First time buyers: Homes in London 26 per cent cheaper but affordability remains an issue February 22, 2024 First time buyers in London are spending 26 per cent below the UK market average, but the majority of buyers are struggling with affordability. According to a new report by Zoopla, the average cost of a first time property in London is £399k, which is around £140k cheaper than a typical home would cost in [...]
Gove clamp down on short term lets like Airbnb could lead to ‘two-tier system’ February 19, 2024 Under the reform, property owners who let out their homes to visitors will be asked to seek planning permission, alongside placing their name on a mandatory national register for short-term lets.
Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak’s uphill task just got a bit steeper February 15, 2024 Rates will come down - probably in May, maybe in June - but they will take time to filter through to the wider economy. With an election looming, can the Tories expect anything to turn up?
UK and London house prices drop again but ‘affordability still a huge barrier’ February 14, 2024 House prices fell in December with the average price of a property now costing £285k – but it’s still hard to afford a home for lots of Britons. The figure, according to a new government release, is down £4,000 when compared to the exact same period the year before, but up from 2.3 per cent [...]
Value of UK housing stock dropped by £27bn in 2023 as high costs hurt market February 14, 2024 The UK’s housing stock has seen its first annual decline in value since 2012 after some £27bn was wiped off last year, according to new analysis, amid higher mortgage costs and pressure on household finances. Figures from property firm Savills showed that despite the fall, the value of housing remained £1.585tn higher than 2019, before [...]
More London mansions up for sale as billionaires go bankrupt February 12, 2024 A Kensington mansion has become the capital's latest luxury property to go up for sale in insolvency proceedings as wealthy London homeowners face their assets being liquidated to pay down debts.
London’s mega-wealthy rent luxury pads to celebs like Harry Styles to avoid selling up January 23, 2024 London’s mega wealthy are opting to let their million pound homes in Notting Hill to A-List celebrities and escaping to the countryside to avoid selling up. The end of Hollywood’s actor strike has seen a number of cinema and music’s biggest names return to the iconic west-London borough after a near nine month hiatus, estate [...]
London’s housing crisis is acute, but it’s a symptom of global policy failure January 15, 2024 Housing policy has failed on a global scale, it's time to address the core of the issue, writes Maimunah Mohd Sharif.
Natwest boss’s radio blunder betrays the reality of C-suite groupthink January 10, 2024 Natwest chair Sir Howard Davies's housing comments betray the risks of the C-suite echo chamber, writes Simon Neville.
London rents will cool next year – but tenants won’t be out of the woods yet December 12, 2023 Rents will continue to rise in London next year but at a much slower pace than what has been seen over the past 12 months. London landlords are expected to raise their prices by two per cent in 2024, a substantial decrease when compared to the nine per cent hike which was recorded by property [...]