Permission for a major regeneration of Brixton town centre was granted in 2015. A big part of this is the £50 million Your Nu Town Hall project. This will see the activities of Lambeth Council centralised in a new property, freeing up 11 other properties that they currently use. The move is expected to save the Council approximately £4.5 million each year thanks to the more efficient use of buildings and new facilities. Continue reading →

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is one which, if we’re all completely honest about it, is associated with the more wealthy members of society. To have an address there is usually a hallmark of a very successful business person or sports professional. It is not, in this regard, a part of London that one would usually associate with a need for social housing or council intervention in respect of securing homes for people. Continue reading →

The St. George’s Hospital site in Hornchurch, Havering has been earmarked for redevelopment since its closure in 2012. The 29 acres of land is currently vacant, with the old buildings left to deteriorate. There have been a number of planning applications to develop the site, including a failed attempt in 2015. The stumbling block was that the land is designated as Green Belt. Continue reading →

Harrow is a beautiful suburb in north west London and offers a multitude of attractions for families and first time buyers alike. The area got its name from the prestigious boys’ school and enjoyed a big increase in the number of homes in the area in the 19th century when it expanded. There are a number of large Victorian and Georgian houses from this period in the area. The larger ones are very attractive and highly sought. Continue reading →

For the last few years a lot of work has gone in to finding ways to boost the number of homes in London. This has included things like freeing up land owned by TfL and the office of the Mayor of London so that new building projects can take place. Alongside these there has been a relaxation of the rules dictating the transformation of office space to residential. Continue reading →

Enfield is proving to be a very popular area in London because of the great value for money it offers. There is big demand for homes, both in terms of sales and rentals. This creates an issue due to low supplies, causing prices to rise. The situation could ease a great deal in the coming years though, particularly with the announcement earlier in June that up to 10,000 new homes could be built in the Borough.

The Meridian Water site is very large, covering an impressive 85 hectares. It is strategically placed to offer fantastic accessibility to the City, Canary Wharf, and London airports. The project to develop the site will cost an expected £3.5 billion in total. It will include thousands of new homes, a brand new station and a wide array of facilities for the new neighbourhoods that are created.

Construction on the site is expected to begin in 2017 with phase one. The plan is for the first homes to be ready the following year, along with the completion of the new station and improvements to the infrastructure in the area. Work across the site may continue for up to twenty years after that to complete the project.

Meridian Water is a huge development and will completely transform Enfield in the future. There will be new homes, communities and facilities in the area when everything is completed. Alongside this the construction will stimulate the building industry and further jobs will be created in the future throughout the area.

At Finefair we keep a close eye on developments all across London so we can offer advice and guidance to our clients. The knowledge also helps us to refine our services, ensuring we are capable to meet a wide variety of needs. Whether it is property management or council leasing we have extensive experience and can offer the best support. There could be many opportunities for the latter when the new homes are built and we have an established relationship with Enfield Council already.

The first week of July will see the annual RICS Residential Property Conference take place. This is an event which would usually attract a great level of interest in itself, but the impact of the events of 2016 so far have made this year’s conference be held with near perfect timing. Whilst there are many current events which will impact the nature of what gets presented at the RICS conference, we will be paying close attention to a factor that remains as a constant – the need to address the lack of supply in the property sector needed to meet rising demand levels.

A key concern being discussed at the conference this year will be the fall in available property across London. Whilst the national picture has reflected a slight rise in available homes, the figure continues to fall in the capital city. One particular area which will come under focus is the City of Westminster. A month-to-month study has shown that the level of available property in this London Borough fell by some 33% in May 2016, with no indication that demand levels shall fall any time soon.

Rather than discuss the shortage of property available, the conference shall concentrate on the ways in which it can be successfully addressed. A presentation and open forum discussion is planned for looking at the ways in which the Private Rented Sector (PRS) can address the gap created by a lack of social housing. As our services build an important link between the PRS and the London Boroughs through services such as council leasing and estate management, we are delighted to see that our pioneering work in the field is getting wider recognition.

City of Westminster property owners are currently in an exceptional position to maximise the financial returns on their investment. With demand being high and supply levels low, significant yield margins are being forecast. Through our services of council leasing and estate management, property owners can access these preferable and assured yield margins in a way that works to suit them best. We provide a high level of return for you with a service that does not make demands of your own time and resources.

