020 7538 0102
3rd February 2017
New research suggests more than 1m people in London trying to buy property were gazumped by a rival buyer in 2016. The survey of almost 2,000 people by bridging lender Market Financial Solutions indicates that over £4.4bn in intermediary fees were lost last year as a result of property deals falling through at the last minute.
Evening Standard (31/01/2017)
27th January 2017
The Evening Standard profiles Canning Town, recently named as the most affordable location for property on the Jubilee Line. The area will soon be home to the English National Ballet and the London Film School, at London City Island. The 12-acre site sits in a loop of the River Lea, with new apartment blocks bordering lush gardens, and a footbridge across the water leading to the nearby tube station, within easy reach of both Canary Wharf and the soon-to-open Crossrail station at Custom House. Prices start from £440,000. Alternatively, Help to Buy flats at East City Point, in the heart of Canning Town, can be had from £320,000.
Evening Standard (23/01/2017)
27th January 2017
CBRE has been looking at how the ethos of "wellness," usually the preserve of luxury properties, can be applied to more typical homes - and in particular, new-build developments, reports the Daily Telegraph. Lisa Hollands, MD of Residential at CBRE, notes that facilities, acoustics, layouts, the flow of air and natural light all play a vital role in how well we feel, live and sleep in our homes – and pinpoints Berkeley’s South Quay Plaza in Canary Wharf as the epitome of the approach. The development offers a 9,000 sq ft health club, huge outdoor terrace, and even a full-time “community organiser” to manage residents’ social lives. Prices start from £675,000.
The Daily Telegraph (24/01/2017)
27th January 2017
Research from consumer group Which? has identified Barking and Dagenham as London’s biggest baby boom hotspot, saying it has the capital’s highest birth rate and its most affordable house prices. Property values in the borough average £287,978 while its birth-rate is 19.1 per 1,000 residents. Newham, where the average home value stands at £366,485, took the second spot, with Waltham Forest, Greenwich and Hackney making up the top five. David Blake, principal mortgage adviser at Which? Mortgage Advisers, commented: “Starting a family is often a time when people consider moving. Our research gives an indication of some of the most affordable places to buy”.
Evening Standard (23/01/2017)
27th January 2017
Building societies are currently offering better fixed mortgage rates than banks, a study has found. Across different types of mortgage, building societies' rates are on average up to 0.66 percentage points lower than banks' equivalent rates. The biggest gap is where borrowers with a 25% deposit opt for a five-year fixed rate deal; the average rate offered by banks is 3%, while building societies' equivalent rate is 2.34%. Charlotte Nelson, finance expert at Moneyfacts, said that at the moment five out of six two-year fixed rate "best buys" were from building societies.
The Daily Telegraph (25/01/2017)
20th January 2017
A small batch of shared ownership apartments in the 31-storey Dollar Bay tower at South Quay on the Isle of Dogs will go on sale on Thursday, January 26th, with prices starting at £136,250 for a quarter of a one-bedroom apartment and £206,250 for the same share in a two-bed. Designed by architects SimpsonHaugh and Partners, Dollar Bay is just 12 minutes’ walk away from Canary Wharf; apartments in the tower feature integrated appliances and private winter gardens. The Times looks at shared ownership, which involves buying a stake of between 25 and 75% of a property and paying rent on the remainder as an option for hard-pressed first-time buyers. Research from Which? shows that the average salary of a shared-ownership buyer in London is £45,000. It found affordability rapidly improves going into zone two, where the bulk of shared-ownership properties were located. Ten per cent of shared-ownership properties were affordable for those earning £27,900, the average person under 29 earns in London.
The Wharf (19/01/2017) The Times (14/01/2017)