Buying new build homes in bulk? It’s big business if you can get it June 25, 2015 Steady yourselves – block buyers are back. I’ve noticed this trend as I’ve been more involved in residential developments and investments recently and there’s a feeling out there that they’ve returned in numbers. Unlike the last time block buyers abounded – which was in the run up to the last peak in 2007 – current [...]
London barometer: Estate agent hype was overzealous on house sales June 25, 2015 Post-election, the jury is out on sales – but we can conclude that estate agent hype was overzealous. According to recent figures and our experience, homeowners now spend about three times longer in their properties than a decade ago. With new buyer registrations up 10 per cent between April and May alone, stock levels [...]
Is this the future of property? Rob Ellice on why you should let your home online June 25, 2015 We ask Rob Ellice, CEO of easyProperty why it's a good idea to rent your home online. What would you say is the core business ethos behind easyProperty? easyProperty wants to make selling and letting properties as affordable, convenient and transparent as possible. We help landlords list their properties on the big online property portals [...]
The rental revolution: changes in the private rented sector June 25, 2015 The UK’s rental market is undergoing a transformation as it continues to grow New investors including pension funds Legal & General and M&G are entering the sector, promising to add scale through major new apartment developments. And the government is backing the private rented sector as a key provider of new homes. Alongside UK developers [...]
Focus on Wimbledon property: A game of two halves in SW19 June 25, 2015 The world’s eyes will make their annual pilgrimage to Wimbledon on Monday, where they’ll spend several hours swivelling backwards and forwards watching the greatest tennis tournament on earth. While this leafy corner of south west London is primarily known for racquet sports, the rest of the year it’s one of the fastest-growing local property markets [...]
Demand for UK homes rises nine per cent: London’s commuter belt dominates, while Nine Elms, County Durham and Westminster lead the “cold spots” June 25, 2015 London may be in the throes of a housing crisis, but it seems its inhabitants have spurned the 3,500-odd apartments on offer in Nine Elms, after new figures showed the area – currently undergoing a massive redevelopment – had the lowest demand for new homes in the UK over the past three months. Among other [...]
At your service: Meet the concierges who run the lives of London’s elite homeowners June 25, 2015 The humble bowler-hatted doorman was once a tell-tale sign of a prestigious London address. But he’s quickly being replaced by a tenacious new breed of concierge. The industry travels with the global super-rich, arriving at whichever city blossoms into the darling of the international property market. Multilingual, persistent and well-connected, London’s hard-working concierges are on [...]
Communities in the sky: Architects are embracing a very capitalist utopian dream June 25, 2015 Architects are returning to the utopian idea of housing projects as selfcontained communities where residents are able to interact in social spaces. Only this time it’s a very capitalist dream Here’s how most of us choose our homes: we pick an area we can afford, perhaps somewhere with a good school for the kids, [...]
Hartfield House: This architectural wonder is the ultimate blend of country bliss and avant-garde design June 25, 2015 When a city-dweller dreams of leaving the rat race for the country, certain stock images appear. Most likely there will be fields of golden rapeseed, sheep bleating on hillsides and church spires reaching into an overcast sky. But deep into an ancient forest in East Sussex, you’ll find a light-filled construction of glass and sandstone [...]
Scandi luxe: Norway’s buoyant market rewards those with the patience to track down a plot of land and build their dream home June 25, 2015 So hot is Oslo’s property market, the city’s lucky estate agents are behaving like auctioneers, requesting immediate bids after open house viewings. With houses so hard to come by, one alternative is to find a plot of land and build your own – a solution chosen by the owners of the recently completed Villa Melkeveien. [...]