How To Have A Happy New Property Year

Twenty twenty has been an unusual year for everyone, and not in the least for everyone in the property industry. So in this post we’ll offer a few tips that will hopefully help landlords, investors, agents and everyone else with a professional interest in property to have a happy and prosperous property new year in 2021.

8 Regeneration Schemes You Need To Know About

Regeneration schemes are something that everyone in property ought to keep an eye on. Regeneration schemes bring huge amounts of new investment to what are often neglected districts.

The Future For The City Living Property Market

The city living property market has become a very important part of the property market over the last few years. But in the current situation what might be the future prospects for it?

Which Is The Best Property Portal

Property portals have completely changed the process of buying, selling, renting and letting property over the last few years. In this post we’ll try to decide which is the best property portal in the business.

More National Parks To Be Created in 2021

Recently the Government made an announcement that wasn’t widely covered in the mainstream media – that more national parks and AONBs (Areas of Outstanding National Beauty) are to be created in 2021. In this post, we’ll look at the implications that this could have for property investors, developers, landlords and the property market overall.

Predictions For The Property Market In 2021

Although the Christmas decorations are already going up in many places it’s still a little early to wish everyone a happy new year. But it’s never too early for those in the property business to look forward and try to understand what might happen to the market in the coming year.

Are You Ready For Retiree Renters

The property market is fast changing and dynamic .... now more than ever before. So one of the things that investors, landlords and agents need to try and do is to look into the future as much as possible. In other words, look for upcoming trends and try to capitalise on them before they actually happen. Not after, once it is too late.

The 5 Types Of House Buyer

In property it’s a mistake to think that every buyer is the same and to treat them all the same. Every buyer is an individual and needs a different kind of service. Broadly though, there are five main types of house (or flat) buyer. Here are the different types and what you need to know about them

The Human Face Of CRM

Estate Agent CRM or Letting Agent CRM software has proved to be an important business tool in recent years. Chances are that estate agent CRM and letting agent CRM software packages are only going to become more important to your business in future. Essentially CRM is all about using technology to manage, analyse and automate your relationships with customers. Used correctly, CRM can be a powerful way to handle those relationships and make more money.

What Is Generation Buy

Generation Buy is the name that has been given to a proposal by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, made at the recent Conservative Party Conference, to provide 95% fixed rate, long term mortgages to first time buyers. In this post we will look more closely at what the Generation Buy proposals are, and what they might mean.

What WFH Means For The Property Market

While the concept of working from home isn’t entirely new – some people have been doing it for years – the Coronavirus pandemic has made working from home much more widespread.

The Latest Predictions For Rents

What Are The Latest Predictions For Rents? And What Should Investors, Landlords And Agents Do Now? As well as many other things, Covid-19 has turned the lettings business upside down, making it very hard for buy to let investors, landlords and agents to plan ahead.

Whats The Future For The Student Property Market

With students starting the new university year shortly, and student accommodation lets filling up again, now might be a good time to look at the future for the student property market.

Online Or Offline Estate Agents

One big trend in estate agency in recent years has been the development of so-called online estate agents. That’s provoked a debate between house sellers – to say nothing of estate agents themselves – about whether they’re better than conventional estate agents. Here we’ll look more closely at whether online or offline estate agents are better.

What Will Boomin Mean For The Portals Business

Property portals have been around for a few years now and have completely changed how the property market works. The recent announcement of plans to launch a major new property portal – Boomin – could change things yet again. So here we’ll take a took at what Boomin could mean for the business.

The Extended Evictions Ban

What It Means For Landlords And Agents. At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic the Government introduced what became known as the evictions ban. The idea being that no tenant would find themselves homeless during the worst of the Coronavirus crisis.

Content Marketing For Estate And Letting Agents

Content marketing is big in the world of marketing right now. In this post, we will look at some simple ways that estate and letting agents can use content marketing successfully too.

What is Causing The Covid19 Property Boom

Everybody knows that the Covid-19 pandemic has turned everything on its head. To say nothing of the numbers that have died with the disease, the economy has slipped into recession, businesses are closing down and substantial redundancies are being announced by the day.

A Simple Guide To Green Homes Grants

As part of a range of measures designed to support the economy during the Covid-19 pandemic the Government have recently announced the Green Homes Grant scheme.

What You Need To Know About Investing In Land

Is land a good investment? Of all the ways of investing in property, investing in land is one asset class that is often overlooked. So in this post we’ll look at what you need to know about investing in land and ask if land could be a good investment.

Landlord Licensing Explained

Landlord licensing ought to be simple and straightforward. As a landlord you’d apply for a single licence, get one and away you go. Unfortunately landlord licensing isn’t as simple as it could be. Whether or not you need a licence to be a landlord, or to let your property, varies according to where you are, what type of property you rent out and even what street your property is on.

