Author Archives: Trevor Abrahmsohn

Mr Sunak, don’t do a half job on Stamp Duty on Wednesday’s Mini-Budget – do it properly, or not at all

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As the press media would have us believe, apart from tinkering with VAT, it looks as though Mr Sunak is going to raise the threshold of Stamp Duty as a limp gesture, for a year, to get the residential property market off its knees.

I’m wondering who is, today, advising the Treasury about the state of the residential market? Whoever they may be, the truth is that as a direct result of the government-backed scheme – Right-to-Buy – this has been stoking up the lower end of the market, for some time now. Frankly, activity in this sector has been quite brisk and doesn’t really need any further stimulation. Continue reading →

Former Hampstead home of King Constantine II of Greece, sold by Glentree; venue for luminaries and glitterati, including the Late Princess Diana and her two Princes

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Glentree Estates

Former Hampstead home of King Constantine II of Greece, sold by Glentree; venue for luminaries and glitterati, including the Late Princess Diana and her two Princes

Not all is lost with Covid-19. Jonathan Wein at Glentree, has been cracking open the ouzo in celebration of the sale of ex-King Constantine II of Greece’s former London ‘palace’ in Hampstead Garden Suburb which, despite the lockdown, managed to sell for over £6million.

There is a pleasing dramatic flourish to the story, since originally the King bought the property in the early 70s, from the serial entrepreneur, Bob Tanner – joint founder of Glentree International – for the princely sum of £325,000, at the time. Continue reading →

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to work we go…

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As estate agents offices open up again around the country, we need to adjust to a brave, new post-virus world.

The current ‘lockdown affair’ has been tragic, absurd and surreal. However, one unexpected side effect has been that everyone has had time to reflect on their lives and discern what is truly worthwhile. The difference between the price of everything and the value of nothing, as Oscar Wilde might say.

So as we come blinking into the sunlight, it’s an opportune time to examine the seismic macroeconomic issues which are rumbling away under our feet, at this very moment. Continue reading →