Docklands Flats & Houses For Sale & Rent

East Village; London's Newest Neighbourhood

2012-01-26T03:03:00.001-08:00

East Village may be London's newest neighbourhood, yet you'll think it had been here for years. Lush wetlands, fully grown trees and fabulous fauna and flora. Local independent shops, cafes and bars, and Westfield Stratford City, just a short stroll away. Outstanding free schooling for all ages at Chobham Academy, a community centre and an advanced medical clinic. Not forgetting the obvious - world class sporting facilities right on your doorstep.

During the Games, the Olympic and Paralympic Village will comprise residential apartments for around 17,000 athletes and officials, along with shops, restaurants, medical, media and leisure facilities and large areas of open space.

The Village also includes a 'Village Plaza’ where athletes can meet with friends and family. The plan retains London's tradition of building homes around communal squares and courtyards, with water features accentuating the closeness of the River Lea.

Athletes will have an inspirational view over the Park. Every apartment will provide comfortable accommodation and state-of-the-art communications facilities, including internet access and wireless networking. All the apartment blocks will be fully accessible and equipped with modern lifts.

Athletes will have easy access to the travel and leisure facilities of the adjacent Stratford City complex, and the High Speed 1 Javelin® shuttle service will link the Village to central London in just seven minutes.

During the Games, the Village will include ‘back of house’ operations, and services for athletes such as catering and transport. The majority of these will be accommodated in temporary structures on sites that can be cleared for development immediately after the Games.

After the Games, the Olympic and Paralympic Village will be a lasting legacy of essential new housing for east London. It will be transformed into 2,800 new homes, including 1,379 affordable homes.

The communities that develop in the area after the Games will be supported by new parks, open space, transport links, and community facilities including Chobham Academy – a world-class new education campus with 1,800 places for students aged 3-19.

London Property News

London's Olympic Housing Legacy

2012-01-26T02:37:00.001-08:00

London's housing market is likely to be boosted by the Olympic Games, which will be hosted by the city this summer, but positive effects may not be seen until after the event has finished.

This is the opinion of chief executive at the National Federation of Property Professionals Peter Bolton King, who said while the tournament is still running, it may actually have the opposite impact.

For instance, people could be discouraged from looking at the London property market because of the increase in traffic around that time, he explained.

However, the specialist expects medium-term positive effects, as the area will be on show to the many visitors that will flood in for the competition.

"People will have looked at the area and will say, 'Hang on a minute, this might be an area in which I would like to live or invest'," Mr Bolton King stated.

The Olympic Games will be held between July 27th and August 12th, while the Paralympic Games are scheduled for August 29th to September 9th.

London Housing Boosted By Mayors Plans

2012-01-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

Speaking at the National Housing Federation London Mayor Boris Johnson outlined the details of his revised housing strategy which would deliver 55,000 affordable homes in London by 2015, including 16,000 in the current financial year – the most since the mid-1990′s.

The new housing will be designed to the Mayor’s larger spaces standard which will mean more decent-sized family homes.As well as providing over 100,000 jobs in the next four years, these new affordable homes should also provide a much needed stimulus to housing mobility. By upgrading 40,000 council homes and by creating more affordable homes the plans will allow more Londoners than ever to get on the housing ladder. This should have a knock-on effect across the market with an increase in buyers over the four years and therefore steady growth.

This movement in the market will be spurred on by the government’s mortgage indemnity scheme which would decrease mortgage deposits to just 5% for first-time buyers allowing more of those stuck renting to gain a footing on the housing ladder.

The Mayor also has plans to reform the rental market by accrediting 100,000 landlords in an attempt to improve the quality of service in the sector. While this will help to raise confidence in the rental sector it will also make finding the best tenants a more difficult task. For landlords living outside of the capital that may mean using a property rental management service to ensure they are providing the most attentive service to their tenants.

London Rental Property News: December is a good month for renters

2011-12-21T08:18:00.000-08:00

December is a great month for people to find a rental property, claims one specialist.Property analyst Samantha Baden of Find a Property claims that monthly rents have dipped in the past month and that provides a wealth of opportunity for people looking to rent a new home.

Since the winter of 2008, rental prices have experienced a minor lull in the last two months of the year before rising again in the new year."This temporary dip in asking prices won't last long, and it's a great opportunity for potential tenants to agree a rate that's favourable in comparison to the rest of the year," she stated.

Overall UK rental prices fell by 1.5 per cent during November. The East Midlands, however, felt the highest fall, with prices dripping by 4.8 per cent.