Is Now A Good Time To Buy

It’s fair to say that the property market has seen some ups and downs this year .... perhaps more than in anyone’s living memory. The year started with a buoyant market, rising on the back of the General Election result and then an interest rate cut. Then Covid-19 not just affected the property market but completely halted it. The market got moving again with enthusiasm in May and then the recent Stamp Duty holiday scheme added yet another twist.

What Makes The Best Buy For A Buy To Let

Low interest rates and now the Stamp Duty holiday have helped to make buy to let look a little more attractive again, with some investors feeling that now could be a good time to add to their buy to let portfolio. With that in mind we’ll look at what makes the very best buy for a buy to let property.

Build Build Build

Announcements of measures to support the economy following Covid-19 are coming thick and fast from the Government at the moment. One recent announcement, made by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week, announced reforms to the planning system. In this post we will look at what these proposals could mean for the housing market

Landlords Letting Agents And Pets

Whether or not to accept tenants with pets is a question many landlords and letting agents ask themselves. Here we’ll look at what you need to know about accepting tenants with pets, and at how to turn being pet friendly into a good opportunity.

New Mandatory Electrical Safety Checks

Gas safety checks for rental property been around for years. Now there’s a similar law for electrical safety checks. Here’s what landlords and letting agents need to know about the new electrical safety checks in the private rented sector regulations.

Where Is The Commercial Market Going

Commercial property has long proved to be an attractive asset class. But with the commercial world having been turned upside down by the Covid-19 pandemic many people will be wondering what the future holds for the commercial property sector too. In this report we will take a look at where the UK commercial property market could be heading in 2020 and beyond.

How To Buy And Sell At An Online Property Auction

Online property auctions have been around for some time, but the Covid-19 pandemic has made them more popular because there’s no need for an auctioneer and no need for an auction room! However, it’s important to bear in mind that online property auctions are very different to conventional, physical auctions in some ways. Here we’ll look at how to buy and sell property at an online auction.

How Will Coronavirus Affect The Buy To Let Market

Everybody involved in the lettings market would like to have a crystal ball to help them predict the future of buy to let and spot new opportunities. We don’t have a crystal ball unfortunately but in this article we will look at some of the different ways the Covid-19 pandemic might affect the buy to let market in the future.

What Are The Latest Expert Forecasts For Property

Property prices are affected by a range of factors including supply and demand, what the economy is doing, Government policy and interest rates. Property prices, at least in the UK, haven’t been affected by a pandemic of the scale of Covid-19 before.

7 Things Landlords Need To Do Now

No one really knows what longer term impact the Covid-19 pandemic will have on the UK property market and particularly the lettings market. But now that lockdown has been lifted, at least in England, it is a very good time for landlords to take stock and plan ahead.

Estate Agents To Ease Out Of Lockdown

Now that lockdown has been eased, at least in England, it’s possible for estate and letting agents to open up for business again

Working Remotely Tips For Agents

The Covid-19 situation has caused a dramatic shift change in the way most businesses work. Estate and letting agents have been particularly affected. Face-to-face working and in-person viewings are the lynchpin of most estate and letting agencies, and social distancing makes them tricky if not impossible.

Dealing With Tenants During The Coronavirus Crisis

The Covid-19 crisis has put landlords and letting agents – to say nothing of tenants – in a new and completely unprecedented situation. In this article we will look at ways to deal with and help tenants during the coronavirus pandemic. We will also look at what you can do if your tenants cannot pay their rent.

How Does Buy to Let Mortgage Holidays Work

Buy to Let Mortgage Holidays: How Does The Scheme Work and Should You Use It ?

Mortgage Holiday Announcement

Property owners who are facing financial difficulties brought about by the coronavirus are extended a three-month mortgage payment holiday, but the government has suspended tenant evictions. The government will advise landlords to show some compassion and allow affected tenants to stay in their homes wherever possible, meaning landlords won’t be able to start the process of evicting their tenants from social or private rented stock for at least three months.

First Time Landlords

Converting your property into a rental is a good way to make money and at the same time, increase the value of your asset. However, as a first time landlord, there are some legal aspects of the rental business that you need to know about and comply with to protect you from costly and time-consuming court litigations.

Stamp Duty Surcharge for Non UK Property Buyers

The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has confirmed the introduction of a 2% stamp duty surcharge for foreign property buyers to take effect from April 2021.

Coronavirus Economic Repercussions

As the world scrambles to contain the coronavirus outbreak and find a cure, the economic repercussions are now more than just a concern.

