18th Jan2012

Landlords if a picture paints a 1000 words, why take rubbish ones?

by admin

When were introduced to a new person in our lives, or visit a new client, we all know that first impressions count.

When people are looking for a houses to rent, or flats for that matter. In all cities and that includes mine, its competitive, people who are looking to rent in Bristol are looking for the best bang for their buck.

However, time and time again, when letting agents and landlords offer their properties to the market, the pictures need something to be desired. One of the principle senses we have is sight, we react immediately to what we see, more so than what we read.

So why do so many take so little attention with the presentation pictures. No one is expecting you to be a pro photographer, and often all that most agents have is point and shoot cameras, heaven forbid some agents just use their mobile phones.

Often the first and sometimes the only picture you see is the outside of the property. WHY? Actually more people are interested in seeing some good internal shots, like the living room, kitchen or bathroom, for many people the kitchen is actually the essential picture.

For rental property statistics actually show that greater interest is generated by a picture of a kitchen or living room.

As I have already said, we are not all pro photographers; however we can improve how we take and present pictures.

 

  • Firstly Check the settings on your camera are appropriate for what you are shooting.
  •  Make sure you have as much light as possible in the room.
  •  Avoid shooting from the door way and pointing the camera at the window.
  • Even with tenant’s in situ, try placing the furniture in the right places, and having a general tidy up before taking your picture, after all no one really likes to look at other people mess.
  • Bathrooms PLEASE I implore you, remove the bleach and cleaning bottles, it takes a few seconds and makes your picture look so much better.
  •  Take more pictures than you need, from various angles, then review and choose the best ones. It costs you nothing.
  •  Learn how to crop pictures and stitch them together to give a much bigger and wider angle picture of the room.
  •  Tenants love bigger rooms, make sure you capture that.
  •  Tenants want to see the benefits of renting your home over another, so make sure you highlight the benefits
  •  If it’s possible create a mood with your picture.
  •  Take your time, don’t just point and shoot. Review what you see through the lens.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you have found this article interesting and useful, please feel free to leave a comment, or take the time to read some of our other informative articles.
If you have property in Bristol, please feel free to contact me, for free advice and further information. I have been a Property Agent for over 15 years, and always welcome the change to help and assist others in property related matter.
You can either give us a call 0n 0845 652 1428 or contact me via our website. www.igloolets.com
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09th Nov2011

Rental property management is more than just a lick of paint

by admin

Landlords at times shy away from hiring letting agents to manage rental properties, assuming they can look after it themselves and save money.

However, despite what some landlords feel, property management is more than just an insurance policy, the occasional phone call to or from a tenant, and a quick lick of paint every so often. Many landlords often realise at a later stage just how much is involved.

Read more:-http://www.bristol247.com/2011/09/14/kevin-cox-rental-property-management-is-more-than-just-a-lick-of-paint-22809/

 

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26th Oct2011

UNFURNISHED PROPERTIES – Why Landlord still need an inventor

by admin

It is a popular misconception among Landlords who own unfurnished properties that there is no need to have an inventory.

How wrong they are.

A property consists of more than furniture or what is known as loose contents, without stating the obvious, there as walls, ceilings, doors, windows, carpets, curtains, kitchen units, worktops. All of these have a condition when the tenancy commences.

Failure to have a comprehensive form of condition, can leave the landlord with expenses he did not expect, due to damage to doors, walls, carpets and worktops etc. Landlords can avoid these costs by having a professional check-in and check out.

So your walls were magnolia when the tenant moved in and now they are mauve. The carpets were new and now they look like a car engine has been dismantled in the middle of the lounge.

It’s easy to just take it from the deposit right? WRONG….. Long gone are those days, when it was up to the outgoing tenant to argue. These days the boot is firmly on the other foot.

It is no good just having a sheet of A4 paper just saying Magnolia Walls, beige carpets, without any form of condition or description.  Many landlords loose the arbitration case, due to lack of firm evidence of the original condition, leaving the Landlord having to cover all of the costs himself. It requires no imagination as to the cost of extensive cleaning, repairs and redecoration that is often needed.

