David Cameron’s housing construction shake-up fails to build market confidence: Experts disagree residential planning overhaul is game changer July 12, 2015 Housing developers had a bit of a rollercoaster ride last week. First the Budget rocked shares, with changes to tax relief on buy-to-let mortgages – and then, on Friday, the government unexpectedly put house building at the centre of its plan to boost the UK’s productivity. With the cost of a home jumping by 45 [...]
From the Tube strike and July Budget to Battle of Britain and the 7/7 London bombings anniversary: Here’s what got us talking this week July 10, 2015 There was a technical fault in New York. There was a cocktail cloud. And somewhere in crowdfunding land, there was a jacket that would make all your commutes suddenly so much better. Here's what got us talking this week 1) Battle of Britain celebrations began They kicked off with a flypast over Buckingham Palace, but [...]
Building an Opportunity Society is critical to Britain’s competitiveness July 9, 2015 While bolstering Britain’s economic growth and giving working people financial security is rightly this government’s most pressing priority, building the Opportunity Society must be its distinct legacy. A society where everyone can fulfil their potential, no matter what their starting point in life, is what a new generation of Conservatives is determined to help deliver, [...]
Mansion blocks are real British antiques that can command impressive prices July 9, 2015 Most people think of estate agent hyperbole as a modern affliction. After all, what’s a contemporary house viewing if it isn’t peppered with “generous” reception rooms stocked with “state-of-the-art” smart systems in “vibrant” neighbourhoods? In fact, we may have the Victorians to blame for this, starting with the “mansion flat”. The term was coined in [...]
Calling first-time buyers to Telegraph Works, Greenwich: The historic transatlantic cable factory being turned into new homes July 9, 2015 A CGI of the building. Apartments from £300,000 A little-known factory that sits near the Greenwich Docks once played an instrumental role in US-UK relations. Now developers are hoping it’ll establish a new relationship between this neglected former industrial site and first-time buyers in London. Around £120m has been invested to build 272 [...]
July Budget 2015 summary: All the personal finance measures announced by George Osborne during his speech July 8, 2015 Today's Budget may not have included as many measures aimed at pensioners and first-time buyers as last time; today, George Osborne seemed more intent on telling firms that Britain was "open for business". Osborne's headline grabber this time around was inheritance tax and the creation of a family home allowance which will help people "pass on [...]
Car review: Mercedes-AMG puts the OMG into the GLE Coupé July 6, 2015 Shy and retiring types need not apply. The Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupé is not a car for those who put discretion and subtlety high on their list of priorities when looking for a new car. Almost everything about this SUV coupé reeks of vulgarity and excess. At first glance the SUV coupé looks [...]
Jobs, homes, sex and friends: Generation switch and the four ways 25 and 50-year-olds differ July 6, 2015 The difference between those in their 50s and under 25s isn’t just age, wisdom and experience. Those in their early twenties and teens are a generation of serial switchers, whether it’s their career, where they live, or who they’re sleeping with, compared to older generations. Here are four ways they differ. 1. Home sweet home [...]
Growth culture for SMEs July 5, 2015 Gunnercooke’s Darryl Cooke tells William Railton what SMEs can learn from rugby and cycling coaches WE DON’T keep time sheets. Instead, our clients agree a budget for our services before they sign on the dotted line, to eliminate unforeseen costs.” This is the kind of progressive thinking which drives Darryl Cooke, the founder of disruptive [...]
UK house prices: First-time home buyers priced out of market July 2, 2015 Annual house price growth has slowed to a two-year low, according to a major mortgage provider. But months of fast growth has left first-time buyers struggling to put deposits together, despite government programmes to help them. House prices were 3.3 per cent higher in June than in the same month last year, Nationwide said. It [...]