Despite this the private rental market will remain strong well into 2012 according to the Residential LandlordsAssociation because there is currently not enough properties available to meet demand.

London Rental Property News

London Olympics Residential Legacy

2011-12-09T01:53:00.000-08:00

The first leading residential legacy property development for London on the doorstep of The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has been unveiled.

East Village, London E20, is a joint venture between Qatari Diar Real Estate Development Company and Delancey (QDD) and Triathlon Homes and will be ready for residents to move into in 2013.

A key part of London’s Olympic bid was to create a lasting residential legacy for the east of London and Ralph Luck, director of property at the Olympic Delivery Authority, which is developing the Village, said it is the first stage of delivering on that promise.

‘The East Village will become a significant new community within London, surrounded by world class sports venues, enviable shopping facilities and excellent transport links. This is the first major step in bringing identity to this thriving new destination and establishing it as the place of choice to live in London,’ he added.

It will initially deliver 2,818 new homes of which 1,439 will be private homes mainly available to rent and 1,379 affordable homes offering the choice of buying or renting to people with a range of income levels.

Buy to Let Landlords Turn To Bridging Finance

2011-11-28T00:32:00.000-08:00

Gross lending in bridging finance is set to reach £800m for the first time this year, driven by a big increase in landlords who cannot raise money on the high street reports the RLA.

According to new projections provided by bridging lender West One Loans, the bridging industry has expanded rapidly to fill the gap left by traditional lenders.

The volume of loans advanced has risen 26% year on year as an increasing number of residential property investors have turned to the sector to finance their projects.

In 2009, 70% of loans were granted to the residential sector. Last year, this had risen to more than three-quarters. So far in 2011, 82% of all bridging loans by volume are to residential property investors.

The average loan term now stands at just under eight months, and the average LTV now is 48.4%, up from 42.5% a year ago.

Duncan Kreeger of West One said: “Having a clear exit strategy is the most important consideration when taking out bridging finance. The strong demand for accommodation means investors can be confident they can refinance easily when they are ready to rent.”

Land Securities Walkie Talkie Tower Will Go Ahead Without Letting Deal

2011-11-14T02:18:00.000-08:00

Reuters reports that Land Securities will build its London skyscraper known as the Walkie Talkie without a major letting deal and in spite of a rapidly worsening economic backdrop, Chief Executive Francis Salway said.

The UK's largest real estate investment trust by market capitalisation is developing the 38-storey scheme in London's City financial district, in a JV with Canary Wharf Group, but has no major letting to lower the scheme's financial risk.

"We are speculatively developing the building," Salway said on a conference call on Thursday. When asked by Reuters whether the company had the option to pause the scheme if the economic backdrop worsened, Salway said: "We are building the project."

Land Securities, which posted a 17 percent year-on-year rise in first-half NAV to 863 pence, previously said it would build the tower unlet, but rising fears of a euro zone breakup means financial services firms may shelve plans to move.

On Wednesday, Great Portland Estates Chief Executive Toby Courtauld said there would likely be no major pre-let deal for its 100 Bishopsgate skyscraper in the next 6-12 months. The scheme would only go ahead with a letting deal in place, he said.

Salway noted the number of inquiries by London office tenants looking for floor space had increased since the middle of the summer, a trend he labelled "counter-intuitive."

Docklands Property Part of London Buy to Let Property Hotspot

2011-11-10T05:01:00.000-08:00

The East and West End of London are becoming buy to let property hot spots for landlords, holiday home owners and investors but for different reasons say specialists.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich in the East End of London is ranked by Frommers, the worldwide travel guide, as one of the Top 10 Destinations of 2012.

Greenwich was the main naval centre of England in the 18th and 19th centuries and is steeped in history, to the point that it is now an UNESCO heritage site.

As one of the gateways to the East End of London, Greenwich is set to enjoy its time in the limelight even further next year due to the numerous Summer Olympic events happening right on its doorstep.

Ray Withers, director of investment experts, Property Frontiers, said: “We are delighted to see that the East End of London and indeed Greenwich receive internal accolade for its touristic appeals.

The area as a whole has developed considerably in the last two decades with the establishment of the Canary Wharf financial centre, revitalisation of the Docklands, expansion of London City Airport and the Olympic Site having a very positive impact.”

Greenwich will also be one of the sites for the new Emirates Air Line cable car which is being installed across the River Thames. It is expected to take thousands of tourists to and from the Olympic Park at Stratford.

