Holland Park Flats & Houses For Sale & Rent

London Property Markets Continue to Buck the Trend

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:04:00 +0000

London starts the new year again proving it has its own micro-markets where housing demand continues to outstrip supply, reports Rightmove. New sellers in the capital have had the confidence to increase their month-on-month asking prices by 0.8% (£3,453), compared to a fall of 1.5% in the rest of the country (£2,792). This is a continuation of the trend seen over the last year, with asking prices in London now 6.1% higher than a year ago. The rest of the country recorded a combined fall of 1.7% over the same period. Miles Shipside, director of Rightmove comments: “Depending on local market conditions, there are differing pressures on the direction of prices. The lack of property coming to market in the London area over the last year combined with buyer demand has helped to buoy new sellers’ asking prices in most locations. Prices will be receiving a further boost as estate agents compete to attract fresh stock for the year ahead.” There have been more than 44 million property searches on Rightmove during the first ten days of 2012. While this doesn’t necessarily indicate a surge in proceedable buyer numbers, it does highlight a strong pent-up demand to move and is also a reflection that value-seeking buyers who can proceed are taking extra care to research the market. January often sees the beginning of a ‘spring bounce’ in the prices of properties coming to market, and there is again evidence of this in 2012, where the overall monthly period rise of 0.8% in new seller asking prices was boosted by a rise of 1.8% (£7,605) in the first week of 2012. Shipside comments: “As we move into the more active spring market with a shortage of new supply, prices will rise where the local market or a particular estate agent is short of a type or style of stock. However, asking more for your property can only be successful if your target buying audience can raise the necessary funds. The market fragmentation caused by the credit crunch means that success in selling now requires a more careful and complex micro-market analysis, rather than a wishful price-punt to see what happens.”

Mortgage Rate & Home Loan News: House prices in th...

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:04:00 +0000

Notting Hill Flats & Houses For Sale & Rent: Mortgage Rate & Home Loan News: House prices in th...: There was no movement for house prices in the UK in November, according to the latest England & Wales House Price Index from LSL Property Se...

New European Treaty Financial Transactions Tax Impact on London Property

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:43:00 +0000

Forbes Magazine Reports; It’s true that President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel don’t in fact phrase it quite this way but that is indeed the implication of what they’re saying as they try to resolve this eurozone crisis. That you should go out and buy as much London property as you possibly can, as quickly as possible.

Germany and France said a City tax will be part of a new European treaty in an aggressive move that will force David Cameron to concede defeat or allow the eurozone to advance without Britain.

Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy defied the Prime Minister’s threats and announced a Financial Transactions Tax (FTT) will be part of the proposals for the EU treaty they want leaders to ratify on Thursday.

In an open letter to Herman Van Rompuy, Europe’s president, Ms Merkel and Mr Sarkozy said their demands should be “enshrined in the European Treaties” but warned without full EU support the eurozone “will have to go ahead”.

I’ve said before that the financial transactions tax is a dreadful idea: it will increase price volatility, the incidence will be on consumers and workers and we’ll all lose more than the tax will raise. Further, that it won’t even raise any money, for the losses from other taxes will mean a revenue loss overall.

However, what we’re seeing here is something really quite different. For what is now being said is that the FTT will come in: but that if Britain blocks it (or other non-eurozone states do) then it will be introduced in the eurozone alone.

Which would be absolutely fabulous for London as it would mean that the 20% of Europe’s wholesale finance which is not already in London would move to London. With all the implications that has for the price of decent property in the capital. Quite simply, the biggest obvious economic impact of such a scheme would be to boost London’s property prices.

And I, for one, if Sarkozy and Merkel are silly enough to do this, can only say “Bring it on!”.

London Property Represents Safe Investment

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:52:00 +0000

London is a haven for people looking to make a safe investment in bricks and mortar, says a leading property magazine.

Richard Bowser, editor of Property Investment News, said that capital remains a magnet for those looking for a solid long-term venture as values have risen by an average of nine per cent each year despite an otherwise gloomy economic climate.
He added that the rental market also shows no signs of slowing down with yields up by some 23 per cent on average over the past two years.

