London leaseholders pay service charges 25% higher than national average
Leaseholders in London are paying an average of 25% more in service charges than the rest of England and Wales , new data has shown. Rates across the two countries have increased by 51.7% since 2018, 37% of which came between 2018 and 2019. Advertisement Hamptons, which published the […]Click here to view original web…
Just two firms left to sign cladding remediation contract
Dandara the latest to put pen to paper Dandara is the latest homebuilder to sign a government contract committing to remediating unsafe buildings, leaving just two firms still holding out. “We are pleased to confirm that having signed the Developers Pledge Letter earlier this year, we have also now […] Click here to view original…
25-storey block of flats to replace Croydon’s Citiscape building
By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter Plans for a new 25-storey block of flats in Croydon town centre have been given the green light. The new flats will replace the Citiscape block, which was built 20 years ago but which has been caught up in the cladding scandal in […] Click here to view original…
Dandara signs cladding remediation contract
Only Rydon Homes and Abbey Developments are still to sign Dandara is the latest homebuilder to sign a government contract committing to remediating unsafe buildings, leaving just two firms still holding out. “We are pleased to confirm that having signed the Developers Pledge Letter earlier this year, we have […] Click here to view original…
Anxiety, mistrust and anger: The resident’s view of the Building Safety Crisis
A heartfelt view from two homeowners who have become involved in the wider campaign on fire safety remediation was given at FIREX 2023 in May. Ron Alalouff reports. IFSEC Insider long read – Snapshot summary: Uncertainty around remediation, waking watch measures and low quality fire safety inspections has caused […] Click here to view original…
Flat owners see service charges surge 52% in five years to an average of £1,431 a year, as safety measures after the cladding scandal send bills up
Flat owners have seen annual service charges soar more than 50 per cent in the past five years, according to new research. The average 51.7 per cent increase since 2018 means homeowners typically now hand over £1,431 a year in these charges, the equivalent of £119 a month. Much […] Click here to view original…
Croydon flats covered in flammable cladding to be demolished to make way for new 25-storey block
The new development which could replace the Cityscape flats built in 2003 Plans for a new 25-storey block of flats in Croydon town centre have been given the green light. The new flats will replace the Citiscape block, which was built 20 years ago but caught up in the […] Click here to view original…
Willmott Dixon slams ‘considerable uncertainty’ over high-rise regulations
Work being carried out on a high-rise residential scheme in London The chief executive of Willmott Dixon has warned schemes may be cancelled due to “considerable uncertainty” over the regulatory requirements around second staircases in high-rise blocks. Rick Willmott issued the warning as the industry waits to see if […] Click here to view original…
‘We won’t be able to afford our homes’: The people trapped on variable mortgages as interest rates soar
Today’s interest rate decision is set to deepen the UK’s mortgage crisis – and will be particularly painful for those trapped on variable rates Many people affected by the cladding crisis are trapped on variable rate mortgages, meaning today’s decision by the Bank of England will have an immediate […] Click here to view original…
I moved home in 2021 but couldn’t sell my old flat due to unsafe cladding: Will I ever get back the 3% extra stamp duty I paid on my ‘second home’?
I have owned a one-bedroom flat in London since 2014. In 2021, I started a family and we decided to move out as the flat was no longer fit for purpose. My intention was to sell the flat. However, the development I was living in was deemed to have […] Click here to view original…
I moved home in 2021 but couldn’t sell my old flat due to unsafe cladding: Will I ever get back the 3% extra stamp duty I paid on my ‘second home’?
I have owned a one-bedroom flat in London since 2014. In 2021, I started a family and we decided to move out as the flat was no longer fit for purpose. My intention was to sell the flat. However, the development I was living in was deemed to have […] Click here to view original…
Mortgage repayments leave people fearing they ‘won’t have anymore money’
Mortgage repayments have left people fearing that they will reach a point where we “just simply won’t have anymore money”, amid soaring interest rates. Figures from Moneyfactscompare .co.uk showed the average two-year fixed-rate residential mortgage rate on the market jumped to 6.07% on Tuesday, from 6.01% on Monday. Despite […] Click here to view original…