Forget Brexit: Borderless working is the future June 9, 2016 The European Union is built on four basic freedoms: the free movement of goods, services, capital and labour. Of the four of these, perhaps none is being discussed more than the free movement of labour. Many on the remain side say that this is essential to plug skills gaps and bolster growth for UK businesses. [...]
Settled aims to make the home buying process far smoother May 5, 2016 While most people will start a home search these days on Rightmove or Zoopla, less of us are ready to ditch the traditional estate agent and go online, when it comes to the selling process. And the reason why the online agents have failed to grab a larger market share so far is, according to [...]
UK house prices drop in May: Tug of war as high price-to-earnings ratios and a lack of supply affect market June 4, 2015 UK house prices dropped for the first time in three months this May, according to data from Halifax. The market is feeling the effects of a tug of war as a lack of supply drives prices higher, stretching finances and affecting sentiment. The figures On a monthly basis – the most volatile measure – house [...]
Property Entrepreneurs: We caught up with the founders of YOPA after Savills’ significant cash injection into the hybrid estate agency July 6, 2016 Selling your home online just got a whole lot more interesting. In just one week in June, two newcomers into the estate agency market received major injections of cash, to help grow their businesses. Established estate agent Savills has backed upstart YOPA, while Carphone Warehouse founder Charles Dunstone has put his substantial bet on HouseSimple. [...]
UK house prices are going to keep going up – Standard and Poor’s March 2, 2016 The UK's rapid house price growth will not end anytime soon, a major ratings agency said today. "Conditions for ongoing robust gains of UK residential property prices remain intact," Standard and Poor's said in a new report. Low mortgage rates and record high employment are fuelling demand, the report said. It added that "the search for yields in a [...]
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 – [...]
Czech mate: Tank beer brewers Pilsner Urquell drink to growing success in London May 30, 2016 The craze for craft beer has spread across the capital in recent years, satisfying a growing thirst for high-quality beverages. But there's more to this trend than just ultra-hoppy, trendy cans of IPA. Another artisan beer movement has been gradually gaining mainstream attention. Tank beer has hit the London bar scene. While craft beer, which [...]
Buy to let investors are feeling the heat: What are the alternatives for gaining exposure to residential property? May 26, 2016 The buy-to-let boom of recent years has fed the stereotype that Brits are uniquely obsessed with property. Yet statistically this appears to be little more than a myth. The latest data from Eurostat show that 64.8 per cent of the UK adult population lives in a property they own compared to an EU average of [...]
Brits should avoid acting German if the Bank of England cuts interest rates July 14, 2016 "Not all Germans believe in God, but they all believe in the Bundesbank.” Former European Commission president Jacques Delors’s pithy assessment of the German attitude to monetary policy appears in a long list of quotations from the great and the good on the central bank’s website. Alongside gems like “[the Bundesbank] is like cream, the [...]
Why paying for London property in US dollars could save you a fortune May 12, 2016 Every week, City A.M. invites an industry professional to write about an emerging trend in the property market. Wise investors spend their time looking for smart places to put their money. The current weakness of the pound against the US dollar has presented an opportunity in the London property sector for smart money from outside [...]