020 7538 0102
26th May 2017
The Mail’s Sally Hamilton offers a breakdown of the Conservative and Labour election manifestos, including their positions on housing. She says the Conservatives will seek to ease the housing crisis by building 1m new homes by the end of 2020 and 500,000 more by the end of 2022, with Labour pledging a similar number and vowing to extend Help to Buy funding until 2027. In assessing the pledges, Ms Hamilton is sceptical, saying successive governments “have not built anything like enough homes”.
The Mail on Sunday (21/05/2017)
26th May 2017
Property expert Phil Spencer has warned house-hunters in London that searching for their dream home on the internet can be "counter-productive". The Location, Location, Location presenter said: "There's so much competition for houses… The 'best in breed' flats, as I call them, go before they are even online. The internet… is really fantastic for research and for helping you work out what you want and in what area. But nothing will beat talking to estate agents”.
Evening Standard, Page: 28
19th May 2017
Housing association and developer L&Q has put a selection of shared ownership homes on the Greenwich Peninsula on the market, targeted at first-time buyers. In all, 64 one- and two-bedroom apartments in The Waterman are available, complete with Symphony kitchen worktops, fitted units and integrated Zanussi appliances, designer sanitary ware, ceramic tiling in the bathrooms, built-in wardrobes to master bedrooms, and balconies. Located within walking distance of North Greenwich station – just one stop from Canary Wharf on the Jubilee Line – The Waterman is part of a huge regeneration project that will, when complete, offer 10,000 new homes, 150 retail units and 48 acres of green space alongside 1.6 miles of Thames riverside. Prices start from £95,625 for a 25% shared of a one-bedroom apartment (full market value £382,500), and £126,250 for a 25% share of a two-bedroom apartment (full market value £505,000).
The Wharf (12/05/2017)
19th May 2017
The Standard looks at some of the waterfront developments available - or soon to be built - in East London. Mount Anvil’s Royal Docks West, at the Royal Victoria Dock, E16, is due to complete next year: a 19-storey tower containing 105 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, alongside public landscaped gardens in Western Gateway and the Urban London Beach. Studios start from £385,000 with service charges from £4.55 per square foot and annual ground rent from £350. Also at Royal Victoria, Carillion Igloo Genesis is working on Europe’s largest floating village, offering homes, shops, restaurants, and a potential floating lido for outdoor swimmers. Further west, in Stratford, the latest phase of homes in the Queen Elizabeth Park, at Chobham Manor, will launch this summer, with two-bedroom flats available from £580,000.
Evening Standard (15/05/2017)
19th May 2017
Despite a slump in the value of sterling since Britain’s vote to leave the EU, London remains the world’s fifth most expensive city for commercial and residential construction. According to a new study by professional services company Turner & Townsend, the average cost of construction in the UK capital is now at $3,214 per sq m – a figure set to rise a further 4.1% in 2017, the survey predicts. Of the 43 regions and cities examined in the annual report, only New York, San Francisco, Zurich and Hong Kong were found to be more expensive than London.
The Independent (15/05/2017)
19th May 2017
The g15 group of London housing associations says it will build 42,000 affordable homes over the next four years, accelerating its building programme by 50% on the back of Mayor Sadiq Khan securing over £3bn for affordable housing in 2016’s autumn statement.
Evening Standard (17/05/2017)