years – it’s become an increasingly [...]