According to the Association of Independant inventory clerks, the most common damage found in unfurnished properties includes the following:

  • Doors and walls – Damage/holes from impact, walls – nail and screw holes, drilled cable holes, impact indents from door handles, general excessive dirt and marks,
  • Painting and redecoration – Tenants repainting without permission in outrageous colours.  Often redecoration is required before the property can be let again
  • Carpets – Stains, burns, tears, sometimes whole sections cut out due to tenant damage and replaced with off cuts of a similar carpet found inside cupboards or wardrobes
  • Light fittings – Tenants take bulbs and lampshades, sometimes whole fittings and the bare wires are hanging from the ceiling
  • Kitchen worktops – Damage, burns to worktops, knife marks in worktops and chips
  • Kitchen appliances – Damage to ceramic hobs, one recently was cracked right across, fortunately the inventory was professionally compiled and the tenant was made to pay for a new hob. Broken shelves in fridges, damage to washing machines and dish washers
  • Bathrooms – Cracks in sinks toilets and baths – bathroom suites are very expensive to replace and sometimes hard to match when replacing only one item
  • Windows – Common damage are chips and cracks, broken window fittings
  • Gardens – If the condition is not clear at time of check in, gardening is very expensive – £20 per hour is normal – and the landlord, without any firm evidence, will be picking up the bill. Every area of a garden needs to be listed on an inventory, not just the grass, but the condition of the borders, weedy or not, patio – weedy, mossy, stained etc. Loose or broken flagstones – as always detail is needed to be able to judge what additional damage has occurred
  • Cleaning – if the inventory does not categorically state the cleaning condition of every area, then the landlord will be stuck with the cleaning bill after the check-out.

On average a check in and checkout costs little more than £50 on each occasion with the Landlord either paying for the check in or checkout.  Which has to be a bargain when you consider how much the costs could be otherwise

If you have found this blog useful, please comment below or better still share it with others. Feel free to look at some of the other content.

If you are considering investing in Bristol or need assistance with your existing portfolio, I have over 15 years experience in Letting and Property Management in Bristol, letting properties from studios to Penthouses. Feel free to call me today on             0845 652 1428       or contact me at www.igloolets.com

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13th Oct2011

Are your tenants sitting comfortably – Choosing a sofa for a student house

by admin

One of the biggest expenses in any rented property is furniture.

Having been a letting agent in Bristol for numerous years, and having spent a good few years with one of the largest student providers of accommodation.  I have seen the good and bad in all types of student houses.

One of the issues one had to constantly face is seeing a house full of furniture, that quite frankly, for the most part, was fit for the skip. The old adage ‘well their only students, so it doesn’t matter’.  Quite frankly that is the opposite these days, with the boom in Buy-to-Let a lot of Landlords got onto the student band wagon, and now Landlord face much more stiff competition when it comes to letting out there property.

If you have a house of 4-5 students Sofa’s are one the things in a student property that get some of the hardest wear.

It’s all very well going out and getting a replacement from the local charity shop, but bearing in mind, people don’t always just get rid of things because they are tired of the style, they get rid of them because they are past their best.

So which ones to choose?

You need something that is a reasonable cost, hardwearing and is comfortable.

Independently I asked two Landlords on my twitter stream, who I know have reasonable sized portfolios of both student and room only shared properties, for their recommendations.

Something which came of no personal surprise to me at all, was they both recommended IKEA.

Now we have all heard of the horror stories of getting lost in IKEA and that the furniture falls apart just as quick as you look at it. But in my opinion, IKEA furniture assembled well does stand the test of time.

The Klippan range from IKEA has a basic style but comes in a range of colours at a reasonable cost and has interchangeable covers.  Prices range from £180-409 depending on finish, one advantage of this range is that they do come with removal covers, which can washed or changed for a newer style. My advice with this type of sofa is to buy a few sets of covers, so they can be washed on a regular basis, make sure you buy a practical colour which doesn’t show the dirt.

The other recommendation was again from IKEA and was the Ektorp which is a leather look alike sofa which can be purchased for as little as £359 for a two seater, this was recommended on the basis of durability and style, easy to clean, and the fact that after 3 years and 5 tenants using it still looks good as new.

It is always good to get a second practical opinion, and having seen both of these recommendations in situ and being used. I would have to say I agree each one is a good choice.

If you have found this article of interest, please feel free to leave a comment, I reply to them all, better still subscribe, or tweet it along.

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23rd Sep2011

Are studio flats a good investment?

by admin

Interest rates have never been lower, with rents rises and house prices falling, if you have some spare cash is now the time to jump into the buy to let market.  The purchase of a Studio flat does not often require such a large capital outlay. But do studio flats make such a good investment?

