Buy-to-let investors are persuaded to go shopping

Britain is about to become a nation of shopkeepers again, or at least shop owners, as buy-to-let investors increasingly turn from the residential market to commercial properties in search of a higher return and greater stability. The trend, which has been driven by...

Value of UK homes at record £6.8trn

UK homes have risen by £1.5trn in value over the last three years, taking the total value to a record £6.8trn, analysis by Savills shows. Housing wealth is now the equivalent of 3.7 times gross domestic product, up from 3.3 in 2007 and 1.6 in 2001. Brexit and lending...

Last-minute Christmas rush lifts UK retail sales

Industry figures add to signs that the economy ended 2016 strongly – although some analysts see slowdown ahead UK retail sales continued to grow at the end of last year as Britons made a late dash for Christmas gifts and festive foods, according to industry figures...

Rental growth slows

Rents rose by an average of 1.7% last year, slowing from growth of 3.8% in 2015 and an indication that the affordability ceiling may be about to be hit. The HomeLet Rental Index showed the average rent for a new tenancy rose to £892 at the end of 2016, from £877 a...