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.
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.
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.
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.
Chelsea Flower Show 2013: the highlights
We highlight the best of this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show gardens, with modern British designs among the gold medal winners featuring exuberant sculptures and inspiring planting ideas for Londoners.
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: Putney Hill, SW15
This glossy new apartment just off Putney Hill has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus a bright open-plan reception space with floor-to-ceiling windows and spectacular skyline views.
Out of town: Wigginton, Oxfordshire
This three-bedroom Grade II-listed thatch in the pretty village of Wigginton, near Banbury, is a tempting package of beams, wood burners and cottage gardens.
Life-changer: Tiverton, Devon
A five-bedroom house set in a valley at Cheriton Fitzpaine, Tiverton, surrounded by farmland and sweeping gardens, with B&B potential and a garage block ripe for conversion.
East Grinstead spotlight
East Grinstead in West Sussex is 30 miles south of the capital in the High Weald. The town's exclusive gated estates attract celebrity home buyers such as Tom Cruise, while London families are drawn to the area's good mix of period homes and modern flats.-
Buy of the week: Putney Hill, SW15
This glossy new apartment just off Putney Hill has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus a bright open-plan reception space with floor-to-ceiling windows and spectacular skyline views. -
Out of town: Wigginton, Oxfordshire
This three-bedroom Grade II-listed thatch in the pretty village of Wigginton, near Banbury, is a tempting package of beams, wood burners and cottage gardens. -
Life-changer: Tiverton, Devon
A five-bedroom house set in a valley at Cheriton Fitzpaine, Tiverton, surrounded by farmland and sweeping gardens, with B&B potential and a garage block ripe for conversion.
Property search
Plastic is back: credit card deals
By Lucy Tobin
A credit card battle is breaking out on the high street. Shoppers can take advantage of current deals to secure interest-free loans, but the really savvy will buy everything they can on plastic, then pay off the balance entirely each month to rake in attractive cashback and shopping vouchers. Credit cards from M&S and John Lewis pay £1 for every £100 spent in their stores and 0.5 per cent spent elsewhere, in the form of vouchers to be used either at M&S or John Lewis respectively.
American Express’s platinum cashback card is the most generous cash-payer, offering five per cent cashback on everything you buy for the first three months, up to £100. Then it falls to 1.25 per cent.
Capital One’s World Mastercard offers one per cent cashback on purchases, whilst MBNA’s Visa cashback card refunds 1.25 per cent of your supermarket and petrol purchases and 0.5 per cent of other spend.
It has also introduced an MBNA Amex cashback paying back 1.5 per cent of all spending at Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons supermarkets, plus bills from petrol stations including BP, Shell, Esso, Texaco and supermarket forecourts, and 0.75 per cent on everything else.
Credit cards from Nectar and Play.com pay back one per cent for shopping on the High Street, or 2 per cent from purchases from Sainsbury’s or Play’s website respectively.
For those struggling with cash, a string of credit card deals offer lengthy interest-free balance transfers. Barclaycard allows borrowers to switch debt over without paying interest for 20 months. MBNA offers an 18-month deal. But there are fees of around 3 per cent for transferring the balance.
More articles
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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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New homes awards 2013
Judged by a panel of Evening Standard readers and presented by comedian Vic Reeves, this year’s new homes awards winners have everything that buyers want — inventive design, wow-factor interiors, eco-friendly features, glamour — and great 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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New Homes Awards 2013: the winners
This year's London Evening Standard New Homes Awards, hosted by comedian Vic Reeves and England rugby captain Chris Robshaw, praised thoughtful design and spacious interiors at a range of new homes developments.
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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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Property search: budget under £450,000
This week we uncover a two-bedroom apartment in Putney Hill with spectacular views, a three-bedroom thatch cottage in the pretty village of Wigginton and a five-bedroom house with 3,000 sq ft of land.
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Diary of an estate agent
A Fulham lettings agent gives herself a week off the gym after climbing up and down stairs to and from top-floor flats all day - and has an awkward encounter with a half-naked client during a property viewing.
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Homes gossip: rent a home in Crosby Row in Borough
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Homes gossip: James Dyson is searching for farmland in Oxfordshire
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Homes gossip
Live moments away from Nelson's Column in one of Liz Hurley's favourite spots; James Dyson is looking for more farmland; Marc Anthony has bought a Californian home; and the chance to rent in Crosby Row.
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