Miscellanea
Vatican reveals scale of global property portfolio
Details on holdings published in unprecedented transparency drive as landmark case involving a PCL investment deal heads to trial; preparations for London property sell-off ‘underway’
Buyers move further for bigger homes
In the South West, buyer interest for larger 4+ bed homes comes from a radius that is five times that of interest for 1-3 bed homes.
The Modern House co-founder reveals golden rules of good design
The first trade book by Matt Gibberd, A Modern Way to Live: 5 Design Principles from The Modern House, is being published later this year.
Half of UK home-buyers who bought during pandemic regret how much they paid, claims survey
A survey by Aviva suggests that fewer than half of property buyers in last year saw their new home in person before making an offer - and that 92% of these buyers discovered problems with the property…
Fall in UK architect numbers as EU applications halve
Just 477 architects joined the ARB via the EU route last year - down from 961 in 2019 and 1,232 in 2015.
How we measure energy efficiency in homes isn’t working
As the latest English Housing Survey reveals that the majority of homes in England have sub-standard energy efficiency ratings, Freya Wise of The Open University warns that "EPCs aren’t working", arguing th…
English Housing Survey: Happy homeowners & poor energy efficiency
A selection of key findings from the recently-published 2019-20 English Housing Survey.
Could historic blue plaques put off buyers?
As English Heritage undertakes a review of London’s famous blue plaques, some buyers are now debating whether they want one on their property where it points to connections with slavery, colonialism o…
Developer kits out Cornish lifeguards
Acorn has carried out some useful community engagement work at its new scheme in Constantine Bay.
Global HNW population booms, but not in the UK
The global millionaire population grew 6.3% in 2020, surpassing the 20-million bar, while total millionaire wealth grew 7.6% to tickle US$80 trillion.
House of Lords opens wide-ranging inquiry into the housing market
The new House of Lords Built Environment Committee has launched its first inquiry, with a view to understanding "what shapes the type of housing needed in the UK as well as a range of challenges to meeting…
Knotweed isn’t always the ‘bogey plant’ – RICS
New guidance aims to "dispel myths and misconceptions" about Fallopia Japonica, and "help unblock needlessly effected home sales".