Mapped: TfL’s property and land empire ripe for redevelopment – from Tube stations to Thames piers November 18, 2015 Transport for London (TfL) is turning property mogul after identifying 50 locations it will develop into properties for homes and retail over the next decade. Its first planning applications for residential developmets have now been made (at Nine Elms, Northwood and Parsons Green), starting the firing gun on development of the 10m sq ft of [...]
Focus On Shadwell: Good transport and pubs mean promising times ahead in East London February 23, 2016 St Chad – after whom east London’s Chadwelle, now known as Shadwell, is named – is jokingly referred to as the patron saint of botched elections. This modern nickname was applied after the 2000 US election, when irregular “chads” (punched holes) may have defaced enough ballots cost Al Gore the 2000 US election. Chad is [...]
Economists: Prudential moves are likely to delay Bank of England interest rate hikes February 11, 2016 The Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates is likely to be delayed by actions undertaken by the relatively new committee that focuses on financial stability. The financial policy committee (FPC) can impose restrictions on particular markets such as residential or commercial property markets, and can also make banks hold more capital. The monetary policy [...]
UK rental market: The government must do more to combat rogue landlords January 22, 2016 Today Brandon Lewis MP announced £5m in government funding to combat the scourge of rogue landlords. Councils are in desperate need of additional funding to help them fix the problems associated with rogue landlords and there's no doubt that this public money be put to good use. They will be better able to target notorious ‘beds in sheds’, cramped hellholes rented out [...]
Impending tax increase sparks buy-to-let rush – Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors January 21, 2016 A higher tax rate on house purchases due to start in April has caused a surge in demand from buy-to-let investors, new figures show this morning. From April, buy-to-let investors will have to pay three per cent more in stamp duty land tax (SDLT) than residential buyers. In December, 10 per cent more chartered surveyors in [...]
Bashing landlords won’t bring down sky-high rents in London February 10, 2016 The proportion of households renting privately in London has more than doubled over the last 10 years. And with demand far outstripping supply, fears are mounting that London’s sky-high rents will rise even further. Some believe a simple fix would be for the winner of May’s mayoral election to introduce some form of rent control in [...]
This dairy is now a multi-million pound Mayfair mansion worth £25m April 16, 2015 A former dairy farm in the heart of one central London's most prestigious locations has been transformed from a simple cowshed into a multi-million pound home worthy of countesses, rather than cows. The more than 8,000 sq ft site on Farm Street in Mayfair, which is close to Grosvenor Square and The Dorchester and just [...]
Homes go on sale at former North London Post Office building in Islington January 8, 2016 As the historic North London Post Office, this 50,000sqft site in Islington delivered birthday cards, love letters and lists for Father Christmas. But next year, joint property developers Sagar Group and Cain Hoy hope they’ll be equally as successful at delivering a new housing, shopping and commercial district in the heart of one of London’s [...]
Cain Hoy partners with China’s largest property company Vanke for £750m Shoreditch project November 5, 2015 China's largest property company has made its first foray into the European market after partnering on the £750m redevelopment of a Shoreditch site where Shakespeare’s Curtain Theatre once stood. Vanke has taken a 21 per cent stake in The Stage, joining a consortium of investors headed by US private equity firm Cain Hoy and joint venture partners MG Partners, Galliard Homes and Investec Property Finance. The [...]
London house prices: stamp duty reforms put brakes on the capital’s prime property market December 2, 2015 George Osborne’s tougher stamp duty regime has put the brakes on London’s prime housing market, Knight Frank figures show, as annual price growth slowed to 0.9 per cent in November. The upmarket estate agency said annual growth has fallen to its lowest level since October 2009, with a monthly decline of 0.3 per cent contributing [...]