Welcome to our weekly update giving you the key stories, breaking news and topical analysis from the past week up to today, 4 May 2018.
The exodus from London continues as people seek opportunities elsewhere, while one architect has caused a stir with controversial comments about property size for millennials. The private rented sector is receiving heavy investment, particularly in the north-west, and blockchain is still a buzzword in property. Here are seven stories you might have missed this week…
1. Workers are flocking to the north as living in London becomes too pricey
One city’s loss is another’s gain as it emerges that more than a quarter of companies in London have seen staff leave because of the housing crisis – and many are bringing their skills to the more affordable north. To read the full story, click here.
2. Does size matter? Not to househunting millennials, says architect
Controversial comments from a London-based architect who believes that busy millennials only need hotel room-sized flats to live in has sparked debate over whether minimum home sizes should be scrapped. To read the full story, click here.
3. Investors are committing more money than ever to private rented sector
Specialist property investment in the UK increased by 40% last year compared to 2016 to reach a record £17.7bn, with investors spending the most in the country’s rapidly rising private rented sector. To read the full story, click here.
4. How blockchain could change everything for the property market
The word “blockchain” first rose to prominence amid the soaring Bitcoin prices last year which created overnight millionaires across the world, but the revolutionary technology can be used for a lot more than just currency trading. To read the full story, click here.
5. Top home improvements that really add value to your property
While many homeowners choose to up sticks and move when they want to upgrade or upsize the property they live in, huge numbers are choosing instead to renovate their existing homes – but upgrades can be costly and not all will add value to your property. To read the full story, click here.
6. Buy-to-let mortgage products reach an all-time high
The buy-to-let market has undergone some significant changes over the past year, posing a number of challenges for landlords and requiring both landlords and lenders to rethink their options. To read the full story, click here.
7. Property investment in north-west doubles to almost £1bn
Commercial property market activity in the north-west has gone from strength to strength in recent years as investors recognise the value of some of the north’s key areas, and investment is now at a record high. To read the full story, click here.
