The Journal

Each November, remembrance becomes part of everyday life across the UK. Red poppies appear on lapels, wreaths are laid at local memorials, and people gather to honour the fallen and those who have served in conflicts around the world.

Few cities embrace the festive season quite like London. As winter arrives, the capital’s streets, parks and historic neighbourhoods take on a distinctly seasonal character, from illuminated shopping streets to traditional markets and festive events. Brimming with festive spirit, the London holiday season is unlike any other. The highlight of London’s Christmas season is the annual Hyde Park Winter Wonderland theme park.

Few phrases in an estate agent’s listing carry quite as much romance as “period property”. It brings to mind sash windows that catch the afternoon light, ceiling roses, worn flagstones and fireplaces that have warmed several generations of owners. But what does the term actually mean, and what should you know before you fall for one? Here is how to buy a historic home with your eyes open and your heart intact.

Ten years ago, Sotheby’s opened a gallery in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) to pay tribute to a region with a voracious appetite for international art, culture and luxury. This year, that gallery reopens, and for collectors in the UK the news is more relevant than the distance might suggest. The Gulf and London have long been connected by capital, travel and taste, and a renewed Sotheby’s presence in Dubai strengthens a link that many British clients already value.

The biggest shake-up of private letting in a generation is no longer on the horizon — it has moved in. Here is what has changed, what comes next, and how to keep your property, and your paperwork, in impeccable order.