Things that buy to let investors need to know

Putting your money in a buy to let property can be a lucrative investment, but it’s not the same as owning your own home

Coronavirus Concern for UK Property Market

As the world scrambles to contain the coronavirus outbreak and find a cure, the economic repercussions are now more than just a concern. The virus, which was reported to have originated from Wuhan, China has caused a strain for those in the manufacturing industry whose production depends on parts sourced from China.

Misleading Information Raises CMA Concerns

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is set to launch enforcement action against housing developers who have unfairly treated leasehold homeowners and misled prospective buyers. This after evidence of possible mis-selling and unfair contract terms were found.

Reforms on Referral Fees Seen Soon

With the goal of ensuring referral fees be made more transparent and open to consumers, the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team or NTSELAT, in collaboration with the NAEA Propertymark, The Property Ombudsman (TPO) and other industry bodies, published the February 2019 guidelines on referral fees received by estate agents across the UK. NTSELAT was to observe estate agents’ compliance with the guidelines and report their observations to the Ministers.

Countrywide and LSL Talks of Merger

Countrywide and LSL Property Services, two of the United Kingdom’s most prominent real estate agents whose shared number of landlord clients are in the tens of thousands, have confirmed that discussions for a merger is in progress, confirming suspicions that Countrywide is not in the best circumstance and is being given some help.

New Housing Minister Appointed

The former Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, Christopher Pincher has been appointed as the new Housing Minister, replacing Esther McVey, whose July 2019 appointment was cut short by the new government.

Why landlords get into disputes with their tenants

Findings from a research done by alternative deposits provider Ome shows that the foremost reason for the conflict between landlords and tenants is the unexplained or poorly explained deductions from the tenant’s deposit after the termination of the tenancy. Disagreement on property cleanliness upon checking comes second. And other reasons for disputes include redecoration, missing or replaced items and arrears on rent and bills.

Is HMO and Selective Licensing too confusing

Leading London Realtor Says HMO and Selective Licensing Ridiculous

Give tenants better customer service

As renting is increasingly being viewed as belonging to the service industry, tenants now are perceived as clients looking for better customer service and better value for their money. Poor customer service, especially in this digital age, can earn the property owner a bad “rep”, which of course is very bad for business.

Discount for Local First time Buyers

First Homes scheme, a new project proposed by the government would see tens of thousands of new homes to be sold to local key workers and first-time buyers at a significant discount.

Rental rates in London rising quickly

Rental rates in London rise twice faster than the rest of the country. Inadequate supply of rental properties is jacking up prices in the capital city as it hits an all time high at £2,119 a month.

Consequence of Rising Short term Leases

The result of a survey by ARLA Propertymark shows that 2.7% of the 1000 landlords who participated in the study have shifted from privately renting their properties to short-term leases, and the reason is the growing pressure from government regulations: removal of the tax relief, additional stamp duty, and ban on tenant fees.

Number of Young Homeowners Rise in Over a Decade

The National Statistics Housing Survey report shows that the number of homeowners aged 25 to 34 have gone up for the first time in over 10 years.

Homeowners May Lose Money

Property owners wanting to sell their homes may lose money enlisting the services of “quick-sale” estate brokers, according to the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team.

Landlords Spend Nearly 5 Billion Pounds Annually

UK Landlords Spend More Than £4.7 Billion Annually on Rental Properties

Landlords Planning to Sell Property

Private property landlords are planning to sell at least one property this year, citing diminishing earnings as reason.

Top Ten Places to Buy a Home

There are various reasons why people would want to buy a home, the most compelling would probably be the idea that the value of real property appreciates and owning one assures a return of investment for the future. But there are things one might consider before buying one, and one of that is location.

Funding to Stop Rogue Landlords

Additional council funding of over £4 million, to stop rogue landlords from preying on vulnerable tenants, have been confirmed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

Disclosure of Tenure Terms

Property agents who fail to disclose tenure terms are in violation of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPRs), warns The Property Ombudsman (TPO).

Pet Restrictions

The Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, has ordered the Government's model tenancy agreement to be rewritten and all restrictions be removed, for well-behaved pets.

Bristol No1 Most Searched

UK’s top property website Rightmove names Bristol as most searched city by house hunters, followed by York, Glasgow and Edinburgh respectively. Besting far larger UK cities like Manchester and Birmingham.

Thirdfort Nominated as Best Startup Tech

When asked by The Times to nominate his choice for the best startup technology for 2019, Alex Chesterman, founder of Zoopla, picked Thirdfort.

One Agency Offers A Full Solution

Selling a house is not as easy as some people think it is, the process can give rise to some problems and can get a bit complicated and stressful. However, some of these problems are not beyond control, it’s choosing the right people in their respective fields who can provide the answers and necessary support that can help avoid the problems or solve them to facilitate a smooth property turnover.