London Week Ahead: UK’s Christmas gift of boost to GDP and jobs December 15, 2013 FURTHER evidence that the recovery is gaining traction is expected this week with inflation figures and the release of the employment rate, which may top 30m for the first time ever. While the inflation rate, measured by the consumer prices index (CPI), is forecast to remain at 2.2 per cent – the lowest since September [...]
The government owns far too much land. It must sell a lot off January 7, 2014 SELL, sell, sell – or so we must hope. With a bit of luck, the government is finally about to kick-start a massive and long-overdue sell-off of its vast estate. All of central government’s land and property holdings – worth £330bn – will soon be available for perusal on a Rightmove-style website. Individuals and companies [...]
Labour’s land grab will only exacerbate our housing crisis. Here’s why December 16, 2013 Ed Miliband is set announce details of how a Labour government would intervene in the housing market to boost supply. A Labour government would give local councils the power to purchase land or charge fees to believe developers are hoarding land. The Labour leader will say in a speech on Monday: We will back home [...]
Q & A October 24, 2013 DIRECTOR, DOUGLAS & GORDON Figures in the press give me the impression I’ve missed the buying boat. Have I? The trouble with statistics is they can be interpreted in different ways. The only sure-fire stat is offered by the Land Registry, which values a range of properties and tells us that, while UK average house [...]
Best of the Brokers for 10 October 2013 October 9, 2013 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com CREST NICHOLSON Goldman Sachs has started covering the housebuilder with a “buy” rating and a 530p target, as it lifts its forecasts for the entire industry. While GS thinks Rightmove, Persimmon and Talyor Wimpey are the best plays on the UK housing recovery, [...]
Focus on Canary Wharf: Riding on the wave of Canary Wharf November 7, 2013 Steeped in history, Canary Wharf was once part of the world’s largest port. Now the capital’s second most vibrant business district – after the ancient City of London – it is still a gleaming hub of international trade and commerce. The banks, law firms and media organisations that have joined its ranks have brought a [...]
Buyers flock to market but supply shortage hits sales August 18, 2013 IN THE year to July, the number of first-time buyers in London rose by an astonishing 109.1 per cent. According to information released today by estate agent Haart, there has been a 27.9 per cent rise in new buyers across the country, and a 60.3 per cent increase in London alone. Despite this surge in [...]
Renters still itch to own as price increases begin August 4, 2013 THE VAST majority of people renting property still dream of owning a home in the future, according the a Rightmove survey released today. The survey of over 3,000 tenants suggested that 96 per cent see home ownership as their ultimate goal, and 70 per cent are ready to continue trying to get on the property [...]
House prices hit record high in July July 19, 2013 UK house prices hit a record high in July, according to online real estate portal Rightmove, with sellers raising prices for the seventh consecutive month. The average asking price rose 0.3 per cent from June to £253,658 – up 4.8 per cent from July 2012. That’s £11,561 over the past year. London asking prices jumped [...]
Focus on… Pimlico: Live among Regency architecture in pretty Pimlico October 10, 2013 HANDSOME Pimlico sits to the south of its grander sister Belgravia in the heart of the City of Westminster. Separated by Victoria Station on the north side and the River Thames to the south, the small, mainly residential, area is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture. It’s home to over 350 [...]