HMRC mansion tax inspectors to target homes for property valuations Tax HMRC will send mansion tax inspectors to homes across the UK to determine whether homeowners should pay more tax under the new levy. The taxman will deploy valuation agents who will be able to demand entry to properties in order to assess whether they are worth over £2m and therefore fall under The High Value [...]
Burnham to hand mayors power to overrule local councils’ planning decisions Politics Andy Burnham will give mayors across the UK new powers to overrule planning decisions made by local councils and to greenlight large-scale developments. The prime minister will unveil proposals this week to give regional mayors in 13 areas including Manchester, Liverpool, and the West Midlands, powers to take over planning decisions as well as direct [...]
Winkworth delays legal drama for a month after family feud Legal The family which runs City estate agent Winkworth has agreed to halt its legal spat for at least a month after chair Simon Agace and his wife tried to oust the company’s board, including Agace’s son. The AIM-listed company, run by chief executive Dominic Agace, launched legal proceedings against its chair last week after he [...]
PwC’s Embankment HQ to get major makeover ahead of Canary Wharf move August 7, 2026 The current headquarters of Big Four giant PwC at 1 Embankment Place is set to be transformed into a “sustainable workspace” in a bid to attract and retain major firms as renters, as it awaits planning permission. City-based property and asset management firm Bridgemont said on Friday it has submitted a planning application to Westminster [...]
Family feud: London estate agent Winkworth sues chair over plot with wife to oust son from board August 7, 2026 London estate agent Winkworth has initiated High Court proceedings against its chair, Simon Agace, for an alleged breach of contract after he and his wife attempted to oust the company’s board, including his son, City AM can reveal. The AIM-listed company, which is one of the UK’s oldest estate agents and specialises in high-end properties [...]
House prices slump as Iran war and interest rates hit demand July 31, 2026 House prices slumped in July after the Iran war and higher interest rates squeezed demand and triggered a slowdown in sales. Annual house price growth slowed to 1.8 last month, down from 2.2 per cent the prior month. Month on month, average house prices remained broadly flat, rising by just £58 to reach £277,542, up [...]
Top-end priced UK properties may take four times longer to leave market July 25, 2026 Property sellers in Britain asking for too high a price who have to reduce it to make a sale take four times as long to sell than those listing an accurate initial asking price. According to new research from estate agent Savills, 33 per cent of sales required the asking price to be slashed to [...]
Would a Burnham premiership deepen the North-South housing divide? July 2, 2026 The UK housing market remained subdued in June, as fallout from the Iran war and long-running cost and regulatory issues continued to plague the sector, but as we enter what promises to be a sizzling summer all eyes are on a possible recovery. Specifically, Manchester – from where the King in the North has emerged [...]
PwC joins the Canary Wharf crowd in major property shake-up July 2, 2026 Big Four giant PwC has picked Canary Wharf for its new UK office, and is set to swallow up 350,000 sq ft in the area in the latest boost to the docklands financial hub. The firm has chosen One Eden in Canary Wharf to be its new office address, a building formerly known as 33 Canada [...]
House prices stay flat in June as Iran war fallout continues to weaken the market July 1, 2026 UK house prices were flat in June as the conflict in the Middle East and looming political uncertainty continue to subdue consumer confidence. The average price fell £540 in June, hitting £277,484. This was a slight drop from £278,024 the prior month where prices fell 0.6 per cent, according to the latest Nationwide house price [...]