TRAVEL NOTES September 18, 2011 SHA’s new “absolute rejuvenation programme” Spain’s famous SHA wellness retreat has launched a new 14-day programme that’s one up even on its regular course of wellness enhancement. This one features macrobiotic nutrition to purify and rebalance the body and mind while scientific and holistic spa treatments try to physically iron out any kinks. It’s fairly [...]
Time to plan your golden getaway September 18, 2011 Deserted beaches, colourful fiestas, shopping meccas, or that perfect sunset – every destination opens up a world of golden opportunities. If exploring new places is your passion, the Preferred Rewards Gold Card from American Express can make your getaway even more rewarding. With the value of gold at an all time high, the Card now [...]
London’s soaring rents boost landlords’ returns September 16, 2011 MONTHLY rents have grown for the seventh month in a row, according to figures out today from LSL Property Services’ buy-to-let index. London’s rents increased by 1.5 per cent on average last month compared with July, hitting new highs of £1,025 per month. That compares with prices of £713 across England and Wales, which went [...]
Award-winning city penthouse September 15, 2011 FOR sale by the building’s architects, the couple Patrick Theis and Soraya Kahn, the penthouse in this extraordinarily elegant, intelligent development in Shoreditch is a prime and prestigious choice for anyone working in the City. The building – designed to be both for working and living – has won several awards and was short-listed for [...]
THE LONDON BAROMETER September 15, 2011 MARKET COMMENT During August we took on 20 per cent more property instructions than we did last year. This is despite the fact that property stock levels are down by 15 per. While the number of new applicants registering with estate agents is down on July’s figures – to be expected for August – the [...]
Getting the very best from the Home Counties September 15, 2011 PEOPLE are often very unfair to the Home Counties,” says James Grillo of Chesterton Humberts, “There is so much more to it than sprawling suburbia.” Indeed, as he points out, there’s more woodland per acre in Surrey than another county in England. “The schools are great, the commute is quick and the properties are fabulous.” [...]
Edges smoothed on Swiss prices September 15, 2011 ORDINARY mortals find the cost of a single pizza in Switzerland staggering – friends reported having to pay SFR50 for one in Verbier a few weeks ago. Indeed, with the Swiss franc having appreciated by 20 per cent against the euro in the last 12 months alone, the Swiss economy has felt the effects on [...]
PROPERTY NEWS September 15, 2011 THE LUXURY PROPERTY SHOW IS COMING TO THE HURLINGHAM CLUB The Luxury Property Show is coming to town on 1-2 November. It will be taking place within the stunning grounds of The Hurlingham Club and hosted by TV Property expert Melissa Porter. The show caters to portfolio and private investors. There will be a VIP [...]
LEWISHAM, SE13 September 15, 2011 RENAISSANCE Price: £181,000 This second floor, one-bedroom flat comprises 470 square feet, including a private balcony. It is situated in a development with landscaped gardens, opposite Lewisham DLR station. It was designed in collaboration with artist Phil Coy whose signature feature is the development’s eye-catching coloured glass exterior. Contact: Barratt Homes on 084 5871 0005 [...]
INTERIORS September 15, 2011 CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT DESIGN CONSULTANCY APD INTERIORS Q. The worktops in our kitchen are looking very tired. Is it easy to replace them? If so, which material should we use? A. The look of a kitchen is defined largely by the worktop style. After a few years, the kitchen units are often still serviceable, but [...]