Mr Bowser feels a major factor in the London property market at present is the influx of cash-rich buyers from other countries.

He said: "Many overseas buyers have also been attracted, as they are buying with greatly increased purchasing power as a result of the 25 to 30 per cent decline in the pound against most global currencies since early 2007."

A particular area of interest for those from overseas is properties in the £1 million-plus market. According to figures released last month by Lloyds TSB, there were 3,375 purchases in London for that price or more during the first six months of 2011.

London Property Market News

Land Registry House Price Index Survey for September

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:32:00 +0000

Data released today from the Land Registry's House Price Index (HPI) shows that property prices in September suffered a 2.6 per cent decrease compared to the same month last year.

The monthly change from August to September was a decrease of 0.3 per cent, meaning the average property value in England and Wales now stands at £162,109.However, property owners in London will be pleased to know that the changes have not affected their values year-on-year.

The capital still remains England's housing hotbed, with average values still standing at 2.7 per cent more than they did last year. In fact, it's the only region that hasn't seen a decrease.

In terms of monthly changes the north-west saw an increase of one per cent but was still down 2.7 per cent on last year, making the average value £115,057.The area which has seen the biggest decreases is the north-east, experiencing an annual fall of 8.2 per cent and 3.9 per cent month-on-month.

In terms of individual property types, detached houses held their value best, dropping just 1.5 per cent. Semis fell by 2.9 per cent and terrace house and flats fell by 3.4 per cent and 2.4 per cent respectively.

The overall figures are in stark contrast to research conducted by financial website Moneysavingexpert.com earlier this month.The stats, which were published in the Guardian yesterday, have the national house value average £70,519 higher than the HPI estimate at £232,628.

In Yorkshire, for example, the Land Registry's average figure stands at £121,680, while Moneysavingexpert.com have it at £160,345.The most up-to-date figures available show that during July 2011, the number of completed house sales in England and Wales decreased by 11 per cent to 59,919 from 67,475 in July 2010.

The number of properties sold in England and Wales for over £1 million in July 2011 decreased by 24 per cent to 707 from 932 in July 2010.

London Property News

London Property Remains Safe Bet for International Invetors

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:36:00 +0000

Property in London continues to be a safe bet for investors as overseas demand is helping to keep the market stable, it has been revealed.

Selwyn Lim, director of Mouseprice, said the ongoing robust nature of the London market can be attributed to the city's position as a globally-renowned cultural and business centre, with the capital continuing to outperform the rest of the UK in terms of its ability to recover from the financial downturn.

"London has always been a unique case in that the supply and demand of property in London is [affected] by overseas cash and lots of overseas buyers," he commented.

According to figures published by Rightmove, the gulf in north-south average asking prices is now the highest it has ever been.

Pensioner Homeowners are selling Up To Become Tenants

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:03:00 +0000

The RLA Reports that more older people will be selling their properties in future to move into private rental accommodation in order to fund their old age, according to tenancy referencing firm HomeLet.

The firm has reported a rise of 16% in the number of people aged between 66 and 70 who have sold up in order to rent over the last 12 months.

In that time, says HomeLet, 1,074 people in that age group have gone from being home owners to private tenants.

It found that 43% of new tenants aged over 66 were previously living in a home they owned, compared to 37% a year ago.

The firm said the figures suggest that more older people are selling their homes to release equity to fund their rising living costs.

John Boyle, managing director of HomeLet, said: “Pensioners are already feeling the pinch with the spiralling costs of fuel, energy bills and basic food. Combined with a reduction in income, old people are increasingly struggling to pay to live through their retirement."

“This suggests that the number of pensioners having to sell their home to move into rented properties could increase even more over the coming years.”

The HomeLet rental index survey gathers data on agreed, rather than asking, rents from more than 3,000 letting agents across the UK.

The latest survey shows that rents rose 2.2% in July to an average UK rental of £680, and an average of £1,154 in Greater London.

