RIGHT now, investing in a London home looks like a pretty smart move. Asking prices saw a 10 per cent increase last month and, with low deposit schemes like the government’s Help to Buy initiative, more people are looking to invest in a second property to lease. But the process can seem bewildering for first time investors. Here are some  recommendations to get you started.

WATERSIDE PARK, THE ROYAL DOCKS

As the regeneration plans for the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone progress, Barratt London’s Waterside Park development is conveniently placed next to what could become London’s third business district. Waterside Heights, the latest phase of Waterside Park, includes a mix of one and two bedroom apartments and three bedroom duplexes. Pontoon Dock DLR station is also on the doorstep providing transport links to Canary Wharf in 10 minutes and the City in 20 minutes. The Jubilee line is nearby and high-speed rail in the form of Crossrail is coming in 2018. Prices start from £352,500 for a two bedroom apartment.

RIVER WALK, KINGSTON-ON-THAMES

Redrow London’s River Walk development will feature 81 studio, one, and two bedroom apartments not far from the Thames, set among tree-lined footpaths. Residency comes with access to a communal rooftop garden and the development has been designed with young couples, first-time buyers and professionals in mind. Prices for a one bedroom apartment start from £199,950.

GREENLAND PLACE, GREENLAND DOCK

Barratt London’s Greenland Place in Deptford has 562 studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments spread over five low-rise buildings, as well as a 19-storey and a 22-storey tower. Greenland Place is a series of perimeter blocks, mewses, courtyards and squares. The development includes 6,500 sqm of commercial space, including a new business centre. Located next to Greenland Dock, the area is undergoing major regeneration, bringing new facilities and transport links. Greenland Place is just a short walk from Surrey Quays Overground station with connections to Canada Water, London Bridge, Canary Wharf and the City. Prices start from £284,000 for a one bed apartment.

NEW SOUTH QUARTER, CROYDON

The Royal Crescent is the latest phase at Barratt London’s New South Quarter development in Croydon offering one and two bedroom apartments just a short walk from Wandle Park tram station with connections to West and East Croydon railway stations. Each apartment features a balcony or terrace, many of which have riverside views. The development is next to Wandle Park and the River Wandle which, after having been lost underground for more than 40 years, is being brought back to the surface as part of a green regeneration scheme for the area. Prices start from £204,000 for a one bedroom apartment.

RENAISSANCE, LEWISHAM
Barratt London’s Renaissance development in Lewisham will be 788 new homes set around private landscaped gardens. It’s opposite the Lewisham DLR and rail station, with Greenwich five minutes away and London Bridge eight minutes away. Residents will also have access to The Glass Mill Leisure Centre. Just a short walk away, Lewisham high street has local produce markets and a choice of bars and restaurants. Sienna Alto is the latest phase to launch at Renaissance with 119 homes available, including one and two bedroom apartments and two bed duplexes. Prices start at £371,000 for a two bedroom flat.

THE SCHOOLYARD, WANDSWORTH
L&Q’s new development will bring 119 new homes to the site of a former school. Made up of one, two, and three bedroom apartments, these homes are situated in the desirable and leafy borough of Wandsworth. The new homes are a short walk away from Wandsworth Town station with excellent links into central London for work. Homes will be close to shops, restaurants, venues and popular green spaces such as Wandsworth Common, Tooting Common and the Thames bankside are also nearby. Prices for a one bedroom apartment start from
£335,000.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THESE PLEASE CONTACT US.

GREAT Portland has joined forces with Hong Kong’s central bank to develop a scheme that will sit next to Crossrail’s new Bond Street Station.

The West End developer said yesterday it will sell properties that form part of Hanover Square in Mayfair to the joint venture fund, GHS Limited Partnership, for £202m.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), which makes investments through a $378bn fund that backs Hong Kong’s currency, is the latest in a wave of Asian investors moving into the London property market due to its safe haven appeal.
Over £4.7bn worth of deals occurred during the third quarter of 2013, with 22 per cent (£1bn) coming from Asian investors. Great Portland has planning consent to turn the 1.3 acre site into 208,000 square feet of offices, shops, restaurant and homes. The site is part-owned by Crossrail and work on the scheme is due to start in 2015 once Crossrail has finished building part of the Crossrail station there.

