News

Our monthly property market review is intended to provide background to recent developments in property markets, as well as to give an indication of how some key issues could impact in the future. RECORD BREAKING TRANSACTION FOR THE WALKIE TALKIE Making it London’s most expensive property ever sold, 20 Fenchurch Street is to be purchased […]

POSITIVE UK ECONOMIC GROWTH IN Q2 According to initial estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in the second quarter of 2017, the UK economy continued to grow. They calculate that the UK saw growth of 0.3% in the three month period ending 30 June, an improvement from the Q1 figure of 0.2%. However, […]

 REMORTGAGE APPROVALS STEADY The Bank of England (BoE) reports that mortgage lending in the UK recorded an annual increase of 2.9% to May 2017. The BoE also records 65,202 house purchases for May, up marginally from the 65,051 seen in April, but still below the six-month average of 66,990. Remortgage approvals rose to 42,955, again […]

 BLACKSTONE CLOSES £500M DEAL TO GRAB MAJORITY STAKE IN THE OFFICE GROUP Blackstone, one of the largest private equity houses, who currently manage over € 140bn of real estate assets globally, has acquired a majority holding in a temporary workspace business The Office Group (TOG), is a privately-owned company and landlord to several major corporations. […]

WHY THE SELF-EMPLOYED NEED A PENSION NUDGE Working for yourself has never been so popular. According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, there are around 4.8 million self-employed workers in the UK. Whilst many of this number are young people seizing the opportunity to go it alone, some are in their 50s, 60s […]

 HOW THE HOUSING MARKET MUST CHANGE TO MEET NEW NEEDS The arrival of the summer months is usually a busy time for estate agents. However, it seems that the market is being held back by a lack of supply. In their April survey, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors reports that there is a marked […]

BANK OF ENGLAND REINS IN BANK LENDING In late June, Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England (BoE), voiced his concerns over the extent of consumer borrowing in the UK. In their half-yearly ‘Financial Stability Report’, the Bank’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) outlined that lenders had become complacent regarding their lending policies, stating […]

“WAIT AND SEE” ATTITUDE FOR BUYERS AND SELLERS The latest RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) UK Residential Market Survey indicates a decline in new buyer enquiries, new instructions and agreed sales, in May. In addition, the survey deduced that national price growth eased and is expected to slow further over the summer. Respondents alluded […]

Our monthly property market review is intended to provide background to recent developments in property markets as well as to give an indication of how some key issues could impact in the future. CAPITAL VALUES INCREASE ACROSS THE UK The latest monthly report from CBRE, the commercial property and real estate services adviser, shows that, […]

Is it time to remortgage whilst rates are still low? With the monthly mortgage payment representing a major chunk of the average family budget, it can make sense to shop around from time to time to see if there’s a better, more cost-efficient mortgage deal available to you. According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders1, […]