Policy
Number of £500k+ stamp duty bills in prime London rockets by 64%
High value property transactions have slumped in the last year, as a major reform of the stamp duty system significantly upped the cost of moving at the £1m+ level.
Government to look at ‘encouraging’ the online estate agency model
Her Majesty's Treasury is looking at ways of "injecting innovation into the process of home buying" to cut costs for homeowners, speed up processes and jolly transaction numbers along.
Westminster names new planning chief
Westminster has announced a new Executive Director of Growth, Planning and Housing.
Ed Watson, who's been in local government for a good 25 years, will take on the role from January.
RBKC forces spruce up of Royal Crescent
Council planners in Holland Park have been coming down hard on appearances in recent months, forcing 12 owners of houses on Royal Crescent alone to get sprucing or face the consequences.
Required Reading: A full briefing on the Autumn Statement and Spending Review
From the headlines to the fine print, here's Mishcon de Reya's comprehensive briefing on what 2015's combined Autumn Statement and Spending Review means for high net worth individuals and business owners.
Modi visit ‘to re-ignite Indian investment into London’s property market’
£9.2bn-worth of property deals - mainly commercial - are reported to have been agreed between the UK and India following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Blighty.
Autumn Statement: New higher SDLT rate for buy-to-let and second homes
George Osborne's third pop at the country's finances this year saw housing - or the "crisis of home ownership" - near the top of the bill.
Autumn Statement: Prime property industry reactions
A 3% increase the rate of stamp duty on buy-to-let and second homes, and a chunky pledge of extra funding for new housebuilding have set tongues wagging in the aftermath of the combined Autumn Statement…
Time for Consolidation: An Autumn Statement wishlist from Belgravia
As the government’s Spending Review and Autumn Statement looms large, James Bailey of Henry & James reveals his property wish list.
Offshore Storm: The future of UK residential property structures for non-UK domiciliaries
Kate Rees-Doherty talks us through the current state of play and has some advice for those who might be affected by the new raft of measures designed to encourage the transfer of properties out of offshore…
Only 179 cases deemed ‘suspicious’ by estate agents last year – Transparency International
A new report has slammed the UK's system of anti-money laundering supervision as "woefully inadequate" and "structurally unsound", and called for a single "super" supervisor to oversee key sectors.
Global Tax Report 2015: How do property costs and taxes compare around the world?
A new report into the buying, holding and selling costs for foreign buyers of prime resi in fifteen of the world's top cities has picked out Monaco as the one offering the lowest taxation, and Shanghai…