 On 22 November Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered his first Autumn Budget. The Budget had good news for the residential building sector as the Chancellor set an ambitious target of building 300,000 new homes per year – a target which has not been met since the 1970s.
The Chancellor placed a further £15.3 billion in new financial support to house builders, bringing the total to £44 billion. This included £1.2 billion for the Government to buy land to build more homes and £2.7 billion for infrastructure which supports housing. This target will be difficult to reach, especially with developers’ margins being reduced to increase costs with shortages of trainee staff, funding and materials. The Chancellor hopes the increase in the number of homes will reduce house prices to allow housing to become more affordable. This would seem to be counterproductive. The reduction of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) for first time buyers is welcome. The first £300,000 will be exempt from all duty and the next £200,000 will be at the reduced rate of 5%. While this will assist the market, note that this only applies to England and Northern Ireland, plus Wales until March 2018, who will then follow Scotland on having their own SDLT system. There were also some negatives for the property industry in the Budget, including a crackdown on empty houses, with the Chancellor announcing that councils will be able to charge 200% of the normal council tax rate to unoccupied properties. For property investment companies the allowance for inflation on the cost of property will stop in December 2017 so future Capital Gains Tax within companies will increase. Overseas landlords on commercial properties will be subject to UK Capital Gains Tax from April 2019. It is proposed that only the gains from April 2019 value will be chargeable. Additionally, overseas landlords operating as a company will switch from paying UK Income Tax to paying Corporation Tax. This allows the current interest restrictions and loss relief provisions to apply. The plan is to roll this out in April 2020. For private landlords there is to be a review of the ‘Rent a Room’ relief and its future, whilst there was a relaxation of rules for property rental businesses to allow them to claim mileage rates from April 2018. If you wish to discuss how these changes may affect your specific circumstances, please contact me or another member of the team.
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No matter what the size of your property portfolio, cloud technology can help you to significantly improve efficiencies and controls within your business. Traditionally, large property management systems can be quite complex, clunky and not particularly easy to use, especially when it comes to managing client monies. However, cloud software provides a new approach for the property industry. Such software is generally not only very easy to use, but also has direct links to other apps and websites including Office 365 and Rightmove, streamlining processes and making managing your property portfolio much easier. As a result of utilizing cloud technology, the need to rekey data from one platform to another is significantly removed, and on average, processing time is cut by over 50 per cent. Cloud software has the ability to automatically send out rental invoices throughout a tenancy period and offer the tenant the option to pay online directly through the emailed invoice. The technology can go even further and chase the debts as they become payable, with more severe reminders sent should the debt become overdue. These features have seen a real improvement in cash collection, and reduction in bad debts. Contract renewals, inspections and routine maintenance reminders can all also be automated to ensure a key date, task or event is never missed. These reminders can be in the form of emails, text messages or in app reminders meaning you’re in control whether in or out of the office. Another key benefit of cloud software is it allows costings and profitability on development and renovation projects are also easily reported on, and can be drilled into right down to individual invoice per property. If you’re looking to manage your property portfolio easily and efficiently via one multi-user platform cloud accounting is the solution for you. Should you have any questions about cloud accounting and how it may benefit your business, please do not hesitate to contact Stuart Hurst, head of Cloud Accounting at UHY Hacker Young in Manchester, on 0161 236 6936 or email [email protected].    