In today’s autumn statement by the chancellor, it was announced that foreigners who buy second homes would now be liable to pay Capital Gains Tax on profits from April 2015. This basically brings the tax rules in line with what UK residents have to pay. This is typically a 28% tax on any rise in […]

As you are probably aware some Lib Dem and Labour politicians have called for a Mansion Tax to be levied on expensive UK properties. No-one has offered any details on how such a tax would be implemented or indeed at what price level. However, the general consensus is that it would be levied on properties […]

We warned recently that we can expect a lot of “talk” from politicians over the coming months as each party tries to cosy up to voters before the election. As said, it was likely that property in London is likely to become a topic for debate and the target of some “easy wins” for the […]

You may have noticed the explosion in news coverage on London property prices when Rightmove announced that average  “prices were up £50,000” in the month from mid-September”. Yes, it is frightening. Not the price rise – which is complete rubbish – but the fact that there can be an explosion in the coverage of house […]

Last month the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors suggested the government or bank of England should cap house price inflation at 5 percent a year. Unsurprisingly this was met with universal scorn from the housing industry, estate agents et al and indeed Martin Taylor, an external member of the FPC, said in a speech last […]

The papers and news are full of stories about how the London property market continues to soar and how it is outperforming the rest of the UK (not to mention other markets). However, as with most statistics this only tells part of the story. Yes, good quality properties under £2m are increasing in value rapidly […]

Foxtons, one of London’s better known and least loved estate agents, has just floated on the London stock market. The IPO was snapped up with great zeal and the shares are currently trading at twenty times earnings according to Reuters. Foxtons was last sold in 2007 for c. £450m by John Hunt, the founder, to […]

The big talking point at the moment is whether the property market is a bubble. The latest fuel to the fire is the news that London house prices have risen 9.7% over the past year. This figure is far too general to be of much use to anyone as are most statistics on property. For […]

Here at Property Finders London, we are big fans of free markets and think that government intervention should be avoided wherever possible. This is in direct contrast with most politicians who think it is vital that they “manage” the economy, basically so that they can get re-elected. Unfortunately this has never ever worked over the […]