Housebuilders have their doubts about government targets May 6, 2016 When the government revealed its target to build one million homes by 2020, plenty of those dreaming of stepping onto the property ladder must have rejoiced. However, a study out today warns that they might have celebrated too soon, as over half (51 per cent) housebuilders believe that the target will not be met, with lack of land, painfully [...]
UK house prices: Asking prices reach record highs due to first-time seller surge, according to Rightmove April 2016 house price index April 18, 2016 If you had been hoping the property market would become easier to enter this month, you might still have to wait a while… UK house prices continued to rise throughout March, according to Rightmove, and the average asking price has reached a new record high of £307,033. This was a rise of 1.3 per cent, or £3,843, compared [...]
General Election 2015: Osborne promises to get 2.4m first-time buyers onto housing ladder with property “revolution” April 5, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne has pledged to bring about a “property revolution” in the UK, helping 2.4m more first-time buyers to get on the property ladder. In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, he said he intended to double the number of first time buyers to 500,000 a year over the next five years, should the [...]
Focus On Bayswater: Why Notting Hill’s overlooked neighbour is the next big central London investment opportunity January 6, 2017 Around any piece of prime central London, you’ll find a forlorn district on the outskirts whose fortune has improved immeasurably in recent years. Priced out of premium areas, buyers are increasingly moving to these formerly unpopular areas in search of space and affordability – and changing these areas in the process. Bayswater is a prime [...]
The Body Shop attracts buyout bidders in £850m sale February 12, 2017 Potential buyers are emerging in the $1bn (£850m) sale of ethical beauty brand The Body Shop. Apax Partners, a high-profile backer of companies including Karl Lagerfeld and Orange, has registered its interest, The Sunday Times reported yesterday. Current owner L’Oréal put the iconic British store up for sale last week, saying it wanted to “give it [...]
EU referendum: Here’s the “positive case” for staying in the EU, according to David Cameron May 27, 2016 When David Cameron set the date for the EU referendum back in February, he told the world you’d never catch him talking down Britain. A few months, some close opinion polls and a two slightly dodgy dossiers of Treasury analysis later, and that “positive case” for staying in the EU seems a distant memory. “Project Fear” [...]
Cala Group calls on government to tackle housing crisis by building more family homes March 7, 2016 Cala Group, has urged the government tackle the country's housing crisis by addressing the need for larger family homes, as the housebuilder forecast another year of record profits. The Edinburgh-based group, which builds high-end homes in affluent areas in the south of England as well as Scotland, said the government's increased focus on affordable housing and first time buyers was "misguided" [...]
YouGov Poll: Twice as many people support buy-to-let tax hike than oppose it April 22, 2016 The recent hike in the stamp duty levy for buy-to-let landlords was met with fierce opposition from landlord groups when it came into force on 1 April. However, according to YouGov survey released today, more than twice the number of UK adults were in favour of the three per cent surcharge than those who opposed [...]
Why Londoners should be wary about the Lifetime Isa March 29, 2016 Should you get a Lifetime Isa (Lisa) when they’re launched in April next year? On the face of it, definitely yes. Designed specifically for the under-40s, this new entrant to the growing Isa stable promises a government top-up of £1,000 if you contribute the maximum £4,000 in a tax year, no tax on capital growth [...]
London house prices actually fell last month – but Londoners need a six-figure salary to afford to buy a home April 12, 2016 Another day, another set of house price figures – but this time there's a bit of good news for those struggling to afford a home. Yep – house prices in the capital actually fell in February on the month before – dropping to £524,000, from £540,000 in January. But house prices can be volatile – [...]