It’s time we saw some real planning reforms in the upcoming housing white paper January 31, 2017 Much like a typical planning application, the housing white paper has already become mired in delay. The policy document, a central plank of Theresa May’s government, was originally due out last year and then put back until January. The smart money is now on publication on 6 February although that date remains unconfirmed. The white [...]
UK commercial construction hit a rough patch in 2016, falling nearly 15 per cent January 31, 2017 Commercial construction activity for the 2016 calendar year fell to £16.7bn, down 14.1 per cent on the previous period, according a new report by JLL, the property services company. The reduced work is a result of lower numbers of new build developments, which are down 18.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter, while refurbishments are 6.8 per cent lower [...]
Purplebricks share price climbs after 11 per cent tumble last week January 30, 2017 Purplebricks' share price has climbed over five per cent this morning after a tweet sent it tumbling last week. Last Thursday, the online estate agent's share price jumped 11.5 per cent when the company sent a tweet boasting about its "record-breaking" valuations and instructions in January. January has been a record-breaking month for valuations & instructions, [...]
Opinion: Considering buying a place above a shop? Don’t do it unless you’ve thought about these factors first January 27, 2017 Whether high street or side street, look up above any shop-lined street in the capital and you are bound to see apartments. Accessed by narrow doors tucked between the various operators, these spaces are proving an increasingly tempting living proposition. More and more, we are seeing developers turning the ground floor of their new schemes [...]
New Builds: New homes are on sale in Finchley, Woolwich, Golders Green, Kew and Croydon January 27, 2017 Mantle Developments, Croydon From £430,000 and £875,000 (Help to Buy available) Buy a home and get a Michelin-starred meal cooked in it by chef Jean-Christophe Novelli. Buyers who snap up a property in one of two schemes in Croydon by the end of January through Countrywide will be able to take up the tasty offer. [...]
Bonus season: If you’re thinking of spending it on property, here are the top London hotspots you should be looking at January 27, 2017 It’s bonus season in the City and now you’ve got the enviable task of deciding what to spend it on. Historically low interest rates means putting the whole lot into an ISA isn’t quite as appealing as it once was. But house price growth particularly in the outer boroughs – Newham, Havering, Brent and Croydon [...]
Tory infighting might be holding back the housing white paper January 26, 2017 The government's housing white paper has been repeatedly delayed – and infighting within the Tory party might be to blame. Prime Minister Theresa May has reportedly turned the policy document away because it wasn't substantial enough, and it is now thought it will be released on 6 February. Tories in safe seats, who are likely to [...]
Mortgage lending hit a nine-month high in December January 26, 2017 Mortgage approvals hit a nine-month high in December, and overall in 2016, gross mortgage lending increased 12 per cent. Figures from the British Bankers Association show that gross mortgage borrowing increased by 3.6 per cent year-on-year in December, reaching £12.6bn, with remortgaging approvals jumping 30 per cent to their highest level since October 2008. Read more: Restaurateur [...]
I can’t help but worry about the potential for the mother of all house price crashes January 26, 2017 The year opened with alarming newspaper headlines in The Daily Telegraph on the risk of a global property price crash. How worried should we be in the UK? The ratio of house prices to incomes in the UK is close to the all-time high it reached before the financial crisis. If that ratio mean reverts over [...]
Canada grants planning permission for new City skyscraper, 1 Leadenhall January 25, 2017 Another skyscraper has moved one step closer to becoming part of the capital's skyline, after Canada's planning and transport committee granted planning permission this morning. The committee approved a resolution to grant permission for 1 Leadenhall, which is set to tower over Leadenhall Market. The resolution was approved following a consultation with the [...]