There is no Franco-German plot to kill the City: The EU is a boon for financial services January 15, 2015 The word “bleak” isn’t one that many in the City would choose when it comes to the future of our financial sector. Yet that’s how Sir Bill Cash described it in City A.M. yesterday, blaming the EU for damaging the City and warning of worse to come. But is it really the case that the [...]
Luxury extras for new London homes: From rooftop yoga in Hammersmith to virtual golf on the Thames January 15, 2015 New homes now come with luxury extras as standard to lure in Londoners with busy schedules. Developers are continually trying to outdo their competitors by incorporating extra leisure facilities into the service charge. And, in time-honoured property fashion, the need to keep up with the Jones’ has led to ever more outlandish services, from virtual [...]
54 Eaton Square: The Belgravia apartment that upstages all others January 15, 2015 If you’re interested in literature or science, there are a multitude of properties that once housed prestigious individuals in their fields. Architectural admirers, too, have a plethora of period properties in the capital that are considered historical gems. But for movie fans, the homes of their silver screen heroes remain relatively illusive. An apartment on [...]
Savills share price surges on profit outlook upgrade thanks to Stamp Duty changes January 15, 2015 Estate agent Savills has upgraded its profit outlook for 2014 after changes to stamp duty came into effect at the end of last year, sending shares surging almost nine per cent in early trading. Revenue and profit exceeded forecasts in December after a sales boost from the rise in Stamp Duty for properties priced over [...]
Barratt Developments sees property sales and completions jump in first half January 14, 2015 Sales at residential property company Barratt Developments jumped by 17 per cent in the six months to 31 December, up to £1.68bn from £1.44bn in the first half of the 2014 financial year. Completions also increased, improving from 6,195 to 6,971. Of the total number of completions, 1,149 were in the affordable housing sector, which [...]
London house prices to drop as surveyors see slowdown January 14, 2015 SURVEYORS are predicting a fall in London house prices in 2015, new survey data shows today. Surveyors in London are anticipating a decline in prices of two to five per cent, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The price falls are expected to go along with a five to 10 per cent [...]
London house prices: Can stamp duty save the capital from a demand crisis? January 14, 2015 Demand for houses has been falling in the housing market for six months, or eight if you live in London. It doesn’t feel so long ago we were talking about booms and whispering of bubbles, but that's gone for now. The latest figures from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors reveals that 10 per cent [...]
Page Group sees robust profit growth January 13, 2015 UK recruiters Page Group – formerly Michael Page – posted a 12.9 per cent annual rise in gross profit for the final three months of 2014, according to a trading update released yesterday. Shares in the company rose to £4.53 in London yesterday. The firm’s gross profit for 2014 increased by 10 per cent to [...]
Blame the Green Belt for Britain’s dire housing crisis: Reform is long overdue January 13, 2015 The UK, and particularly London, is in the midst of what should be seen as a housing crisis. According to LSE professor Paul Cheshire, new build houses are about 40 per cent bigger in the Netherlands and 38 per cent bigger in Germany than they are in England. And yet housing goes for 45 per [...]
Southbank gets the thumbs up from Ignis Property Fund with £30m purchase January 12, 2015 The Ignis Property Fund has bought a slice of the Southbank’s regeneration, having acquired the freehold of both a residential and commercial space in Southwark for £30m. The investment firm has bought 1 America Street and 29 Great Guildford Street, an office and residential building on an island site, from the Trustees of the SE10NE Co-ownership. [...]