There is no doubt that the economic future is looking far from rosy. In fact, two of the UK's biggest commercial property companies have given new warnings about the strength of the economy and reported that business demand for new commercial space remains fragile. Segro, the warehouse owner, said its vacancy rate increased from, 12pc, to... Read More
If there were such a thing as a commercial property tarot card, what would a card showing a skyscraper image symbolise? Prosperity? Progress? Or problems? Andrew Lawrence, creator of the skyscraper index in 1999, may be able to shed a little light on this. The skyscraper index is a theory involving the business cycle of boom and... Read More
It has been a number of years since the idea of the Greengate scheme in Salford was first considered. But finally, after years of uncertainty, the councils dream is taking the first steps towards becoming a reality. The major regeneration scheme planned for the area which aims to lever in over £400m in private sector investment including... Read More
The Latin phrase caveat emptor, or buyer beware, is a fundamental principle of commercial property transactions. Lawyers may be reaching for the Latin dictionary again, for a translation of “lender beware”, due to a commercial property fraud case currently in the courts. Six solicitors are pleading not guilty to helping criminals... Read More
After much criticism and time to gather its thoughts on the subject and muster its forces, Irish property lender NAMA is moving in on developers to recoup billions of pounds in outstanding commercial property loans from those who Chairman Frank Daly says are ‘not taking it seriously’ when it comes to their repayments. The result will be a... Read More
This might appear to be a tenuous link but consider the aftermath of the terrible events of 9/11. Prior to this outrage, the world was on an uncertain path. The banking sector, once again, looked shaky during late 1998, due to the implosion of Long Term Capital Management This was the gravity defying Hedge Fund based in Connecticut, USA.... Read More
In the prosperous pre-credit crunch period, skyscrapers seemed to be London’s must-have accessory for the up and coming business. The Gherkin was gracing the covers of glossy magazines and drawing admiring glances from architects far and wide. The Cheesegrater, the Shard and the Walkie-Talkie were in development, set to join the Gherkin on... Read More
While serviced offices have always been considered the preserve of the SME or small to medium sized enterprise, in reality they serve a far greater audience. Because of their incredible flexibility, serviced offices offer the start-up or one-man (or woman) business the opportunity to create a professional façade for their customers to... Read More
Despite the news this week that Britain has avoided a double dip recession, the prospect still looms over the country. And having researched the figures, I am still extremely worried. I hate to be a pessimist but, I believe it’s all over, leave your serviced offices and your commercial properties. The dreaded double dip recession will... Read More
You would think that since man began constructing buildings, commercial properties and serviced offices, he would have set his sites on creating the most comfortable space possible. But no, man has always strived to build the highest building. Since the dawn of history (well, the dawn of construction history) man has been trying to build... Read More
Take-up of commercial property in the City was down in the first quarter of 2011: 1.1m sq ft, down from 1.8m in the previous quarter, according to figures released by commercial property broker Colliers. The disparity in figures is partly explained by Bloomberg’s 500,000 sq ft Walbrook deal in Q4 2010; however it is anticipated that... Read More
It may seem obvious but, did you know that by having some plants in your serviced office space or commercial property, you can actually enhance your ability to work. Scientists at the John C Stennis Space Centre, USA, found that plants can purify air. The team measured the effects of various houseplants on the presence of volatile organic... Read More
Stocksbridge appears to be the next area for commercial property regeneration on Sheffield City Councils hit list. The council has backed plans for a £46 million mixed use commercial property development in Stocksbridge, North Sheffield. Stocksbridge Regeneration Limited, set up by Barnsley developer Dransfield Properties, will be... Read More
Smells affect the way that we feel and work. So, start baking cookies and percolating coffee in your serviced office or commercial property and watch performance improve. Well, perhaps it’s not quite that simple. Experiments have shown that contact with pleasing fragrances considerably enhances performance on work-related tasks.... Read More
London’s commercial property sector is predicted to surge ahead with healthy demand and positive rental growth, swelled by the estimated 80% of £52bn of equity targeted at the UK commercial property market. The £52bn figure comes from commercial real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle, which predicts investors from the buoyant... Read More
It seems that work spaces are getting more and more cramped as the price per square foot goes up. So, as we get squashed closer together in our serviced office space or our commercial property we need to ensure that we act in ways appropriate to this proximity. Many people work in small or cramped offices and of course the cubicle has... Read More
Open-plan offices may be the most popular form of commercial office space, but are they the healthiest? With more and more businessesfavouring an open-plan layout what hidden risks should we watch out for?... Read More
The wedding is finally upon us. Serviced offices and commercial properties across the world will be left empty, as we gather around TV sets to wish the couple well. Everyone in Britain will be watching, well except for the loony left anti-royals with their unbelievable one sided spurious argument. Campaigners today said taxpayers should... Read More
Faced with record figures of unemployment, Britain’s youth are heading towards self-employment rather than self-pity. Almost a million 18–24 year olds were classed as unemployed in the Office for National Statistics’ recent figures, out of almost 2.5 million in total. Previously, a succession of bleak unemployment statistics would... Read More
We have all heard about how colour affects our mood, it’s one of those well known facts that we believe in. We know that colours effect how we feel because we are our own case studies. We have favourite colours, colours that we can’t stand and colours that make us feel happy or sad. So, it stands to reason that if we painted our... Read More
Scarborough could become one of the government’s flagship enterprise zones, under new proposals being put forward by Scarborough Council. Regeneration chiefs yesterday entered into a bidding process, which will see Scarborough compete against other areas in the North Yorkshire region. The bid has been put to the York and North... Read More
Retailers are benefitting from some of ‘the most flexible lease regimes ever’, says the British Property Federation (BPF).... Read More