Often cheaper to purchase than a one bedroom flat, purpose built studios are often no very big in terms of square footage, and compromising on space for the sake of initial out lay may not represent value for money. Increasingly Estate agents value properties on square footage, which may well in real terms not make studios so appealing.

As with all property investments, location is key, when investing in a studio flat.  Studios have a more limited appeal. Estate agents will often have studios on their books for a lot longer than other types of flats, due to their postcodes and the demographics of the area. Whilst those in core city centre locations being snapped up straight away.

There are some drawbacks to consider when considering investing in a studio, space is one. If you have additional bedrooms, it does provide you with the option to appeal to a wider market. Tenants do not often stay for long periods in studios, and you therefore may well have increased costs with void periods and additional re-let fees. Also when the property market picks up again, it could mean it has less appeal should you wish to sell on.

Financing for a studio purpose can also prove to be hard. Mortgage providers are not always keen to lend on studios, often because lenders are concerned about the potential resale.  Often lenders will not consider anything less than 380 square feet for mortgage purposes.

Despite saying all the above, studios can still make good investments, but location is the key. They can make ideal serviced apartments, or short term corporate lets. Look for prime central locations with good access to transport links and eateries. Look for locations in up and coming areas that attract professionals who have more disposable income.

Like with all investments there is always a risk, but with careful research a studio could well be the best investment for you.

If you are considering investing in Bristol or need assistance with your existing portfolio, I have over 15 years experience in Letting and Property Management in Bristol, letting properties from studios to Penthouses. Feel free to call me today on 0845 652 1428 or contact me at www.igloolets.com

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30th Aug2011

How long will it take to rent out my property?

by admin

When valuing a property for letting I am often asked during conversation with Prospective Landlords, “How long will it take to let out my property” Each landlords circumstances are different, some want to hit the ground running so like to be prepared and think ahead. For some others they need to schedule maintenance works or remodeling improvements, in line with availability dates.

I would always say that the earlier you market the property, is better in the longer term.

If you wait until a property is vacant before you beginning marketing, you then have to allow the time it takes for suitable tenants to be found, referenced, safety checks and paperwork to be completed. In some cases the prospective tenant may even have to serve a month’s notice on their existing Landlord, before they can move in.

The problem with this is that there can be a lengthy delay between, periods, when someone actually expresses interest in a property and when actually funds actually begin to get to the landlord. Marketing a property earlier can reduce void periods between tenancies to a few days, even hours in some cases.

One secret to success in letting out your property, is to have it professionally managed by a letting agent specialist such as Igloolets.com. It is a common trait of Landlords to focus on the initial let, but it is more important to focus on what happens during the tenancy and in between lets. If you decide to have your property managed, ask how your agents plans ahead , will they communicate with the tenants or expect the tenant to communicate beyond the fixed term of the tenancy, to find out their intentions.

Also ask to see the agents terms and conditions to see if there are any hidden charges, regarding renewal fees, Will the tenants be charged at the end of the first 6 months, this is often a big turn off to tenants when they are considering what to do at the end of the fixed term. Even for the Landlord paying an additional remarketing fee along with a void period may well mean you end up paying in more ways than one.

At igloolets.com we like to have regular communication with tenants and Landlords we feel I makes for a longer and better relationships. You can also be assured that at Igloolets.com were feel that charging a tenant and Landlord renewal or re=lettings fees on our managed properties is unfair. So you can feel confident that you will not be stung by any small print hidden charges.

Why not check out our website www.igloolets.com for more information, or call us on 0117 230 5056 you can also email us at admin@igloolets.com.

Category : landlords, move in, tenants, tenants incentives, Uncategorized
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18th Aug2011

Dispute resolution guidelines

by admin

A new guide ‘Guide to Tenancy Deposits, Disputes and Damages’ has been jointly published by all three government authorised tenancy deposit protection schemes.

Since 2007 some 47,000 disputes have been settled by the schemes alternative dispute resolution processes. The pooling or information on these disputes and their eventual outcomes has allowed the schemes to  indenitfy common issues and work  together to publish collectively guidelines.

The new guide covers items, such as the collation of evidence and what an adjudicator looks for when considering a dispute, and outlines the principles on which scheme adjudicators make decisions so that the process is consistent and transparent for letting agent, landlord and tenant alike.

