First Time Property Buyers Property Rental News ARLA Lettings Advice London Property News UK Bank Interest Rates
|
|||
London Property - Property For Sale in North, South, East, West & Central LondonParamount Property Agents: List houses, penthouses, flats, studios, lofts and aprtments for salet in North, South, East, West & Central London. We also offer residential buy to let property investments & developments for sale across the UK Paramount Property Magazine Follow the links for news of property for sale in London, London property prices, mortgages & home loans, first time property buyers, property laws & legislation and property market forecasts & trends from the National Association of Estate Agents and UK property portals, London Property Investments: Search our property investment sales list of houses, flats, apartments, studios, penthoses and lofts for sale in North, South, East, West & Central London. Register with Paramount Investments to receive our property sales newsletter with expert advice and the latest London property sales news, reports & surveys on residential properties for sale in London and the rest of the UK London House Price News: Confidence in housing market on the up Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:42:37 +0100 Confidence in the housing market is increasing despite the current economic climate. Martin Ellis, housing economist at Halifax, said: "It is encouraging that the level of consumer confidence in the housing market continues to improve, albeit from a very low base.” London Property News: London property is recession-proof Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:49:13 +0100 Property in prime London locations has largely been unaffected by the economic downturn of the past few years. Mortgage and Home Loan News: Government launches NewBuy Guarantee scheme Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:29:19 +0000 The government expects its NewBuy Guarantee to help more than 100,000 first time buyers get on the property ladder. First Time Property Buyers News: Surveyors see jump in first time activity Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:11:31 +0000 First-time buyers clambering to take advantage of the stamp duty holiday as pushed house prices up in the past month, claims the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) London Property Market News: London is a safe haven despite Eurozone issues Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:59:41 +0000 Problems in the eurozone have actually strengthened the London property market. London Property Market News: Olympics will lead to London price rises Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:57:24 +0000 Next year will be far from easy for estate agents but the London Olympics will create a mini boom in the capital. London Property to Rent: Now is the time to buy rental property Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:59:00 +0000 Now could not be a better time for landlords to add to their portfolio of rental properties, claims one specialist. Iqbal Hussain, property consultant at Knight Knox International, believes that a slight slowdown in the housing market opens a whole host of investment opportunities to cash buyers. He said: "At the moment, I would say that it is the best time to buy. With banks not lending much, those that have got the cash available can take advantage. "For anyone who has got cash…it is a good time to purchase anything." He added that even for those looking to raise funds on a mortgage, the market is picking up and deals are out there for those prepared to look around. Figures released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) show that buy to let lending grew by 16 per cent in the third quarter of this year and was at its highest level since the onset of the credit crunch three years ago. London Property Market News: Time is right to buy in London Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:57:05 +0000 Now is still a great time to invest in a buy to let property in London, says the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). Figures released by the body show that 60 per cent of its members have seen an increase in enquiries for rental properties in the past two years. Additionally, the period in which properties are unoccupied between rental contracts has fallen sharply, with an average of just 2.7 weeks now. "Three-quarters of our members are reporting that demand for rental property is outstripping supply and, with rental returns currently at five per cent, anyone thinking about investing a property to rent could be well-placed to consider their options in the coming months," said Ian Potter, operations manager at ARLA. Mr Potter added that the services of a professional residential letting agent should be sought out by anyone moving into the buy to let market. Earlier this week Malcolm Harrison of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme said that using a professional lettings agency is one of the best things both tenants and would-be landlords can do if they wish the rental period to be a successful one. London Property Market News: Capital gains for those that play it safe Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:40:07 +0000 London is a haven for people looking to make a safe investment in bricks and mortar, says a leading property magazine. Richard Bowser, editor of Property Investment News, said that capital remains a magnet for those looking for a solid long-term venture as values have risen by an average of nine per cent each year despite an otherwise gloomy economic climate. He added that the rental market also shows no signs of slowing down with yields up by some 23 per cent on average over the past two years. Mr Bowser feels a major factor in the London property market at present is the influx of cash-rich buyers from other countries. He said: "Many overseas buyers have also been attracted, as they are buying with greatly increased purchasing power as a result of the 25 to 30 per cent decline in the pound against most global currencies since early 2007." A particular area of interest for those from overseas is properties in the £1 million-plus market. According to figures released last month by Lloyds TSB, there were 3,375 purchases in London for that price or more during the first six months of 2011. London Property