Central St Martins gives King's Cross the edge
Central St Martins' new campus is fizzing and the first of 2,000 homes are launched, as 67 acres of King's Cross becomes London's hottest district.
Property insider: Kingston upon Thames
There is something of a buy-to-let boom quietly rumbling away in Kingston upon Thames, the family favourite south-west London suburb. We get the property lowdown.
Spotlight on Stoke Newington
Young professionals and families are attracted to "Stokey" by the mainly Victorian housing stock and the neighbourhood's arty and bohemian vibe.
Spotlight on Harpenden
Close to woods and parkland, with good links to London, this small town has a lot to offer those looking to start a new life out of the city.
Design trends: loving red
We've found five red-hot gifts and gadgets to let your Valentine know that home is where the heart is.
Find a rated tradesman
Want to add value to your property, make your house a home, or sell your place fast? With 1,000s of tradesmen nationwide, rated and recommended by previous customers, this is the smart way to find a reputable tradesman.
Buy of the week: Streatham Hill
On leafy Downton Avenue in SW2, plenty of family space can be yours for £550,000 at this Edwardian home. There are four bedrooms and a convertible loft space, and the open-plan kitchen/breakfast room has French windows to a good-size garden.
Swap of the week: Dalwood, Devon
Cosy up by woodburning stoves or cook a feast in the vaulted kitchen/breakfast room of this 18th-century thatch for £525,000. Three bedrooms overlook cottage gardens and a timber studio makes a perfect home office.
Life-changer: St Erth Praze, Cornwall
Tregenhorne Farm (£550,000) has four acres of paddocks, stables and valley views, minutes from Cornwall's north coast. You can run your own equestrian business from the garden office and the four-bedroom home has a country kitchen with an Aga.
Spotlight on Harpenden
Close to woods and parkland, with good links to London, this small town has a lot to offer those looking to start a new life out of the city.
Property search
Beating the winter budget
By Alex Sheridan
High-end homebuyers and second-property owners may be able to sidestep potential tax threats in the pre-Budget report (PBR) on 9 December 2009 by taking action now, suggest accountants.Estate agents and lenders are pushing for a longer stamp duty “holiday” on homes under £175,000. But any further concession could come at the expense of an increase in stamp duty from four to five per cent for £500,000-plus properties which may take effect from the PBR.
Buy-to-let threats: for landlords selling off buy-to-let investments that are subject to capital gains tax (CGT) exchange contracts without delay. CGT was reduced to a flat 18 per cent last year, but could be pushed up to 25 per cent or higher. It could even be worth increasing a mortgage on a buy-to-let before the PBR, in case tax relief on loan interest is scrapped on new loans.
Flipping, MP-style: “flipping” of homes to avoid CGT could face a clampdown. Owners of two or more properties who haven’t yet registered for this tax break should do so before 9 December. By nominating a second home as your “principal private residence” (PPR) temporarily the property becomes CGT-free for the three years of ownership before its sale.
More articles
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Greenwich gets an Olympic-size beach
Greenwich Beach, set to be the longest artificial city beach in Europe, will open in May with an Olympic-size volleyball court and plans for a restaurant and live events stage catering for crowds of up to 5,000.
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Property insider: Kingston upon Thames
There is something of a buy-to-let boom quietly rumbling away in Kingston upon Thames, the family favourite south-west London suburb. We get the property lowdown.
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Central St Martins gives King's Cross the edge
Central St Martins' new campus is fizzing and the first of 2,000 homes are launched, as 67 acres of King's Cross becomes London's hottest district.
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London's oldest streets offer today's hottest opportunities
The City's fringe districts have moved with the times for 1,000 years. Now they are ready for spectacular change.
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Property insider: Westminster
Westminster has many prized homes that command premium prices, but as there is still value available in this central London location, a growing number of home buyers are discovering SW1 and its superb transport links.
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Olympic rentals let-down
In some London boroughs it will be illegal to let your home during the Games. And even 'approved' landlords face making slim profits.
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The Shard is at the sharp end of London's rapidly shifting cityscape
Apartments in the Shard will set new price records as Europe's tallest tower moves the city's centre of gravity eastward.
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Diary of an estate agent: Notting Hill
This week, a Notting Hill agent looks for an answer as to why the basement of a large home in W11 is half filled in with concrete.
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Plan ahead in disputes over extenstions
Our neighbours have just been granted planning permission to build an extension on the side of their house that will have quite an impact on our property. We would have ojected but had no idea they had made an application. Is there anything we can do now?
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Mortgage costs fall to an eight-year low
Mortgage payments for first-time buyers are at their lowest for eight years thanks to record low interest rates, with competition among lenders driving down the cost of borrowing.
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