The nation waited with bated breath on Tuesday evening as Boris Johnson addressed the nation with yet further pandemic restrictions. Despite, the Great British Bake Off having to delay the start of their new series by fifteen minutes, other outcomes from the speech included a 10 pm curfew on pubs and restaurants, alongside a request for office workers to return to laptops and kitchen tables (if they ever left). However, office workers are not the only ones now utilising remote working. This afternoon West Ham manager, David Moyes, will be managing his side’s Premier League fixture from the comfort of his living room sofa. The Scotsman, who is undergoing a period of self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 will have a straight Zoom link to the dugout, allegedly still making all the calls during the ninety minutes. The Hammers, who are yet to win a Premier League game this season, can add the strength of Moyes’ Wi-Fi router to their growing list of concerns!

Wednesday morning saw The Weekly tune into IPF’s ‘UK Consensus Summer Forecasts’ webinar. The forecasts, carried out quarterly, draw on data from twenty-four contributors, who have the arduous task of predicting how property will perform for the remainder of the year. The range of results varied drastically across all sectors, proving that right now, it really is anyone’s guess! The 2020 All Property average rental growth rate measured -5.0%, with offices attracting the greatest range of projections, with individual forecasts lying between -13.6% and +1.0%. Capital value growth forecasts narrowed over the last quarter, with All Property projections averaging -11.7% for 2020. The only exception to this rule was retail warehouses, with polarised views fluctuating immensely, between -27.8% and -6.0% to average -20.9%. And finally, total returns. The All Property total returns forecasts for 2020 continue to draw a wide range of views, currently lying between -12.0% and a maximum +1.2%, averaging at -7.4%. The Weekly had to look forward to 2021 to find a positive forecast, with predictions for All Property total returns sitting at an average of 3.3% for next year. The only caveat to IPF’s data is that it was produced over a three-week period, beginning at the end of August. In light of the announcement on further national restrictions, alongside the ever-changing COVID-19 infection rate, it is likely that if the data wasn’t already out-of-date then it most certainly is now. Dominated largely by the impact of the pandemic, forecasters have rarely had it tougher, with potential scenarios changing on what feels like an hourly basis! The Weekly might suggest a change from quarterly forecasts to monthly, weekly or even daily. Easier said than done!

It’s every man’s dream to have their own space, a room away from pestering family members, where they can sit down, put their feet up and relax. Well, until this week that was a reality for three New York rail workers. However, their ‘mancave’ wasn’t at home, it was in a prime piece of Manhattan real estate, directly underneath Grand Central Station! The unauthorized room was fully fitted with a television, beer fridge, microwave and sofa, perfect for those quiet Friday afternoons. Unfortunately for them, the fun was ruined when they were rumbled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, who before now hadn’t even realised the room existed! The trio initially denied having ever been in the space, before authorities found two personal calendars, a named receipt for the sofa and the Wi-Fi network registered in the culprit’s names. The story has certainly got The Weekly thinking about ulterior uses for the basement storage cupboard at 5 St Bride Street. Watch this space.