Britain’s biggest buy-to-let investors have sold nearly half their £250m property portfolio September 11, 2016 A couple crowned Britain's biggest buy-to-let landlords have sold off nearly half of their £250m property portfolio and called time on the era of the "amateur landlord". Fergus and Judith Wilson became notorious for buying up properties to rent when the buy-to-let boom kicked off in the 1990s. Read more: Mapped: House price changes in [...]
House prices in Chelsea fell by nearly nine per cent last month September 8, 2016 Prices on high-end homes in Chelsea fell by nearly nine per cent last month as stamp duty and the Brexit vote weighed on the market. According to research by estate agents Knight Frank, house prices in Chelsea dropped by 8.9 per cent year-on-year in August. Overall, prices for prime central London homes fell by 1.8 per [...]
London house prices will recover after their Brexit wobble, experts have promised September 8, 2016 London house prices may have been disappointing in recent months, but things are about to look up, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Figures published this morning suggested sentiment in London's residential property market was showing "signs of improvement", with sales expectations moving into positive territory and price expectations stabilising in August. Read [...]
Investment trust Secure Income Reit has bought 55 Travelodges September 8, 2016 Secure Income Reit (SIR) – which owns real estate assets such as Alton Towers and Thorpe Park – has today announced the acquisition of 55 Travelodge hotels. The £196m acquisition is expected to increase SIR's rents by £13.7m; SIR expects a yield of seven per cent, which will rise to 7.3 per cent in October next year. The [...]
Zoopla’s share price edges upwards as it announces operating profit will be at the top end of expectations September 8, 2016 Online property portal Zoopla – a favourite among those who enjoy window-shopping for homes – said today that its operating profit will come out at the top end of its expectations this year. Zoopla's share price edged up 1.5 per cent in early morning trading on the news. The company owns several of the UK's digital platforms, including [...]
Best market for prime central London renters since the financial crisis September 8, 2016 Renters in prime central London locations, such as Marylebone and Mayfair, are enjoying the best market since the financial crisis. The number of new rental properties on the market in the three months to July 2016 increased 38.9 per cent year-on-year, according to Knight Frank's prime central London rental index. Read more: Prime central London house prices [...]
House price growth slowdown is happening faster than analysts expected September 7, 2016 House prices in the three months to August this year were 6.9 per cent higher than in the same three months of last year – the slowest rate of growth for almost three years. The annual rate of growth slowed from 8.4 per cent in July, continuing the downward trend since March when the annual rate reached [...]
Barratt Developments defies Brexit doomsayers with “confident” outlook September 7, 2016 The figures Barratt Developments' completions swelled by 5.3 per cent to 17,319 homes in the year ended 30 June, meaning it delivered completion volumes for eight years. This helped the housebuilder's pre-tax profit jump 20.7 per cent to a record £682.3m during this period, up from £565.5m a year earlier. The company also significantly strengthened its balance sheet, with Barratt's cash [...]
Rent growth continued to slow in August September 7, 2016 Rents kept on an upwards climb in August, but the pace of rent growth is slowing. In August, prices grew by 3.1 per cent year-on-year, according to HomeLet's rental index. Tenants signing new agreements paid an average £913 a month. Read more: Here's where private rents are increasing fastest (and it's not London) But this [...]
These are the university towns where house price growth could pay for tuition fees September 6, 2016 What with top-up fees and inflation, going to university has become considerably more expensive in the past few years – but what if you could kill two birds with one stone, and pay off your university fees with your accommodation? New research by HouseSimple.com has found the universities where house price growth in the local area [...]