Category Archives: Economics for the Property Investor

Having a broader understanding of the UK economy is ever important in understanding the future of the industry as well as to how changes in policy can effect your business growth. Click here for various regularly updated sources of economic information relevant to the UK property investor. Please also feel free to follow our daily Twitter feed to read the latest news articles of interest.

What do Buy to Let Property Investors Need to Know About High-Speed 2?

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After almost 8 years of debate and consultation, the initial phase of the second high-speed rail network hybrid bill is expected to receive Royal Assent early this year. Running 335 miles from Euston (London), High-Speed 2 will be formed in a “Y” configuration with construction of Phase 1 aimed for completion in Birmingham by 2026 (the middle of the “Y”).  Phase two will connect Birmingham with Leeds (at the top right of the “Y”) and Manchester (at the top left of the “Y”), with the entire line scheduled for conclusion by 2033.  With trains running at 225 mph (362 km/hr), journey times between Manchester and London are expected to reduce by 30 minutes, simultaneously boosting connectivity with the Heathrow Express and Crossrail lines.  Both Leeds to Birmingham and Manchester to Birmingham journey times will halve and Toton, Derbyshire (the East Midlands... [Read More]

Commercial Property Investment – Panel Discussion at the Central London Property Meet

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Below is a brief synopsis of another interesting panel held at the Central London Property Meet, exploring the merits of commercial property investment. Left to right in the photo below,  Ranjan Bhattacharya (Property Investor), Barry Shaw (Commercial Property Lawyer) Am Kainth (Property Investor), Piragash Sivanesan (Director of Totum Finance) and Daryl Norkett (BDM for Shawbrook Bank) all contributed to the discussion. Fairly London-centric in terms of focus, it was observed that commercial property values have not seen the rapid appreciation relative to the residential sector in recent years – potentially presenting wider and more dynamic investment angles in a “post section 24” operational environment.  Some important cost savings include lower stamp duty liability and the potential for VAT to be excluded or recovered post-completion (depending on the circumstances of the transaction).  FRI (Full Repairing and Insuring) leases combined with recoverable... [Read More]

MIPIM 2016 – The Conference for Property Professionals – Key Takeaways (Part 2)

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The second of three blog posts covering October 2016´s MIPIM UK conference – relaying some of the key takeaways from the talks and debates during the 2 ½ day event (see part one by clicking here).  This post overviews some of the salient points of the panel discussions on “Lending Practices Post-Brexit” and “The Private Rented Sector (PRS)”. Lending Practices Post-Brexit  A panel with Lucinda Bell (Chief Financial Officer, British Land), Bill Hughes (Head of Real Assets, L&G Investment Management), Simon Mower (Associate Director, Debt Advisory – Corporate Finance, KPMG)  and John Feeney (Managing Director & Global Head of Commercial Real Estate, Lloyds Bank), moderated by David Hatcher of the Estates Gazette. The conversation started with the collective acknowledgement that, although the referendum result prompted a pause for thought, lenders remained committed to the sustainable growth of the property industry.  Particularly in the... [Read More]

PropTech – Growing Pains and Opportunities

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The “PropTech” industry continues to gain momentum as entrepreneurs and start-ups strive to develop innovative technologies that streamline everything from the research, funding and conveyancing processes through to assisting vendors / developers achieve optimal sales values and lettings management.  Others, such as Rayhan Omar (@RayhanRESI) – interviewed below – are tackling wider issues such as addressing the housing shortage and the lack of first time buyer affordability, particularly in London and the South East.  Rayhan has also been blogging on the PropTech space through his regular insights into emerging trends via his own publication – Real Estate Pundit – as well as guest posts in the Property Industry Eye and the Estates Gazette. Can you tell us a bit about your own background – what triggered your interest in prop tech initially and made you start writing the Real Estate Pundit blog? I was... [Read More]

Sarah Beeney on the Current State of Play…

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Needing very little introduction, Sarah Beeney’s reputation as a genuine expert in all aspects of property ownership is unquestionable. With a number of varied business interests – including a TV series, an award winning property portal and a popular dating website – her dedicated and strong work ethic has made her a household name and a positive figure representing the property industry as a whole. Please see an interview below where we talked about what Sarah has been up to; the future effects of base rate rises on the property market; protection against negative equity; acquisition strategies; buying at the right price in the current climate; buying to sell; lease options; the growth of the Tepilo brand and the online vs. offline estate agency debate... [Read More]

Property Investment Due Diligence Tips from a Leading Econometrics Consultancy

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A very pertinent interview with David Thorpe, of Acadametrics - a housing consultancy that provides detailed housing-related information to a range of important institutions and is regularly featured in the broadsheet press. We talk in detail about how the organisation undertakes housing research, the UK house price index system and its related criticisms; stress-testing the UK housing industry; the current fragility of the property market and some thoughts for the future. [Read More]