Local Housing Allowance Cuts Cause Rent Rise

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:50:00 +0000

The first month of the housing benefit cuts saw private sector rents rising across the country and soaring in London and the South East, according to a survey out today.

It’s still very early days but the evidence from the RICS residential lettings survey for April seems to contradict the case made by work and pensions ministers that the cuts would trigger a fall in rents because housing benefit pays for 40% of the market.

Instead the balance of surveyors saying rents rose rather than fell rose again to +40%. And the most significant increases came in London and the South East, where the RICS says that ‘rents in some areas have now risen so sharply that previously affordable homes are now unattainable to many, as an increasing number of renters are priced out of the market’.

That was despite an increase in the supply of properties coming on to the market.

That’s obviously more bad news for people priced out of home ownership by high house prices and a shortage of mortgages and now forced to pay rising rents, which in many cases will be significantly higher than the mortgage payments on the same property.

But it’s very bad news too for anyone relying on the local housing allowance and especially for those in London and the South East - the regions where the bedroom caps introduced in April will bite hardest and where the shortfall caused by rates being set at the 30th percentile is likely to be highest.

An RICS member in expensive Kensington & Chelsea, for example, reports that ‘we are achieving some exceptional rents’.

Another based in central London says that: ‘With rents still rising in central London we wonder when they will plateau.’

And a third based in Westminster says: ‘Indications are that rents have now risen to a level that tenants are starting to find that they are unable to afford due to lower incomes and higher taxes.’

Any claimants forced to move out of central London and look for homes elsewhere in the capital are also likely to struggle. An RICS member in Finchley says: ‘Rents have continued their inexorable rise - albeit at a slightly slower pace - partly a a result of a shortage of stock although many aspirational first time buyers are still finding it difficult to raise a sufficient deposit or a mortgage on affordable terms. A particular shortage of two-bedroom “affordable” flats in our area has emerged.’

One small hope for trapped renters and claimants alike appears to be come in reports from some surveyors in the South East that the market is stalling because rents are not affordable to anyone.

The Westminster surveyor I quoted above also said that tenants who had occupied the same flat for three years and only seen a 6% rent increase in that time were having to move because they could no longer afford the rent. ‘The writing is on the wall,’ he said.

An RICS member in Brighton says that until the end of 2010 it could always increase rents when tenants vacated but cannot do so anymore. And one in Eastbourne reports a surplus of rental properties with applicants able to negotiate rents down.

However, they still seem to be the exception to the general trend: a positive balance of 33% of RICS members expect rents to continue to rise over the next three months.

Council of Mortgage Lenders Supports Shelter in Call for Reform

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Thu, 26 May 2011 13:29:00 +0000

Responding to Shelter's release today of the results of a YouGov survey on whether mortgage regulatory reform is needed, the Council of Mortgage Lenders expresses surprise that Shelter seems unaware that mortgage lenders do, in fact, support reform. However, it is the detail of that reform that needs care if undesirable and unintended impacts are to be avoided.

Unsurprisingly, Shelter's findings found that 87% of respondents agree with the general statement that lenders should only give loans to borrowers who can show they can afford it. The CML agrees too, and also agrees with the three principles of affordability tests, income verification, and interest rate stress testing.

The CML also agrees with Shelter that government should listen to consumers, as well as lenders and others, on housing issues. That is why the CML funded the extensive independent research undertaken by Policis last year involving both quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups among various different types of consumers, which found that consumers' views are complex and varied, on the one hand balancing support for tighter regulation while on the other hand being reluctant to see good borrowers unnecessarily excluded from achieving home-ownership.

UK House Prices Stop Falling

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Fri, 06 May 2011 09:29:00 +0000

UK house prices stopped falling in April for the first time in 10 months as demand for homes picked up, Hometrack Ltd. said.

The average cost of a home was unchanged from March at 153,100 pounds. Prices in London climbed 0.3 per cent. Demand as measured by prospective buyers registering with realtors has risen 22 per cent so far this year.

