Property meltdown July 9, 2008 A property meltdown loomed yesterday as new figures showed mortgage completions at near record lows and commercial property values falling across the country. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said loans for house purchases rose by 4 per cent in May to 52,700, up from 51,000 in April, but were 44 per cent down on [...]
Buying off-plan means that you have control over your investment July 3, 2008 You can land a bargain if you are prepared to do your research, writes Timothy Barber Buying a property can be pretty much the most stressful process you can put yourself through. You can multiply that by ten when it comes to buying abroad. Whether looking for a holiday home or a simple investment, a [...]
Despite the gloomy market, investors still have something to cheer about July 3, 2008 Look beyond the doom-mongering, and there is still money to be made in property, says Alex Delmar-Morgan Property is a subject close to the hearts of the British people, and many home-owners have been chuffed over the past few years to see the prices of their properties increasing at massive rates. Surely, though, even the [...]
The Power Struggle November 3, 2005 The fate of Battersea’s famous structure is still far from certain, reports Robin Marriott To the Chelsea residents on the north side of the Thames, Battersea Power Station stands out like a monument to a bygone era. The four chimneys no longer emit smoke and the days when it generated electricity must seem as distant [...]
London’s hidden houses November 3, 2005 Author, photographer, broadcaster and campaigner Lucinda Lambton goes in search of the hidden country houses of Greater London and unearths some unexpected jewels that have somehow survived the rampages of modern development Barking and Dagenham, Carshalton, Bexley Heath and Ickenham: these are not usually names to conjure up visions of the great English country house. [...]
Dalgleish set to pocket £20m from CBRE deal October 31, 2005 Malcolm Dalgleish is not yet as wealthy as Philip Green, but he has just become almost £20m richer. In property circles Dalgleish is known as Green’s right-hand man, and he has just sold his business for around £30m to the world’s largest real estate advisory firm. He stands to make up to £20m from the [...]
The house scouts who do all the leg work October 27, 2005 Buy-to-let investors don’t always have the time and the knowledge to find the perfect property. It is still possible to make a living out of buy to-let — by setting up a business that helps others find and run the right investments. Buy-to-let support staff are multiplying fast in a property market which seems unable [...]
Debt crisis looms as home repossessions rise October 27, 2005 Fears that Britain is plunging towards a bad debt crisis were heightened yesterday as figures suggested proceedings to repossess homes have risen by 55 per cent. Actions begun by lenders rose to 29,991 in the three months to the end of September from 19,359 last year. There has been a 66 per cent rise in [...]
Westbury hit by slump in house sector October 26, 2005 Housebuilder Westbury reported a slump in first-half profits yesterday amid tough times for the British housing sector. It revealed that pre-tax profits for the half year to 31 August fell by 26 per cent to £45.4m on falling sales. It sold £415m of homes compared to £427 last year. Chairman Geoffrey Maddrell, said: “The market [...]
House price drop cannot be hidden October 24, 2005 Annual house price inflation was 1.8 per cent according to the latest analysis by the Nationwide Building Society. That is the lowest figure since May 1996, but it is still an exaggeration. Prices rose by 1.8 per cent in the six months to last April — but they have not risen at all in the [...]