Embassy exodus returns acres of central London to its residents
As the embassies exit Mayfair and Marylebone, their former bases will free up stunning family homes. While the move of many embassies to Nine Elms at Vauxhall is creating a new residential quarter including thousands of new apartments.
Fast new commuter routes are changing London's property map
Regeneration throughout London continues to change the property map, with the orbital train network and recent Tube line extensions creating faster commuter routes with good-value homes, including Deptford, Bromley and Woolwich.
Brighton spotlight
The East Sussex city of Brighton and Hove offers its residents the best of both worlds: a relaxed life at one end of the line within an hour's commute of London, and a good mix of Regency terrace houses, seafront apartments and family homes.
Canterbury spotlight
The compact city of Canterbury sits 60 miles south-east of London in Kent. In recent years its property market has been boosted by a high-speed rail service into St Pancras, which cuts the journey time to the capital to less than an hour.
Chelsea Flower Show preview 2013
This year the RHS Chelsea Flower Show promises to be suitably fabulous as it celebrates its centenary year with stunning gardens, including the Forget-me-Not Garden by B&Q and Prince Harry's charity.
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: Stoke Newington, N16
This modern home of almost 1,000sq ft is close to Stoke Newington's high street. A 27ft reception room and two large bedrooms give the flat a spacious feel.
Out of town: Tetbury, Gloucestershire
The beauty spot of Leighterton, with its poppy fields, ivy-covered churches and popular local gastro pub, is home to this four-bedroom house with stone-walled gardens.
Life-changer: Dolwyddelan, Conwy
Have a station all to yourself by buying the Old Station Master's house at Roman Bridge, where trains will stop at your door on request. You also get three bedrooms and 10 acres of grounds.
Oxford spotlight
The small city of Oxford is famous for its university and honeyed stone architecture, but its huge range of property - from affordable new homes to luxurious Victorian houses - and one hour commute to London, are big attractions to home buyers.-
Buy of the week: Stoke Newington, N16
This modern home of almost 1,000sq ft is close to Stoke Newington's high street. A 27ft reception room and two large bedrooms give the flat a spacious feel. -
Out of town: Tetbury, Gloucestershire
The beauty spot of Leighterton, with its poppy fields, ivy-covered churches and popular local gastro pub, is home to this four-bedroom house with stone-walled gardens. -
Life-changer: Dolwyddelan, Conwy
Have a station all to yourself by buying the Old Station Master's house at Roman Bridge, where trains will stop at your door on request. You also get three bedrooms and 10 acres of grounds.
Property search
Cheap home loans for grown-ups
By David Spittles
The lowest-ever five-year, fixed-rate mortgage deals have been launched, giving homebuyers a compelling reason to peg their borrowing costs until 2017.HSBC and Santander are offering 2.99 per cent, lower than most two-year fixed rates on the market, as well as being lower than many lenders’ standard variable rates.
The rate cuts follow the Treasury’s “funding for lending” scheme which lets banks make more cash available to small businesses and households.
Previously the best five-year fix was Clydesdale’s 3.79 per cent. Other lenders are expected to trim their deals but experts believe the new record low is unlikely to be beaten.
“The euro crisis could easily result in money markets freezing again. For those keen to sign up for a fixed rate, any opportunities should be grabbed,” says Ray Boulger of broker John Charcol.
Most borrowers currently paying a standard variable rate are guaranteed to save money by switching to the new deal, plus they can guard against future base rate increases. However, borrowers need to have a deposit or equity of at least 40 per cent to qualify for the deals. This rules out most first-time buyers. There is also an upfront booking fee of £1,499, which can be added to the mortgage.
Santander has also unveiled other fixed rate deals, including a three-year fixed rate at 2.99 per cent for borrowers who do not want to commit beyond the medium term. Royal Bank of Scotland offers a five-year fix rate of 4.79 per cent to first-time buyers with a 10 per cent deposit.
NatWest has also launched a 2.95 per cent five-year fix. This comes with a much higher arrangement fee of £2,495, but remortgages qualify for a free valuations and free legal fees, which minimises costs for borrowers switching from another lender.
These headline-grabbing rates are only available for loans up to 60 per cent of the property’s value. The fixed rates for higher loan values are at least one per cent higher. Nationwide building society offers a five-year fix at 3.29 per cent on loans up to 70 per cent of value.
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New homes in London's Zone 1 on a Zone 2 budget
Our exclusive research shows a "price wall" formed by the Northern line, with property values to the east less than half those in the west. We reveal the emerging lower-value districts in Zone 1 for buyers on a Zone 2 budget.
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London's top property growth areas
Wise homebuyers can get ahead of the curve by buying in London's potential growth areas, thanks to new transport links, regeneration projects and the arrival of iconic new buildings such as the Shard.
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Embassy exodus returns acres of central London to its residents
As the embassies exit Mayfair and Marylebone, their former bases will free up stunning family homes. While the move of many embassies to Nine Elms at Vauxhall is creating a new residential quarter including thousands of new apartments.
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Homes gossip
Keira Knightley and James Righton have bought a new marital home in Spitalfields; Reese Witherspoon's adds to her LA property portfolio; and Elton John's personal trainer sells up.
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Hot homes: Georgian gems
The characteristic neat symmetry and full-height classical windows of Georgian homes have been enchanting Londoners for centuries. We take a property tour across the capital to discover fine examples of these character-filled homes.
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New homes awards 2013: the winners
This year's London Evening Standard New Homes Awards praised thoughtful design and spacious interiors at a range of developments, from city-centre family homes to clever conversions and regeneration projects.
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London's latest new homes update
Take your pick from London's newest properties, including 800 new homes in a former Bermondsey biscuit factory; family houses in Muswell near near the top-performing Fortismere School; and hundreds of new flats on the leafy slopes of Shooters Hill.
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Property search: budget under £500,000
This week, we uncover 1,000sq ft two-bedroom apartment in Stoke Newington, a four-bedroom stone house in the Cotswolds and an Old Station Master's house in the heart of Snowdonia National Park that comes with its own railway station.
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First Olympic village homes up for rent
Relaunched as East Village this week, the Stratford athletes' quarters is set to become home to thousands of London's renters in streets named with the Olympics in mind — from Prize Walk and Cheering Lane to Medals Way and Celebration Avenue.
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Diary of an estate agent
A Sydenham estate agent is left waiting by clients and looks on the bright side when he spots a huge hole in the road outside the office.
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