International News

Property market on course for its busiest year since 2007, as new data defies expectations in ‘race for space’ The total value of homes sold in the UK is expected to reach £461bn this year, a jump of 46% on 2020, indicating the current housing market boom is likely to continue, according to a new prediction. The property website Zoopla said its projections indicated the property market in 2021 was on course to be the busiest for 14 years. Its figures come on the bac...

There has been a 62% year-on-year rise in the number of international landlords choosing to register as a limited company to manage their portfolios, according to the latest research from property investment specialists, Thirlmere Deacon. Further analysis shows that during 2020, there were a record number of new limited companies set up, with 228,743 buy-to-let firms up and running. Last year, there were a total of 41,700 buy-to-let incorporations, an increase of 23% on 2019. The number...

City centre locations and flats are staging a comeback in the housing market, with the easing of restrictions helping drive demand. There are signs of buyer demand in city centres and for smaller properties bouncing back, according to an analysis of over 1.6 million properties from the UK’s biggest property website Rightmove. Buyer demand is measured by the number of people contacting estate agents to request more details about a property for sale on Rightmove. Data gathered sh...

Real estate consultant's data highlights that buyers from the GCC are currently ranked third most prominent in the UK. Investors from the Middle East are beginning to return to the UK’s property market. According to real estate consultancy Knight Frank, 16 percent of all sales to overseas buyers in the first three months of 2021 were to Middle Eastern buyers, up from less than 10 percent in the second and third quarters of last year. “This is the highest proportion o...

The number of mortgage deals available to consumers increased by 85 between April and May, according to new data from Moneyfacts. According to the organisation, which has just released its Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report, the number of deals available rose from 3,842 in April to 3,927. The vast majority of those deals were for those with a five per cent deposit, up from 34 deals in April to 112 in May, following the government’s announcement that it would help people with...

EXCLUSIVE: A stunning interactive map reveals Britain's Japanese knotweed hotspots The plant is very strong and can break through brick, concrete and walls and decreases house prices by 10% Data from removal experts reveals around one in 20 houses in Britain is affected by the plant Bolton is the worst affected place in the country, followed by Bristol, St Helens, Cardiff and Blackburn Japanese knotweed is a devastating invasive plant which can break through concrete...

The UK economy will enjoy its fastest growth in more than 70 years in 2021 as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, according to the Bank of England. The economy is expected to expand by 7.25% this year, with extra government spending helping to limit job losses. However, it follows a contraction of 9.9% in 2020, the biggest in 300 years. Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, said the recovery was "strong" but likened it to "more of a bounce back" than a boom. He added that...

Chinese investors have stakes in key infrastructure firms such as Thames Water Heathrow and UK Power Networks also have Chinese stakeholders, reports say There is also reportedly at least £57billion Chinese investment in FTSE 100 firms Of £134billion total, £44billion said to be from Chinese state-owned companies However Sunday Times reports total investment may be higher than £134billion Chinese investors have spent at least £134billion on UK ...