Recent housing-market data have been mixed as a lack of supply props up home values while restricted mortgage lending and the deepest government spending cuts since World War II deter buyers. Britain's economy grew 0.5 per cent in the first quarter, barely enough to erase the contraction in the final three months of last year.

The number of potential buyers registering with estate agents climbed by 2.8 per cent in April from March, when it rose 4.2 per cent, Hometrack said. Agents reported an 8 per cent increase in agreed sales, compared with 12.6 per cent the previous month.

Rightmove said last week that only one in four Britons now forecast a decline in house prices over the next 12 months, compared with one in three in the previous quarter.

A separate report by Lloyds TSB today showed that the number of properties sold last year for 1 million pounds or more rose to 7,185, 54 per cent more than in 2009.

Can Kate Middleton and Celebrity Neighbours Cause a Property Value Surge

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:52:00 +0000

Recent property blogs and articles have focussed on the impact celebrity connections may have on and business and the price of property. There has been a boost to Anglesey tourist industry since Prince William and Kate Middleton visited the local Spar and started having pub lunches, while the Prince is based in North Wales.

While Royal attendance and future support for St Andrews University will have greatly increased the interest in that establishment, it can be argued that interest would have reached its peak the year that Prince William applied to study there.

Conjecture has been rife about the impact on Berkshires tourist industry since the announcement of the Royal wedding since this is the county which produced the next Princess of Wales; a Hampshire-based coach company Mortons is making the most of Berkshire's future princess. It has organised a Kate Middleton Country tour, taking in previous homes, schools and the church where she was christened.

The BBC reported that the average cost of a three-bedroom detached home in Bucklebury is £600,000, and it is not expected that house prices will be affected by the royal connection. Likewise the price of property in celebrity rich Hampstead is unlikely to be affected by the fact that Keats lived nearby. However, local business and service industries do.

“We are not quite in the realms of Hollywood tours of the homes of the stars, but there is a tourist industry of sorts” said Paramount Properties Managing Director Mark Grieg;” The blue plaques of English heritage marking where Keats, Constable or Betchemin lived are of interest, and of course film locations; the borough of Camden has a rich cinematic history and is one of the busiest film boroughs in London. Hampstead Heath and the view from over London from Parliament Hill have been used nearly as often as Big Ben in recent movies.”

Pick up any magazine with a celebrity spotting section, and Hampstead is sure to be pictured. Whether it be Kate Moss and Sadie Frost going for lunch, Jamie Oliver pushing a buggy or James Corden having a picnic, Hampstead or its immediate neighbours will be the location. Snappy Snaps in West Hampstead experienced the best free advertising campaign when George Michael mounted the curb and smashed into the front door.

Hampstead is a long established choice of residence for those who can afford to live there; the intelligentsia, writers and artists live side by side with a healthy smattering of young, upwardly mobiles and enough celebrities’ faces to keep Hampstead firmly at the fore front of fashionable addresses. Local delicatessen, bars and restaurants may prosper from the celebrity connection but property prices will not feel the impact.

The fact that Alexa Chung and Alex Turner live in Bethnal Green, and that Keira Knightley has made a new property purchase in Shoreditch simply reinforces what we already knew; these areas of East London have long been known recognised as trendy, up and coming areas of London.

London Property News

Holland Park Bin Collection, Council Tax, Parking Permits, Recycling ,Schools and Your Local Councillor

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:08:00 +0000

When moving into an area there are a number of local services you need to know about. Below you can access local authority information and services; we have chosen the most frequently asked information. Just put in your postcode and find out information on;

Bin Collection, Council Tax, Parking Permits, Recycling centres,Electoral roll registration, School and Term Dates and your local councillor for your new area.

London Property News

25% Rise in Number of Homes on the Market

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:04:00 +0000

The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) recorded a 25 per cent increase on the number of homes on the UK market in February, suggesting that sellers are making a comeback.

It latest report shows that the number of house hunters registering with agents in London and elsewhere across the country also increased to 268, up from 252 in January.

