Most home purchases made by first-time buyers in 2018, research shows February 23, 2019 The majority of home purchases were made by first-time buyers last year for the first time in 23 years, according to new research. The number of first-time buyers reached 372,000 in 2018, the latest Halifax First-Time Buyer review shows, and now account for more than 50 per cent of all house purchases with a mortgage. [...]
Focus On Roehampton: Thinking of living in Wandsworth? Consider this leafy spot instead and you could save £100,000 February 22, 2019 The thing about university towns is they’re always full of students. This doesn’t just make them a great property investment for Revolution bars and Wetherspoons, but also for landlords who fear void periods, even if it means occasionally having to get Pot Noodle stains out of the carpet. The University of Roehampton – incidentally, the [...]
Opinion: Banning letting agent fees is a sweeping measure that wasn’t properly thought out and doesn’t get to the root of the problems February 22, 2019 Property is one of many industries that has fallen behind the times when it comes to accountability and transparency. In my view, one of the best ways to improve any industry is with carefully thought-out investment in regulation, especially in a world that increasingly demands accountability. The lettings industry needs this as much as any [...]
Property of the Week: House designed by Sir David Adjaye in King’s Cross is on sale with internal fish ponds and gardens February 22, 2019 If you’ve been meaning to drop into the Design Museum for the new Sir David Adjaye exhibition, consider this week’s Property of the Week a taster of what’s to come. This three bedroom house was created by the British architect, who was the lead designer of the National Museum of African American History and Culture [...]
New homes: Our pick of the new builds going on sale in London this weekend February 22, 2019 New developments on the market this week Acton Gardens, Acton From £430,000 Get on the Crossrail network with these new homes next to Acton High Street. Residents will have four train stations to choose from, including one linked to the high-speed rail network that is due to be running by the end of the year. [...]
January deals flat as uncertainty weighs on housing market February 21, 2019 Buyers and sellers in Britain’s housing market remained subdued in January, as stamp duty and Brexit uncertainty added to the traditional New Year slowdown. Data released this morning from HMRC has found that residential deals nudged up by 0.8 per cent between December and January, marking a 1.3 per cent rise on the same period [...]
Purplebricks suffers share price slump as revenue guidance is slashed and bosses head for the exit February 21, 2019 Hybrid estate agency Purplebricks spooked the markets this morning after bosses on both side of the pond departed and the firm slashed revenue forecasts for the year ahead. The group's share price plunged 35 per cent in early morning trading after Purplebricks announced that UK and US chief executives Lee Wainwright and Eric Eckardt are [...]
A Brexit-induced price drop won’t fix the housing crisis February 21, 2019 The last 30 years have seen house prices in London soar to dizzying heights. The average home has leapt from £81,536 in 1988 to £473,882 in 2018 – that’s a 481 per cent increase. If the cost of a pint of milk (26p in 1988) had jumped up at the same pace, it would now [...]
European Medicines Agency loses £500m ruling over bid to cancel lease amid Brexit move February 20, 2019 The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has lost a court battle to break a £500m London office lease in the wake of its planned move to Amsterdam post-Brexit. In a landmark case for the commercial property industry ahead of Britain’s departure from the EU, landlord Canary Wharf has won a ruling that means the EMA must [...]
Shopping centre landlord Intu swings to a loss after swallowing £1.4bn hit to property values February 20, 2019 Embattled shopping centre landlord Intu moved into the red last year, as more than £1.4bn was wiped off the value of its property following a swathe of retail challenges. Shares in the group dived almost 10 per cent in early morning trading. The figures Losses at the FTSE 250 firm, which suffered two failed takeover bids [...]
