London’s house prices had the UK’s lowest rate of annual growth last month December 12, 2016 Back in March, London was leading the UK's annual house price inflation, but the recent drop in prices and transactions in prime central property has led to annual change of just 0.1 per cent, meaning London's house prices had the lowest rate of annual growth in the country last month. For England and Wales as a whole, average [...]
Generation unlucky: Millennials are feeling sorry for themselves financially (and don’t mention Brexit) December 10, 2016 With Christmas on the way, spare a thought for the millennials in your life. They are are probably feeling hard done by financially, and miserable about 2016’s Brexit vote. Maybe you could consider putting another tangerine in their stocking, or adding an extra £5 on to their HMV gift card, to make up for it. A [...]
Revealed: The “deeply worrying” decline of buy-to-let sales after the government’s “war on landlords” December 9, 2016 Sales of buy-to-let homes have plummeted more than half in the last 12 months, after the government launched a "war on landlords". Figures by estate agent Haart showed the number of properties sold as rental homes in England and Wales fell 63.7 per cent in the year to November, while the number of landlords registering [...]
City Moves for 9 December 2016 | Who’s switching jobs December 9, 2016 Microsoft Microsoft has hired Ian Fordham, currently CEO of Edtech UK and a mayor of London tech ambassador, as director of education. He will oversee Microsoft’s work involving schools, colleges, universities and other learning organisations. Ian is chief executive of Edtech UK, Britain’s strategic body for the education and learning technology sector, and is co-founder of [...]
Britain must look beyond trade deals to turbocharge exports December 9, 2016 In 1860, the Cobden-Chevalier Treaty, widely regarded as the first international trade agreement, was signed at the Foreign Office. French duties on British manufactured goods were slashed and, in return, British duties on French wine and brandy were cut, ushering in three decades of expanding trade – and, presumably, considerable joie de vivre in Britain’s [...]
HSBC and RBS move into the pre-fab, build to rent housing market with support for Greenwich Creekside Wharf scheme December 8, 2016 HSBC and RBS have backed the UK’s first pre-fab build to rent scheme with a £60m loan facility. The banks will equally finance Essential Living’s 249-home Creekside Wharf scheme, based in Greenwich, with a four-year club deal. “Long-term demand for private rented housing is only going to increase in London and Essential Living’s position as [...]
Property market predictions 2017: From Brexit to tenant fee bans, we’ve asked London’s biggest real estate agents to look into their crystal balls December 8, 2016 2017 will see the rise of Build-to-Rent in London Mark Collins, chairman at CBRE Residential Throughout 2017, I hope that SME developers continue to be championed and encouraged by local government, as these housebuilders will play a major role in alleviating the housing crisis. Access to land and financial support as well as flexible planning systems [...]
Opinion: Head of Savills’ Auctions on why owner occupiers are still the minority buying homes under the hammer December 8, 2016 Property auctions have changed dramatically over the last 30 years, evolving from small-scale events focused on lower value property, to day-long sales featuring a wide cross-section of the market. And the sector continues to grow. Savills Auctions has sold over £300m worth of property in 2016. Over the past three decades the reasons for selling [...]
McDonald’s to move non-US tax base to UK December 8, 2016 As the Brexit vote prompts companies to accelerate in moving onto the continent, one corporate juggernaut is reversing through the drive-thru. Fast food icon McDonald’s today announced it would move its tax base from Luxembourg to the UK, after facing increased scrutiny from EU regulators. The news of a new international holding company based in Britain for [...]
A short history of investing in gold – and what to expect for 2017 December 8, 2016 Gold is coveted by investors for its rarity. As a precious metal with limited supply, it is seen as a store of value when the real value of other assets, and currencies, can be manipulated. But fundamentally, its high worth is underpinned by its usefulness and attractiveness. Not only is it highly malleable but it [...]