Property News

Mortgage market turmoil prompts record numbers of people to take out loans of more than 35 yearsHundreds more home loan deals have been pulled by banks and building societies since the end of last week while rates on new fixed mortgage deals are continuing to ratchet upwards, the latest data reveals.The continuing turmoil in […]

‘This is the result of many people over the years wanting to co-invest with our business.’ Source : nzherald.co.nz/Property Read more…NZ Mortgages & Securities launches new 0m+ wholesale finance fund

Open gardens weekend | Teaching kids a lesson | Sexist crossword | Laughing like a babyIf you want to explore gardens without the crowds and expense of the Chelsea flower show (Letters, 1 June), go to the London Open Gardens weekend on 10-11 June. It’s a brilliant opportunity to visit all kinds of gardens […]

Record 19% of all loans taken out by first-time buyers in March were for 35 years or longerBusiness live – latest updatesMortgage market misery has stepped up for homebuyers as lenders continue to increase borrowing rates and pull deals, prompting record numbers to take out loans of more than 35 years in an attempt […]

The seller failed to get conversion warranty but bought retrospective one, while broker suggested secured loan to usQ My husband and I have recently sold our first home in the south-east and now have £300,000 in our bank account. We would like to buy a beautiful property farther north for the agreed price of […]

Once hailed as a ‘handsome’ import, this most rampant of plants has come to be seen as a sinister, ruinous enemy. Can it be stopped? Continue reading… Source : theguardian.com Read more…The war on Japanese knotweed – podcast

HDB Extends May 2023 Sales Deadlines, Singapore Grapples With Housing Affordability Issues, and More29 June to 5 May 2023   HDB’s May 2023 BTO and Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) launch deadlines have been extended by three working days – from 5 June to 8 June 2023 – after some applicants experienced difficulties accessing […]

A development in Foshan offers two-bedroom units to Hong Kong buyers for as little as US$124,000 amid growing cross-border Traffic on the high-speed railway from West Kowloon. Source : South China Morning Post Read more…Gaw Capital entices Hongkongers with discounts on China housing project near Foshan-West Kowloon high-speed rail line

Vegetable-growing, IT, a four-day week, journalism: honours for leaders in their fields. Source : nzherald.co.nz/Property Read more…King’s Birthday and Coronation Honours 2023: Horticulture, tech, work hours, journalism leaders

Campaigners say second homes and holiday lets are taking homes away from residents in hotspots such as Devon and CumbriaThe supply of new homes in some tourist hotspots is being almost completely negated by the rise of second homes and holiday lets, analysis has revealed.In the Copeland area of the Lake District, which includes […]

It’s reasonable to expect a fall in nominal house prices of at least 10%. That’s a chunky fall – and a welcome oneApril is supposed to herald the start of a British ritual: the house-buying season. Traditionally, it is the time when demand for homes picks up and the property supplements in the weekend […]

This 1920s apartment in the heart of Milan has been given a dramatic makeoverMilan is a city full of secret oases. Its busy, noisy streets are lined with neoclassical façades and blocks of Brutalist condominiums, but behind the imposing doorways are spaces famed for their contrasting tranquillity. Verdant internal courtyards are lined with bicycles […]

Criminal landlords are using uniformed security guards to force out tenants, says the charity Safer RentingVulnerable families are being tricked out of their rented homes by private security guards dressed like court bailiffs, a charity has warned.Safer Renting, a charity-run tenancy relations service operating in seven London boroughs, said criminal landlords were increasingly turning […]

Often pilloried, life in the suburbs can be uplifting. If only our homes were less uglyPoking fun at suburbia and its residents has long been a staple of popular culture. From the self-importance of Holloway-residing Charles Pooter in George and Weedon Grossmith’s 1892 The Diary of a Nobody, to Tom and Barbara’s zeal for […]

Berries are ripening, early potatoes are ready to be lifted, everything is bursting into abundant life…Finally, official. We’re past the start of meteorological summer. The solstice in a few weeks. The longest day on the 21st. Time for any garden covers to come off. For allotments in full swing.Currants and berries should start to […]

The unrest that engulfed the country after Imran Khan’s arrest is linked to valuable properties in the British capital. They have raised concerns about the UK’s status as a haven for political elites and their moneyWhen the former prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan was arrested last month, it triggered uproar across the country, […]

Illegal renovations on a flat only surfaced after a video was posted online, raising the question: just how many similarly compromised flats exist in a housing market that remains one of the world’s most expensive? Source : South China Morning Post Read more…Ticking time bomb: just how widespread are Hong Kong’s undetected illegal […]

Earlier this year, Arizona projected that developers planning to build homes in the Phoenix area don’t have enough groundwater supplies to execute those plans. Source : cnbc.com Read more…Arizona sets limits on construction around Phoenix as groundwater dwindles

Pick a variety to suit your growing space, and add this pleasantly sweet-tasting fruit to your summer salads and drinksA few years after I’d left my job in television to dedicate myself to growing and writing about food, my dad handed me an envelope of seeds from his favourite vegetable from home – a […]

