Rent rises start slowing but still exceed incomes November 17, 2011 RENTS hit a new high in October, according to LSL Property Services’ monthly buy-to-let index, published today, though the rate of increase fell to its lowest since February. The average rent in England and Wales rose by 0.2 per cent in October to £720 per month, the index showed. The increase compares with a jump [...]
Barratt stays upbeat due to higher prices November 16, 2011 SHARES in Barratt Developments rose seven per cent yesterday after the housebuilder said it was on track to report a “significant” improvement in its full-year profit, boosted by higher reservation rates and selling prices. The UK’s largest housebuilder said the average weekly number of reservations for new homes rose by 25.9 per cent in the [...]
Super prime property set to hit records November 15, 2011 LONDON’S super prime residential developments are expected to achieve record values of £10,000 per square foot as the capital continues to attract wealthy international investors, research from Knight Frank shows. Demand for luxury apartments and houses in London’s golden postcodes like Mayfair and Knightsbridge boomed earlier this century, with market values escalating from £1,000 per [...]
London still in housing price boom November 10, 2011 HOUSE prices in the capital are increasingly detached from those in the rest of the country as international wealth pours into London, according to a report from real estate adviser Savills, published today. Central London prices are set to grow by 22.7 per cent over the next five years, the report predicts, as over £4bn [...]
Italian gold may be just the job to save the day: A mini solution to Italy’s debt crisis November 10, 2011 GETTING the gold out of Italy isn’t easy. Just ask Michael Caine. However, if as some commentators are now speculating, there is no other option, the only thing worse than trying to sneak it out in a coach along treacherous Alpine roads would be trying to sell it. The odds of getting anything close to [...]
If it’s broke, then buy it and fix it up for a tidy return November 10, 2011 Q.Why should someone consider an unmodernised property? A.Unmodernised property provides the opportunity to buy at a lower price than a recently modernised equivalent, and the chance to create one’s own home to one’s own taste and standards. People also enjoy the experience of renovating a property; it’s creative and fun. Q.What are the biggest upsides? [...]
Markets slip as Italy debt crisis deepens November 9, 2011 Dramatic political changes at two of the Eurozone’s crisis-ridden economies initially boosted world stocks but markets went into reverse as it became clear that Italy’s debt woes were escalating. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said late yesterday that he would step down after parliament passes budget reforms. Greece, meanwhile, was working create a consensus government [...]
Persimmon and Bovis see demand rise November 8, 2011 TWO of the UK’s biggest housebuilders yesterday reported a boost in demand as the sector picked-up with first time buyers helping to lift the gloom. Persimmon said the number of first-time buyers has risen by over 35 per cent since the same period last year, a welcome boost to the industry that has seen first-time [...]
House prices supported by rising activity November 7, 2011 HIGHER activity in the property market has propped up house prices, according to two leading surveys of the industry. Yet while the market has perked up, activity remains slow by historical standards, with prices largely remaining flat over recent months. The Halifax reported a surprise 1.8 per cent spike in house prices last month compared [...]
BP’s £4bn Pan Am deal fails November 6, 2011 BP’S long-awaited deal to sell a majority stake in Argentina’s second-largest oil producer Pan American Energy for $7bn (£4bn) collapsed in acrimony yesterday after the buyer walked away. Bridas, the oil and gas firm owned by Cnooc of China and Argentina’s Bulgheroni family, said BP was to blame for the collapse of the deal because [...]