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November 12, 2018
Online agent blames Brexit, legal fees and stamp duty for supply slump
There was a drop in the number of new listings across the UK last month, suggesting that the usual autumn rush to move before Christmas hasn’t materialised. New property listings in October fell by 5.5 per cent across the UK… Read Full Article
November 6, 2018
Yet more buy to let expense as EPC rules tightened by government
Buy to let investors in England and Wales who own particularly cold homes are being targeted by new regulations. Since April this year, landlords who own some of the coldest privately rented homes have been required to improve these properties… Read Full Article
November 3, 2018
A quiet Budget – but there’s still enough to keep everyone busy
On the face of it, this year’s Budget was not what you could describe as ‘housing heavy’ in terms of the measures announced but dig a little deeper and there was enough to keep everyone busy. The big changes to… Read Full Article
November 2, 2018
Emoov for sale, Purplebricks down, Hatched gone – what now for Online?
As scary Halloweens go, yesterday was quite a shocker for Britain’s online estate agency sector – and not in a good way. During the day Purplebricks’ share price – which earlier this year was approaching an extraordinary 500p mark –… Read Full Article
October 27, 2018
We need to wake up before we sleepwalk into a housing crisis
It’s now almost a month since the government introduced new rules on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO), as part of its drive to crack down on rogue landlords. October 1 2018 was hailed as a ‘Year Zero’, when safety and… Read Full Article
October 27, 2018
Three-year tenancies – should they be compulsory?
An open rental market, where neither landlord nor tenant is in a dominant position, enables rents to rise and fall, which they should be allowed to do. There are plenty of examples in recent history of how controls risk distorting… Read Full Article
October 27, 2018
Budget briefing – Seven things to watch for today
Perhaps it’s been our pre-occupation with Brexit, or on the other hand maybe we’re bored with politics, but this year’s Budget has seen little anticipation from the property industry. It’s at 3.30pm this afternoon so the purpose of this column… Read Full Article
October 13, 2018
Dear Mr Chancellor…this is what we need on October 29…
I’ve spoken many times before of my desire to see government take property more seriously. For more than just lip service to be paid to what is, let’s face it, an essential part of the landscape of UK Plc. Ideally,… Read Full Article
October 13, 2018
Let’s focus on the real foreign property ownership problem
It’s time to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to overseas buyers of property. If you listen to Theresa May you’d think that by getting foreign purchasers to pay a stamp duty surcharge you would (hey presto!)… Read Full Article
August 18, 2018
The market needs stamp duty cuts for all
Were it not for climate change, I would be very close to predicting that the summer is close to being over, and (ordinarily) we would be entering the incredibly important period which races us down towards the end of the… Read Full Article
July 28, 2018
Government goes on holiday as agents go on waiting
It’s holiday time: schools have broken up, quite a few estate agents are taking time off, and the MPs are in recess – and in their case, they don’t return to work until September 4. You might think with six… Read Full Article
July 14, 2018
Three-year tenancies will have biggest impact when things go wrong
Amid the headline-grabbing political manoeuvring over Brexit, a policy proposal which could have serious ramifications for private landlords, and those who let or manage properties on their behalf, slipped by relatively unnoticed. Ministers have outlined plans to introduce a minimum… Read Full Article
June 27, 2018
Security deposit cap – where do landlords and tenants stand?
We’re lucky enough to interact with thousands of landlords and tenants every month. As a result, we get the chance to engage them on the issues that are affecting the private rented sector, whether its rent levels, regulation or fees.… Read Full Article
May 16, 2018
Agents on the go – why your smartphone is one of your most valuable tools
Gone are the days of having to rush back to your office every time you win an instruction to market the newest property within your portfolio to portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla, as well as meeting the next deadline… Read Full Article
April 21, 2018