As a result, sales increased from an average of six per branch to eight, while the percentage of sales made to first time buyers rose slightly from 24 per cent to 25 per cent.

"To see such a significant boost in activity amongst sellers compared with this time last year is encouraging news for the UK property market," said NAEA president Michael Jones.

"This means that, on the whole, supply can meet demand levels, meaning a more stable market, for the short term at least."However, he warned that there is lots of variation across the county, with stock availability in some areas considerably lower than others.

NAEA News

Investment Property News; Student Property to Let In High Demand

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:59:00 +0000

If your offspring are in their first year of A levels with plans to go to University this may be a perfect time to take advantage of current investment conditions and invest in a buy to let property in a big university city. With the passing of the £9000 a year student fee bill on 10 December 2010, there has to be a way to help fund a 3 year course.

UCAS reported a huge national shortage of student accommodation following last year's record number of applications for the 2010 entry of 2.4 million. Other research has revealed that for the year to September 2010, average rents for student accommodation in Wales and England rose by 2.2 per cent. Only 50% of all students in the UK have access to high-quality purpose-built student accommodation, and this figure includes nearly 100,000 students in London alone.

Investment in a student property saves on the rent you might have to contribute to, hopefully covers the mortgage with 2 or 3 other tenant rents a month, plus there may be a vague expectation of some capital growth by the end of the course.

The biggest difficulty is choosing the right city. It's no good owning a refurbished terrace in Sheffield if your son or daughter is not offered a course there. A deferred place and a gap year seems the only way. If you have a full year to do your research once the grades are attained and the offer accepted, it may be better to invest and develop a distressed or derelict building such as pub.

Paramount Investments Managing Director Mark Grieg said, "we have seen a marked interest from parents who are looking to be first time property developers. They are looking to relatively cheap derelict or distressed property, in need of some development or refurbishment to accommodate children while at University"

Mr Grieg said "Pubs are closing at a rate of 5 a week, and are immensely suitable for conversion to residential lets; pub property prices are at rock bottom, and the square footage of public houses and the surrounding land, such investments are proving to be the best value property investment around."

Being a student landlord may require a little more work, even when one of your tenants is your own offspring; To mark the beginning of the academic year, Paragon, the buy to let mortgage specialists asked landlords about their experience of student lettings. Nearly four out of 10 landlords (38%) have experience of letting to students, with three quarters of those stating that they have good or excellent levels of tenant demand and 63% stating that students are a profitable sector to let to. Over half (57%) said students were punctual rent payers. However, students scored low on the maintenance of the property (18%) and the state of the property at the tenancy's end(18%). They also scored poorly on behaviour during the tenancy (26%).

Paramount Investments can help you to find a property suitable for redevelopment, conversion, modernisation and refurbishment and also offer the expertise in dealing with planning and finance as well as handling redevelopment and resale. We can help you research the local area to learn about any planning restrictions orf new developments that may have an effect on the rental yields or returns or the capital growth of the commercial property investment. The due dilligence process can be one of the most critical elements in commercial property investment, especially if you lack the knowledge required to make an informed investment decision.

Lettings Property News

London House Prices Pushed Up By Shortage of Sellers

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:39:00 +0000

While nationally new sellers average asking prices increased by just 0.3% (£711), they were again outperformed by the confidence of the capital’s sellers who pushed theirs up by 1.1% (£4,470). This is the first increase in London new sellers’ average asking prices for three months, and is a timely positive sign for new sellers as it breaks the downward spiral of falls seen in the previous two months when prices fell by a total of 2.4%.

Miles Shipside, director of Rightmove comments: “This month’s price rise will come as a welcome respite to prospective sellers in the London area as they had witnessed falls in both November and December. Sellers in the run up to Christmas normally have a pressing reason to sell so chopped back their prices, while sellers launching to the market in the New Year are traditionally more optimistic.”

Rightmove have recorded rises in new London sellers’ asking prices in January for seven of the last nine years. This year’s increase has been assisted by upward price pressure resulting from a shortage of fresh property coming to market. Newly marketed properties in recorded in the January House Price Index were 5.4% down on the same period last year, and remain well-below pre-credit crunch levels of around 14,000. The heavy snow will have played some role in the low listing numbers, and it will be important to see to see to what extent figures bounce back in the next few weeks.

