The Market

The European Central Bank's decision last month to make some more money could swing both ways for Britain's residential property market, says Chestertons' Nick Barnes.

Another significant resi development has been given the go-ahead near Smithfield market in Farringdon.

Strutt & Parker has been making some interesting observations on PCL's new-build sales market.

...or just another feeble attempt to use the internet for something it was not designed for? Trevor Abrahmsohn cuts to the chase...

A grand total of 693 properties were sold in prime central London during Q4 2014, according to Strutt & Parker and Lonres. That's 32.5% down on the same period in 2013.

The RICS has confirmed what everyone else is seeing, reporting that the national and London markets are cooling right down with prices, enquiries and sales all tailing off in January.

"House price growth in England and Wales over 2014 was most definitely a London and southern based phenomenon," says Hamptons as it identifies the best-performing postcodes for property prices growth…

Australia will be unveiling plans to put the brakes on foreign investment into its resi property market "within weeks" in a bid to curtail soaring prices.

The number of £1m+ sales has shot up by 80% in London since 2006/7, helping the quantity of seven-figure deals across the country to probably breach its 2007 peak for the first time in 2014, notes Savills.

Prime central London has - "contrary to generally downbeat reports in 2014" - delivered the highest level of property price growth since the economic recovery properly kicked off in 2010, says an optimistic London…

Savills has launched a dedicated resi sales offering in Bahrain for local residents keen to buy in the UK, Europe or the Americas.

While "the macro-economic story for the UK will remain benign" for the next year or so, prime residential property markets are in for a fairly subdued - but still positive - year, says Savills.