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

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

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

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

Ten Ways to Maximise Rental Yields

Sunday, 16th December 2012

Categories: Lettings Sales
If you’re thinking of dipping a toe into the buy-to-let market, there are certain steps you can take to ensure you get the best return on your investment, right from the start. Here’s our quick guide to maximising your rental yields.

Kris White

Estate agent trends worth watching

Monday, 26th November 2012

Categories: Lettings Sales Selling Tips Surveying
Looking to buy or sell your home? Time for you to choose an estate agent. In any area there will be many to choose from, but how can you tell which one will go that extra mile for you? Local knowledge will always be key, but how else can they help you make this crucial choice? The last few years have seen many new trends in the property market, when it comes to choosing your next estate agent make sure they’ve been keeping an eye on the latest and best ways to to market your property and attract new vendors.

Rachel O'Riordan

Tips of Avoiding the Tenant from Hell

Friday, 9th November 2012

Categories: Lettings Property Management
One of the most frequently asked questions from Landlords is what sort of tenants we have on our books; common questions include whether they are working professionals and do they have a good background. Referencing is probably the most important part of the process when letting a property. A Landlord negotiating the best deal on a fee with an agent means nothing if a poor quality tenant moves in, damages the property and does not pay rent.

Kris White

Is it Time to Consider Buying to Let?

Friday, 9th November 2012

Categories: Lettings Sales
With first time buyers finding it harder to get their foot on the property ladder there has rarely been such a high demand for rental properties. Your savings will be earning very little interest for you so now may be a good time to consider buying a rental investment. When searching for a property the key factors that appeal to buyers will also attract tenants i.e. distance to stations and transport links and parking facilities.

Sue Bradford

Buying is Cheaper than Renting

Thursday, 1st November 2012

Categories: Lettings Sales
According to recent research conducted by the Halifax, the cost of buying a home in the UK is now almost a fifth lower than renting, and London offers the best comparative savings for homeowners.

Sue Bradford

Rent out your Garage or Parking Space

Monday, 8th October 2012

Categories: Lettings
An increasing number of Londoners are discovering that their driveway or garage could be earning them some extra money. With a number of dedicated websites now offering to connect homeowners with drivers, there’s a genuine market for empty driveways. If you’re looking for ways to make your house pay without too much hassle on your part then this could be the answer.

Kris White

Is your Rental Advert Legal?

Friday, 17th August 2012

Categories: Lettings
If you’re a landlord who has ever used your local newsagent as a cheap way to advertise rooms or flats, you might need to double check your wording before you pin your next card to the notice-board...

Kris White

What Happens when your Tenant Won’t Move out?

Monday, 30th July 2012

Categories: Lettings Property Management
There are many reasons why a tenant might refuse to leave, despite being give the correct notice period and signing a contract accepting these terms when they took on tenancy of your property. Some of these reasons may well be genuine – hence the law insisting that you go through the correct channels...

Kris White

Deducting from a Deposit

Thursday, 19th July 2012

Categories: Lettings
As a landlord, you are entitled to take money from the deposit for reasonable repairs or replacements. For example, if there has been damage to the property, or items are broken or missing. You could also legitimately claim for any rental arrears...

Kris White

Should I Sell or Rent my Renovation Project?

Friday, 25th May 2012

Categories: Lettings Sales
The days of snapping up a property bargain, putting down some wooden floorboards, painting the walls white and turning it around for an eye-watering profit have gone...developers need to take a closer look at their calculators before taking on the risk of an overhaul that doesn’t guarantee the big buck returns of ten years ago.

Kris White

Overview of the West End Lettings Market

Friday, 18th May 2012

Categories: Lettings
Quality not quantity goes the saying- and this is certainly true of the current central London lettings market. Despite the current economic uncertainty, the pace of this market in London continues constantly with no drop in prices.

Ldg_Residential

Should you rent your House During the Olympics?

Monday, 2nd April 2012

Categories: Lettings
With the media talking about obscene amounts of money being thrown on the table for homeowners willing to hand over their keys for the duration of the Olympics, it’s tempting to up sticks, get out of town and watch your bank balance multiply. But is the short-term gain worth the upheaval?

Kris White

Do you Make these Mistakes when Choosing Tenants?

Tuesday, 31st January 2012

Categories: Lettings Property Management
Choosing the right tenants will make all the difference to the success of your property business. Choose well and you could let the same property to the same tenants for years without any hassle; choose badly and you could end up with rental arrears, costly repairs to the property and irate neighbours.

Kris White

The Secrets of Dealing with Difficult Tenants

Monday, 30th January 2012

Categories: Lettings Property Management
If you’ve been a landlord for a while, chances are you’ve come across difficult tenants in the past. You will no doubt have learnt from your mistakes but there’s no real way of knowing how someone is going to treat your property, or deal with rental payments, until they have actually moved in.

Kris White

Preparing a Property for Rent

Monday, 19th December 2011

Categories: Lettings Property Management
When it comes to renting out a property, it isn’t simply a case of giving the place a spring clean and taking a few nice photos: there’s whole list of legal requirements and presentation issues to deal with before you hand the keys over to your new tenants...

Kris White

The Danger of Being Friends with your Tenant

Tuesday, 22nd November 2011

Categories: Lettings Property Management
If you’re starting out on a new career as a landlord, you probably have certain criteria that you’ve set yourself in order to make the experience as stress-free as possible for yourself and your future tenants...However, there are a number of drawbacks to becoming too friendly with your tenants and when the boundaries between landlord and ‘mate’ become blurred, you could be opening up the floodgates to trouble...