London House Prices Stabilise

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:52:00 +0000

London property reports may be showing mixed reviews at the moment, but there are indications that the level of completed house sales stabilised at the end of last year.

According to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' UK Housing Market survey, the number of sales completed by each surveyor stood at an average of 15.2 in the three months to December 2010, compared with 14.8 for the previous quarter.

However, some buyers were affected by the inclement weather towards the end of the year, while the lack of UK mortgage funding options remained a problem for some.
Robert Lazarus, director of residential sales at Paramount, said the outlook was not all bad for the housing market.

"So far this year we've seen that people are able to get mortgages in principle, but there have also been around 30 per cent of our buyers with cash funds purchasing property in the area," he pointed out.

"It is impossible to say what will happen over the next few months with mortgage lending but so far at Paramount we have had a successful January," he added.

London Property Market News

Residential Rental Property Management

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:21:00 +0000

Residential property management is not simply about finding a suitable tenant for your property. Full property management can be about ensuring the upkeep and maintenance of the property to a decent standard. It is also about ensuring that the mundane, but vital tasks are administered in a correct and timely manner.

Property Management can take the strain out of letting your property. Amongst other things property management services can include:

Arrange building insurance and negotiating premiums.
Administering insurance claims and subsequent rectification work.
Organise communal gardening.
Administering the payment of ground rent (if applicable).
Arrange regular cleaning of communal areas.
Organise the collection of resident's contributions each month.
Administer the accounts and deal with Companies House.
Organise regular meetings with residents or their representatives.

Paramount Properties are London property management experts providing solutions to any rental or tenancy problem. Whether you are an experienced or novice landlord owning 1 or 100 properties, we can help you by solving your rental or tenancy problems.

Building & Construction News; Green Issues

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 10:20:00 +0000

Green building & construction should be positively encouraged by the government, an expert has argued.David Green, CEO of HomeSun, an organisation that works to improve access to solar energy systems, said that government plans should push people toward making positive changes.

"People are very concerned about their initial outlay, even though the long-term benefit will be substantial," said Mr Green.

He added that the more government can do to help people overcome concerns about initial costs, the more investment would take place.

Mr Green suggested that it is important for the government to make long-term investments in the development of more energy-efficient properties.

His comments follow an announcement by energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne confirming the implementation of the Green Deal, designed to lead to improvements in the energy efficiency of properties across the country.

Aside from energy efficiency improvements, the Green Deal is designed to provide up to 100,000 new jobs by 2015.

Building & Construction News

Million Pound Property Sales Increase

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:14:00 +0000

There has been an increase in the number of properties sold for more than £1 million, the latest figures from Halifax have shown.The bank revealed that London saw the strongest growth in the number of properties sold for more than £1 million.

Growth of 134 per cent in the number of sales where London property prices exceeded £1 million was recorded in the first six months of this year, compared to the same period last year, the figures revealed.

Housing economist at Halifax Martin Ellis said: "The sizeable rise in the number of million pound properties sold over the past year has been driven by a small number of London neighbourhoods that continue to account for the vast majority of £1 million sales."

He added that overseas property buyers in London looking to capitalise on the relative weakness of sterling continue to support the sales of homes with a seven-figure price tag.

The research released in the Halifax Million Pound Property Report uses data from the Land Registry and Registers of Scotland.

London House Price News

Modern Apartment for Sale London W10

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:24:00 +0000

Aston Mews, 103 Kilburn Lane, London, W10

A modern apartment behind secure electric gating constructed approx 4 years ago and conveniently located for the Harrow Road and Queens Park for the Bakerloo and overground train links, local shops including a vast plethora of restaurants, cafes and bars and multiple bus routes into central London. The accommodation comprises a spacious "L" shaped lounge/dining room with a fully fitted modern kitchen and two excellent double bedrooms. In addition the flat offers a modern three piece bathroom, excellent quality double glazing and a gated secure private car park. This superb home should be viewed at the earliest possible opportunity.