The new mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, exercised his power recently to protect Green Belt land in Bromley. Plans had been submitted that would have seen two blocks of flats and a football stadium built on a site in the Borough. The mayor stepped in to issue the block because of the status of the land and the fact that there was no plan for the homes that were being created to be designated as affordable housing.

The mayor has been in office since May 2016 and has already set out his stance on protecting Green Belt land and supporting the creation of affordable housing. The block on the plans for Bromley show that developments will be under more scrutiny now than they were under the previous administration. During that eight year tenure Boris Johnson only intervened to prevent planning permission on five occasions.

Bromley Council responded to the move by releasing a statement reaffirming its support for protecting Green Belt land. They stated that the plans had been approved because of the special circumstances and pointed to their track record as evidence of their support of conservation.

The block sends a strong message to developers targeting London. They will need to plan very carefully, ensuring they consider the status of the land they own and the impact that plans will have on the wider environment. On top of this they will also have to look close at affordable housing and ensure they are working to satisfy the needs of the market.

At Finefair we have a lot of experience with property investment. It is our aim to offer the best support to all of our clients, whether they own properties in Bromley or one of the other 32 London Boroughs. We are committed to satisfying their needs and offering support and services wherever we can.

Lloyds Bank recently released their list of the top 20 best places for young professionals to live in the UK. They conduct the research each year, tracking the areas that prove to be the most attractive for 25 to 44 year olds. The report is an interesting read, particularly when it comes to highlighting what attracts this group of people to specific areas.

One look at the list and you can tell that young professionals in the age bracket tend to be drawn to areas that offer a good combination of urban and suburban features. They want to have the amenities and infrastructure of a built up area alongside the space and freedom that comes from living away from the hustle and bustle.

For the second year in a row the most attractive area in the UK for young professionals is Hove. The location is favoured because it is on the south coast whilst still being within a 70 minute journey to central London. Its popular neighbour Brighton came seventh on the list.

The top 20 is dominated by destinations in the capital though, with 16 areas finding their way on to the list. Of these, 10 have an SW postcode. Wandsworth was the most highly regarded, coming second to Hove.

Wandsworth has a lot to offer to young professionals, including a fantastic infrastructure, close proximity to the prime areas to the north of the Thames such as Chelsea and Fulham, and an impressive number of green open spaces. The prices in the area are also good, particularly when you note the impressive location. There are good savings to be found in comparison to nearby Battersea.

At Finefair we are always looking for information about attractive areas so we can share it with our clients. We work with a number of landlords targeting young professionals so it is important that we have this knowledge in particular. It helps us to ensure we provide the right services, whether it is our estate management, lettings, or guaranteed rent.

When considering the challenges of property management in an area such of London as Tower Hamlets it would be fair to say that the building itself is the priority. Ultimately the purpose of what we do is, after all, to make sure that this is in the prime, prestige conditions which the owners have appointed us to ensure. There are times, however, when external factors and conditions have a significant bearing on being able to do this. A very significant example of this kind of external factor is going to be happening in October.

Tower Bridge is to be closed to vehicle traffic for three months as of October 2016. This is happening to allow for vital repair and reinforcement work to take place, and it is not a decision which the authorities have taken lightly. There is an awareness of the negative impact the move will have on London in general, with the Boroughs of Southwark and Tower Hamlets being most directly affected.

Whilst there’s an understanding that this short term inconvenience is vital to the long term stability and use of Tower Bridge, this in itself does not make the conditions for the last three months of the year any easier. However our position as a leading name for property management in the capital means we have the experience and understanding of how to work with disruptions like this. Our team are well prepared and completely ready to ensure that the comprehensive property management services we deliver will be provided as normal despite the disruptions.

Our close working relationship with the authorities of the London Borough of Tower Bridge has enabled us to plan ahead for how our services can be delivered in the area during these unfortunate yet understandable delays. We are in prime position to make absolutely certain that our client portfolios are managed to the expected standard, and we have the capacity to welcome new owners to experience the benefits of our professional services.

We all know that delays to life in London are as inevitable as they are unwelcome. They are something we all need to work with, and our comprehensive services are focused on doing exactly that.