Category Archives: viewpoint

London Property Market: more activity in the last 8 weeks than the previous 2 years

Posted on by

Halleluiah, there has been more activity in the last eight weeks in the London Property Market, than in the past two years.

After all the negative effects of the Stamp Duty hikes, Non Dom changes etc., the middle to upper sectors of the London property markets have been in a parlous state. Values have been dropping by 25%, or more, and the time taken to sell properties in excess of £5million, has increased from say six months to 18 months. Frankly, in 40 years of trading I have not witnessed such an extended malaise, without any end in sight.

Continue reading →

Lettings Industry Governments ‘Whipping Boy’

Posted on by

The Lettings Industry is the ‘whipping boy’ of the government. Before you look around there is another new fangled regulation, or change of legislation, to burden this already besieged industry. Long gone are the days of the Rachman era where scurrilous landlords and their sycophantic agents abused the tenants, now it could even be the other way around.

You would have thought that the pared down Queen’s speech would have needed higher priorities than to include the new regulation prohibiting agents from charging tenants fees, but there it is. Trivia rules KO!

Continue reading →

May’s going for June!

Posted on by

Well, ‘the lady is for turning’ after all!

Following today’s announcement that there will be a June Election, undoubtedly there will be a degree of uncertainty until the results are fully known. However, it is far preferable to have this turmoil now, than for instance ‘further down the track’ when she is trying to ‘close down’ on a difficult Brexit negotiation with our awkward European partners in 2019.
Continue reading →