Kris White

The Forgotten Costs of Being a Landlord

Monday, 14th November 2011

Categories: Lettings Property Management
Letting out a property can initially seem like a quick and easy way to capitalise on your property and to make a bit of extra cash without having to work too hard for it...However, before you go ahead and put your property on the rental market, there are a number of other costs and considerations that need to be taken into account...

Kris White

Should I Rent my Flat to Students?

Wednesday, 2nd November 2011

Categories: Lettings Property Management
The student rental market can be a real pull for property owners, and rightly so. Property in student towns and cities will always rent out and it should hold its own in the resale market, too...However, many people are still nervous about renting their properties out to students...

Kris White

Are Local Papers still Relevant in the age of the Internet?

Tuesday, 1st November 2011

Categories: Lettings Market Analysis Sales Selling Tips
The Internet has completely transformed the way we read and digest information...it might seem fair to assume that the old-fashioned method of flicking through the property section of your local newspaper or magazine is now obsolete. In fact, this is far from the case.

Sue Bradford

Should I Allow my Tenants to Redecorate?

Thursday, 29th September 2011

Categories: Lettings Property Management
If a prospective tenant is going to respect the property and look after it, they need to feel like it’s their home.Whilst no one wants to think of a newly redecorated flat being attacked by DIY novices wielding cans of magenta paint, there has to be a certain amount of give and take on the part of both landlord and tenant...

Kris White

5 Tips to Keep Rental Voids to a Minimum

Friday, 23rd September 2011

Categories: Lettings
If you rent your property to tenants, you will be constantly aware of the need to keep any void periods to a minimum – any time the property is empty is time that you are losing rent and possibly subsidising mortgage payments...

Kris White

Tenancy Deposit Protection Schemes – Rights & Recent Case Law

Tuesday, 30th August 2011

Categories: Lettings
Be you a student or professional, young or more mature in years, the Landlord of any property you rent will require you to pay a deposit to cover any damages that may occur over the course of your tenancy. In order to ensure this money is kept safe, Landlords by law must protect the deposit in a Tenancy Deposit Scheme..

Matthew Price BSc MRICS MFPWS

The Secret to Finding Reliable Tradespeople

Monday, 4th April 2011

Categories: Lettings Property Management
It’s important to remember that once your property is let it will become your tenant’s home and under the terms of the tenancy agreement as Landlord, you are responsible for maintaining your property, together with the installations and appliances provided.

Kris White

Are you showing your property at its best?

Friday, 11th February 2011

Categories: Lettings Property Management
Although the peaks and troughs of the property market continue to make headlines, the one trend that continues to rise is ‘expectation’- yours and your tenant's.

Kris White

What to do if your Tenants split up?

Friday, 3rd December 2010

Categories: Lettings Property Management
As Shakespeare once said “the path of true love never does run smooth” and unfortunately in the case of separating tenants this can become the landlord's problem.

Kris White

Freebies for Movers

Saturday, 6th November 2010

Categories: Lettings Sales
It’s rare that we get something for nothing in life so I thought I’d tell you about a new company that sends a box of freebies to any tenant or buyer that moves in to a new property.

Justin Burns

Can I sell my property with the Tenants in place?

Friday, 22nd October 2010

Categories: Lettings Property Management
Of course I can, it’s my property! That’s true, you can sell your property with a tenant in place, but as always there are a number of things to consider.

Kris White

The HMO Trap

Monday, 11th October 2010

Categories: Lettings Property Prices Surveying
One of the more minor changes that the new coalition Government have made is to partially reverse one of the Labour Government’s final pieces of housing legislature; a requirement for landlords to submit a planning application if they change the use of a property from a single-household home to a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).

Justin Burns

What Every UK Landlord Living Overseas Should Know

Sunday, 22nd August 2010

Categories: Lettings Property Management
So you’re letting a property in the UK while you’re living abroad. In a perfect world, the property would be let to a marvellous tenant who pays their rent early, you never have to spend a penny on maintenance, and when you come back everything is exactly as you left it.

Kris White

Tenants and their Pets

Saturday, 10th July 2010

Categories: Lettings Property Management
Britain may be a nation of animal lovers but pet owners often struggle to find accommodation where the landlord is willing to accept any pets. Many landlords will not accept pets fearing they will damage furniture, fixtures and leave flea infestations when they depart.

Kris White

The risks of renting to students

Tuesday, 15th June 2010

Categories: Lettings Property Management
Renting to students can be highly profitable although there are risks. In reality they are often no greater than renting to any stranger.

Kris White

Do it Yourself Vs Professional Managing Agents – A false economy?

Friday, 14th May 2010

Categories: Lettings Property Management
Landlords looking to save money may decide to try to go it alone and manage their own properties rather than rely upon the expertise of a trained and established property management company.

Kris White

The Importance of Inventories

Tuesday, 13th April 2010

Categories: Lettings Property Management
Some Landlords question the necessity of having a comprehensive inventory and schedule of condition of their property carried out before a tenant moves in, but if you think about it would you expect a car rental company to rent you a car without first making a thorough check of the condition of the paint work, upholstery etc. how would they know what if any new damage had been caused on its return.

Kris White

Open for Business as Usual

Wednesday, 17th June 2009

Categories: Lettings Sales Surveying
You may have noticed that there are a few changes occuring to our office. Our old shopfront was removed this week and the temporary hoarding is now in place.

Justin Burns

EPCs & Rental Properties

Wednesday, 3rd June 2009

Categories: Lettings
Since October last year landlords of self contained rental properties have been required to supply incoming tenants with a copy of an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

Kris White

Protecting Deposits - Who's Responsible?

Wednesday, 6th May 2009

Categories: Lettings
By now most Landlords and tenants are aware that deposits must be protected in one of the authorised schemes within 14 days. The penalty for failure to do so is the payment of an amount equivalent to 3 times the deposit to the tenant.

Justin Burns

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