Middle class stampede for equity release as Brits use their property as ATM by withdrawing billions via later life mortgages June 14, 2022 UK homeowners have already released equity to the tune of £1.4bn so far this year, with this figure estimated to hit almost £5.6bn by the end of the year. In fact, during the first three months of this year, over 12,500 homeowners opted to utilise the pent up value accumulated within their property via later [...]
Bec to the future: We blow the horn for fabulous Tooting Bec June 11, 2022 The London housing market tends to flow outwards from the prime central postcodes in a series of expanding circles, like the splash of a pebble thrown into a lake. Areas that would once have been undesirable ride the wave into fashion, while those in the centre see new ripples begin to form. So it is [...]
UK cost of living crisis to tame runaway house prices, says Savills May 31, 2022 The UK’s cost of living crisis is expected to stunt house price growth for the rest of the year, according to estate agents Savills, taming property costs which continue to hit record levels. Affordability pressures will leave house prices no choice but to slow in their ascent, as property deals and mortgage approvals fall in [...]
One in five Londoners look to downsize family home to fund retirement May 24, 2022 Almost one in five Londoners are planning to downsize their home to help fund their retirement, according to a new study, as the cost-of-living vacuum shakes down savings. Homeowners in London lead the way in the plan to swap their family home for a smaller property and stow away the windfall cash for the future, [...]
If firms want to go green then we should give shareholders the keys to their plans May 20, 2022 WHILE the finance sector can feel distant and detached, people are waking up to the impact it can have on our environment. Which bank, building society, or investment fund we decide to deposit our savings, store our pensions, or pay our hard-earned salaries into can determine whether green projects and clean businesses are financed. That’s [...]
HomeServe agrees to £4bn acquisition with founding chief exec and his wife netting £495m May 19, 2022 London-listed firm HomeServe has agreed to a £4bn acquisition, with its founder and his wife picking up a cool half-a-billion. The pipe-fixing company has been bought out by Bidco, a subsidiary of Canadian company Brookfield Infrastructure funds. As part of the agreement, each shareholder is entitled to 1,200 pence per share, with founder Richard Harpin’s [...]
UK house prices climb higher to £278,436 as market heat awaits ‘cooling’ May 18, 2022 The average price of a home has continued to climb higher, though its non-stop steamroll is still showing signs of slowing, according to the latest figures. House prices have increased 9.8 per cent to £278,436 in the year to March, down slightly from the 11.3 per cent in annual growth recorded in February of this [...]
The Elizabeth line effect: House prices along Crossrail skyrocket by as much as 215 per cent May 17, 2022 With the initial launch of Crossrail imminent, it has emerged that postcodes with stations due to benefit from Crossrail (CR) have seen house prices increase by up to 215 per cent since the project was first announced, carrying a 14 per cent premium versus the wider areas. Postcodes home to a Crossrail station have seen [...]
Half of all £1m+ UK property sales are in London with not Chelsea but Wandsworth leading the pack May 15, 2022 Despite a more lethargic pandemic property market performance, London remains by far the most prestigious pocket of the property market across England and Wales, accounting for almost half of all homes sold at £1m or above. With an average sold price of £1.4m and a total of £17.6bn worth of property sold at or above [...]
Spiralling house prices push millions into higher stamp duty bracket May 4, 2022 Spiralling house prices have pushed 4.3m households into a higher stamp duty bracket since March 2020, according to the latest research. The average price of a home has skyrocketed by £29,000 to £249,700 since Covid-19, spurred in part by a city exodus and the rush to get deals done amid the pandemic-era stamp duty holiday. [...]