Source: CItyAM

OFFICIAL figures yesterday showed that the net supply of housing in England this year rose by the lowest number since records began over a
decade ago.
Net additions rose by just 124,270 in 2012-2013, a fall of eight per cent since 2011-12 and 44 per cent below the 2007-08 peak, according to the
figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government.
The rise is the lowest since the series began in 2000-01 when net housing supply increased for seven consecutive years before beginning to decline.
The largest component of net supply was new build completions, which made up 95 per cent of the net change in homes. The picture varied across England. London presented a mixed picture, with 18 out of 33 London boroughs showing some level of decrease compared to 2011-12 and 15 having increases.

The data was released ahead of figures today from LSL Property Services showing property transactions in October were the highest for that
month since 2007.
Over 79,000 properties were sold during the month, which marked the fourth consecutive monthly rise. Transactions are up 24 per cent
across England and Wales between the third quarter in 2012 and the same three months this year, with increases in sales recorded across the
country.
In terms of prices, greater London leads the pack, with prices up by 7.9 per cent in the year to October. The strongest increase was registered in
the City, where homes are selling for a colossal 34.8 per cent more.
According to the group, house prices overall rose by 4.3 per cent in the year to last month, the second fastest pace recorded in the year so
far. Prices are 0.6 per cent higher than they were in September alone, rising while incomes stay largely flat.

Source: CityAM

We are delighted to announce that over the last two weeks we have received offers on a number of our clients’ properties which have been accepted. This includes apartments in the ArtHouse, Lincoln Plaza, CityScape and Lanterns Court.

We currently have access to a range of other high quality opportunities across London. Examples include:

Kings Cross- one bed apartment in the Tapestry (due to complete in 2015) and ArtHouse (completing shortly)

Canary Wharf- a range of completed units with tenants in place in Lanterns Court and a 1 & a 2 bed apartment in Lincoln Plaza (completing in 2015)

St Johns Wood- a new development on Abbey Road and one on Alexandra Road (completing in 2014)

Bloomsbury- a completed studio in a refurbished block (Albany House)

Elephant & Castle- a completed penthouse apartment (The Printworks)

Regents Park- completed apartments in the Atrium development and apartments in Cleveland Street

City Road- one, two and three bed apartments in the Lexicon development (completing in 2014), a one bedroom apartment in Bezier (completed) and a one bed apartment in Canaletto (completing in 2015)

Camden- one and two bed apartments in Regents Canalside (completing shortly)

Kennington– one, two and three bed units in a new development

The City- a new development of two bedroom apartments due to complete in 2014, Royal Mint Gardens (completing 2017), studio apartments in Avant Garde, apartments in One Lambs Passage and St Dunstans

One Tower Bridge– one and three bedroom apartments

London Bridge- one and two bed units in new developments at London Bridge and along the South Bank

Maida Vale/ Queen’s Park- apartments in Carlton Place (a newly completed development)

Wapping- a completed two bedroom apartment with stunning views of Canary Wharf in the 21 Wapping Lane development

Mayfair– apartments in new developments

Battersea- a stunning apartment in the Riverlight development due to complete in 2015.

In addition we have access to a range of development sites and properties in need of refurbishment.

Should you want additional information on any of the above, or alternatively if you are looking for a property but none of the above meet your requirements, please contact us. We have a range of other properties not included in the list above.

We look forward to helping you,
Christian

Partner, Property Inside London

Email: Christian@propertyinsidelondon.com

Website: www.propertyinsidelondon.com

We are delighted to have been appointed to sell units in each of CityScape and Lincoln Plaza.

CITYSCAPE is a new development ideally located for the City. It is a secure development with facilities and built to a high quality. This is a rare opportunity to purchase a one bedroom apartment in the development. Aldgate East underground station is within 100m walking distance. The development is due to complete in spring 2015. PRICE: £485,000 STC.

