October 25, 2020

UK sales of £1m-plus homes jump

Sales of £1m-plus homes have surged since lockdown as affluent buyers look for more space and lifestyle change, with two-thirds more deals agreed in the past four months than in the same period last year. An average of 868 £1m-plus sales have been agreed each week since the beginning of

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How To Find The Right Psychologist.

What do you do when you want to improve your inner self? Visiting a psychologist is a great way to help you deal with some of the problems that you are facing in life. Life is never a straight line. Every single day you will have to face challenges, some

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Issue 323 : Dec 2024

October 25, 2020

UK sales of £1m-plus homes jump

Sales of £1m-plus homes have surged since lockdown as affluent buyers look for more space and lifestyle change, with two-thirds more deals agreed in the past four months than in the same period last year. An average of 868 £1m-plus sales have been agreed each week since the beginning of June, 66% higher than the weekly average of 522 over the same period in 2019, new data from Savills and TwentyCi show. Despite the key spring market weeks being all but lost to the lockdown, when sales fell to just 69 in the week ending 19 April, a total of 23,000 sales were agreed in the first three quarters of 2020, 16% higher than in 2019. Lucian Cook, Savills head of residential research, who ran the analysis, says, “This points to a rebalancing of the market between London and the rest of the country. Whereas sales in London rose by 4% in the first nine months of the year, they are up 27% across the rest of the UK, albeit London still accounts for over four in 10 sales with a £1m-plus price tag. The South East has seen the biggest surge in absolute numbers, with sales rising 28% to 6,560. The South West saw sales rise 38% to 2,022, while in Yorkshire and The Humber volumes were up 44% to 341 agreed sales, albeit absolute numbers of millionaire house sales remain much lower. £1m+ agreed sales year to end Sept 2019 2020 Increase 2020 v 2019 London 9066 9403 4% South East 5128 6560 28% East of England 1997 2469 24% South West 1466 2022 38% West Midlands 416 560 35% North West 480 538 12% Yorkshire and The Humber 236 341 44% East Midlands 269 341 27% Scotland 177 152 -14%* Wales 89 106 19% North East 63 72 14% Northern Ireland 21 22 5% Total 19,408 22,586 16% Source: Savills research using TwentyCi (*The Scottish housing market reopened 4 weeks later, hence the lower figure) “Lifestyle relocation has been a big theme in the market since lockdown began to ease, and this is very clearly reflected in the numbers,” says Cook. “Relocation and staycation locations such as the Cotswolds (+94%), South Oxfordshire (+78%), Dorset (+69%), Cornwall (+66%) and Wiltshire (+66%) have been standout performers. And for London leavers looking for a less dramatic lifestyle shift, and a more accessible commute, uber-towns such as Tunbridge Wells (+58%), Guildford (+42%) and Winchester (+40%) have proved popular.” In the UK capital, travel restrictions have limited overseas demand in the most central boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea, the city of Westminster and Camden, where £1m-plus volumes were down 10% year on year, but leafier outer London boroughs benefitted from the search for more space both inside and out. As a clear illustration of this, the mantle for the highest number of £1m-plus sales for a single local authority has passed to Wandsworth, where over 1,000 sales were agreed to primarily domestic buyers in the first nine months of the year, up 17% on 2019. “By the year end we now expect the number of £1m-plus sales agreed to exceed 2019 volumes – a performance nobody could have anticipated in the depths of lockdown,” says Cook. “That said, recent evidence suggests fewer high value homes are now coming to the market, suggesting we may be hitting a high plateau. “For many the challenge is now in getting deals through to completion by Christmas, after which point eyes will be on beating the March 31 stamp duty holiday deadline in order to benefit from the maximum £15,000 saving for those buying at this end of the market.”

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How To Find The Right Psychologist.

What do you do when you want to improve your inner self? Visiting a psychologist is a great way to help you deal with some of the problems that you are facing in life. Life is never a straight line. Every single day you will have to face challenges, some of which might overwhelm you. You might be dealing with relationship issues, family issues, or other social issues. Having someone to talk to is a great way to help you share your experiences and find solutions. When you lack someone you can share your problems with, the weight of the issues might overwhelm you, causing you to get anxiety and depression. Since you will be trusting a stranger with your deep secrets, it is always advisable to find a psychologist that can be trusted. You don’t want to share your life experiences with someone who isn’t professional. Knowing how to choose a psychologist will help you get a reliable confidant. Choosing to find some help is hard enough. You shouldn’t have a tough time getting the right therapist. Below are tips for finding the right psychologist. Experience. One thing that should be on top of your list is the level of experience that the psychologist has. You want to work with someone that has been in the industry for some time. An experienced psychologist will have more knowledge and skills on how to handle your issues. It would be best if you looked for a psychologist that has experience in handling your case. Note that psychologists specialize in different areas, such as addiction, anxiety, and eating disorders. If you have an anxiety issue, you need to look for psychologists who handle anxiety. Asking about the psychologist’s specialization areas and their experience will enable you to make the right choice. When you hire one with years of experience, you are guaranteed quality services because they won’t waste your time trying to find treatment options for you. They already know what the diagnosis is and will find a way to tweak it to suit you better. Ask For Referrals. Another easy way to find a reputable psychologist is by asking for referrals. When you ask for recommendations, it will be easier because you won’t have to do a lot of research. You can start by asking your primary care doctor for a referral. Usually, doctors will know of reputable psychologists that they can recommend. With this, you are sure to receive excellent services. When you get a list of referrals, take some time to research the psychologist’s credentials online. If they have a website, check to see what they have published online. Do they have a review section? If they do, go through to see what some of the previous and current clients have to say about their services. If you notice that many clients have given positive reviews, you should consider them. Avoid psychologists with negative reviews since clients cannot give negative reviews without any reason. After researching about the psychologists online, narrow down your list to remain with the potential ones. Proceed to call them to make a physical appointment. Consider Gender. It is crucial to consider the gender of the psychologist before making your final decision. It would help if you felt comfortable with the gender of the psychologist because, at some point, you will have to open up and discuss your personal information. If, for any reason, you have a problem with a particular gender, opt for the opposite gender. The issue of gender is crucial; a reason you cannot afford to dismiss it. Ask the psychologist about their training and experience related to your issue and your gender. If they are well conversant with dealing with your gender, you should hire them. It is also essential to listen to your instincts. If you don’t feel safe around the therapist for some reason, you should not hire them. It doesn’t matter whether the psychologist looks good on paper. Your instincts will always direct you on what is right. Here is how you can find highly skilled psychologists team in Newcastle who uses tried and tested strategies and interventions to help children and families live a brighter life. Always remember that your comfort should be your priority in any psychology session. Trust your gut before making the final decision. Psychologists are essential people in the community because they help individuals deal with their problems and approach life positively. If you want to find a reputable one, consider the factors above. You won’t regret it…

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