Commercial development approvals stall in 2016 as lack of finance for small developers bites May 23, 2016 Planning permissions for commercial property developments across the UK hit their lowest level since 2009 last year. The dip has been blamed on a lack of available finance for smaller developers, according to peer-to-peer property funding platform Saving Stream. Large developments have held steady at 2,000 per year since 2010 though the number of smaller [...]
Barclays tightens buy-to-let properties lending rules May 22, 2016 Barclays is to tighten rules on lending for buy-to-let properties, increasing minimum rental covers. The decision to tighten lending criteria means that rental payment must exceed mortgage costs by a factor of 145 per cent, up from 135 per cent. The affordability rate will also be reduced from 5.79 per cent to 5.50 per cent. The [...]
Labour derides London housing costs as “biggest single blight” on city May 21, 2016 Labour launched a stinging attack on London housing costs, describing them as the "single biggest blight on this city". Speaking at a conference to set out Labour's new vision for the economy, shadow chancellor John McDonnell promised to help people "who are at the mercy of an unforgiving, unrestrained housing market and landlords". Read more: Shadow chancellor [...]
Chancellor George Osborne warns again Brexit will hit house prices May 21, 2016 Chancellor George Osborne again warned Brexit will hit house prices, as an immediate economic shock hits financial markets. Speaking at the G7 finance ministers’ meeting in Japan, he said: "There would be a hit to the value of people’s homes by at least 10 per cent and up to 18 per cent … first-time buyers are hit because mortgage rates [...]
One in three young people are moving back home after being priced out of London rent May 20, 2016 Over a third of young adults in London are opting to live at home with their parents because they can't afford rent, a new study has shown. The new study from online retailer Direct Blinds showed 36 per cent of young adults in London could not afford to move out and pay rent, while more than 40 [...]
A trainspotter’s paradise? This converted Great Northern railway station in Lincolnshire has gone on sale – and comes complete with a train and a section of track May 20, 2016 What do you buy the trainspotter who has everything? How about their own station? A converted Great Northern railway station in Rippingale, Lincolnshire, has been put up for sale by its owner. For £600,000, not only do you get a three-bedroom house and 1.2 acres of land – but you'll also get a section of track, and [...]
These are the 10 most and least expensive towns in Britain May 20, 2016 Kensington and Chelsea has been named Britain's most expensive neighbourhood, with an average price of £11,321 per square metre. Despite prices dropping one per cent in the last year, the borough’s per square metre average is still five times higher than the national average of £2,216, according to a report by Halifax. Other London areas [...]
New homes on sale in London this weekend: from Maple & Co’s old furniture factory to apartments near the Hurlingham Club May 19, 2016 The Maple Building, Kentish Town From £525,000 The old Maple & Co furniture factory in Kentish Town has been transformed into 57 one, two and three bedroom apartments and penthouses. The six storey building, which dates back to the 19th century, has been restored by The Linton Group and retains its red brick facade alongside contemporary [...]
Focus on Notting Hill property: Prices may have fallen, but is it all down to stamp duty reform? May 19, 2016 Notting Hill hasn’t been having the best of weeks, if truth be told. On Tuesday, a report from estate agent Stirling Ackroyd revealed that average house prices had fallen in several prime central London locations. In W11, they’ve gone down by 10 per cent from the first quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of [...]
Property of the Week: Poet and critic Ezra Pound’s house in Kensington has doubled in price in three years May 19, 2016 A few times a week, a crowd of tourists gather outside this house on Kensington Church Walk to have their pictures taken with the English Heritage blue plaque outside. Set in a quiet cobbled courtyard, this Victorian townhouse was the home of ex-pat American poet and critic Ezra Pound between 1909 and 1914 and it [...]