I hope you’re reading this on a beach somewhere with a cocktail (or mocktail) in hand, enjoying some much-needed rest before returning to the daily job of being a property investor. The summer is a good opportunity to unwind, reflect on what you’ve been up to and give some perspective and insight into what you could have done better or where next to invest.
We have looked at the office market in detail this month, with the lead article on page 15 analysing the green shoots of recovery that is happening in the market, with an upturn in office take-up, both in London and elsewhere in the UK. We also look at the trend of office-to-residential conversions and how the relaxation of restrictions could make them more profitable.
With that in mind we have a new contributor this month in architect Lucia Piccinini, who on page 18 looks at a recent such conversion, where a mix of PDR and thoughtful planning enabled a high-value residential development.
Suzi Carter, on page 30, analyses the recent government curveball, which would abolish upward-only rent reviews, but instead of this being a negative, she explains that this could be an opportunity to take advantage of, should you be so inclined.
Adam Lawrence offers his thoughts on the office market on page 33, looking at how it stacks up against other types of investment and how the hybrid/WFH options affect demand.
On page 20, David Kemp has looked at what to do if your commercial-to-residential conversion has overrun and what the implications are, both from a planning and legal perspective, and how you can mitigate such an issue.
Jay & Piotr look at how the UK property auction market is experiencing a fascinating regression to its historical rhythms post-pandemic on page 44. Having shifted to mostly online and after seeing a boom in interest, auctioneers are now observing reduced bidder registrations across their platforms.
We have looked at Manchester on page 38, often now referred to as the second city in the UK due to the large number of developments that have emerged over the past decade or so, from Media City in Salford to the city centre, where there are still sizable plots of land available or under construction.
On page 36, Maxine Fothergill has summed up the current situation regarding the Renters’ Rights Bill, whilst on page 42 Des Taylor has looked at how housing enforcement within the PRS is changing.
I’m sure most will welcome the recent drop in base rates. While only falling by 0.25% to 4.00%, ‘every little helps’ and with inflation somewhat under control, what happens over the next 6-12 months could be decisive for how many approach their investments going forward.
In a jam-packed issue we have lots of other excellent articles, so take your time sipping that cocktail, so you can take it all in.