LINCOLN PLAZA is an iconic new development in Canary Wharf located moments away from local transport and within five minutes’ walk of the Canary Wharf shopping and office blocks. The development has a range of facilities and should benefit from the ongoing development of the surrounding area. The development is due to complete in Q1 2015 (estimate). This is a one bedroom apartment. PRICE: £365,000 STC

For those looking for a completed unit and secure income, we also have access to a number of rented units in CANARY WHARF. These are not generally available. The units are fully furnished and are purchased with the tenants in place. PRICE: FROM £380,000 STC.

As big players from Brunei bid to buy Queensway, Jonathan Prynn on how the gas-rich state and its equally small but powerful Gulf rival, Qatar, are taking over the capital’s top property assets (source: Evening Standard)

Investors from the sultanate — which has a population that would barely fill Bristol — have emerged as the main backers of a £1 billion scheme to snap up the whole of Queensway in west London’s Bayswater.

It is not the country’s first foray into prime London property — the Brunei Investment Agency already owns the Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair and its sister hotel 45 Park Lane, and more purchases are expected.

Both countries were once coloured pink as mini-possessions within the British Empire. Qatar was a British protectorate until 1971 while Brunei gained independence in 1984. Now the two former colonial outposts — the 100-mile long Arabian peninsula and the even teenier fragment of a south-east Asian island — are carving up the capital of the country they once called the motherland.

How big — or small — is it?

Qatar
About half the size of Wales, with a population a quarter of London’s. More than 90 per cent is barren, featureless desert and half of its people are crammed into the capital, Doha, on the east coast.

Brunei
Minuscule — makes Qatar look like a geographical colossus. Covers an area no bigger than Norfolk and is mainly dense tropical rainforest. The capital is Bandar Seri Begawan.

Could you find it on a map?

Qatar
Not easy. But see the bit sticking out into the Arabian Gulf just below Bahrain and opposite Iran? It’s there.

Brunei
Even harder. Often confused with Bahrain, or Bhutan. It occupies two unconnected slivers on the coast of Borneo, the biggest island of the Indonesian archipelago, east of Singapore. First find Borneo, then zoom in on its Malaysian half. See the enclave on the north coast? That’s it.

Who runs it?

Qatar
One extended family. The Harrow and Sandhurst-educated eighth Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, took over the throne occupied by his dynasty since 1825 when his father unexpectedly abdicated in June. The seventh Sheikh, said to be worth about £2 billion, had earned the nickname “London’s landlord” because of the extraordinary buying spree during his reign that was largely orchestrated by his second cousin  — former Qatari prime minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. The ex-PM is said to own a triplex apartment at the top of one of the towers of One Hyde Park, the luxury block largely funded with Qatari money.

Brunei
Like Qatar, it is a family affair. The ruler is the 29th Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, who is also its first prime minister, and, yes, also trained at Sandhurst. As in Qatar he got the gig when his father abdicated, although in his case it was in 1967. Lives a life of unfathomable opulence with his wife Pengiran Anak Saleha in the 17,888-room Istana Nurul Iman palace, said to be the biggest single family residence ever built. His personal fortune is estimated at more than £10 billion, making him the world’s second richest head of state.

What do they own in London?

Qatar
The Qatari state shopping bag has been filled with such a remarkable collection of prizes that it has earned the capital the nickname Londoha. As well as its most famous department store, its tallest building and its most expensive block of flats, Qatari wealth was behind the Olympic Village, the £1 billion Chelsea Barracks site, the Canary Wharf property empire that includes the Docklands financial district, the Walkie Talkie tower in the City and the Shell Centre on the Thames. The Qatari Investment Authority also has a 20 per cent holding in the London Stock Exchange and, through its ownership of a 20 per cent stake in property company Chelsfield, interests in Camden Market and the former Commonwealth Institute building in Kensington.

Brunei
Mere window shoppers compared with the Qataris — for now. Little is known about the activities of the Brunei Investment Agency. Its best known London asset is the Dorchester hotel, which includes the three Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse restaurant, bought in 1987. It also owns nearby boutique hotel 45 Park Lane, home to Wolfgang Puck’s CUT restaurant. The Sultan’s younger brother Prince Jefri once owned the Bond Street jeweller Asprey. It emerged this week that Brunei money is behind the extraordinary swoop on Queensway, the half-mile-long drag in Bayswater developers want to turn into a smart new “Covent Garden of the west”. The Sultan has denied any direct involvement and the money is rumoured to have come from one of his ex-wives, London-based former stewardess Hajah Mariam.

