Property: London becomes available

London suffers more from the housing crisis as Paris. Following the realignment of the pound sterling to the euro and falling house prices, property Londoners have again become attractive to French customers. Apartment London typiqueOutre handle the crisis in housing is severe. In London, the residential market has reached its highest during the summer of 2007. Then from September 2007 to September 2009, prices have dropped between 25% and 35%, depending on the neighborhood. This slip values has even begun in July 2007, more than a year before Paris. The fall in the number of transactions was staggering: 80% decline between September 2007 and September 2008 and 50% decline between September 2008 and September 2009. "Still unaffordable there is little time for French customers, the London market has again become very attractive due to a combination of declining property prices and the fall of the pound sterling against the euro, defends Thibault Saint Vincent, president of Barnes. The euro has strengthened the financial firepower of the Europeans in England.

In the most popular neighborhoods, the cap of 10,000 euros per square meter is widely taken to afford a comfortable apartment. Expect to pay about 12,000 euros per square meter in Chelsea and 15,000 euros per square meter in Knightsbridge. While in France, the purchaser is both owner of a property and its land, the system differs in London. And because the land belongs to the most royal family. Result: the purchaser only owns the walls. On the ground, most properties are "lease hold", that is to say, sold under a long lease with durations generally between 50 and 99 years.
Making a rental investment
Les Américains considèrent la Grande Bretagne comme une porte d'entrée en Europe pour des raisons linguistiques évidentes. For their part, Europeans tend to regard London as the New York of Europe "because of its melting pot of cultures. "Buy an apartment in London to investment is a sure", say local estate agents. Despite the financial crisis, the French customer is present along the Thames, both residents of London or French investors. Anxious to diversify their assets geographically and seize market opportunities, they have crossed the "Chanel" since about a year. They are even more tempted to do when they have adult children who study or work in London. A purchase there allows them to accommodate their descendants, even to give the property to rent later. By buying at the bottom of the London market with a weak euro, they limit the risk to this investment long term. "As rents have declined less than the selling price, the profitability of property investment quality has improved, in London for two years, says Thibault de Saint Vincent. Investors can acquire a quality property in central London 30% less than two years ago and the rent 20% below prices two years ago. The result before tax on rental property exudes a return of 5% and 6, two to three points more than in Paris.