As the London Tube turned 150 years old this month we saw the first physical signs of one of the largest infrastructure projects the UK has ever taken on. London is beginning to witness evidence of the latest advance in transport connections, Crossrail. Crossrail is the latest major transport link to be developed in the South East of England. As expectations start to rise, Londoners are getting their first glimpses of the Crossrail works emerging out of the ground in London.

In June 2007 an occupier could choose to lease a suite of offices in the West End, let’s say at a rather good address in Mayfair, possibly not too far from Berkeley Square and handy for all the smart restaurants and bars. Business was flourishing then, some five and a half years ago, in a booming economy, with finance readily available especially where property was concerned. Over the five years previous to this the FT 100 Share Index had risen as much as 70%.

A report conducted by the property consultants, Cushman and Wakefield, has predicted that the demand for offices in Central London will increase over the coming years as we see– and indeed have already seen – an increase in demand arising from the Telecoms, Media and Technology (TMT) sector as well as the insurance sector, which has already taken up around 7.8 million square  feet in 2012. These sectors are now key drivers in the demand for office space, and have proven to be resilient against the current economic situation.

Offices in SE1 are becoming increasingly popular due to the excellent connections into London via Waterloo and London Bridge stations. Offices near these stations also have access to the Northern, Jubilee and Bakerloo lines, providing easy access into the City, West End and Canary Wharf. This makes it a potentially interesting location to keep an eye on for businesses that are looking to move offices.

Overseas investor interest in the London office market has risen considerably over the past 18 months. The combination of stable yields and the credit  of owning property in the European financial centre have kept the prices buoyant in spite of the problems over the same period in the Euro zone.

Expectations of concluding certain major pre-lets in London’s West End before the end of 2012 were only partially met. Following a strong take-up of office space in Q3 2012, in the London real estate market there was a more subdued end to the year. 

China Investment Corporation is reported to be among a trio of Asian investors vying to buy the £800-million office complex in London’s Chiswick Park. According to China Daily, this could become the latest in an increasing number of international property deals by Chinese buyers.  

In this modern world how much difference does it really make where a company’s office is located? With internet speeds being so quick and available people can work anywhere, whether it’s in a coffee shop, a train or even from a bedroom. Most employees in the majority of industries have the ability to do just as good and thorough a job as they would if they were sitting at their computer in their office. 

Recent evidence is showing that within London the office market is performing strongly, resulting in office values continuing to rise. This is unlike the rest of the United Kingdom where the office market remains relatively static. 

For some organisations, committing to conventional office space just isn’t an option, as this kind of space usually requires a long-term obligation as well as the typical office set-up costs – which is fine and expected, but may not suit a start-up company, or one which is only looking for temporary space in between an office move or while it’s undergoing some work at their present location.