Where do they get their money from?

Qatar
Qatar sits on 14 per cent of the world’s natural gas reserves, third behind only Russia and Iran. Annual production of more than 157 billion cubic meters gives the Qataris a financial firepower that can outgun countries many times its size. It’s also a major oil producer but it won’t last for ever, and Qatar is reinvesting its revenues in timeless assets, such as London property, that will be around when the wells run dry.

Brunei
Ditto but on a slightly smaller scale. It is the fourth-largest producer of liquefied natural gas in the world at around 10 billion cubic metres a year and is the third biggest oil producer in south-east Asia. But proven oil and gas reserves will start to run out over the coming 30 to 40 years. Oil and gas accounts for 50 per cent of GDP and 90 per cent of exports. Buying up swathes of London might look an attractive diversification.

Should we worry?

Qatar
The Qataris like to keep a low profile and are usually seen as good long- term investors. They are sensitive to criticism — state-owned developer Qatari Diar withdrew its Richard Rogers-designed plans for Chelsea Barracks when Prince Charles wrote to his friend and then Qatari prime minister to complain.
A more irritating side to the Qatari love affair with London are the lurid “glow in the dark” supercars that junior members of the Thani family like to put through their paces on the streets of Knightsbridge.
Although Qatar’s human rights record is far from the worst in the Gulf region, there are concerns. The world’s largest trade union confederation, ITUC, has said the conditions of the migrant workers who represent 90 per cent of Qatar’s labour force were close to “modern-day slavery”.

Brunei
Even more camera-shy than the Qataris. The country is stable but most of the bad headlines of recent years have been generated by the Sultan’s “black sheep” younger brother, Prince Jefri , whose almost comically extravagant playboy lifestyle led him to being virtually exiled from Brunei. The father of 18 was said to be burning through $50 million a month at the height of his spending and owned five yachts, one named Tits, with tenders called Nipple One and Nipple Two.
The Sultan is effectively an absolute monarch and political rights are extremely restricted under a 1962 state of emergency which is still in existence today. However, his regime is seen as largely benign and abuses of human rights are rare.

Useless fact

Qatar
One of the worst places in the world for men to look for female love. Huge influxes of migrant workers mean three-quarters of the population are men, of whom two-thirds, not surprisingly, are officially classified at bachelors.

Brunei
Brunei has the world’s highest level of car ownership, with 691 cars per 1,000 people. The average is lifted a bit by the Sultan, who owns around 5,000 vehicles, including 130 Rolls-Royces.

Property area guide on City of London with average property prices, current houses and flats for sale, best streets, up-and-coming areas and commuting times

City of London new homes news: apartments on the top six floors of The Heron – the City’s largest new homes development – are currently being released, and Berkeley Homes is converting Roman House into 90 flats.

Best-rated schools: there are mainly private schools within the City of London, although the one state primary school is judged ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Renting guide to the City of London: despite high prices, renting within the square mile is a popular option for professionals and sharers who want to walk to work.

During the Second World War, much of the City of London was wiped out by German bombs. Cripplegate ward was flattened, leaving only 48 residents. So in the late Fifties the City of London Corporation built Barbican there, one of London’s largest housing estates. The fortress-like estate’s concrete brutalist towers are humanised by a landscape of waterfalls, a lake, private gardens, an arts centre and a medieval church.

The City vies with New York for the title of the world’s leading financial centre. It’s a townscape dominated by streets of office blocks and landmark towers — not a place that encourages residents. The Square Mile has fewer than 8,000 residents — most of them living in Barbican — and over the next decade it doesn’t expect the number to grow beyond 10,000.

It remains a “city within a city”, with its own system of local government that dates back to medieval times, when the craft guilds controlled trade. Today their successors, the powerful livery companies, still hold sway, electing the Lord Mayor of London. The City is the only council in the country where the business community retains the right to vote in local elections, a franchise that was swept away elsewhere in the Sixties.

