Peacocks still searching for white knight January 22, 2012 PRIVATE EQUITY firms and buy-out groups are poised to make a bid for Peacocks, the discount clothing chain, which collapsed into administration last week. Its administrators KPMG will open the data room to Peacocks today, which will allow potential bidders to browse financial and other relevant data on the firm. KMPG expects to receive the [...]
From Kensington to Farringdon: why London’s prices are buoyant January 19, 2012 WHY ARE PROPERTY VALUES IN CENTRAL LONDON RISING FASTER THAN REST OF THE UK? Prices in Prime Central London are indeed out-performing the rest of the country. Over the last 12 months, average house prices across the UK have remained broadly stable, meanwhile in Prime Central London (PCL), prices rose by 12.1 per cent in [...]
House prices drop for eighth month running January 17, 2012 HOUSE prices in the UK declined again in November, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) revealed yesterday. The index fell 0.3 per cent on an annual basis in November, slower than the 0.4 per cent decrease seen in October and representing the eighth consecutive monthly fall. Meanwhile the typical sum paid for homes [...]
House loans grow despite grim economy January 16, 2012 THE HOUSING market showed signs of life in November with sales and remortgages both rising, data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) revealed yesterday. Growth is expected to continue in the months before March, after which first-time buyers will no longer benefit from stamp duty exemption. Overall lending for house purchase rose four per [...]
Bovis forecasts growth in 2012 January 16, 2012 British housebuilder Bovis Homes said it expected to achieve a significant increase in profit in 2012, benefiting from forward bookings rising by more than a third, following strong earnings growth in 2011. The company said it expects to report overall completions up 8 percent to 2,045 homes in 2011, with private legal completions up 18 [...]
Homes more affordable as supply slumps January 15, 2012 HOMES are at their most affordable level for 14 years, according to data released today by Halifax, while figures from Rightmove suggest very low housing supply will prevent the market falling further. First-time buyers spent 27 per cent of their disposable income on their mortgage, down from the 37 per cent average seen over the [...]
Meccano-set towers: how London offices are evolving January 15, 2012 JE ne regrette rien. That is the message from Chris Grigg when we discuss his decision to quit banking in 2008 to take the reins at commercial property giant British Land. At the time, many in the City thought the former head of Barclays’ commercial bank was simply quitting one troubled industry for another; his [...]
SELL January 12, 2012 MANAGING DIRECTOR OF KAY & CO, CENTRAL LONDON ESTATE AGENCY Q. Should I buy a one bedroom flat in a better location, or go for a larger flat in a less sought after location? Is square footage or location king for investment? A. Statistically, in the long run, properties in more sought after locations will [...]
PROPERTY NEWS January 12, 2012 NEW KINLEIGH FOLKARD & HAYWARD OFFICE Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward has opened a new branch in Borough. Borough as an area has been identified within Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward’s strategic five year branch expansion plan. With over 50 branches across London, 11 of which are located in the South East region, the new branch will [...]
Persimmon buoyed by bullish outlook January 9, 2012 SHARES in house builder Persimmon rose 2.8 per cent yesterday after it said it expects its underlying full-year pre-tax profit to rise by half, helped by higher sales margins, and said it was confident of further growth in 2012 as first time buyer interest improves. The largest UK housebuilder by market value said yesterday that [...]