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Published on 15th December 2021
Hurray for Christmas Jumper Day! Raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support
Sparkle, sequins and snowflakes never go out of fashion at this time of year! Our stylish team at Gateway HQ modelled a flurry of festive knitwear on Friday 10 December, and all for a super cause.
Everyone in the team across our different departments put on a Christmas jumper and pulled off some iconic seasonal looks and, it has to be reported, some quite tricky styles! The proceeds raised from taking part in the event will help Macmillan Cancer Support continue its amazing work, so thanks to everyone for embracing the Christmas spirit.
In December, Gateway Property Management was delighted to add two new developments in Kent to its expanding nationwide portfolio.
The first development of 400 new homes is located just south of the River Thames in Gravesend, close to local amenities and a short commute to London. Eight miles away in historic Rochester on the River Medway, our dedicated team will also be managing 100 luxury homes, set in a highly sought-after area.
Since our last edition of Gateway Today, we’ve also added modern property developments to our portfolio in the Malvern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; Sheffield City Centre; the counties of Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, North Yorkshire, and Surrey; and Wimbledon, just a stroll from the famous All England Club where we hope to see Emma Raducanu lifting a trophy very soon.
As trusted managing agents, our portfolio continues to expand, from towns and cities to the countryside and coastline. You can see our latest additions, and find out more about our specialist property group, on Instagram.
Meet our friendly, professional team and our thoroughly individual property group.
You can discover more about our specialist property companies at LinkedIn and see how we can support you in the new year. Whether you’re a property developer, investor, landlord, buy-to-let owner, management company or tenant, we are always here to help.
Looking ahead: What will 2022 mean for property prices?
This autumn, Hamptons were among the first to forecast an annual house price rise in Great Britain of up to 3.5% in 2022. Figures from major mortgage lenders support an upbeat trend that continues to confound expectations.
How we live and work is changing, which means house-price growth is predicted to be ongoing as the demand for greater residential space continues. Hamptons predicts an increase of around 3.5% in 2022, 3% in 2023 and 2.5% in 2024. This ‘race for space’ has seen many buyers seeking room to work from home and larger gardens since pre-pandemic times. To this picture, add a severe shortage of homes after record property sales in 2021. Over 200,000 sales were recorded by HMRC in June alone. Zoopla views Britain as being in the middle of ‘the greatest stock shortage’ since 2015.
As the end of the year approaches, home sales are likely to reach a 14-year high, with more residential property being purchased in 2021 than in any other year since 2007. Despite a slowing in the market in recent months following the removal of the stamp duty holiday, Hamptons also believes that 2021 will finish with a flourish. The agent forecast house prices in Great Britain being 4.5% higher on average compared with 2020. While the Office for National Statistics reported average house prices falling by £10,000 (looking at June and July 2021), that still represented an 8% price growth.
Growth predictions are supported by two major mortgage lenders. Halifax saw an increase in property prices in August by 0.7% and Nationwide by 2.1%. The latter is the second highest leap in 15 years.
Hares about Town: Raising £447,000 for Havens Hospices
We were delighted to be part of Hares about Town, a unique event for a special cause. When we heard that the art trail had raised £447,000 for local charity Havens Hospices, the Gateway team was leaping with joy.
At the end of September, Southend waved goodbye to 30 hares and 53 leverets. These giant sculptures – each one unique – had been generously created by artists and the community for locals and visitors alike to enjoy over 10 weeks in the summer. Gateway Group was proud to sponsor dapper-looking hare, ‘Mr Meadow’, while Quality Street got behind the super-sonic ‘Jet Hareplane’.
Dotted across the borough as a one-off family trail, in association with Wild in Art,
the sculptures came together for a final exhibition at Garon Park. During the weekend of 24–26 September, the public enjoyed a mini-festival, a fitting send-off before the hares were auctioned for Havens Hospices. All but one of the leverets raced back to the schools and community clubs that had created them. ‘Salvi’ the leveret was also sold.
On the auction night, bids for the hares started at £3,000. As the final hammer struck, the event had raised a staggering £225,931. What’s more, throughout the summer more than £221,000 had been collected in-kind donations as well.
Havens Hospices makes every day count, providing palliative nursing and supportive care to adults and children living with complex or incurable conditions.