Rental Property For 2012 Olympic Games

2011-11-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

Renting a house for the London Olympics in 2012 is proving to be a more popular accommodation choice for some overseas groups and families looking for a place to stay during the 2012 games than others, according to London Property Rental 2012 whose experience has found significant regional differences in how nations are choosing to find their ideal Olympic accommodation. London Property Rental 2012 findings are backed by an April 2011 report from Visit Britain that investigated accommodation choices made by inbound visitors to the UK.

According to Carol Fox, owner at London Property Rental, "A large proportion of enquiries for our luxury Olympic 2012 lets have came from the US or France and Benelux regions, so we decided to follow this up to see if there are regional differences in what type of accommodation for London 2012 visitors are most interested in booking. What we found appears to show a general trend for the French and Spanish to travel in large family groups and value the opportunity of cooking their own meals whilst sharing the communal benefits of renting comfortable homes for the games. Visitors from the United States are used to booking luxury homes for rent by owners, and enjoy the flexibility of self-catering and eating out combined with the extra facilities offered by letting a house for the London Olympics including, satellite TV, fast broadband, garden and free parking. Whereas German and Dutch visitors seem to be more interested in finding functional accommodation such as that offered by hostels, B&B’s or camping."

London Property Rental 2012's experience is reflected in findings from Visit Britain that investigated accommodation choices made by inbound visitors to the UK. The report aggregated and analyzed data from 2001 onwards to get a robust view of accommodation data on a market by market level. Amongst the findings are that ‘visitors from the Netherlands have a much higher propensity to be found camping or in mobile homes (5 per cent)’ and ‘Recent years have seen Glamping – a sort of luxury camping is particularly popular with the Dutch’.

Oxford Economics estimates in an independent report that around 450,000 visitors will stay in London during the 2012 Olympics. "Next year’s games will see the highest concentration of global visitors that London has ever experienced. We are finding many visitors are choosing to escape the congestion and hotel room price hikes of up to 50 per cent by opting for the convenience and cost efficiency of a ‘home from home’ over a hotel room for London 2012" say Fox.

East London Hotel Market Set For Boom

2011-10-30T02:23:00.000-07:00

Fuelled largely by next summer's Olympic and Paralympic Games, the hotel market in East London is set for a boom.

With more than 500,000 extra tourists expected in 2012 the outlook for London's tourism industry is looking bright and especially confidence amongst hoteliers in the east of the city is sky rocketing.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) recently published a report on the hospitality market and highlighted the capital as the best performing city in Europe.

Coupled with the Olympics, the redevelopment of the Royal Albert Dock, the launch of Stratford's Westfield shopping centre and expansions of ExCel exhibition centre and London City Airport have helped further boost the east end's hotel trade.

Ray Withers, director of investment firm Property Frontiers, said: "The hotel market in London this year has been forecasted at near double digit growth while 2012 is expected to be a record breaking year for the hotel market".

A study published by Oxford Economics and the British Hospitality Association (BHA) recently estimated that growth in the hospitality sector will tens of thousands new jobs over the next five years.

Commercial Property News

Property Development and Olympic Legacy In East London

2011-10-26T02:41:00.000-07:00

A Plan to create a new east London neighbourhood by transforming a 26-acre, semi-derelict area close the Olympic Park has been announced.

A total of 1,200 homes, 480,000 sq ft of offices, a 350-room hotel, restaurants and shops, in distinct zones linked by car-free walkways are proposed for land between Stratford High Street, the Three Mills Wall River and the River Lea waterways.

Developer Landprop, a subsidiary of the Inter IKEA Group, has purchased nine acres from the Olympic Park Legacy Company to bring the majority of the site under single ownership.

It promises the development will be family-orientated, with 40 per cent of the new homes having three bedrooms or more.

The first phase of development already has planning permission and the area known as Dane’s Yard will be the site of a 40 metre illuminated sculpture in a public square and a restaurant operated by Graysons.

The surrounding area will provide facilities aimed at creative industries and will include refurbished historic buildings.

Harald Müller, Landprop managing director, said: “We have the highest ambitions for Strand East.

“The development will be on a human scale with much of the site characterised by low density town houses and mews homes connected by beautiful public spaces consisting of courtyards and squares, making the most of the waterways which surround the site.”

Mayor of London Boris Johnson welcomed the proposals.

He said: “This is yet another great example of the 2012 legacy rippling out of the Olympic Park and across east London.

