More than two million foreign investors own UK property for the first time, according to analysis of data from HM Revenue & Customs.

Research by accountancy UHY Hacker Young also showed there was a surge of around 110,000 new buyers in the most recent year for which the figures were collated.

It meant the total rose 6pc from 1.93m to 2.04m between 2011 and 2012.

The increase over five years was 39pc increase in the number of overseas landlords, climbing from 1.46 million in 2006.

Huge numbers of homes in central London in particular have been bought as long-term investments by wealthy foreigners and expats in recent years. London is seen as a safe haven by investors, who have driven a boom in prices.

The house price boom, in which house prices in London have shot up 9.4pc over the past year, is expected to continue in the coming years. Analysts at Knight Frank have forecast a 24pc rise in the value of UK house prices by 2018.

Mark Giddens, of UHY Hacker Young, said: “The UK economy is one of the world’s most liquid, and UK property is seen globally as a safe haven from the effects of a financial crash or from national governments’ interference in the assets of private individuals.

“That has driven fierce demand for prime property in London and the South East in particular.”

But the high levels of demand from overseas investors could cool next year, argue UHY Hacker Young. This is because earlier this month the Government announced that foreign investors will have to pay capital gains tax when they sell homes in the UK from April 2015.

Previously overseas investors did not have to pay tax on the profits they made from British homes. The Government is expecting to rake in £125m from the “oligarch tax” between 2015 and 2019.

The rule change makes UK property a less attractive investment option for overseas investors, who have been blamed for helping to push property prices to record highs and taking home-ownership out of the reach of many UK workers.

“While the Treasury has already increased its tax take on foreign-owned properties in recent years, from £230m in 2007 to £379m last year, it is now looking to ensure that it gets an even greater share of the substantial revenue generated by London’s high end property market,” said Mr Giddens.

Source: The Telegraph

CANARY Wharf Group submitted revised plans yesterday to expand its east London estate by building more than 3,000 homes, shops and offices that will target fast-growing media and technology firms.

New Wood Wharf is a 20-acre semi-derelict site that was previously used for shipping and storage of timber and is about a third of the size of the main skyscraper district to the west.

The new masterplan, which includes a 57-storey luxury tower as well as affordable homes and two parks, will mark the first major residential development for the business-focused area.

The scheme will also offer 2.57m square feet of new offices, which Canary Wharf hopes will attract more creative media and technology companies to reduce its reliance on the financial sector, which has reduced its requirements for new office space since the crisis.

Sir George Iacobescu said the move towards residential was a “reflection of the demand” in the market.

“[It] is an opportunity for us to further expand the appeal of Canary Wharf by creating a new and exciting mixed use neighbourhood at Wood Wharf which will offer greater diversity and amenity and a richer urban fabric for the fast emerging City Centre of Canary Wharf,” he said.

Construction is expected to start in the first quarter of 2014, with the first buildings completed in 2017.

Source: CityAM

GREAT Portland Estates has sold a prime West End site between Piccadilly and St James’s Park to a German pension fund managed by US property investor Pramerica for £54.5m.

Chief executive Toby Courtauld said yesterday that the group had originally planned to refurbish the building in 2015 to exploit the lack of new space in the West End.

However, it decided to sell 20 St James’s Street after receiving strong interest in the 1930s building, which it acquired in 2010 for £42.5m. “As a consequence of a strong off-market approach, it made financial sense for us to sell the property now and invest the proceeds into other schemes in our exceptional development programme”, Courtauld said.

The 55,490 sq ft property is partially let to seven tenants including media group Ocean Outdoor and retail cigar merchant James Fox, producing a net rent of £1.2m a year.

The deal reflects a net initial yield of 2.1 per cent.

Source: CityAM

HOUSE prices in the capital will continue to soar next year, rising by up to seven per cent, estate agent Marsh and Parsons predicted yesterday.

The agency has 18 buyers on its books for every prime London property, well up on the 13.5 a year ago and a level which will keep the market rising.

The improving economy and falling unemployment combined with government support for mortgages will keep the market going further, the forecast said.

However, next year’s growth of between five and seven per cent is down from the 10.5 per cent rise in prices seen this year.

Most of 2014’s rise in prices will come in the first half of the year, the agency forecasts, before slowing a touch.

“London’s housing market saw a substantial uplift in 2013, and we expect a similarly strong start in 2014 to drive an annual rise in prices – but these won’t be as spectacular as last year,” said Marsh and Parsons’ Peter Rollings.

“With ongoing support from Government initiatives, the rate of growth will remain sustainable. Following improvements in unemployment levels, we’re likely to see modest increases in interest rates next year.”

As well as a lack of building, one key factor stopping houses coming to market is their own owners’ fear the fast market will make it difficult for them to move to a new home.

Meanwhile the Bank of England said the stock of residential loans – largely mortgages – increased by £6.5bn in the third quarter compared with the same period of 2013 to £1.23 trillion.

New mortgage loans hit £49.5bn in the quarter, up 25 per cent on the year.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney last month ended the Funding for Lending Scheme support for mortgages, removing the cheap funding for bank lending.

He said the funding problems in the sector which prompted the scheme’s launch in 2012 are now solved.

Source: CityAM

HOMEOWNERS selling a property in which they previously lived will be given until April 2015 to complete the sale before they must pay capital gains tax on the property, the Treasury confirmed yesterday.

The news comes after George Osborne announced in the Autumn Statement last week that the tax-free period for people letting their former home will be slashed from three years to just 18 months.

The Treasury clarified yesterday that people will have until April 2014 to exchange contracts but until April 2015 to complete, a move it said will “make the tax system fairer”.

PwC tax partner Alison Hill said: “Disabled people and those moving into care homes will be relieved that they still have three years’ capital gains exemption on second homes… Others won’t be as fortunate and people affected may include those getting divorced or who are having trouble selling their old home.”

Source: CityAM