House prices continue to climb in nightmare scenario for first-time buyers even though buyer interest is slowing August 15, 2022 House prices continue to move firmly upwards and are still expected to be higher in a year’s time, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) this afternoon. The numbers are somewhat surprising given that surveyors have seen the longest stretch of shrinking buyer demand in the housing market since the early stages of [...]
Estate agencies have under 40 available properties on their books on average, says RICS August 15, 2022 The UK’s housing stock levels are close to all-time lows, according to the latest research, which has kept house prices suspended at levels which outpace annual wages. On average, estate agents have just 36 available properties on their books, the RICS Housing Market Survey revealed today. The average cost of a home remains at swollen [...]
Monthly mortgage payments top £1,000 as homeowning costs pile up August 15, 2022 The average monthly mortgage payments for first-time buyers putting down a 10 per cent deposit have climbed past £1,000 for the first time, according to property site Rightmove today. The latest interest rates rise of 0.5 per cent has piled further pressure onto new buyers’ affordability, as property costs outpace annual wage packets. “It’s likely [...]
Housing market holds up well despite Bank of England rate hikes August 8, 2022 The UK property market is still running hot despite the Bank of England’s rapid interest rate hike cycle, according to research by City A.M. House purchases dipped around four per cent in June compared to December when the Bank’s first rate rise landed, dropping to 95,420 from 99,560, according to HMRC data. Governor Andrew Bailey [...]
Electric dreams: Volt founder on the rise and rise of the electric bike August 5, 2022 Between the oven-like temperatures on the tube, the promise of rail strikes stretching into infinity and the ever-present threat of another airborne pandemic, things are looking up for the e-bike industry. Last year saw a record 22m e-bike sales according to the Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry, a 10 per cent increase on the [...]
The Week in Review August 5, 2022 Bitcoin has been bouncing around a little over the last week, but always within its well established range around $22,000.
UK ahead of EV adoption curve but charging accessibility lags behind August 4, 2022 The UK is currently ahead of the Climate Change Committee’s electric vehicle (EV) adoption curve by more than 100,000 cars. According to figures by Volkswagen Financial Services UK, there were 833,000 EVs in the UK as of March – up 71 per cent on last year’s levels. At the same time, registrations of battery-electric vehicles [...]
Dealmakers circle British firms as UK tops inward investment August 4, 2022 International dealmakers have set their sights on British firms this year with the UK now the top target in Europe for inbound and domestic investment, research today reveals.
London exodus: Record numbers escape the capital as pandemic trend continues August 1, 2022 There has been an exodus of Londoners since the pandemic, with more than 40,000 escaping eye-watering rent in the capital to buy their first home. The pandemic trend of leaving London has continued, with a record 28 per cent of new homes outside the M25 being first-time buyers. In the first half of 2022, 40,540 [...]
EXCLUSIVE: 1966 World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst: ‘My own memory could fade. You expect it to happen’ July 27, 2022 Sir Geoff Hurst tells Frank Dalleres that seeing most of his 1966 World Cup winning team-mates suffer with dementia convinced him to preserve his memories in the form of a digital artwork that will help to raise money for two Alzheimer’s charities. Every morning Sir Geoff Hurst goes for an hour-long walk through the park [...]