Transport For London; Walking and cycling has never been easier

2011-10-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

A total of £10m has been spent on upgrading London's cycle and walking routes, and a city-wide programme to get people active before, during and after the 2012 Games.

Thanks to funding by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and additional work by charity organisation Sustrans, a total of 75km of cycle routes in East London have now been enhanced by Transport for London (TfL).

The eight routes around the Olympic Park and river venues are now structurally complete, with new signs in place in Hackney Park.

New cycle crossings, plus improved paving and lighting for safety and security, have been added to help spectators travelling to the Olympic Park and other London venues.

An additional one million journeys a day are expected to be made on foot and by bike next summer as spectators switch from other forms of transport.

Docklands Property Developers Look To Chinese Property Investors

2011-10-18T02:35:00.000-07:00

Chinese investors have been snapping up London property, with one-in-three buyers of newly built London homes coming from China and Hong Kong, according to one recent report.

London's Docklands was once the city's industrial heart and the world's largest port. Now property developers are looking to China to lift the area out of recession. They insist London is a safe bet in tough economic times- especially for Chinese investing for the long-term.

Ms Sherry Madera, from Mandarin web portal Luckywu.com, said: "London has picked up significantly and a lot of that is because foreign money is coming into it...The Chinese are following the likes of the Russian investors, and the Arabic investors who came previously, to bolster the London market. It's a safe haven, it's seen as a property market that is going to rise."

Ms Madera is so confident about the Chinese market, she has launched the world's first Mandarin web portal to attract Chinese investors - many of whom have never even visited London before putting down a deposit.

"Obviously, 5,000 miles away is a long way to come to look at a property, and you can't really see stocks or bonds, so in the same way you are looking at property as being an asset class. A lot of Chinese investors don't come and have a look around their property, they do it on the basis of yield," said Ms Madera.

Despite the optimism, it's hard to overlook the impact of the economic downturn on London's new building projects.

Property developers said ever since the financial crisis of 2008, it's been very hard to get development funding, and it's still a struggle today, which is why they are looking to China, where evidence of pre-sales can make it somewhat easier to persuade the banks to lend them the money (and) to build.

Because London is seen as an economical place to buy, Chinese investors are buying up whole floors, according to some developers here. But it's not just about the money. Mr Ian Cohen from City and Docklands said, "We are seeing a lot of Chinese... it's an area they like - it's fresh, it's new."

China is still an untapped market, but there are hopes recent changes to property legislation will make it easier for Chinese to buy property overseas.

Property investors said they are still banking on China.

Mr Cohen said, "They are shrewd buyers, they understand property in their own right. You can see it's becoming such a powerhouse, so as a company we are definitely looking to mainland China - 100 per cent." And London property developers insist the market is as buoyant as ever.

Channelnewsasia

London Councils Policies for Short Term Lets During London 2012

2011-09-29T05:21:00.000-07:00

BBC London asked every council in the capital for details of what its policies were concerning short term lets.

Some 27 London boroughs said they had no problem with properties being let for short periods and this did not require any planning permission.

But Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Camden warned people who let properties for short periods without planning permission could be served with enforcement notices.

In some cases they could receive fines of up to £20,000 if they were deemed to be repeat offenders.

Chief executive of the National Association of Estate Agents, Peter Bolton King, said: "The problem here is a lack of a level playing field which means regulations are not being policed in the same way across London.

"I think it's time for a review and to look at whether this is working or not."

Songbird Estate Announce Pre tax Profit

2011-09-23T02:45:00.000-07:00

Songbird Estates , the majority owner of Canary Wharf Group, said it had swung to a first-half pretax profit and saw scope for value-added opportunities on prime commercial property in central London.

"A productive start to 2011 with a further extension of activity in central London and successful lettings/prelets at Canary Wharf has helped place the group in a strong position," chairman David Pritchard said on Thursday.

"In the London market, where supply of high quality grade A space is still limited and the number of development completions is still relatively low there remain opportunities for the group to add value and to maximise returns on projects," he said.

British Architects Condemn Shoebox Houses

2011-09-15T04:16:00.000-07:00

Many new houses in the UK are "shameful shoebox homes" which are too small for family life, the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) has said.

It says average three-bedroom houses are 8% smaller - the space of a single bedroom - than the recommended minimum.

The institute, which looked at 3,418 three-bedroom homes in England, based its findings on building regulations which have come into force in London.

The House Builders Federation says that bigger homes could prove unaffordable.

Riba's Case for Space study discovered the average two-storey three-bedroom home for five people was 8 sq m (86 sq ft) too small.

