Yearly Archives: 2011

Growing Supply

Posted on 5th December 2011

 
It has recently been revealed that landlords are remortgaging as a means by which to fund further property investments as they try to keep up with high rental demand, and ultimately, cash in from a booming rental market.
Demand and Supply
This comes as good news to those seeking rented accommodation due to the fact that so far, demand has been extremely strong and competition for accommodation has been fierce across the UK due to low supply of rental properties.
The Director General of the Council of Mortgage […]

Letting to Young People

Posted on 3rd December 2011

The number of first time buyers who are struggling to get a mortgage and save a deposit to get onto the property ladder is increasing, so it’s no surprise that a large proportion of the rental property market is under the age of 35.
It would be helpful to think about how you could market your property to this age group and what types of people might be renting your property.
Young Professionals
A lot of under 35s are young professionals, maybe graduates or school leavers looking to […]

Is Now the Time for Landlords to Expand?

Posted on 30th November 2011

According to recent researched commissioned by Paragon Mortgages, a fifth of all landlords in England are looking to expand on their property portfolios in the next 12 months, but is it the right time for them to be investing in more property?
With the reported risk of another fall into recession, the value of property could start to fall dramatically once again and so a newly bought property could lose a lot of its value. The other worry for landlords during recession is tenants not being […]

Landlords and residents set to sign groundbreaking agreement

Posted on 24th November 2011

Social landlords in a village in the North East of England are setting out on a social experiment that could spread across the UK if it proves successful.
Groundbreaking document
Accent Foundation, the main housing provider in former colliery village Horden, near Newcastle, are launching a Good Landlord, Good Neighbour scheme that will require tenants to sign an agreement that will hopefully improve the austere conditions in the village. The agreement is still at the draft stage and local residents have been invited to input their own […]

Changing face of UK landlords

Posted on 22nd November 2011

The current propensity for properties going to buyers with an interest in landlord insurance seems set to continue as lenders continue to recognise buy-to-let investors as the safest bet in terms of mortgage risk.
New breed enters the market
As young couples continue to struggle to raise a deposit that will enable them to purchase a property, residential landlords are finding more and better deals available to them all the time, including property insurance. The current financial flux of low interest rates, lack of lending from the […]

Landlords should not be fooled by warm weather

Posted on 17th November 2011

What a difference a year makes! It was around this time last year that the UK found itself enveloped by atrocious weather conditions. Beginning with floods in the South West, these were quickly followed by Arctic conditions in Scotland which eventually moved progressively south and left the whole British Isles shivering for months. Landlords across the length and breadth of the country found themselves claiming on their landlords insurance policies for all manner of things related to the bad weather.
Balmy weather
Compare that to the balmy […]

Dining area important in fully furnished let

Posted on 15th November 2011

 
Landlords looking to impress prospective tenants who want to rent on a fully furnished basis should spend lots of time preparing their property before advertising the vacancy. No-one wants to spend money on empty property insurance for too long, but it is worth spending a little time in between clients to give the house a spring clean and partial refurbishment.
Dining space important to tenants
One of the most important areas is the dining room. If you have a spacious dining room then you can arrange a […]

Private landlords in the firing line as HMRC target tax dodgers

Posted on 10th November 2011

Is everything above board with your finances?
Landlords across the UK have been warned that they will come under the beady eye of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Custom (HMRC) officials as the Government look to find extra cash from an industry that is currently booming.
Task Force set out for Wild West!
The Government announced several months ago that they were employing hundreds more tax inspectors to cut down on tax dodgers and it appears that property investors with an interest in letting multiple properties are in the firing […]

New homes still in short supply

Posted on 8th November 2011

The fragility of the housing market outside of London is still very much a concern for those in the industry and more importantly for those looking to find decent accommodation in which to live. The recent figures released by The National House Building Council (NHBC) illustrates amply the problems prospective home buyers are facing and how vital it is for property investors with an interest in landlords insurance to expand their portfolios.
Not enough new builds
While sales of established properties at least appear to be holding […]

Empty homes set to lose council tax discounts

Posted on 3rd November 2011

Landlords and property investors with an interest in empty property insurance and holiday home insurance will be alarmed at words emanating from Whitehall suggesting they may well incur some unforeseen extra costs within their property portfolios.
Landlords hit by two pronged attack
In a raft of what has been described as “discretionary measures”, Communities Minister Eric Pickles has proposed to give local authorities and councils the power to source their council tax collection more “creatively”. The measures have been introduced in response to the housing shortage that […]