020 7538 0102
22nd January 2016
Investors are swooping on London property in a rush to beat an increase in stamp duty for buy-to-let homes scheduled for April 1st. The number of buy-to-let valuations carried out in December leapt 86% year-on-year, according to industry experts. Some first-time buyers say agents are finding it so easy to sell property, they fail to attend booked viewings and will only accept sealed bids with no negotiation. Even when prospective buyers do make the highest bid, it is claimed they are often thwarted by investors making last-minute cash offers.
Evening Standard (20/01/2015)
22nd January 2016
Figures from the House of Commons library show that Londoners are spending up to two-thirds of their income on rent, with tenants in 20 boroughs spending at least half of their income on rent compared to five boroughs six years ago. Londoners are paying an average of £700 a month to rent a room, 70% higher than the national average of £492 a month. The 2015 Rental Index compiled by EasyRoommate suggests that London rents have increased an average of 8% over the last year.
Evening Standard (15/01/2016)
22nd January 2016
London has topped a list of most successful cities for its innovation, liveability and capacity to reinvent itself. The top scoring cities offer an environment that “nurtures talent and an innovation-orientated economy”, according to the City Momentum Index (CMI) of innovative cities by Jones Lang LaSalle. London ranks first for the second year in a row for its economic growth and real estate structure. It has also been praised for initiatives that are transforming transport in the city.
The Independent (22/01/2015)
22nd January 2016
A former public toilet in London’s Spitalfields is on the market for £1m, the former public convenience being marketed as “charming and quirky premises”. The underground facility, which is 600 sq ft, has already been converted into a nightclub and is being offered as a bar or restaurant.
The Guardian (18/01/2015)
15th January 2016
Balfour Beatty has reportedly signed a pre-construction deal with developer LBS Properties, to build a 53-storey apartment block in South Quay. The Madison Tower development, at Marsh Wall, will house 423 luxury flats on a hexagonal floor plate, designed by architect Make, and will feature a private residents’ club on the 16th floor with lounge bar, gym, meeting and screening rooms, as well as a spa and pool area on the lower ground floor. Work is expected to begin this summer.
The Wharf (11/01/2016)
15th January 2016
Nearly a hundred of the UK’s worst sink estates could be bulldozed to make way for better homes as part of a “blitz” on poverty unveiled by David Cameron. The prime minister pledged that “brutal high-rise towers” and “bleak” housing will be torn down in an effort to tackle drug abuse and gang culture. In a keynote speech, Mr Cameron will make a link with the 2011 riots, claiming three out of four rioters came from sink estates. The £140m redevelopment programme is to be overseen by Michael Heseltine. His estate regeneration advisory panel has been told to produce a full blueprint by the time of the chancellor’s autumn statement.
The Times (10/01/2016)