London house prices are being driven up by foreign criminals laundering money July 25, 2015 Foreign criminals who launder money through the purchase of high-end London properties are pushing up house prices, according to the National Crime Agency. "I believe the London property market has been skewed by laundered money," Donald Toon, the agency's director of economic crime command, told the Times. "Prices are being artificially driven up by overseas [...]
Which banks will offer the Help to Buy Isa? Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, NatWest, Santander and Virgin Money July 25, 2015 Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, Natwest, Santander and Virgin Money are among the banks and building societies which will offer the government's widely anticipated Help to Buy Isa. Help to Buy Isas, unveiled by chancellor George Osborne in his Spring budget, aim to give first-time buyers a much needed helping hand onto the property ladder. [...]
From Cadbury’s reducing its variety boxes to everyone leaving London: Here’s what got us talking this week July 24, 2015 There was a (sexual) revelation. There was a time capsule. And somewhere in a field near Bath, there was a really big emoji. Here's what got us talking this week 1. The mysterious case of the shrinking Roses We were up in arms when we learned Cadbury's dastardly plans to cut the size of [...]
The best commuter towns around London: High Wycombe, Chelmsford and Epsom have the best schools, lowest house prices and quickest commutes July 24, 2015 Want to get out of the Big Smoke, but keep your commute to a minimum? You could do worse than moving to High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, where the schools are ranked well, property prices are (fairly) reasonable – and the journey to the capital is a mere 28 minutes. That's according to a study by [...]
Interest rate rise by the Bank of England is the “greatest risk” to house prices July 24, 2015 House price growth for this year is on track to hit double-digit figures in a number of cities across Britain – providing the Bank of England doesn't hike interest rates anytime soon. House prices in the 20 cities monitored by Hometrack's cities house price index rose 6.3 per cent in the first half of 2015, and look set [...]
Buy into conservation hotspots: Why it’s worth investing in a historical home July 23, 2015 As London’s housing crisis rumbles on, more and more shiny skyscrapers are shooting up. If you find this state of affairs rather unseemly – un-British, even – then buying a home in a conservation area is worth considering. Designated by local authorities for their special architectural or historical interest, there are currently over 8,000 [...]
Rare his ‘n’ hers houses go on sale in Kensington July 23, 2015 Campden Hill Road, Kensington, £12.75m each Everybody needs a bit of space in their relationships, but if you feel you need more than most, then these twin houses may be the perfect solution. Two identical semi-detached houses have entered the market in Kensington. Complete mirror images of one another inside and out, Hyde House [...]
Dulwich house prices: London village life four miles from The Shard July 23, 2015 As Peckham and Camberwell creep up the league table of the capital’s trendiest areas, neighbouring Dulwich remains as genteel and sedate as ever. Not much changes in SE21. It views its up-and-coming neighbours with the same bemused condescension that a retired judge regards the hoop in his grandson’s ear. He doesn’t understand it, but he’s [...]
Cambium, Southfields property prices: Leafy London townhouses draw buyers south July 23, 2015 Most new homes are built on derelict sites or demolished office blocks, but Cambium in south west London has stronger roots than that. Named after the fine rings of tissue that form around a tree over time, the scheme is centred around a 200-year-old oak in Southfields that’s believed to have been planted by legendary [...]
London Barometer: House prices respond to lack of supply and stamp duty increases July 23, 2015 June saw new instructions decrease by a third year-on-year, while new applicants increased by 50 per cent, but they are clearly registering to prepare for the autumn market. The fact that stock levels remain the same shows that things are somewhat quieter and we have not seen the hoped-for post-Election lift yet. This lift presupposes [...]