Houses and flats for sale in the City of London
Most homes are concentrated in Barbican, but in the small enclave of streets between Blackfriars and St Paul’s, and in Smithfield, there are warehouse apartments and flats above commercial premises. Barbican homes range in price from £325,000 for a studio to £2.25 million for a five-bedroom house. Frank Harris, the only estate agent with a Barbican branch, is selling a four-bedroom house with a roof terrace in The Postern for £2.25 million.

The Grade II-listed Golden Lane Estate on the western edge of Barbican was built as social housing by the City of London. Like Barbican, it was designed by Chamberlin Powell & Bon. Now around half the flats are privately owned and are popular with the design-conscious. Prices here start at about £275,000 for a studio. A two-bedroom flat sells for around £550,000 to £600,000, compared with £750,000 to £800,000 at Barbican.

The City also extends to a small area east of Bishopsgate around Petticoat Lane market, where there are flats available above commercial premises. Petticoat Tower, a Sixties brutalist block also built as social housing by the City of London, has a raised communal garden, and leasehold apartments here are among the cheapest in the neighbourhood. Two-bedroom flats sell for about £325,000.

In Middlesex Street, 85 new council flats are being built, the first new social housing since the Sixties. The keys to the first 24 were recently handed over. A total of 237 new social housing flats are planned before the end of 2016.

Travel: almost every London Underground line passes through the City and there are six mainline train stations: Liverpool Street, Moorgate, Cannon Street, Fenchurch Street, Farringdon and Blackfriars. The new Crossrail link will have stations at Farringdon and Liverpool Street. All stations are in Zone 1 and an annual travelcard costs £1,216.

The area attracts: with many traders at their desks by 7am, many homes here are pieds-à-terre inhabited only during the working week. However, Tina Evans of Frank Harris said Barbican is home to a surprising number of families. “There are good nurseries and schools and I know families who share nannies. We also get downsizers who like the culture at the Barbican Centre — and living on one level.”

Staying power: Tina Evans says there is a lot of movement within the Barbican and she often finds herself brokering swaps with people wanting a larger flat or house swapping with someone wanting something smaller.

Postcodes: The Barbican is in EC2 that also includes Bank, Liverpool Street and Broadgate; Smithfield is in EC1; Aldgate, the area around the Lloyd’s building is in EC3; and from Mansion House to St Paul’s to Blackfriars it is EC4.

Best roads: In the City is it more the best tower blocks and on the Barbican it is the towers with the best views: Cromwell faces south west, while Shakespeare and Lauderdale face south west.

Up-and-coming areas: the Golden Lane Estate is often referred to as the poor man’s Barbican; flats here are cheaper and the quality of design is high.

The Grand Café in the central atrium at the Royal Exchange is one of the most impressive spaces in the City where shoppers can enjoy everything from a coffee to a cocktail to a full meal before shopping at the likes of Boodle, Bulgari, Hermes, Gucci, Smythsons or Tiffany.

At One New Change there are over 60 shops and restaurants on three floors in a building designed by award-winning French architect, Jean Nouvel. Here there are branches of high street brands H&M, Top Shop, Banana Republic, Reiss and Karen Millen.

Jamie Oliver’s grill restaurant Barbecoa and Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Kitchen are here. There are three one-star Michelin restaurants: Pascal Aussignac’s Club Gascon in West Smithfield specialising in food from the south west of France; Gary Rhodes’ Rhodes Twenty Four on the twenty fourth floor of Tower 42 in Old Broad Street and Galvin La Chapelle in Spital Square.

Leisure and the arts: Barbican Centre, a world-class facility with a concert hall, two theatres, cinemas and art gallery, is home to the London Symphony Orchestra. The Museum of London charts the capital’s history in objects from a Roman “bikini” to a suitcase carried by a Turkish-Cypriot refugee in the Seventies.

Other museums include the Bank of England, the Clockmakers’ Museum, the Barts Hospital museum and the Guildhall Art Gallery.

Council: City of London Corporation (the councillors and aldermen sit as independents). Band D council tax for the 2013/2014 year is £943.39.

Value trends UK comparison: 2008-2013