020 7538 0102
2nd April 2015
The National Housing Federationsays that rising house prices have forced younger generations to turn to grandparents, as well as parents, for help to take their first step on the property ladder. A YouGov survey by the industry body found one in seven homeowners over 55 were saving to help their children or grandchildren with their housing costs, but that one in five admitted they had not considered how they would pay for care costs later in life.
Daily Mail (01/04/15)
2nd April 2015
A new report has found that more than £100m was paid up front by tenants seeking to secure luxury rental accommodation in London in the first ten weeks of the year. High-end tenants are paying the entire cost of six or 12 month tenancies and deposits in advance to secure homes in London’s best addresses.
The Daily Telegraph (31/03/15)
2nd April 2015
Latest figures from the Greater London Authority reveal that nearly 25,000 homes in the capital have been converted from "social" to "affordable" housing since 2012. Housing associations have been quietly switching thousands of tenancies on to higher rates to make up for a shortfall in government funding. Social rents are typically half the market rate, while "affordable" tariffs are up to 80% of private rent, and changing the housing category when new tenants move into a property means neighbours in identical flats can pay hugely different rents.
The Guardian (30/03/15)
2nd April 2015
A new report from CBRE, "London's growing market: the rental revival", reveals that 247,000 households in the city have started to rent privately in the past year alone. A new breed of "lifestyle renters" with middle to high earnings has been created, according to CBRE. They are willing to pay a rental premium of up to 40% for new-build stock compared with second-hand properties and are driving frenzied bidding wars.
The Sunday Times (29/03/15)
27th March 2015
Conservative mayoral hopeful Stephen Greenhalgh has proposed that only people who have lived or worked in London for at least three years should be able to buy new homes on public land in the capital. The policy would apply to residents irrespective of their nationality, and aims to help solve the problem of homes being bought as investments then left empty.
Evening Standard (26/03/15)
27th March 2015
Official statistics have shown that average UK house prices fell by 0.2% in January, to £273,000, following a surprise upturn in December. The Office for National Statistics said that the annual rate of price growth now stands at 8.4%, down from 9.8% in December. In London, growth fell to a 13-month low of 13% in January, down from 13.3% in December and 15.2% in November.
The Guardian (25/03/15)