The guide can be seen here

http://www.depositprotection.com/documents/a-guide-to-tenancy-deposits-disputes-and-damages.pdf

I have worked in Letting’s and Property Management for 15 years and I love the industry. I am totally passionate about Property and believe that the only way to do business is basing a relationship with clients on integrity and trust. I would be delighted to be of assistance to you. Please contact me either by email admin@igloolets.com or telephone 0845 652 1428

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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28th Jul2011

Renters don’t make good neighbours

by admin

In a recent survey carried out for HSBC, 2000 adults were interviewed regarding their neighbours, it was found that home owners were more likely to be friendly with their neighbours than people renting.

The survey revealed that twenty eight percent of people in rented property, have never introduced themselves to there neighbours, in comparison to just 12% of owner occupiers.

Sixty four percent of homeowners know their neighbours names, with only just 39% of renters who do.

Almost half of the home owners have been inside their neighbours homes, compared with just 28% of renters. Almost a third of owners have lent something to a neighbour with only 19% reciprocating from the renter’s point of view.

Interestingly only eight percent of renters offered to help neighbours with feeding pets, watering plants or clearing post, when their neighbours were away, compared to almost double that 19% of homeowners offering to help renters

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07th Jul2011

As a tenant do I have to pay inventory fees?

by admin

After spending hours and days tramping around Bristol diving in and out of Bristol Lettings Agents offices, you finally find more of less that dream home.

You flash your cash pay the fees and sign the agreement, arrange your move in date with the inventory clerk, all’s going well, then suddenly you realise that, YOU are expected to pay for the inventory clerk!
Hey they can’t do that isn’t it the Landlord who should pay for that?

Well that depends. In reading through the agreement, well you did read it didn’t you before you signed it. AH! You were so excited you really only skimmed it.

Since the deposit protection scheme was brought in for tenants, increasingly Bristol Letting agents, have started to use independent inventory clerks to carry out independant checkin’s and check out’s of property.

It is now quite common for tenancy agreements to include clauses for inventory clerk charges. However, these should be shared equally between the Landlord and the tenant, often the Landlord pays for the check in and the tenant for the check out. This fee is normally collected when the tenancy is signed and fees, deposits and first month’s rent are paid. A tenant cannot be expected to pay for both, or this would be deemed to be unfair contract.

On average the fee is about £45 give or take, anything above would be an exception. If the charges seem reasonable pay up and be grateful that the checkin is being carried out in a professional manner, and by someone independent of the agent.

One tip offered by Landlord Law expert Tessa Shepperson is this, if the fee is way over average, offer to pay (and send a cheque for) the average amount. If your covering letter says the cheque is sent in ‘full and final settlement’ and they cash it, the agent will not be able to claim anything more from you.

If the inventory clerk fee is not mentioned in your agreement, and the demand for payment is the first you knew about it, you may be justified in not paying.

Category : landlords, move in, tenants
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03rd May2011

10 Top Safety issues most Landlords Ignore

by admin

Ten Top Safety issues most landlords ignore.

When renting out any property, one of the things that Landlords often ignore is the basics of health and safety, leaving themselves open to a claim for negligence, and quite possibly a fine or criminal conviction, and don’t we all know how much of a compensation and litigious world we all now live in.

As reported recently by The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC), one in ten rented properties have items such as soft furnishings, bedding and furniture that do not have the required fire & furnishing compliance labels and have to be removed. What’s more, AIIC members are still finding the dubious – and illegal – practice of landlords ‘selling’ odd items of furniture, without fire & furnishing compliance labels, to incoming tenants.

Pat Barber, Chair of The AIIC, comments: “A recent tenant told us – ‘I bought the sofa for £1, it’s really old and tatty, but a great bargain.’ When we pointed out that he would have to take it with him or dispose of it at his own cost when he moved out he was not quite so excited.

“We see time and time again, properties with fire hazards such as gas cylinders and chemicals stored incorrectly by the landlord. We have also seen tins of paint without the lids properly closed in kitchen cupboards – an accident waiting to happen.

AIIC has identified the top 10 most common health and safety issues found in rented properties and they include:

- No 1 Non-compliant furniture, bedding and soft furnishings

- No 2 Loose sockets and light switches

- No 3 No smoke alarms or monoxide detectors fitted

- No 4 Obscured gas meters and electricity mains fuse boxes

- No 5 Curtain tracks and blinds where screws have been put directly into the wall without using raw plugs

- No 6 Loose/damaged steps, paving outside the property

- No 7 Loose stair carpet

- No 8 Poorly maintained decking

- No 9 Air vents and air bricks covered in rooms especially where there are gas appliances

- No 10 Locked windows with no keys supplied

 

 

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