News: Capital continues to drive property market Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:58:35 +0000 London property continues to be the driving force in the housing market, according to data released by the Agency Express Property Activity Index. Nationally the number of properties sold in October rose by 7.5 per cent compared to the previous month, while the amount of new ‘For Sale’ listings recorded jumped up by 0.8 per cent. But the capital claimed the top spot for property boom yet again, posting sales rises of 29.4 per cent on September. In terms of for sale listings, the south-east region saw an increase of 5.5 per cent. Another area doing well in terms of sales is the West Midlands, which enjoyed a 28.8 rise in property take up, while central England was up 12.1 per cent. Stephen Watson, managing director, Agency Express, said: “These figures reveal some encouraging signs for many regions and cities across the UK and should go some way to installing a little more consumer confidence in the housing market.” The capital remains a buoyant market for prospective landlords also. Last month research conducted by Townends suggested that void periods for property to rent in London were practically non-existent. London Property News London Property News: Capital drives £1 million property boom Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:05:59 +0100 The number of properties being sold for £1 million or over is now at the highest level since the market peaked in 2007, according to Lloyds TSB. The first six months of 2011 saw 3,375 sales of £1 million or more, up ten per cent from the same period in 2010. London property prices were the key factor in the rises, with sales accounting for 79 per cent of the total figure at 2,163. The west London district of Kensington and Chelsea accounted for the largest number of sales but purchases in North London shot up as well, with Barnet, Camden and Islington all fairing well. "The number of homes sold for at least a £1 million has increased significantly over the past year in marked contrast to the rather more subdued picture across the rest of the housing market," Suren Thiru, Lloyds TSB housing economist, said. She added that a strong demand from wealthy overseas-based buyers, coupled with a shortage of properties at the top end of the market, had been the driving factor in the figures rising. Despite the boom at the top of the market, figures released by the Nationwide show property values nationally rose by just 0.1 per cent in September. London Property News: Greeks flock to security of London property market Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:12:17 +0100 With their own economy continuing to flatline, growing numbers of Greek nationals are opting to put their money into London property investments, it has been reported. Over the past couple of years, property industry experts have noted a marked rise in the number of cash-rich foreigners snapping up assets in the capital, for example UAE residents purchasing flats and houses for sale in Maida Vale and Belsize Park. Now, the Evening Standard has revealed that Greeks are the latest group to join in the rush for homes in the city, citing Knight Frank figures that show they have invested a collective £250 million in the residential property sector over the last 12 months alone. Furthermore, this trend is set to continue as wealthy Greeks look to move their money so as to avoid ongoing efforts to boost the national coffers through higher taxes. Meanwhile, Australian action man Hugh Jackman has become the latest big-name celebrity to be linked with a new London home after he told the website findaproperty.com that he regrets giving up the property he once owned in Pimlico. London estate agents News: Overseas buyers dominate luxury end of market Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:44:45 +0100 The number of cash-rich overseas buyers putting money into the luxury end of the London property market has continued to rise over the past few months, it has been revealed. Newly-published figures show that the number of properties being sold for £5 million or more totalled 262 over the first nine months of the year. This compares with the figure of 200 recorded for the same period of 2010, showing even the highest London property prices are not deterring high-wealth individuals from buying in the capital. Notably, Savills, which has compiled these latest figures, has also revealed that overseas buyers now account for 65 per cent of all the sales completed in this top end of the sector, with most of them keen to buy in Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Belgravia. Additionally, the figures show buyers from the Middles East and the former Soviet Union to be the best-represented at this end of the market, while growing numbers of buyers from North Africa are also now putting serious money into the London residential property sector. Just last month, a report released by Savills revealed London to be one of the ten most expensive global cities to live in, though Hong Kong trumped it to the number one spot. London House Price News: House prices 'will undergo sharp swings' Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:59:23 +0100 London house prices, as well as those in other areas of the UK, could be subjected to "sharp swings" this year because of various factors, PricedOut has stated. Matt Griffith, spokesman for the campaign organisation, commented that Britain's housing market tends to behave like "a rollercoaster". "This volatility is underpinned by its two most important factors - a very unhealthy record of house building and a mortgage industry that has specialised in excesses, both during the boom and during the credit crunch," he noted. "These two issues will continue to leave the UK vulnerable to sharp swings in prices." Mr Griffith argued that the government should address the causes of this volatility by increasing support to house building and tackling the UK's "dysfunctional" planning permission system. His remarks come after a Centre for Economics and Business Research report predicted that the market's recovery will stall this year, leading house prices to fall 1.7 per cent on last year's values. London Property Market News: Supply is set to increase Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:00:45 +0100 Now is