Location: Prime Central London

English Rose Estates, which bought 406-408 Strand for £11.625m back in October, has made the 13-unit scheme into a joint venture with Sol Zakay's Topland Group.

Homeowners are more positive about house prices now than at any time in the last five years, according to Knight Frank's latest Sentiment Survey.

The annual Estates Gazette Awards were dished out at a snazzy do on Park Lane last night, with Jones Lang, British Land, Savills and Berkeley walking off with the top resi gongs.

Despite a fairly constant torrent of high-rise new-builds, many of London's more village-y enclaves have managed to retain their traditional charms amidst the cranes and curtain walls.

Felix Dennis' overused quote "if it floats, flies or fornicates, always rent it" should really have included something about London mansions, going by Beauchamp Estates' latest research.

32 years after Jon Hunt opened up a two-man office in the then up-and-coming Notting Hill, Foxtons has made it into the FTSE 250.

Haus Properties - the agency founded by former BBC Apprentice finalist Jamie Lester - has strengthened its offering in Chiswick, appointing James Henen-Webber as Lettings Director.

Graham Downie, the former Director in Charge of Chesterton International in Mayfair,  has just been named as the new Chief Executive of French giant Leggett Immobilier. Leggett & Downie

That bit of Covent Garden between King Street and Floral Street is set to undergo a major transformation - and gain 45 prime resi units - after Capco got the thumbs up from Westminster planners last night.

Mayfair-based buying firm Black Brick has just taken on a couple of new recruits, hiring former Foxtons man Jamie Burnhope as buying consultant and Sophie Amasha as property manager. Jamie Burnhope

After a good ten years at the top, the Duke of Westminster is no longer the richest investor in UK property.

UK house prices are now 6.5% up on the year, having risen by 0.6% in November. Prime central London, however, is getting comfortable  in the (relatively) slow-lane, with prices rising by just 0.