Transition to eco homes hotting up With climate issues becoming ever more urgent, policymakers and the housing industry are increasingly turning their attention to sustainable property development. Making homes greener will play an important part in the UK’s efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050: new and existing homes together account for 20% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. As Read More
Commercial Property Review – August 2021
Investment in student accommodation nears £2bn in H1 The latest data from Knight Frank shows that investor appetite for purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) was strong in H1, despite the sector being adversely impacted by the pandemic, with restrictions limiting international travel and disrupting study for a large proportion of students. The sector is in a strong position to bounce back Read More
Economic Review July 2021
UK growth forecast upgraded The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sharply increased this year’s growth forecast for the UK, although recent data does suggest the country’s strong economic rebound has begun to slow down. In its latest assessment of global economic prospects, the IMF highlighted a worrying divergence in fortunes between rich and poor nations, due to differing access to Read More
Residential Property Review – July 2021
Building Safety Bill published Claiming “the biggest changes to building safety in nearly 40 years“, Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, said that the Building Safety Bill will set out a clear pathway for the future as to how residential buildings should be constructed and maintained. The Bill was published on 5 July to set out new and more stringent requirements for Read More
Commercial Property Market Review – July 2021
Moratorium on commercial evictions extended The government has announced an extension to the moratorium on commercial eviction due to rent arrears until 25 March 2022. The scheme has been extended to give hospitality businesses and nightclubs, which have operated under restrictions for the entirety of the pandemic, and which came under increasing pressure when the planned 21 June date for Read More
Is IHT change on the cards?
It’s been three years since then-Chancellor Philip Hammond asked the Office of Tax Simplification to look into potential amendments to the Inheritance Tax (IHT) regime1. Since then, no changes have been made to the tax incurred when wealth passes onto the next generation; could Rishi Sunak be the one to take up the mantle once more?2 A significant, pandemic-shaped deficit Read More
Economic Review June 2021
MPC maintains monetary stance Following its latest meeting held on 22 June, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) judged that the existing monetary stance remains appropriate, despite inflation rising above the Bank of England’s target level. Data released last month by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) 12-month rate – which compares prices in the Read More
Residential Property Review – June 2021
Renting less expensive than buying a property Research from estate agency Hamptons, suggests that renters are better off than buyers for the first time in five years. The study found that, just prior to the pandemic in March 2020, the average buyer with a 10% deposit was better off than renters by £102 per month. In May 2021, however, buyers Read More
