Latest Blog Posts

Keep it Clean when it comes to Rentals

Tuesday, 28th May 2013

Categories: Lettings
Tenants generally expect to have their deposits returned when they move out of a property but there are an increasing number of disgruntled renters who are seeing chunks of their deposit withheld for cleaning costs. New statistics from the Tenant Deposit Scheme (TDS) reveal that over half of the disputes in 2011/2012 related to cleaning. It seems that obvious breakages and unpaid bills can hardly be argued over but one person’s squeaky-clean maisonette is another person’s pigsty. Cleanliness might be next to godliness but the statistics suggest that landlords have very different ideas to their tenants about what constitutes a clean property.

Kris White

London Marathon - Kris White

Wednesday, 8th May 2013

Categories: Miscellaneous
Every year on a crisp and often sunny Sunday morning in April, you turn on the TV to find that over 36,000 people are running the London Marathon for various charities. Sitting on the comfy sofa, you say "I could do that!" These had been my exact thoughts too for many years thinking that it was something that I would love to do for a good cause. My mother passed away from cancer when I was just 15 and had been very well looked after by the North London Hospice within the last few months of her life. With this in mind, I was keen to contact the hospice to offer to run for them and raise money for a self funded local charity close to my heart. As a family, we had raised money for the hospice in previous years but this was the first time that I could give back personally.

Kris White

Rent while you search

Tuesday, 30th April 2013

Categories: Lettings Sales
With good properties in good areas still flying off the shelves, it always pays to be ahead of the game when it comes to making an offer. Regardless of whether you offer the asking price, canny vendors are all too aware of the other influencing factors these days. Some might have been stung in the past by wobbly chains that couldn’t take the strain and finally collapsed, or they simply want to know that the sale will progress as quickly as possible and are looking for the buyer in the best position to ensure this happens.

Kris White

Overpay for a mortgage-free future

Friday, 26th April 2013

Categories: Sales
Many homeowners are discovering that by upping their monthly mortgage repayments by just a fraction, they can shave years off their loan term. This particularly applies to those lucky enough to have reverted to variable rates when interest rates plummeted. If you were savvy enough to maintain your repayments at the same amount, you will have seen your mortgage term take a slide in the right direction without having to curtail your lifestyle.

Kris White

Things to do Before Making an Offer

Friday, 26th April 2013

Categories: Sales
It’s always tempting to rush in with an offer when a property catches your eye. You don’t want to miss the boat and let someone else walk away with your dream house. However, it’s always a good idea to take some time out to review your decision and make sure that the house is going to be a good home and a good investment.

Kris White

Ten Ways to Raise your Rental Game

Friday, 26th April 2013

Categories: Lettings Property Management
You don’t need to spend a fortune to make sure your rental properties is the one at the top of every viewer’s wish list – just a few quick wins will keep voids to a minimum.

Kris White

Push the Boat out to Buy

Wednesday, 24th April 2013

Categories: Sales
With rental prices continuing to outstrip the price of mortgage repayments on equivalent properties, there’s never been a better time for first time buyers to make that final stretch to get on the property ladder. According to recent research conducted by Halifax, it is now 16% cheaper to buy a house than it is to rent one. So whether it’s tapping solvent relatives for a loan, cashing in on shares and savings policies, or emptying the rainy day piggy bank and checking under the sofa cushions, it’s time to pool your cash and head to the mortgage adviser.

Kris White

Don’t Write off an Ugly Duckling

Thursday, 18th April 2013

Categories: Sales
When it comes to buying a new home, there’s a lot to be said for making location a priority. However, what happens when you find a property that hits the mark when it comes to location but falls short on ticking the other boxes on your list? The answer is, don’t write it off just yet – it makes much more sense to give credence to purchasing an ugly duckling in your ideal street, than to put an offer on the perfect house in a less salubrious location.

Kris White

A New Way to Resolve Boundary Disputes

Friday, 5th April 2013

Categories: Party Walls Surveying
You’ve probably read newspaper articles about warring neighbours who’ve spent tens of thousands of pounds going to court over a 6 inch strip of land. Until now boundary disputes have been dealt with by the courts and the lack of a statutory framework means that costs often escalate to level well in excess of the value of the land that is being argued over. Fortunately, that may be about to change.

Justin Burns

A Good Year for First-time Buyers?

Monday, 18th March 2013

Categories: Sales
With the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) reporting a 14% rise in first-time buyer lending at the end of last year, it would seem – on the surface at least – that things are looking up for anyone hoping to become a homeowner in 2013. With first-time buyers having been squeezed out of the market for so long, words of doom and gloom ringing in their ears, many twenty and thirty somethings have resigned themselves to hanging around the family home for years past their welcome date, or elongating a shabby student existence in order to save money.

Kris White

Property Bargains at Auction Houses

Tuesday, 26th February 2013

Categories: Lettings Property Prices Sales
While house prices in key London locations remain buoyant, many landlords – or those looking to invest in property – are having to work harder to find a bargain. Whilst it might seem as though the continuing economic crisis would throw the property world into disarray, London is ticking along quite nicely, with increased rental prices and good properties still attracting good offers. However, head over to the auction houses and it’s another story.

Kris White

Renting out your Renovation

Thursday, 7th February 2013

Categories: Lettings Sales
Renting out your renovated property will provide you with a regular monthly income for the duration that you own it and will hopefully result in a tidy little nest egg when you eventually come to sell – assuming that prices continue to creep upwards. However, it’s often tempting to cut and run as soon as the paint has dried and the builders have packed away their tools.

Kris White

New Year (Selling) Resolutions

Tuesday, 22nd January 2013

Categories: Sales Selling Tips
Once the excitement/stress/craziness (delete as appropriate) of the Christmas season has finished for another year, and you slowly wean yourself off chocolate selection packs and turkey leftovers, it’s time to put together your 2013 game plan. This might include the obvious tick boxes like joining a gym, starting that novel you always meant to write, or looking for a new job. But if this is the year you plan to put your house on the market, you should scrap all the good intentions that won’t see it through to the end of January and instead concentrate on getting your home in top-notch condition for the competitive market.

Kris White

Is there a Magic Month to sell your Property?

Wednesday, 16th January 2013

Categories: Property Prices Sales Selling Tips
If you’re a developer with a newly refurbished property, or you’re a seller in a competitive market, it’s imperative that you choose the right agent to market your property and ensure it’s as viewer-friendly as possible. But it’s also important to pick the best time for your house to hit the marketplace. Clearing the clutter a month before you had planned to nail the ‘for sale’ sign to the fence, or holding off over a particularly quiet patch, could pay off in the long run and get you closer to your asking price.

Sue Bradford

New Year's Resolutions to Sell Your Property Faster

Monday, 14th January 2013

Categories: Sales Selling Tips
Selling a property over Christmas is every home seller's worst nightmare: the upheaval during what's supposed to be a time of fun and relaxation, finding a removal company that's open for business, and trying to fit in time with your family in between the madness. But now the holidays are over and it's time to get back on track and charge full force into your property sale efforts. Now is the perfect time to put your New Year's resolutions to good use:

Ldg_Residential

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