020 7538 0102
7th April 2017
Figures from Nationwide show that British house prices fell for the first time since mid-2015 in March, dipping 0.3% on the month before. This compares to a 0.6% increase in February. Year on year, prices climbed 3.5%, a rate that marks the weakest increase since August 2015. The annual pace of growth was down on February’s 4..5%, is weaker than March 2015’s 5.7% and falls below analyst forecasts of 4%. Nationwide also revealed that home ownership fell to its lowest level since 1985 in March, with just 38% of those aged between 25 and 34 owning property. For those aged 35 to 44, ownership rates have also seen declines, standing at 56% now compared to 74% in 2006. The report notes that the average cost of a house in the UK stood at £207,308 in March, up from £205,846 in February.
The Guardian (31/03/2017)
7th April 2017
The number of Londoners living on boats has rocketed, with boats registered to be moored on the capital’s waterways having increased by nearly 60% in the past five years to almost 4,000 according to latest figures from the Canal & River Trust. Fran Read, a spokeswoman for the trust, believes there is romance in life afloat: "It was once a very alternative thing to do but now it has become a lot more acceptable”.
Evening Standard (05/04/2017)
31st March 2017
development on sale on May 4th, with prices starting from £575,000 for a studio, £750,000 for a one-bedroom property, £1,080,000 for a two-bed and £1,625,000 for a three-bed. The 58-storey building is Herzog & de Meuron’s first residential project in the UK; the renowned architectural practice has assigned typologies to each home – Loft, Bay or Cluster – with each offering views of the Docklands area and across London. Facilities include a concierge, library, screening room, and a fitness suite with 20-metre swimming pool, gym, steam room and sauna.
London Loves Business (27/03/2017)
31st March 2017
A new study has found that Bow – just 10 minutes from Canary Wharf via the DLR from Bow Church – is the third cheapest area in Zone 2, with an average property price of £677 per sq ft, £217 cheaper than the Zone’s average of £894 per sq ft. Devons Road DLR, to the south of Bow Church, is even closer, just a seven minute ride from the estate. The Merchants Walk development, close to the station, offers a selection of apartments, ranging from studios to three-bedroom homes, with prices beginning at £375,000.
The Wharf (28/03/2017)
31st March 2017
Sadiq Khan has warned that new tall buildings must enhance the capital’s skyline rather than blight it. The Mayor of London also stressed that key criteria for residential tower blocks should be that they help to tackle the city’s housing crisis, not provide investment opportunities. Daniel Astaire, Westminster Council's cabinet member for planning and public realm, has said he is “open to taller and higher buildings as a matter of policy” but insisted on “appropriate buildings in appropriate places”.
Evening Standard (28/03/2017)
31st March 2017
The average deposit put down by a first-time buyer in London has soared from £57,393 to £87,853 over five years, according to Lloyds Bank data, which also shows that the cost of an average first home in the capital has hit £405,106. Nationwide, Lloyds said, the average deposit is £37,570. The average first-time buyer's mortgage in the capital is £317,253 - up from £185,538 in 2012 and almost twice the UK average for a new first-time buyer, which stands at £168,296.
Independent I (29/03/2017)