Relaxed mortgage rules could increase first-time buyer deals by a quarter June 2, 2025 Changes in the way lenders stress test borrowers for mortgages could lead to a huge jump in the amount of first-time buyers able to access the housing market, according to Savills. Savills’ analysis found first-time buyer transactions could increase by up to 24 per cent over the next five years if lending rules continue to [...]
Zoopla: Rightmove rival handed £500m price tag April 30, 2025 Online property portal Zoopla has been put up for sale with an asking price of around £500m, it is understood. The company, which was launched in 2008, has put on the market by Silver Lake Partners which has owned the group it forms a part of following a £1.6bn deal in 2018. That group also includes [...]
London house prices fall fuels sales surge April 24, 2025 Sales of prime central London housing jumped up during the first three months of 2025 as prices fell amid the ongoing global uncertainty. Residential sales activity in the first quarter rose 12 per cent compared to 2024, according to new research from global property advisor JLL. “There are clear signs of renewed confidence across prime [...]
Paypal to open major office in London landmark April 23, 2025 Electronic payments giant Paypal has signed up to become the first occupier of a redeveloped office building on London’s Southbank. Paypal has agreed a lease for 40,000 sqft on the top floor of the building, a newly revamped Grade II-listed structure next to the National Theatre. Overall, the building will provide another 300,000 sqft of [...]
Knight Frank makes the City its global headquarters April 8, 2025 Knight Frank, the global asset management and real estate giant, has signed a deal to relocate its global headquarters to the City of London. The business will relocate from its current HQ at London & Regional’s 55 Baker Street in the West End, where it has been since 2008, to One Liverpool Street after penning an [...]
How will the tariff turmoil affect your mortgage? April 7, 2025 The fallout from President Donald Trump’s decision to impose wide-ranging tariffs on the world has left no stock market unscathed, but it’s possible Brits’ mortgages will benefit from the upset. The decision, which placed a minimum tariff of 10 per cent on all countries (including the UK), and higher tariffs on many more, has increased [...]
Birmingham landmark on sale in cut-price deal as value slashed in half March 11, 2025 A landmark office building in Birmingham city centre has been put up for sale for half what it was bought for in 2019. The Lewis Building and its adjoining neighbour Priory Court in Bull Street were acquired by Gulf Islamic Investments for £140m. The investor, which has offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, bought the [...]
UK property: Why funds are ditching the direct investing model February 11, 2025 One of the last UK funds that invests directly in property is ditching its investment model in favour of a hybrid plan. The new mixed model will see the £112.6m TIME Commercial Long Income property fund holding a combination of assets directly with some real estate investment trust (REIT) shares. 90 per cent of the [...]
The end of stamp duty relief isn’t the only cost going up for first-time buyers February 11, 2025 First-time buyers (FTBs) are facing higher costs across the board as they grapple with not only high stamp duty fees, but a low stock of affordable houses, more stringent lending requirements and higher upfront costs. First and foremost, stamp duty relief is set to end on March 31, which has driven a significant boost in [...]
‘Prohibitive building costs’ stunting UK growth projects – Deloitte February 4, 2025 “Prohibitive costs” involved in construction projects in major UK cities led to a sharp decline in the number of new developments breaking ground in 2024, according to a new report from Deloitte. Deloitte’s latest Regional Crane Surveys, which covers the central areas of Belfast, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, has revealed the number of new starts [...]