Category Archives: Property Market

The Residential Landlords Association’s Election Manifesto

(Update: Read PropertyQuoteDirect’s campaign to Change the Face of Landlords during the General Election)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock you will know that the General Election is just a few months’ away, with political leaders already publicising their plans for the property and private rental sectors in the future. However, this General Election is proving very difficult to predict as this time around there are more parties vying for leadership than ever, which means that landlords need to start preparing themselves for what could […]

Should Tenants be able to ‘Rent for Life’? private rental

As more and more people are relying on the private rental sector regulators have been campaigning for tenants to have better rights so that they can build a home and a life. The fact that tenants can be given six or twelve months’ notice to vacate their properties at any given time means that they often struggle to plan for the future, which is why a think tank has recently claimed that they should be allowed to ‘rent for life’. But what does this mean […]

Should the State be responsible for Building new Properties?

Should the State be responsible for Building new Properties?
Today the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne will potentially address the public for the last time to announce his Autumn Statement. However, even though the Chancellor has yet to officially announce his plans as well as the current condition of the UK economy there have already been rumours concerning his statement. This has prompted other MPs to voice their opinions on how the UK can improve, with Danny Alexander – Chief Secretary to the Treasury – […]

Top Tips for Preparing your Properties for Winter

Preparing your Properties for Winter – During the coldest months of the year temperatures can reach lows of -10⁰C at night in some parts on the UK, so it’s no wonder why you need to spend more time looking after your home during winter. As you increase the heat inside your home and cosy up in front of a warm fire you must not forget to think about other parts of your home and the potential damage that could be caused. In a previous blog […]

The new Refurbish-to-Let trend sweeping the UK

This week it was announced that if the Bank of England’s new proposals go forward landlords may soon have to come up with forty per cent deposits in order to be given buy to let mortgages. Landlords are already struggling to expand their property portfolios due to the rising cost of property and if the Bank of England’s plans go ahead they could make matters worse.
This is why so many landlords are taking part in a new trend: ‘refurbish-to-let’. The idea is pretty simple: buy […]

What does an Independent Scotland mean for Property Markets?

No matter where you go this week you will hear people talking about the Scottish referendum, and next Thursday the people of Scotland will decide whether to stay within the UK. At the moment figures are showing a predominantly fifty-fifty split between ‘yes’ and ‘no’ votes although they have been fluctuating over the past few days. As there is no getting away from the Scottish referendum PropertyQuoteDirect has decided it would only be right to report on what could happen to the property markets both […]

How can Landlords help Tenants save money?

How can Landlords help Tenants save money?
The above question may strike some landlords as a bit strange, as generally it is not their job to help tenants save money. However, as the property and private rental markets are currently so unstable, working with your tenants could actually help improve your business and secure your income. At the end of the day, if your tenant falls into rent arrears then you are going to take a cut to your earnings and may even have to start […]

Are Mortgage Approvals really Decreasing?

Are Mortgage Approvals really Decreasing? Right now it seems as though no-one can really agree on what the government, Bank of England or Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) should do to prevent another housing bubble. With the economy starting to improve and the government creating new schemes such as Help to Buy, the UK property market has been booming over the past six months. However, a number of industry experts are concerned that the market is unsustainable and could even return to the state it was […]

How can landlords help young people find homes?

A recent report published by the housing charity Shelter has shown that nearly half of all twenty to thirty four year olds are still living with their parents as they cannot afford to get onto the housing ladder. To make matters worse, this demographic is also struggling to afford current rent prices, meaning that we are seeing a generation of young people unable to leave home. As a landlord, you may think that this doesn’t affect you, however helping young people find homes can be […]

Could you Let your Properties to Holidaymakers?

Hotel owners around the globe are concerned over a new trend in the holiday industry where instead of staying in a hotel, individuals rent out properties in popular cities such as Paris, London and Barcelona. In fact, you may have recently seen adverts on the TV for companies such as Airbnb which specialise in finding holidaymakers homes to stay in during their journeys. As a landlord, these types of services could help you expand your business and even make money during what may have previously […]