It claims the shortfall in space is the same size as a single bedroom with a bedside table, wardrobe, desk and chair.

The most common new three-bedroom house was found to be smaller still, with 77% of the recommended minimum space - a shortfall equivalent to two double bedrooms.

The institute's research was based on the 96 sq m (1033 sq ft) London Plan space standards which have just been introduced in the capital. There are currently no UK-wide standards.

BBC

Prime London Property New Development

2011-09-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

CB Richard Ellis said sales rates in London had improved for prime products and apartments with growth potential.

"The top end of the market is attracting such a wide range of buyers from all over the world that it is in effect insulating itself from any one economic cycle," said Jennet Siebrits, head of Residential Research at CBRE.

The highestselling develpment schemes so far in 2011 have had exhibitions in Asia as buyers in Hong Kong take advantage of a currency discount of about 20 percent.

Meanwhile major regeneration projects add nearly 5 percent to house prices in neighbouring areas, according to new research from CBRE, with the 2012 Olympic Games development lifting prices by 14 percent in the surrounding area

Planning Permission Law Reforms

2011-09-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

Reuters reports that senior ministers said on Monday they would press ahead with proposals for the biggest shake-up to Britain's building planning system in decades despite criticism that it would blight what remains of the nation's dwindling countryside.

The government says that changes are vital to help to revive a faltering economy and to make housing more affordable. It says planning delays cost the economy 3 billion pounds per year.

However, the proposals have angered many core Conservative supporters, who look to the party to protect the leafy areas in which many of them live.

The dispute has echoes of government plans to sell off state-owned forests earlier this year, dropped after an outcry from a similar collection of local and green protest groups.

Chancellor George Osborne and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles defended the plan in a newspaper article on Monday.

"Reforming a slow and inefficient planning system will be good news for the small business looking to expand; for the young family hoping for more affordable house prices; and for the community wanting to decide on their own future," they wrote in the Financial Times.

"This is our opportunity to unlock the new investment and new jobs the country needs. We cannot afford to miss it."

Planning Permission for Residential Conversion of London Office Space

2011-06-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

Government plans to overhaul the planning system
could see more office space in London being turned into residential properties.

According to city planning officer for the Corporation of London Peter Rees, the Square Mile and other renowned business districts could lose their power to attract international organisations and investment if they are not safeguarded.

Speaking at a British Property Federation conference, he is expected to say: "The cyclical nature of the property industry means that if developers were to turn offices into residential blocks when times were tough, the City's ability to attract and house new firms when market conditions improved would be seriously diminished."

Such changes to the planning system could "dilute the concentration of offices", making it harder for companies looking for investment properties in London to find commercial space in the Square Mile, Mr Lees added.

His comments come after the Institute for Public Policy Research revealed that the UK could face a shortfall of 750,000 homes by 2025 because the construction of new build properties is at its lowest peacetime level since the 1920s.

Planning Permission News

Chinese Students At London Universities Buying Property in Docklands

2011-06-14T01:52:00.000-07:00

Bloomberg reports on Chinese Property Buying Spree Worldwide;
Chinese families are increasingly sending their children to the U.K. for college, with around 100,000 students in the country last year, said Jennet Siebrits, head of U.K. residential research in London at CB Richard Ellis Group Inc, the world’s largest commercial-property broker. That compares with 4,000 in 1999.

London has four of the world’s top 100 universities, one more than its nearest rival, New York, according to a survey compiled for the London-based Times Higher Education magazine.

At Barratt Developments Plc, the U.K.’s largest homebuilder by volume, 42 percent of the residential units it sold in London this year through May were to overseas customers, all of whom were Chinese, said Gary Patrick, regional sales director at the London-based company.

For the Chinese, where you buy in London depends on how long you’ve been wealthy, said Barnes of Savills. Second- and third-generation Hong Kong residents gravitate toward prime central London locations like Knightsbridge, Mayfair and Kensington, while the newly rich look in Canary Wharf and the Docklands.

Short Term Letting For London Events

2011-06-11T03:47:00.000-07:00

Short-term lets usually last between one week and one month and can be useful for filling rental voids, or making use of vacant property.

Ian Potter, operations manager ARLA said, "Short term lets, if managed correctly, can be a great opportunity for both tenant and landlord to benefit from a let that is simple to set up, and is suited to short periods of increased demand."

With summer events like the Henley Regatta, a host of music festivals and Wimbledon coming up, now is an ideal time to think about short term lets.

As well as these immediate opportunities, landlords in London are already aware of the likely increase in demand ahead of next year's Olympics.

