The Market
Small construction firm workloads fall for the first time in six years
'A perfect storm of diminished consumer confidence, rising material prices and increases in wages and salaries' means that smaller builders are seeing less work, warns the Federation of Master Builders…
Build-to-Rent completions jump by a third to hit 30,000
The number of BtR homes under construction has escalated by c.7,000-8,000 each year since the start of 2015, reports Savills
Private housing props up construction sector growth – RICS
Private resi is the now country's strongest construction sector - but activity is lower than it was before 2016's EU Referendum, and SME firms are struggling with financial constraints
How to prevent a basement dig from sinking a rental investment
James Robinson explains how he is advising an increasing number of PCL landlord clients dealing with noisy construction works, and looks at the questions raised in regard to disclosure...
The smart money is making a move in London, but will these early shoots bear fruit?
A US tycoon's recent ultra-prime splurge has helped boost sentiment in the capital, write Richard & Sophie Rogerson, but the key challenges remain for all buyers...
Brexit delay has prompted a ‘significant increase’ in buyer activity, reports agency
Estate agency Winkworth has seen a 27% jump in new buyer registrations and a 24% rise in agreed sales since the latest Brexit delay was declared at the end of March
Wealthy Chinese lead demand for UK’s ‘golden visas’
Nearly two thirds of the applications made for Tier 1 investor visas last year came from Chinese nationals, while demand halved amongst wealthy Russians
SDLT receipts plummeted by 26% in Q1
The Treasury's Stamp Duty tax take fell dramatically from Q4 2018 to Q1 2019, reports LCP, as Brexit amplified the seasonal transaction dip
Grosvenor: ‘We will have to work harder & cleverer to deliver returns anywhere near those we have seen in recent years’
Sterling's depreciation helps Grosvenor Group post 'better than expected' profits despite an annual fall
Property demand has fallen to a six-year low – NAEA
Estate agency branches have fewer properties available to buy compared to last year, and buyer numbers have dropped to their lowest March level since 2013
Unsold new-build units pile up in London
A record 31,500 units under construction across the capital are unsold, reports Molior, which is nearly half of all units currently underway;
Marriott rolls out a global ‘luxury home rental initiative’
Hotel group Marriott is taking on Airbnb in the holiday lettings arena, launching a new top-end home rental platform in the United States, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America