Commercial Property to let in London
Spread the word – London is open for business
The bright lights of London still attract the tech giants as 2017 starts with an announcement from Snapchat that its international headquarters will be in the capital.
It’s good news for London’s commercial property market and signals that, despite the Brexit result, we are very much open for business – for start ups, UK born companies, the burgeoning technology and digital industries, and multinational conglomerates. Tenants are looking for the bargains when it comes to offices to rent, shops to let and industrial units and storage to rent in London and across the UK. Negotiations on price and length of tenure are commonplace now.
Latest figures from BNP Paribas Real Estate show Central London office take up topped 11.4m sq ft in 2016 boosted by strong activity in the final quarter of the year. That’s 10% below the 10-year average of 12.61m sq ft. The end- 2016 vacancy rate stands at 5.73% compared to 4.33% a year ago.
Looking ahead to 2017, Dan Bayley, head of Central London office agency BNP Paribas Real Estate said: “The market saw a burst of activity to end 2016 and we expect this level of activity to endure into the new year. For occupiers, uncertainty is the new certainty, and many are realising there is no point waiting a year of so for the world picture to be clearer, as this is unlikely to be the case.
“We expect 2017 take up to remain below the long term trend but to be in line with 2016. The biggest deals of 2016 were in Canary Wharf and Battersea and we expect that the occupiers will continue to be attracted by the lower occupancy costs available outside of Zone 1 this year.
“The imminent arrival of Crossrail, which will only be 12 months away by the end of 2017, will also support activity across the capital, with occupiers focussing on locations like Paddington, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf and Stratford.”
He concluded: “Rental income will be muted at best. We do not expect prime rents to fall, but rents on secondary buildings may suffer. Leases will continue to be more flexible and those occupiers willing to commit to long leases will be rewarded with more generous incentives.”
Taking a look at offices to rent in London
Stirling Ackroyd has 3127 sq ft in WC1V for £86048pa
718 sq ft in SE1 for £45490pa
And in EC4M 4100 sq ft for £77900pa
In SE1 Kalmars has 505 sq ft for £17680pa and 1008 sq ft for £35280pa
See our current up to date listing of offices to let in London.
Cushman and Wakefield take a look into the future with its “London in Five Years’ Time” report. On the back of the Brexit vote, it expects the UK to be independent having left the EU. It believes the tenant mix may change in the capital with possible moves out of London by some banking businesses so we would see offices to let in London taken up by a more diverse mix of tenants including technology firms.
The Elizabeth Line is due to open in 2018 transforming the way people move around London, improving the commuter experience. Meanwhile talks about the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street abound as a 40% increase in footfall is anticipated with the two new Elizabeth Line stations feeding the iconic shopping street.
Shops to rent in London currently listed on Boxpod include
Hindwoods has a 275 sq ft retail unit to let in SE5, 275 sq ft for £115000pa
Stirling Ackroyd has a 398 sq ft shop/retail unit in E8 for £15000pa
While Kalmars has a shop to rent in SE15 for £13500pa
See our current up to date listing of shops to let in London.
Workshops to rent and industrial units to rent is a busy market too
Trident Centre light industrial units/ studios to rent in Tooting SW17 range in size from 200-1200sq ft and are let for between £51pw to £2640pa
Vail Williams has 7051 sq ft workshop in Wimbledon, SE19 under offer
Hindwoods has industrial units and workshops in SE7 – workspace ranges from 23000 to 56000 sq ft
In SE14 Kalmars has an industrial unit to rent for £8000pa (approx £154 pw)
See our current up to date listing of workshops to let in London.
Further infrastructure developments in the capital include the Northern Line extension and new Business District. Additional works to impact on the availability of shops, offices, workshops and storage units to let in London are Stratford Waterfront Cultural and Educational District, new River Crossings, a new Runway at Heathrow and the ever towering London City Skyline with office buildings reaching the heady heights of 62 floors. Watch this space…
All in all the present and future plans all bode very well for London – making it a superb place to live and work and do business. And with ever-improving transport links and a mobile workforce, employees could travel in and out of the capital with ease.
If you have commercial property to let or sell in London, advertise it with Boxpod. If you are looking to rent or buy commercial property in London, use our easy postcode search facility.