The Market
High Court re-affirms new Permitted Development Rights
The High Court has dismissed a legal challenge against new Permitted Development Rights and changes to Use Class Orders.
Weakest Links: Top buying agent lambasts ‘bucket shop’ conveyancers & online estate agents for property chain delays
Ed Heaton took drastic action to salvage a property chain - buying the flat at the bottom to ensure all five deals went through, including his own sale at the top.
Rural rents rise as cities fall – Hamptons
Average rents in the countryside have risen by 5.5% in the last year, reports Hamptons, while city rents have fallen by 5.3%.
Opportunity Knocks? This property type has underperformed all others in 2020
Demand for larger flats has more readily switched to houses in recent months, notes Knight Frank, and some investors may be sensing a buying opportunity...
Asking prices dip despite continued home-buying activity
"New sellers appear to be pricing more keenly, to improve their chances of getting a quick sale and beating the March stamp duty deadline," says Rightmove.
Twelve graphs to show why PCL is ready for a comeback
Savills is confident that Prime Central London’s property market will bounce back - as soon as international travel resumes and the streets regain their famous buzz...
Watch: ‘Exceptionally busy’ sales market continues through second lockdown
The UK property market remains "exceptionally busy", says Garrington in its latest monthly sit-rep, despite the national Coronavirus lockdown and what would normally be the start of the seasonal slowdown.
Cyber-attack freezes Hackney’s property market
Hackney Council is unable to process land searches due to a "serious cyber-attack" last month, effectively halting the borough's property market...
Architects report a ‘slow but steady’ recovery
Architects' workloads have recovered to stand 10% below where they were last year, with private housing continuing to lead growth.
Seasonal slowdown begins in London, but activity levels ‘still tracking well above last year’
Whilst down on the previous month, enquiry levels in October were 40% up on last year's levels, reports Chestertons.
FT: A UK property market mini boom? For houses, yes — but not flats
Writing for the Financial Times' House & Home section, Alexandra Goss picks up on one of the key trends to emerge in the post-lockdown property market.
Government review pitches £14bn CGT hike, potentially doubling rates for second-home owners
There are "a range of areas in which Capital Gains Tax is counter-intuitive and creates odd incentives", says the Office of Tax Simplification in a comprehensive review of the CGT regime.