Archive for July, 2009

Rents set to rise: Primelocation

Rents are on course to start rising again, according to the results of the latest Lettings Survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
 
More willingness to sell
 
Most surveyors still expect rents to continue falling for a while, but the proportion expecting to see further falls is reducing, while those expecting a rise is increasing.
 
One of [...]

‘Prime London resists tax impact’: Primelocation

Some wealthy London residents are leaving the city following tax changes – but the overall impact on the capital’s prime property market is slight, according to an analysis conducted by Knight Frank Residential Research.
 
A thousand leave
 
Up to a thousand homes in London have been sold since October 2007 by high net worth individuals – HNWIs [...]

London leads property recovery: Primelocation

 
London is poised to lead the property market out of recession, according to the latest housing market survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
 
Rising sales
 
RICS reports that house buyer enquiries in Britain rose in May and sales increased.  While most surveyors continue to expect prices to fall, the gap between those expecting further falls [...]

‘House prices to hit bottom next year’: Primelocation

House prices are likely to drop another 5% to 10% this year and will only reach their lowest point early in 2010, predicts the Knight Frank estate agency in its latest Residential Market Update.
 
Rapid falls have ended
 
But the rapid declines in prices have probably reached an end, says Knight Frank.  It warns, though, that the [...]

Adding rooms can add value: Primelocation

A loft conversion could be the key to lifting the value of a home in the depressed housing market, according to a report from the Nationwide Building Society.
 
More space = more value
 
Increasing the size of a house can add significantly to its value.  Enlarging a home’s floor space by 10% can add 5% to its [...]

‘Prime London rents to recover next year’: Primelocation

Rents on prime London properties could recover next year following recent sharp falls, predicts Savills Research.
 
Rents down 12%
 
Prime London rents have dropped significantly, suffering as a consequence of the financial crisis.  Average rents of prime London homes have fallen 11.7% since June 2008, reports Savills. 
 
Rental declines have been greatest in areas most popular [...]

DUP shakes-up ministerial team: Public Finance

One of Northern Ireland’s most controversial politicians is to become its finance minister.  Environment minister Sammy Wilson outraged environmental campaigners by denying any link between climate change and human activities.  He takes-up the position of finance minister over the summer.
Outgoing finance minister Nigel Dodds steps down to concentrate on his role as an MP, as [...]