Tag Archives: Buying Property

01Aug 2012

Property News: Full Council Tax Charges May Apply to Vacant Properties

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By Craig Smith

If you have had a property empty for whatever reason, you may know that a property can be exempt from council tax charges for up to 6 months, provided that it is unoccupied and unfurnished. This is known as a Class C exemption.

Under the Localism Act (which has also changed the way in which tenancy deposits are dealt with recently) the Government is planning to allow local authorities to charge almost whatever they like whilst the property is empty. In theory, the council could still allow an empty property to be exempt from the charges but, on the other hand, they could charge the full amount of council during that period.

Bad News for Landlords

Lets just put one thing into perspective here. Yes, sure, the local authorities could earn a little extra cash with the budgets being tighter than ever, but have they thought how this would actually affect homeowners?

It is not always possible for tenants to move out and in on the same day and it is not usually advisable especially if any work was needed between tenancies. A Landlord could find themselves not only out of pocket but in a financial mess if their property was empty for a month or two. Not only would they have no rent coming in to cover the mortgage, insurance etc but they would also have the expense of paying the council tax for a property they don’t even use!

The Knock-On Effect

If your not a Landlord yourself then you might think I’m being biased here but what about the knock-on effect on regular homeowners? For example, an elderly person moving into a care home might leave their home empty whilst they sell it, another expense to prevent them moving forward with their lives. Or how about someone relocating for work and needs to move away quickly?

And this is a Government that is trying to get the housing market back on an even keel?

Looking at this from the other side, most rental properties would hope to be empty for only a few days between tenancies which would mean that only a small amount of council tax would be due. Now, it is isn’t always easy to contact Landlords, particularly if the Council haven’t got the Landlords home address to address any billing. This would create a whole load of extra work for the Councils to chase outstanding amounts so all that money that could earn from empty properties could all be lost in chasing the debt!

Is This Really a Possibility or Just Scaremongering?

A consultation has already been held and 169 councils voted in favour of the extra charges and only 25 against so it is clearly obvious what the majority want. Unsurprisingly, the majority of Landlords are against the idea and quite rightly too!

I’m sure that this is by no means the last we will hear of this as we trundle towards the inevitability of the ever increasing costs of being a Landlord!

26Jul 2012

Lettings show Sales how to show a home!

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By Steve Roulstone

My second Blog this week is not my usual subject, but I just cannot miss commenting on two properties that I have visited on the last three weeks, both on behalf of differing Landlords and for differing reasons, but it is the difference between them and the manner in which the Lettings Industry views property as opposed to the Sales Industry as to what is acceptable and what is not that I wish to comment about.

Lettings Viewing.

The first property I have mentioned before in this Blog, it is a house that we have let before, but not before we had gone into long conversations with the Landlord about the standard of the house and what work needed to be done. On being asked to re-visit, I found that the property was worse again, as the outgoing Tenant had removed the stair carpet and left protruding nails and an exposed carpet edge right at the top of the stairs, which was a clear trip hazard for anybody visiting the house, never mind potential Tenants. The outgoing Tenant had also left furniture in rooms, some in a state of disrepair and some just left, but it was not the Landlords property and would not form part of any let and needed to be moved. Finally, the garden which was packed with plants and bushes anyway, seemed to have been untouched throughout the summer months, meaning it now took on the appearance of a jungle, in fact I could only get pictures when taken from an upstairs bedroom window that gave any impression of its appearance.

Not suitable.

The only decision I could come to was to advise the Landlord that the property needed attention before it could be considered suitable for viewings. This was not a Managed property, so we were unable to do anymore until the Landlord had dealt with the stairs carpet, organised the removal of furniture with the outgoing Tenant and done something about the Garden, presumably also with the last Tenant. No matter what was promised, because we were not managing, we would not accept responsibility without knowledge that the work had been completed. We would also not accept a position where the outgoing Tenant could accuse us of damaging furniture they had left. In short, there has to be some semblance of order between the end of one Tenancy and what is done to start the second.

Sales Viewing.

I cannot begin to think of words to describe the second property and what we found. The Landlord wanted our opinion of the property as an investment, a service we will carry out when appointed, to give our experience on what to look for and more likely, look out for. The property was for sale as on behalf of a clearance organisation, following a failed mortgage. Nothing what so ever, had been done to change the house from how it was left by the previous owners, other than to place paper tape on toilets, which did little to hide the worst kind of mess one can imagine in toilets (there were two in the same condition) which was smeared over floors, doors and walls. The furniture in some rooms were caked in I have no idea what, and carpets in two rooms had not been cleaned despite the dried remains of what had clearly been somebody being ill. Despite this, somebody had gone to the trouble of bagging the empty drink cans in plastic bags. I did not count them but there must have been two dozen bags – full!

Not suitable.

I washed my hands when I got back to my office and wished I could wash my shoes and change my clothes. The smell was impossible to describe, but the house was possibly the worst I have ever been asked to view. Despite this, the Sales Agent showed no surprise in our comments of disgust and offered no apology or explanation as to why it had been left in this condition, or worse being offered for sale? Now I know that the buyer will not be expected to live in the house as it is currently being shown, but never the less, it is a health hazard and offers more danger to people looking, in my opinion, than any house I have looked at being offered to the rental market. I was just amazed and have had to comment about the difference. I know the Sales Agents are struggling for business still, but I would have thought that as a general statement, they would at least take some pride in what they are selling. I mean, a Car can be refurbished, but you would never expect a garage to sell one in the state of the house I was shown this week!

20Jul 2012

Current Property News: Lettings Market strong but fluid.