London W10 Apartment for Sale

Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:21:00 +0000

Since 6 April 2007, all deposits taken by landlords for assured shorthold tenancies in England and Wales (the majority of tenancies), must be protected by a tenancy deposit protection scheme.

Landlords will have to participate in either a ‘custodial’ or ‘insured’ scheme and provide tenants with the contact details.

In the custodial scheme the tenant pays the deposit to the landlord who within 14 days must pass this on to the scheme. Also within 14 days the landlord must give the tenant the prescribed information (to be set out in secondary legislation) about the scheme being used.

At the end of the tenancy, if the landlord and tenant agree how the deposit should be divided, they will tell the scheme what they have agreed and the money will be paid out accordingly.

Should there be a dispute over the deposit, the scheme will hold the amount until the dispute resolution service or courts decide what is fair.

Interest accruing on deposits in the scheme will be used to pay for its running and any surplus will used to offer interest to the tenant, or to the landlord if the tenant is not entitled to repayment of the deposit.

In the insurances schemes the tenant pays the deposit to the landlord who retains this amount. However, the landlord must pay a premium to the insurer.

Click on the Link For Further Information on the Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Commercial Property Investments For Sale

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 06:25:00 +0000

Paramount Investments specialise in the sale, letting and disposal of all forms of Commercial Property in London. We can advise on Office & Industrial Properties, Shops & Restaurants and Development and Investment Propositions in London.

Whether you are buying a commercial property as a business, a property investment or to redevelop, our commercial property sales listings can save you time on property viewings, local research, due dilligence and conveyancing.

This property investments database offers hundreds of property investment opportunities for sale such as pubs, hotels, hostels, care homes, petrol stations, factories, churches, hospitals, post offices and other former public buildings.

Central London Property Investment News

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:10:00 +0000

Why property investment in Central London?

Property investors choose to invest their money in London property over the stock market for a number of reasons:

A property provides investors with a tangible asset

Property investments provide better capital growth returns on both long term and short term investments

The London property market is less volatile than the stock market

Investors in property have more control over their investments than they would investing in the stock market

Properly structured rental returns usually cover the day-to-day property costs and can provide pension incomes

Central London Property News

Property Management Holland Park, West London

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:31:00 +0000

Letting and property management agents provide a number of different types of services to landlords. The level of service will very often determine the amount they charge. Renting your property can be both time consuming and expensive.

There are a number of property management options and these are discussed in some detail. For maore information on Property Management in Holland Park, West London

Holland Park Lettings Agents: Lettings in London W8

noreply@blogger.com (London Estate Agents) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:00:00 +0000

During the 18th Century was best known for its racecourse. Today it is a very fashionable and smart place to live with tree lined streets, communal gardens, beautiful houses and upmarket bars and restaurants. It is extremely well located with direct Underground routes to the City and the West End, walking distance to the shops on Kensington High Street and easy access to both Holland Park and Hyde Park. It is also ideally situated for a quick exit from London with the M3, M4 and M40 being within a few minutes drive. The park itself has a Japanese Water Garden, woodlands and an open-air theatre playing a range of theatrical and operatic productions throughout the summer months.

Property prices are high and the houses are extremely varied in size and style, ranging from small mews cottages to large detached villas as well as an abundance of spacious apartments in converted, stucco-fronted houses.

The most beautiful park in West London, boasting elegant pavilions, wooded walks, a Japanese rock garden, adventure playground, football pitches and tennis courts, not to mention rabbits, ducks and peacocks.
The Commonwealth Institute sits on the same side of the park as High Street Kensington. This wonderful park is perfectly situated in the heart of West London, a short walk from the shops or a stroll in the other direction from the delights of Notting Hill. Holland Park is very large but quite carefully maintained and there is no more beautiful spot in London for a spot of sport, sunbathing or people watching.

In summer the park is also used for a series of spectacular operas and concerts.