London's new garden squares
London is already the greenest capital in Europe, with homeowners enjoying more than 600 garden squares. And the good news is that there are more to come.
As the BBC move out, Shepherd's Bush switches to a new programme
As Aunty leaves the Bush the borough seizes the opportunity to create a proper neighbourhood.
Spotlight on Camden Town
The shops and markets clustered around the high street and canal make Camden one of the most colourful of London's neighbourhoods. The area's period homes and loft-style apartments attract a mix of homebuyers.
Revealed: from Reading to Redhill – the top 20 commuter stations
Choose your route. Our exclusive property buyers’ guide shows travel times, costs and house prices.
My design London - Russell Norman
Owner of Polpo, Spuntino and Polpetto restaurants in Soho, and da Polpo and Mishkin's in Covent Garden, restauranteur Russell Norman opens up on his favourite London haunts.
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: Camden Town
This two-bedroom flat has a pretty park on its doorstep, while buzzing Camden Town is only 10 minutes’ walk away. Big sash windows and high ceilings give a spacious feel and there’s a private garden with a studio/home office (£525,000).
Swap of the week: Willersey, Glouc
This little Cotswolds beauty is just across the road from the village green and duck pond. For £530,000 you get beams, exposed stone walls and an open fireplace, plus four bedrooms, a useful attic room and lush gardens to enjoy.
Life-changer: Trescowe, Cornwall
For a project brimming with potential, what about this coastal home, yours for £545,000? The family space includes six bedrooms, while its collection of outbuildings overlooking an acre of gardens could become income-generating holiday lets.
Spotlight on Camden Town
The shops and markets clustered around the high street and canal make Camden one of the most colourful of London's neighbourhoods. The area's period homes and loft-style apartments attract a mix of homebuyers.
Property search
Variable or fixed-rate loan
By Alex Sheridan
Borrowers looking for a new mortgage may be better off going for a variable-rate or tracker-style loan rather than a fixed-rate deal, despite the record 0.5 per cent low in Bank of England interest costs.What’s the cost? Fixed rates cost four per cent or more, while best-buy variable rates, for example from HSBC, start at about two per cent. So, in this case, mortgage rates would have to rise by more than two percentage points before variable-rate borrowers were worse off.
The timing and size of future interest rate increases are crucial to which loan type proves cheaper. When rates do rise again, the increases could be quick and sizeable, say experts. However, worries about a slow recovery mean interest rates could remain low for at least two or three years, says John Charcol mortgage brokers.
Discount or tracker? Tracker mortgages - which follow moves in base rate - made sense when rates were falling as rate cuts were generally passed on in full. But with the only way for rates being up, some brokers think deals based on standard variable rates (SVR) could be preferable. With these discounted and SVR rates, lenders may temper their rate hikes.
However, borrowers choosing any kind of variable rate mortgage should be sure they could afford possible increases in monthly payments. Otherwise, the certainty of a fixed rate may still be worth paying for.
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As the BBC move out, Shepherd's Bush switches to a new programme
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Diary of an estate agent
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London’s epidemic of discounting
A combination of greedy sellers, nervous buyers and unscrupulous estate agents who promise sky-high prices in order to tempt clients, is being blamed for an epidemic of discounting in the London property market, where a third of all homes for sale have had their original asking price slashed.
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There is such a thing as a VAT-free lunch
Shop savvily and you can still avoid VAT in some areas — when buying clothes, holidays and presents, for example. But start with a VAT-free lunch — by making it yourself.
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