The delights of Gstaad in summer July 1, 2012 GSTAAD, in the German-speaking canton of Berne, is about as ritzy a resort as you can get. It’s got the prices and celebrity factor of Verbier, but it’s smaller. Much smaller. And therefore, much classier – like a rare tiny diamond instead of a bling-tastic shop window. Not that there aren’t bling-tastic shop windows in [...]
Ramsgate: a characterful, atmospheric seaside gem July 1, 2012 RAMSGATE has an unglamorous reputation – people are quick to associate it with drunken Kentish folk hanging about its harbourside and, of course, it is distinctly not its cooler neighbours Margate (Tracey Emin’s hometown and home to a Turner Gallery), or ritzy Broadstairs, where Charles Dickens summered and where the well-heeled denizens of Kent go [...]
UK house price drop worsens as London gains June 28, 2012 THE DROP in house prices in the UK accelerated in June, as weakness from the Eurozone and the expiry of the stamp duty holiday took their toll, Nationwide said yesterday. Prices were down 0.6 per cent on the month, as part of a 1.5 per cent slide since June 2011 – the biggest year-on-year fall in [...]
You wouldn’t buy a car without a few gadgets in it – why should it be any different for your home? June 28, 2012 The “internet of things” is big news right now. It’s the idea that anything with an electrical plug can become a “smart” device, connected to the web. Companies like Intel have been busy showcasing everything from smart gas metres to intelligent washing machines but it is only recently this smart technology is moving out of [...]
The Olympics could be a great chance for the savvy to tap foreign investors June 28, 2012 DIRECTOR DOUGLAS & GORDON Q Do you think the Olympics are going to put a brake on the property market and should I withdraw my flat while they’re on? A It seems to have become fashionable to assume that everything is going to grind to a halt. Whilst this may be true of the traffic [...]
SALES HOTTING UP AT VERMILLION DEVELOPMENT June 28, 2012 The Vermillion development in Canning Town, a 271-unit, mixed use development comprising one, two and three bedroom flats, has seen buyers flock to its ultra-modern apartments since its launch earlier this year. The project includes an innovative “eco-garden” that can water itself. Many of the flats benefit from a balcony or terrace, as well as [...]
Try a little boudoir chic to liven up your home June 28, 2012 Florence chandelier A black chandelier may sound like a prop from a vampire movie but this subtle example is a classy piece ‰ £1,625 ‰ johnlewis.com Golden overmantle mirror Add character to a room with this aged mirror, which features a mottled effect on the glass ‰ £375 ‰ mirrorstoday.co.uk Jonathan Charles black screen For [...]
LONDON BAROMETER June 28, 2012 DIRECTOR OF DOUGLAS & GORDON The London property market continues to be seen as a safe haven in turbulent economic times, with record numbers of properties being sold to international buyers. Previously international buyers have focused on prime central London, but recently we have seen purchasers from Russia, America and France buying across south-west London [...]
London still outperforms the rest of the country June 28, 2012 Q What is happening to London prices at the moment? A London property continues to outperform the rest of the UK market. The latest official data showed that average house prices across the capital are up 5.1 per cent year on year, compared to a one per cent fall across England and Wales. The average [...]
Versace’s place is for sale at $125m… here are Europe’s rival celeb homes June 28, 2012 GOLFE POENTE Quinta do Lago, Portugal Artyon Senna, the late Brazilian race-driver, used this house as his European bolthole when competing in Europe. It’s a nine-bedroom estate with a flood-lit football pitch and tennis court, sunken trampoline, dog kennel and a spacious layout. Senna, born in a ritzy part of Sao Paulo in 1960, was [...]