a good time to look for high end property sales and rentals as more supply is set to come onto the market. This is the view of property expert Nigel Ellis, who said: "My experience is that there are more people perhaps beginning to think that now is the time to take the profit and take advantage of the situation. "The attitude is, 'I will stick it on at a high price and if I don't sell then I don't mind because the mortgage isn't killing me'," he explained. Therefore, as more supply comes onto the London property market, prospective homeowners will have a larger choice and sellers might be more willing to negotiate. Mr Ellis' remarks come after research showed the top end of the London property market is appealing to international investors as much as the domestic rich, so price performance is being capped by global economic and wealth trends as well as by national factors. London Estate Agents News: Small properties 'in high demand' Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:07:09 +0100 Owners of one and two-bedroom flats and houses for sale in Queen Park, London, could be in an advantageous position because such property is currently experiencing high demand. Naomi Heaton, chief executive of the London Central Portfolio, explained: "This is not only because it is the most attractive to the astute investor who recognises that the smaller properties are in short supply and are therefore very quick and easy to rent, it is also because the increase in prices has forced more people into this bracket who previously might have been able to target larger units." However, she noted, many larger properties remain unsold because their owners are in no particular hurry to sell and prefer to hold out for price increases. Ms Heaton's remarks came after research from Knight Frank revealed prime London property prices rose 0.6 per cent this month, nudging annual growth up to 11.4 per cent. London Housing Market News: High end sales 'witnessing significant gains' Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:12:33 +0100 High end property sales and rentals could be a good aspect of the market for well-off house hunters to consider, according to IPINglobal.com. Peter Mindenhall, writer and researcher at the website, noted: "High-end or 'prime residential property' in London has seen some significant gains over the past couple of years - some 31 per cent since 2009, despite the recession." Despite the impressive-sounding figures, he pointed out that the turnover of property sales at this level is "markedly less" than what the media term as 'average' priced residences. "The volume of buyers able to purchase in this price bracket is significantly less of course, but when the overall market is falling and interest rates are at an all-time low, it's not unusual to see a rise in the volume of sales," Mr Mindenhall remarked. In turn, this supports and increases asking prices of high end property over time, particularly in London and other high-demand locations. "As a result the high-end market is almost self-perpetuating, which - if you can afford it - makes it an ideal investment in the current market," the property expert added. London Property to Rent: Affordable housing in London could address crisis Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:57:08 +0100 More affordable housing in London is needed to address the current housing crisis. Simon Nunn, assistant director of the National Housing Federation, told the BBC Wake Up To Money podcast that the UK is experiencing a "broken" housing market because of the "fundamental problem [of] lack of supply". "Last year we built fewer homes in this country than at any point since the 1920s. That impacts across the board on the housing market," he noted. "It means that people who aspire to home ownership, especially first time buyers, are locked out of the market." According to the organisation's research, the 4.5 million people currently on the waiting list for affordable housing will have their hopes dashed, while in the private rented sector, tenants will face rent rises of 20 per cent in the next five years. "We're often considered to be a home-owning society and a home-owning democracy and that process seems to be in reverse at the moment," Mr Nunn added. London Rental Property News: London home ownership 'set to decline' Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:47:30 +0100 Now could be a good time to be a landlord with property to rent in Hocroft Estate, London, as research shows the private rented sector is predicted to be hit by high demand in the next decade. A survey by the National Housing Federation pointed out that large deposits, rising London house prices and strict UK mortgage lending criteria have worked to lower home ownership levels in the capital in recent years. The research also found that the majority of people residing in London will rent by 2021, with owner occupier numbers falling from 51.6 per cent to 44 per cent by the same year. Assistant director Kate Dodsworth commented: "At the heart of this crisis is a chronic shortage of new homes. "Ministers need to make unused public land available to housing associations, local authorities must assess the level of housing need in their area and housing has to be finally treated as a top political priority." London House Price News: Major fluctuations in price 'are not expected' Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:17:37 +0100 London house prices could be affected by the recent US credit rating downgrading over the medium term, according to London Central Portfolio. People searching for flats and houses for sale in Kilburn, London, would do well to remember that property does not react to a volatile market in the same way that stocks and shares do. Hugh Best, head of investment management at the company, explained: "We don't expect any major fluctuations [to be] caused by the current circumstances on the market. "But we very much expect it to carry on in an upward trend and we always say [about] the market that it is not a question of getting the timing right but having the time in the market. So time in - not timing." Mr Best added that it will be "interesting" to see how central London property prices are affected over the next few weeks by the US credit news, but on the whole, house-hunters should not expect any major repercussions. |
|||