Berkeley Homes reports slump in profits June 19, 2019 Housebuilder Berkeley Homes outlined plans to ramp up new developments despite reporting a slump in pre-tax profit this morning. The figures Pre-tax profit fell 20.7 per cent to £775.2m in the year ended 30 April, but was higher than analysts’ expectations of £730m. Revenue was £2.95bn, up 4.1 per cent from £2.84bn the previous year, [...]
Legal Q&A: I have a small portfolio of rental properties. Will I be affected by the recent ban on tenant fees? June 18, 2019 The short answer is that if you are renting out properties in England under an assured shorthold tenancy, students let or licence, you are going to be affected by the recent ban on tenant fees. It is now unlawful for you or your letting agent to charge any fees other than those which are prescribed [...]
UK house prices near record high for new homes on market June 17, 2019 UK house prices for newly-marketed properties neared a record high this month, spurred on by a cluster of UK regions shrugging off recent political uncertainty. Read more: UK house prices grow at fastest rate for two years Four northern regions witnessed their highest ever asking prices in June, pushing property prices nationally up 0.3 per [...]
Our pick of the new homes going on sale in London this weekend June 13, 2019 250 City Road, EC1V From £985,000Berkeley Homes is launching a collection of 670 sqft one-bedroom apartments at its huge 250 City Road development this weekend. The 48 new homes can be configured based on the buyer’s preference, and are located throughout the new 36-storey Valencia Tower, where residents will benefit from a rooftop yoga terrace [...]
London housing market rebounds slightly after Brexit delay June 13, 2019 The London housing market showed signs of bouncing back last month as sentiment rose to its highest level since April 2017, according to the latest forecasts. Negative trends in agreed sales, prices and new instructions all eased in May after the Brexit deadline was extended to October, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) latest [...]
The potential consequences of the Tenant Fee Ban June 13, 2019 Welcome to a new era, where unscrupulous letting agents are no longer allowed to demand that tenants pay hundreds of pounds in unjustified fees. The new law has been several years in the making, but at the start of this month, it finally became illegal for letting companies in England to charge tenants rip-off fees. [...]
Most Help to Buy beneficiaries ‘did not need scheme’ June 13, 2019 The government’s Help to Buy scheme has been accused of subsidising existing homeowners, after it emerged most people who have bought a house using the programme could have done so without it. A National Audit Office report today said three-fifths of buyers could have bought a property without the support of Help to Buy, “but [...]
Crest Nicholson reports profit slump on Brexit uncertainty June 11, 2019 Crest Nicholson reported a fall in profits this morning as Brexit uncertainty kept house prices flat across the south of England. The figures Revenue was £501.9m, up seven per cent on half-year 2018 while profit before tax fell 11 per cent to 64.4m. Read more: Intu appoints ex-Crest Nicholson exec as finance chief The company [...]
Bellway posts strong spring sales hours after devastating Barking fire June 11, 2019 Housebuilder Bellway has posted strong sales growth and said it was on track for an earnings boost just hours after a fire devastated one of its developments. The FTSE 250 firm reported a 4.7 per cent jump in reservations over the period from 1 February to 2 June – to 244 per week. Read more: [...]
Focus On Bermondsey: The London borough with the Shard in its back yard June 7, 2019 Seventy two households, all belonging to the Count Robert of Mortain, and collectively worth a grand total of 40 pence; this was the value of Bermondsey as recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. Things have changed somewhat since then (Bermondsey wasn’t even an official part of London at the time), but few areas have [...]