Should investors be considering London’s empty properties?

An ‘astonishing’ £10.7 billion’s worth of properties are sitting empty in London, according to new research by HomeProtect on unoccupied homes.

The overall number of long-term unoccupied (6 months or more) properties in the capital grew by 2.8% between 2013 and 2018 to a total of 22,481, accounting for 0.63% of all properties in the city.

The boroughs of Southwark and Croydon are home to the most vacant dwellings in London, with 1,766 unoccupied properties in the former and 1,521 empty homes in the latter. Continue reading

Brexit blight refuted by UK property market

A majority of active home sellers in the UK are unfazed by political uncertainty in 2019, and only 14% think a no-deal Brexit would strongly impact their decision to sell, new research by Jackson-Stops has revealed.

The estate agent surveyed more than 1,100 of its clients to understand the impact both Brexit and stamp duty are having on their current property decisions. Continue reading

Top tips – how to get maximum value for your rental property portfolio

Increasingly, landlords have had to adapt to stay on top of the trends within the property and lifestyle sector to boost their portfolio’s appeal. The days of basic décor and minimal effort are gone.
Any homeowner looking to turn a profit for their properties must not only select the most appropriate rental model but also ensure their property reflects the tastes of the market.

Not every redesign is made equal, and some homeowners stand to gain a bigger increase in their property’s value than others. Before you invest your money into a renovation, it’s important to identify the factors in line with your expected return and also consider if it is worth evaluating your chosen rental model.

But what is the winning formula and how can you use it to your advantage? Continue reading

Development focus: car park renovations to no ground rent new-builds

It might be best-known for its status as a so-called bellwether seat in general elections, and this week saw Jeremy Corbyn make a major Brexit speech in the Essex town, but Harlow is also home to a number of new developments, including the planned Edinburgh Way scheme.

Weston Homes recently acquired the former Pearson Education HQ car park, with the site bought from developer Land Charter Homes and set to be redeveloped into a £93 million residential scheme providing 361 new apartments. The one, two and three-bedroom apartments will be surrounded by landscaped gardens, while the development is set to be 11 stories high at its peak. Continue reading

Hong Kong residents flock to buy in London amid political and civil unrest

There has been a surge in the number of Hong Kong residents travelling to London to invest in residential property, according to luxury London estate agency Aston Chase.

Amid significant political and civil unrest and tension in recent months – with fears over the Chinese plans for an extradition treaty and Xi Jinping’s government’s growing influence over
the area – Hong Kong natives are seeking a 'safe haven’ abroad and, despite Britain’s own political uncertainty, London is proving to be a favoured destination. Continue reading

Build to Rent continues to thrive research shows

The latest research from global real estate firm CBRE has revealed that the total institutional investment into multifamily housing (much more commonly known as Build to Rent in the
UK) is 20% higher in the first half of 2019 than the same period of 2018.

The total investment in Build to Rent – where institutional investors create bespoke homes specifically for renters, often with various add-ons and residential amenities – was just under £1.4 billion for the first half of this year. CBRE’s UK Residential Investment MarketView for Q2 2019 found that there was £359.4 million of institutional investment into the UK private rented sector in Q2, lower – as expected – than the record volumes seen in Q1. Continue reading

First opportunistic fund launched by Property Partner

A leading property investment platform recently announced that it is launching an opportunistic fund.

Property Partner, which was launched in January 2015 by Daniel Gandesha, said that the current political and economic uncertainty is causing the UK property market to slow, with sellers who need to sell coming under significant pressure as a result. These conditions, the platform argues, offer an ideal opportunity for experienced investors who can move at speed. Continue reading

Majority of landlords choosing five year fix rates, research shows

An increasing number of landlords are choosing five-year fixed rate products, according to Mortgages for Business’ Buy-to-Let Index.

In fact, 84% of landlords opted for these mortgages in Q4 2018, up from 70% in the previous quarter. In total, 97% now choose a fixed rate. Continue reading

Which property types produce the best yields?

Online buy-to-let agency yieldit recently revealed the property types which produce the greatest yields, offering a key insight for landlords who are looking to invest – or expand their existing portfolio – in the UK’s residential property market.

The data, taken from the agency’s currently available properties, found that three out of the top five highest-yielding properties were houses with three bedrooms or more, producing net yields of up to 11%. Continue reading

Scotland dominates list of UK property hotspots in 2018

Glasgow and Edinburgh have seen house prices rise faster than any other major UK town or city in 2018, according to Housesimple.com.

Using the latest HM Land Registry data, the online estate agents looked at average house price growth in more than 100 major UK towns and cities since the start of 2018 to September 2018. Continue reading