This low-maintenance beauty is a feng shui favourite said to bring prosperity the homeWhy will I love it?The Schefflera actinophylla will create a positive and harmonious environment in your home through its umbrella-like leaves that can grow up to a foot long.Light or shade? Bright, indirect light. It can also tolerate some direct sunlight. […]

A real estate industry body in Fuzhou, in China’s Fujian province, retracted a suggestion that home sellers share half of commission costs, citing its ‘inaccurate grasp’ of a policy Beijing introduced last month with the aim of lowering homebuying expenses. Source : South China Morning Post Read more…Fuzhou real estate body cancels commission-sharing […]

From a pink Grade II-listed ‘gingerbread’ cottage to a sky-blue city terrace Continue reading… Source : theguardian.com Read more…Pastel-coloured homes for sale – in pictures

Chelsea flower show, London: The idea behind Sarah Price’s garden is to capture the essence of artist Cedric Morris’s former home. It is a true showstopperThe bench where I’m sitting, a naturally curved slab of beech, smells of teak oil and fresh wood. On the table in front of me are two earthenware pots […]

Warehouses for Synlait’s new southeast Asia plant-based export operation. Source : nzherald.co.nz/Property Read more…Graeme Hart snares 2023 biggest leasing deal: 0m Wiri warehouse to Synlait

Another sign Auckland has bottomed out. A jump in volume, but sale prices flat. Source : nzherald.co.nz/Property Read more…Barfoot & Thompson reports big May housing sales jump

“We do a number of home visits to see how people live, what their needs are.” Source : nzherald.co.nz/Property Read more…Ikea opening: Swedish giant to study nearly 1000 Kiwi homes

Opening date revealed for 34,000sq m store. Source : nzherald.co.nz/Property Read more…Ikea finally on the way: Building begins at Sylvia Park

Inflation readings in consumer price index categories such as housing, health insurance and technology don’t always jibe with consumers’ reality. Source : cnbc.com Read more…Measuring inflation can be tricky and quirky. Here are 3 examples

Scientists monitored the Royal Entomological Society’s garden and listed its most bug-friendly plantsA bug-friendly garden at Chelsea flower show has inspired additions to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) pollinator-friendly plant list.The garden, displayed at the show in London last week, was designed by the horticulturist Tom Massey in collaboration with the Royal Entomological Society […]

One feels women are under pressure to return to work after having children, the other was keen to go back. Can they find common ground?Gillian, 52, AltrinchamOccupation Housewife, mother of five children Continue reading… Source : theguardian.com Read more…Dining across the divide: ‘She made me see working mothers from a different perspective’

May saw a lot of activity in Central London with international buyers, in particular high-net-worth buyers from the Middle East, take advantage of the recent softening in the market, a luxury property agent says. Source : South China Morning Post Read more…London property unaffected as UK mortgage lender Nationwide warns of further headwinds […]

Nationwide reports dip of 0.1% in May as it predicts high interest rates will continue for longerUK house prices fell in May, as Nationwide building society warned that “headwinds” for the housing market were likely to increase in the coming months because persistently high inflation has fuelled expectations of further interest rate rises.House prices […]

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as Nationwide reports that UK annual house price growth fell to -3.4%, from -2.7% in AprilWith the Bank of England expected to keep raising interest rates, the housing market will come under more pressure, Nationwide warns.The financial markets currently predict Bank Rate could be near […]

National Trust to restore Gertrude Jekyll’s ‘horticultural gem’ at Lutyens-designed home in Surrey before public openingA garden created by the pioneering horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll that was the prototype of the modern English garden has been saved for the nation by the National Trust.Munstead Wood near Godalming, Surrey, Jekyll’s home and garden until her death […]

‘If we’re not building anything, we don’t particularly need a whole lot of builders.’ Source : nzherald.co.nz/Property Read more…‘Urgently reduce expenses’: Builder AHS Group eyes redundancies

Sichuan Languang Development, once hailed as a top investment value, is the first of a wave of delistings that could further dampen home-buying sentiment, analysts say. Source : South China Morning Post Read more…Chinese developer Languang forced to delist in Shanghai, with peers to follow as property-market crisis reverberates

According to the Urban Land Institute Asia Pacific Centre for Housing, the median price of Singapore’s private homes is $1.2 million, compared to $1.16 million in Hong Kong. Source : cnbc.com Read more…Singapore overtakes Hong Kong as the most expensive Asia-Pacific city for private homes

Public-private partnership deal to sell contracts on jail, 11 schools, uni accommodation. Source : nzherald.co.nz/Property Read more…Giant 5m prison, school, university deal: Morrison & Co sells to British firm

We would like to hear about the cost of housing where you live and how affordable it isWhether you rent or have bought a home, we would like to hear your experiences of housing in England, Wales and Scotland.How affordable do you think it is where you live? Why do you think it is […]