We had an amazing opening keynote speech for the launch of MPG on 7 November 2017, from Mr Tom Bloxham, MBE, the Chairman of Urban Splash. He shared with us his journey and his vision for regenerating urban properties and improving regeneration across the UK, but more importantly I was energised by his clarity and vision for what comes next for Urban Splash in our towns, cities and property landscape. So how do you take / we all take control and accelerate through 2018 and beyond, against the backdrop of market uncertainty and the looming issues that Brexit will bring? My answer is: vision velocity or lack of it! 70% of change initiatives fail in business, why is that? Because the vision, destination and planning are all unclear. What two things impede vision? Permission and hierarchy are the lethal blocks to visionary work. Top tier leaders must create inclusive cultures that allow contributions from all areas of their organisations, irrespective of title or tenure of staff. Leaders must unlock their thinking patterns, remove barriers and give themselves and others the permission to imagine new ways of working, in a landscape of constant change and possibility. Take some feedback first - however painful! Setting a vision and inspiring others to follow is a joint contribution which emerges primarily from a culture of feedback, across all levels. Giving and receiving feedback is a muscle that must be exercised; outstanding leaders work tirelessly on feedback from all areas, isolate what they don’t know, identify their areas from improvement, then work hard to fix it, however painful the feedback. Flex your muscle The good news is it you can improve your vision in a number of ways, but it takes a certain type of creative practice. Take a deeper dive into how I help some of the best leaders in the world craft their vision, solve the toughest business challenges and transform their organisations at Fiona-McKay.com. GET IN TOUCH Fiona McKay is an award-winning entrepreneur, CEO coach & business strategist, International keynote speaker & the MD of Lightbulb Leadership Solutions.   MPG Board Members, Jason Roper, Clive Gawthorpe, Chris Clough & Fiona Mckay Welcome Northern property guru Tom Bloxham MBE to the full house November MPG meeting. Carl Lomas was at the Chop House as MPG steps into a new level with Chop House chip & bacon butties. Roller coaster property adventures delivered by Tom Bloxham MBE and hot of the press interest rate advice by Clive Gawthorpe UHY Hacker Young. Chop House chip butties for full house Manchester Property Group The MPG event opened by Jason Roper who talked concept of event for real estate, open, honest, informal, no pressure, a network of meetings. Almost three years in the making as the next chapter begins. The next chapter was big, clear your diary, the next three years event dates need to be blocked out. MPG has become a must attend and the November meeting wowed the property folk of the north, Hacker Young talked interest rate, first rise in ten years before a sincere delivery by Urban Splash, property guru Tom Bloxham MBE. MPG key note delivery. Founder of Urban Splash, Tom Bloxham launched a raft of slides in a pictorial roller coaster extravaganza of Northern property stories that left the audience speechless. A whole new level of MPG. Tom talked beginnings with Knocker jobs and burning brief case sales of fire extinguishers. A move to Manchester for University and sales of vinyl before a step to posters, student Union sales to Glastonbury. First shop in the Affleck Arcade, then subletting and rent collecting. The property step was made. First property was in Liverpool to form a cluster. 1994 first conversion, twenty seven pounds a foot sold for sixty pounds a foot. The power-point pictures rolled on a portfolio of property adventures. Duice House Manchester, workspace for young entrupeniers, starting thousands of new business opportunities for the Northern powerhouse. Matchworks Liverpool, Fort Dunlop Birmingham, Saxton Leeds, Albert Mill. Tom talked modular construction and choice for residential. Projects on the go, Park Hill Sheffield, duplex and corridors, new elevations, six storey atrium, high ceilings, a whole new quarter, social housing with amazing views. Audience spellbound, Tom talked about the UrbanSplash brand, today we have 92 on the team and almost 400 awards. Tom closed with a big finish from Athens! Quotes of the ancient times motivated the MPG audience, ‘We shall leave this city not less but greater.’ Clive Gawthorpe, Hacker Young, opened, on the day news of 0.25 per-cent interest rate rise. First rise in ten years. ‘The govt has moved digital tax back to 2019, it’s still hand written books!’ Clive touched on Landlord interest relief, the instructions have changed. HMRC have re-written the advice books, relief is only available for funds borrowed against property. If a draw down is taken form a re-financed property, for it to remain in tax relief it must all be used for property, beware of removing a cash block! Clive announced Hacker Young’s, ‘Global real Estate guide’ just published, hot of the press and waiting on the Hacker Young web for you. Charity talk was by Mahdlo, Oldham spelt backwards. A passionate tale of property and support. Audience were spellbound as Mahdlo talked David Lloyd quality facilities for the hard to help youngsters, five quid a year membership and fifty pence a visit. There was duke of Edinburgh access without cost to see opportunity for all. 35 different sports provided, art and music for trouble youngsters in the area in a property fit for national level athletes. Oldham’s only big climbing wall. MPG members are encouraged to visit and see the property first hand, funds are always needed and this is local delivery that you can see changing youngsters lives, Nov 11 MAHDLO winter ball and there are tickets left, MPG come on down. Paul Ramsey, Real Financial Solutions sponsored the prize draw, big decisions for winners, Chop House dinner or best Bubbly in the Box. Chip butty finish was spot on as the Manchester Property Group networked |
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