Airbnb shares rocketed last night as the San Francisco-based company made its long-awaited debut on the US stock market. The technology firm, which allows ‘hosts’ to let out their properties to holidaymakers through a mobile phone app, hit a value of $101.6billion (£75billion) as its shares began trading on the Nasdaq. The exceptional demand from … Read more
Britain’s property hotspots that have seen the biggest increase in value in 2020 have been revealed. The UK saw its highest annual house price growth for almost three years, with a rise of 3.5 per cent since the start of the year. The North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, and Wales saw the highest growth … Read more
Britons’ passion for the seaside has grown this year but a home by the often not-so-balmy waters on the coast will set buyers back a hefty premium, a report suggests. The premium forked out by buyers looking to snap up a property with a sea view has shot up by £19,000 this year, from £66,959 … Read more
As homebuying continues apace, families are turning to the secretive ‘grey market’ to find a buyer for their home without ever advertising it for sale. Also known as off-market sales, the grey market is when homes are withheld from mainstream portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla and, instead, sellers choose a private agent to handpick … Read more
The most viewed homes for sale in Britain this year have been revealed – and they all reflect the wider shift that has taken place during the pandemic, as well as our desire to daydream about spending a huge windfall. As more space became a highly sought-after commodity during lockdown, homebuyers prioritised larger homes in … Read more
Boris Johnson has given short shrift to Britons with holiday homes in Europe whose stays will be restricted under post-Brexit EU rules. From next month, UK nationals will be limited to a maximum of 90 days in any six months in most European countries without a visa or residency permit. The rule will affect the estimated … Read more
The most popular places for first-time buyers to hunt for homes have been revealed, and Luton in Bedfordshire leads the way. The list of top 20 places where first-time buyers are searching for homes was identified by property website Zoopla. Luton is followed by Wolverhampton, with Sandwell, Coventry and South Staffordshire all featuring. This two-bed … Read more
From the surrounding countryside, you would never know that this vast ultra-modern house with six bedrooms was in the centre of a rural idyll. That is because the property which spans across 12,000 square foot – the equivalent size of more than four tennis courts – is below ground level. It was built in the … Read more
Handy: TV presenter Craig Phillips Former bricklayer Craig Phillips made hundreds of thousands of pounds as the first ever winner of TV’s Big Brother 20 years ago, but says his best money making venture has been to invest in buy-to-let property. The 49-year-old spoke to DONNA FERGUSON from his home near Liverpool where he lives … Read more
This time last year, the London-based crime writer Martin Bodenham and his wife, Jules, were faced with a problem — where to live next? ‘Even before Covid, London was becoming too impersonal, like a city full of strangers,’ says Martin, 60, whose latest novel, Crime And Justice, was published in August. ‘So we looked at … Read more