The top home projects promising the greatest returns in resale value are not the ones you would expect. Source : cnbc.com Read more…These home improvement projects pay off most — major kitchen and bath remodelings don’t make the cut

Mortgage demand continues to drop as interest rates climb higher. Source : cnbc.com Read more…Mortgage demand drops to the lowest level in three months

The new site will be a second R&D and manufacturing campus to grow operations. Source : nzherald.co.nz/Property Read more…Fisher & Paykel Healthcare cleared for 5m land deal, 104ha expansion

Delays, material shortages and pandemic-driven cost overruns blamed. Source : nzherald.co.nz/Property Read more…Failed Auckland housing developer owes creditors m: Administrators’ report

Data for May show China’s massive property sector is still struggling to turn around, despite signs of recovery earlier this year. Source : cnbc.com Read more…New warning signs emerge for China’s property market

Christine Fuchs says her friends from Germany who had travelled to London for the show found it too commercialised Another perspective on the Chelsea flower show (26 May) was given by friends from Germany who had come to London to spend a day getting a closer look at the variety of more than 30 […]

Nationally, home prices in March were 0.7% higher than March 2022, the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices said. Source : cnbc.com Read more…Home price declines may be over, S&P Case-Shiller says

Rates rising for new fixed-term home loans, figures from Moneyfacts showNearly 800 residential and buy-to-let mortgage deals have been pulled during the past few days by UK banks and building societies amid concern surrounding future interest rate rises, data has revealed.The figures from the financial data provider Moneyfacts also show rising rates for new […]

Cheung Kei Group plans to offload equity in two properties located in Canary Wharf, London to help mitigate its cash flow problems and said its asset quality was high and debt ratios low relative to its peers. Source : South China Morning Post Read more…Chinese tycoon Chen Hongtian’s embattled Cheung Kei Group to […]

Overdue debt, unpaid bills, and payments involved in lawsuits have piled up to nearly US$127 billion, the company revealed in a stock-exchange filing. Source : South China Morning Post Read more…Evergrande details US7 billion pile of liabilities as Chinese developer’s debt, unpaid bills and lawsuits mount

But property website warns that rebound in activity could be hit by rising mortgage ratesMore prospective house sellers are returning to the UK’s property market, pushing agreed home sales to their highest point of the year in May, according to Zoopla, although it warned that the rebound in activity could be knocked by rising […]

As costs rose yet again last week, with a warning to expect 5%-plus fixed rates, we look at the options for homebuyersWould-be and existing homeowners, looking for some sense of certainty in the mortgage market, have been left bitterly disappointed.Last week’s UK inflation figures, which showed a slower-than-expected decrease, have sparked expectations that the […]

We plan to exchange deeds and move into my mother-in-law’s new £700,000 house and she will switch to our £600,000 oneQ I’m hoping you can shed light on an odd situation. My mother-in-law is selling her home and, with the proceeds, is buying a new one for £700,000. My wife and I and our […]

The Reserve Residences Sells 71% of Units at an Average of $2,460 PSF, May 2023 BTO Exercise Launches Tomorrow, and More23 to 29 May 2023 The Reserve Residences, Far East Organization, and Sino Group’s joint development project in Upper Bukit Timah has sold 520 of its 732 or 71% of its total units at […]

As the plants find their legs, the summer jobs of watering and a little light weeding come to the foreOur early summer sowing is done for now. The baby herbs are happy. The spring salads are taking wing. The rampant orache is being rehomed in purple patches.Last year’s mustards and kales flowered for the […]

Recent data and trends, as well as anecdotal evidence, all point to mainland Chinese buyers going beyond Hong Kong in search of new property investments. Source : South China Morning Post Read more…Are mainland Chinese buyers still in the mood for loving Hong Kong homes?

‘Massive thing will dominate the wee public bay, its foreshore and the Herne Bay coast.’ Source : nzherald.co.nz/Property Read more…Herne Bay residents oppose boatshed and ramp scheme for m home

A reworked Victorian house in the Irish capital pairs minimalism with glamourMaria Abou Khalife is a linguist who describes her home as having two styles – perhaps, like herself, it is multilingual. One style speaks to her sleek and minimalist side, influenced by the years she spent living in Copenhagen, the other style is […]

A paid internship program that teaches the fundamentals of real estate investing has launched a new partnership with Black student-athletes. Source : cnbc.com Read more…Why major commercial real estate firms are joining resources to recruit Black student-athletes

Council tenants should be encouraged to create gardens on their properties, writes Marie Paterson, while Lyn Pigney finds it strange and sad that local authorities are clamping down on hanging baskets and flower boxesHow sad to read Phineas Harper’s article about council tenants being denied the pleasure of cultivating a small garden on the […]

Key workers join overseas billionaires in Millbank Quarter in central London, close to Big BenEvery time Kwame Agyekum’s mother comes to visit him at his flat she asks him: “You’re sure this is really your place and not a luxury hotel?”“When she first came over she was like: ‘This does not feel like someone’s […]