Barratt Developments builds profit in strong first half February 6, 2019 The UK’s largest housebuilder Barratt Developments boosted its profit before tax 19 per cent in the first half of its financial year. Barratt said its profit before tax stood at £408m in the six months to 31 January, with revenue growing seven per cent to £2.13bn and total completions rising four per cent to 7,622 [...]
Sunrise Records rescues HMV from administration, hoping vinyl sales will rejuvenate high street music titan February 5, 2019 Canadian music magnate Doug Putman was confirmed as the successful bidder for HMV today, saving the iconic high street brand from collapse. Putman’s Sunrise Records will snap up 100 HMV stores while 1,487 store and head office staff will transfer over. Read more: Canadian vinyl mogul emerges as late bidder for HMV The chain will continue to [...]
Property of the Week: Leinster Gardens, the HQ of Andreas Papadakis’ publishing house Academy Editions goes on sale February 1, 2019 Faithful followers of fashion in interior design and architecture will have heard of Academy Editions. Leinster Gardens, Bayswater, £7.95m Back in the 1970s, it published over a thousand influential books and magazines dedicated to architecture and the decorative arts, drawing artists like Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney and Charles Jencks to the Bayswater headquarters of the [...]
New homes: Our pick of the new builds going on sale in London this weekend February 1, 2019 New developments on the market this week South Quay Plaza, Docklands From £685,000 The last penthouse goes on sale this week atop the third tallest residential tower in London. Filled with British manufactured custom interiors by Design Haus Liberty with Asian influences, this £2.875m three bedroom lateral apartment sits on the 65th floor of a [...]
ScS Group ends talks to buy Sofa.com leaving Mike Ashley in the driving seat February 1, 2019 Home furnishings retailer ScS Group said today it had ended talks with furniture retailer Sofa.com, leaving the way clear for Mike Ashley who is reportedly putting together a multi-million pound bid. ScS said today it is “no longer in discussions regarding a potential acquisition of the business and assets of Sofa.com”. Sky News reported that Ashley, [...]
Trump tore down the walls for the Democrats’ socialist superstar February 1, 2019 Half-baked policy ideas that don’t stand up to economic scrutiny but spread like wildfire across social media. The ability to tear up the rulebook to forge a new path to power. A US politician who is almost certainly dramatically under-qualified for the office they hold, but who has captured the imaginations of millions through sheer charisma [...]
Estate agent Foxtons cuts earnings guidance after ‘toughest’ year ever in London January 31, 2019 Estate agent Foxtons said last year was one of the “toughest sales markets” ever in London and expected earnings to drop 80 per cent on the previous year. The company said it expected market conditions to remain challenging this year. Read more: UK house prices growth falls to six-year low in weak start to 2019 It [...]
Car thieves can steal 230 keyless vehicles with a relay attack, warns consumer group Which January 28, 2019 Four of the UK’s five most popular cars can be stolen by thieves due to a flaw in keyless unlocking systems, it is claimed. Hundreds of keyless car models are susceptible to a so-called relay attack, which allows car thieves to mimic the passive keyless entry systems to gain access to vehicles, according to consumer group [...]
Kier Group negotiating sale of its housing maintenance business in a bid to reduce debt January 27, 2019 Kier Group, the troubled outsourcing company, is nearing an agreement to sell its housing maintenance division. The deal, if agreed, would be part of a previously announced plan to shore up the balance sheet of the construction and building services provider by selling non-core assets. Read more: Short sellers release pressure on construction outsourcing giant Kier [...]
Super-prime time: London surge in high end house sales January 24, 2019 Wealthy buyers have been on a spending spree for multi-million pound trophy houses during the last year, with demand for London’s ‘super prime’ residences bucking a wider slowdown in the capital’s property market. Despite political uncertainty ahead of Britain’s imminent departure from the EU and plans for a new stamp duty on international buyers, activity [...]