Storage company Big Yellow hikes its dividend after a year of surging profits May 24, 2016 The self-storage company Big Yellow boasted strong profits today after expanding its property portfolio this year. The company intends to up its storage space in the south east and has snapped-up prime sites in London for development, along with stores in Surrey and Kent. Big Yellow's revenue grew 20 per cent year-on-year, up to £101.4m at the [...]
Brexit wouldn’t be that bad, says property boss May 24, 2016 The incoming chief executive of property firm Helical Bar has said that the idea of Brexit is not as catastrophic as some are claiming. Speaking to City AM, Gerald Kaye said: "It's causing some uncertainty in the market, but Brexit may not be quite as bad as some people suggest. "But the money is on us remaining." Property [...]
UK property transactions down by 45 per cent in April as stamp duty changes hit May 24, 2016 The number of property transactions in the UK fell by 45 per cent between March and April, according to new data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The figures from HMRC show 94,370 properties were sold in April compared to 164,400 in March as landlords scrambled to snap-up homes before stamp duty changes came into effect, putting a [...]
Now you can live in the apartment where D-Day was planned – if you have a cool £4.7m May 24, 2016 It's the ultimate piece of war memorabilia: an apartment in the building that served as a base for the Special Operations during the planning of D-Day has just gone up for sale. The only catch? You'll need a cool £4.75m to live in it. The five-bedroom duplex apartment is in Montagu Mansions, used as a headquarters [...]
Rents are rising at the fastest rate for six months May 24, 2016 Rents are rising at the fastest rate for six months, according to data released today, reaching an average of £793 in England and Wales in April. Rents are 2.4 per cent higher than at the same point last year, according to the latest research from Your Move and Reeds Rains. Three regions – the East Midlands, West [...]
Beautiful Things: The items on our shopping list this month, from instant cameras to invisible teapots May 23, 2016 Votteler Chair £POA, walterknoll.de This Walter Knoll armchair, based on a 1956-design by Arno Votteler, is a perfect example of Scandinavian objectivity and austerity. The angular volume of the upholstery rests on a delicate tubular steel framework, while the armrests are made from elegantly shaped solid wood. German industrial designer and academic Votteler, who founded [...]
Blame Brexit: International investors shun prime London property May 23, 2016 The proportion of international buyers and sellers in London property fell in the first quarter of 2016, according to research released today, despite a fall in sterling making UK property relatively attractive. The effect was strongest in central London, but there has also been reduced activity in overseas nationals across the whole of London. The research [...]
UK landlords bet one bedroom flats will produce the best capital returns this year May 23, 2016 UK landlords expect one bedroom flats to produce the biggest capital gains this year, with two bedroom flats set to provide the biggest rental yields, a study has revealed today. Research showed that 25 per cent of UK landlords said one bedroom flats would offer the highest capital gains over the next year, followed by student [...]
Now you can live on the site where Star Wars, ET and Superman were produced as Denham Film Studios is converted into homes May 23, 2016 Weston Homes has bought the legendary Denham Film Studios in Buckinghamshire, and is transforming the studio once used by Hollywood film directors into a £120m Art Deco residential address. Directors including Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg have used the site for crafting their blockbusters – and soon you could live there. The "mini-Beverly Hills" will provide 224 converted [...]
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 [...]