To make the best of these upcoming opportunities, there are a few key short-term let tips that ARLA would advise tenants and landlords follow:

Pre-agree Bills- Tenant payment of utility bills over a short term can be problematic, therefore it is best to set a price to cover costs at the start of the rental period. This avoids the occasionally problematic issue of recouping or disputing costs.
Prepare the property for rent-As with long-term lets, it is wise to thoroughly clean the entire property and insure the small details, such as replacing light bulbs and clearing outside areas are done before prospective tenants visit or move in to the property.
Be aware of tenants expectations- With short-term lets, tenants often expect amenities that are not usually offered in the private rental sector; a common example is the assumption that the landlord will a provide cleaning and laundry service for bedding.
Be careful over payment -Offering a variety of payment options, where possible, can encourage prospective tenants. It should be noted, however, that taking cards can often represent an unacceptable degree of risk for the short term landlord. Regardless of payment type, it is always worth ensuring funds have cleared ahead of the start of the tenancy. If funds are being transferred directly to your bank account, it is always best to use a dedicated account.
Meet the incoming tenant -Do not arrange for keys to be collected through a third party other than a reputable agent. It is far safer to meet and hand over keys in person, explain the workings of your property and agree when you will collect the keys at the end of the let.

Renting Property Can Be Beneficial

2011-06-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

Landlords with property to rent in London or other areas of the UK could benefit if people give up the "obsession with ownership", Firstrung has argued.

Paul Holmes, chief executive of the organisation, claimed: "The thought is, 'You must buy as quickly as possible. Rent is dead money'. Rent is not dead money if it is costing you less than a mortgage and a house is depreciating in value."

He called for a "rethink and a little bit of anti-zeitgeist feeling about how you must own a house" because current thinking is "nonsense".Mr Holmes added that there are "great attributes" to renting a home and not being tied down.

His remarks come after research from Halifax found almost half of young people believe the majority of individuals will be renting within the next generation, becoming more like Europe where renting is seen as the norm.

London Property to Rent

Energy Efficiency in London Offices

2011-05-24T02:57:00.000-07:00

Those who are investing in office space in London might see a reduction in their energy bills when lights are turned off.

According to Paul Edwards, chair of the British Council for Office's Environmental Sustainability Group, one key change businesses can make is to ensure office lighting is energy efficient.

"Turning them off is the simplest thing you can do, but also you could install presence detectors in meeting rooms and ensure that all the lights are turned off in the evening when people leave," he noted.

"If you work out your energy bill, you can normally see a payback on that."Companies that are behind office property investments in London or other parts of the UK might find it easier to implement changes when they are the tenants of the building, but if they own office space they should "try to get [tenants] on board".

Mr Edwards' comments come after Electricity North West announced it has invited businesses to take part in an energy trial involving micro-generation projects.

London Commercial Property News

Docklands River Bus Services

2011-05-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

With the sun shining and the days getting longer there has never been a better time to push the boat out and make the most of London's greatest highway.

Whether you're looking for a new and relaxing way to commute to work or a delightful way to spend time with family, friends or loved ones, the River Thames has so much to offer this spring and summer.

Transport for London (TfL) has introduced a range of improvements to river service information focusing on making it easier for Londoners and visitors to make the most of the River Thames.

With real time boat information at many piers, new Tube-style river maps, improved signage to piers and services and Oyster pay as go acceptance on Thames Clipper services, it's never been easier to set sail and see London from a new perspective.

Giving you a helping hand along the way London River Services has published its updated River Bus and River Tours guides for spring/summer 2011.

Available online, at some central London piers, at London Underground stations and TfL travel information kiosks these provide details of services and activities that stretch from Hampton Court Pier in the west to Woolwich Arsenal Pier in the east.

London Office Property Leads the Recovery

2011-05-13T04:25:00.000-07:00

Office space in London is driving rental growth along with retail property in London, according to a global property company.

Mat Oakley, director of commercial research at Savills, noted that there will be a "steady jockeying" between retail and office property investments in London.

"They are also the two sectors where we are seeing a lot of investor interest, which is leading to some prime capital value growth - I suspect that it will vary between the two as to which is the strongest," he explained.

"Certainly on a national basis, retail is undoubtedly the better performer … whereas the office recovery is just very firmly focused on London."

Mr Oakley's comments come after the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors released research showing that office space in London continued to outperform all other sectors and regions of the UK's commercial property market in the first three months of this year.

London Commercial Property News