West End sees post-May poll sales upswing August 3, 2015 HOUSE sales in London’s upmarket West End have soared following the Conservatives’ election win, as buyers’ fears over Labour’s proposed mansion tax were allayed. Property advisers CBRE said enquiry levels rose by 25 to 30 per cent following the May poll outcome compared with pre-election figures. This led to an upswing in sales in the [...]
Property of the Week: the local investor who transformed an old wig factory in Beckenham into a £1.25m house April 14, 2016 On the way home from the pub in Wickham Road, Adam Jude Grant used to walk past a huge decrepit building – one of the oldest in dwellings in Beckenham, south east London – and wonder why it was falling into disrepair. Built in 1777, it sits in the Chancery Lane conservation area and has [...]
City Moves for 5 May 2016 | Who’s switching jobs May 5, 2016 ISS Global provider of facility services for public agencies and private sector companies ISS has named Richard Sykes to the ISS executive group management as regional chief executive western Europe. Effective no later than 1 October, Richard will continue to be based out of the UK in his new role. Currently CEO ISS UK & [...]
Brazil’s Vale swings back to profit despite lagging commodity prices July 30, 2015 BRAZILIAN mining firm Vale managed a return to profit in the second quarter, despite flagging commodity markets. Profit climbed to $1.7bn (£1.1bn) in the period, up from a $3.1bn loss in the first quarter, and improving on the $1.4bn profit reported for the second quarter of 2014. The group also posted record second quarter iron [...]
How to get your children on the property ladder: Five of the best options for the Bank of Mum and Dad July 14, 2016 Buying a first home used to signal the start of a new era of independence, a turning point into adulthood. But the astronomical rise in London prices has put paid to that. Home ownership is at its lowest level for 25 years. Not only are people buying their first home later – the average age has [...]
Has craft beer lost its flavour to globalisation? May 17, 2016 It's 2001, it’s a Friday night, and I’m enjoying a well-earned sip or two of a raspberry-flavoured wheat beer after a hard week of college. The pub in question was the Greenwich Union, in southeast London. Only just opened in 2001, it housed some of the finest offerings from the local Meantime Brewing Company. These beers [...]
New homes on sale in London this weekend: from Maple & Co’s old furniture factory to apartments near the Hurlingham Club May 19, 2016 The Maple Building, Kentish Town From £525,000 The old Maple & Co furniture factory in Kentish Town has been transformed into 57 one, two and three bedroom apartments and penthouses. The six storey building, which dates back to the 19th century, has been restored by The Linton Group and retains its red brick facade alongside contemporary [...]
Financial services company LV urges government to scrap stamp duty for pensioners looking to downsize April 12, 2016 A well-known financial services company is today urging government to scrap stamp duty for pensioners who are looking to downsize to help further fund their retirement. Research by LV has discovered that retirees are increasingly looking towards bricks and mortar as a way to finance their golden years, but many are unable to unlock the [...]
Could a focus on customer experience have saved BHS? June 3, 2016 Retailers have learnt harsh lessons about failing to stay relevant; the collapse of BHS is just the latest casualty. Like Woolworths and GAME before it, when BHS went into administration, the most common reaction was shock. However, the downfall of BHS cannot be considered a surprise. The company failed to keep up with the internet revolution and being outmanoeuvred [...]
Hometrack figures show slide in property sales across top 20 UK cities in 2015 February 26, 2016 The number of number of homes sold across the UK's top 20 cities fell by two per cent over the last year, according to data released today by Hometrack. London has seen a seven per cent dip in transactions in the year to January while Cambridge experienced the biggest drop in sales, down 20 per cent [...]