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By Steve Roulstone

Over the last three years the market has been very strong and during the spring there were signs that it was slowing down amongst fears about the Economy and a double dip recession. I commented at the time that the weather was having a huge effect as people stayed put and the last six weeks I believe has confirmed this as the pent up delay has been released, at least as our office is concerned.

Record Numbers.

At most times of the year we are aware of the number of properties being let and actually proceeding at any time, but it has been hard work keeping up with the speed of events that the seeming release of pressure has caused. It would also seem that schools and catchment areas have had a lot to do with the decisions Tenants have been making as they prepare for the next academic year, which has subsequently led to an increase of 33% in the number of houses we would normally expect to let.

Unusual.

This Performance whilst excellent does not yet signify a long term trend even though we are hoping that it does and there is no sign of things slowing just yet, but supply of properties then becomes the next problem as we seek to replace stocks. There is of course a natural trend to this as existing Tenants give notice and the market is thankfully still very active in both areas.

National Trends.

The national housing figures for last year have now been released and these figures will be the subject of one of my blogs next week when I have had the opportunity to digest and understand them, but those that have already commented Nationally are confirming the continued rise as Private Lettings in the UK overtake the Public (Council) Housing stock and approaches 20% of the overall housing market throughout the UK.

Landlord advice.

There has also been a marked increase in the number of Landlords we have discussed the market with as we continue to advice on a whole gambit of property scenarios from flats through family homes up to houses of Multiple Occupation. All of which points to the continued growth in confidence in both the aforementioned economy and the rental market.

Continued learning.

All of this means that we have to keep up to date with the changes in legislation and ensure we refresh ourselves on this intricate market of ours. We do this by openly sharing all manner of daily situations to share knowledge and double check what we advice, bearing in mind our legal responsibility lies first and foremost with our service to our Landlords at all times, whilst ensuring we give the correct duty of care to our Tenants.

Change of tack.

 I do not normally change tack halfway through a topic, but I must take time to mention the open meeting held with the staff of our local paper the Staffordshire Newsletter this week, who went to great lengths to get as many Agents together that could attend to a business development meeting. Firstly it is good to know that the long standing major paper for Stafford is taking their part in the property market so seriously as to not only arrange the get together, but also to provide so many staff so we were able to understand  all aspects of what they provide, but also because of the innovations they are bringing to the advertising market. It just goes to prove that ours is not the only market where people need to be looking ahead at all times!

13Jul 2012

Property Landlord advice: Why Manage privately if you would not sell privately?

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By Steve Roulstone

As a professional Letting Agent I have always believed that Landlords should use professional Agents to look after their property, these excerpts are from a similar view for Estate Agents and I am repeating them in full to show just how they compare. There are of course many more reasons once a property has been rented for using professionals in their trade, but the reasoning used here in developing a sale cross over very well and I believe make the case better than being adopted specifically for rentals.

Security: Would you normally let a complete stranger wander round your house? A good estate agent will always ensure the correct identity of a prospective buyer prior to viewing.

Credentials: An agent will also establish the ability of the buyer to proceed, following up any chain if necessary. Too many buyers say they are “cash”, only for the seller to discover down the line that the buyer has a property to sell and a mortgage to arrange. Agents are familiar with the many red herrings used by unscrupulous or naive buyers and can quickly sort the panel beaters from the embroiderers.

Viewings: One of the most misunderstood aspects of the sales process is the way in which viewings are conducted. Of course you want to sell your house, but there is a lot of psychology involved here. Anything you say, as a seller, is clearly biased and not based on helping the buyer to understand how your property could fit their needs, because you don’t know the buyer nor do you have any knowledge of their preferences. If anything you could put your foot in it. Many sellers try too hard to sell on a first viewing and distract the buyer with irrelevancies like how the boiler works. A first viewing is simply about the buyer thinking “could I be happy here?” A good agent will explore the property with the buyer’s needs in mind.

Valuation: Vendors are notoriously optimistic when it comes to valuing their property (as are certain agents of course, but that’s another story). The price you paid for your home, the amount you spent on it, the amount you need for your next purchase and the amount you need to cover your commitments are sadly all completely unrelated to the value of your property. In fact, whatever some agents and even surveyors might tell you, even the apparent “evidence” of what has sold nearby can be misleading. Buyers buy by comparison, so your property has to look good in relation to what is currently available for sale. It might appear to be an easy exercise to assess these competing homes, but only an agent knows why these properties have failed to sell. If you simply follow the apparent market then you are likely to end up on the same heap. The most damaging thing would be to allow your property to go stale on the market as it is likely not only to take some time to sell, but will probably end up selling for less than it could have achieved had it been correctly priced from the outset.

In view of the above it is little wonder that there is very little appetite for private sales in the UK especially in view of the relatively small amount of commission British estate agents earn in relation to their counterparts virtually everywhere else on Earth. Whilst there will always be tales of someone who did a great job privately these are certainly the exception to the rule.

My question having read and compared the clauses with our Industry is why the appetite for private rentals IS still so strong? Most problems arise once a Tenancy has started and it is mainly by getting one of the aspects listed wrong in the first place! The problem being that it usually remains undiscovered until later in the Tenancy, when problems arise. Then is the time that Landlords have to deal with the issue professionally and within current legislation and unless they are qualified and I obviously accept that many Landlords are either by design or experience, this is the time that mistakes can be made, but I would venture that there are far more properties under the Management of amateur Landlords than bad Agents! Furthermore, when the Agents are either with a professional body or members of schemes such as TPO then the standard of service must rise dramatically.

P.S The picture with this post is meant to raise a smile, I trust you were able to do just that!

11Jul 2012

Current Property News: London gap in house prices growing.

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By Steve Roulstone

The latest set of figures from the Land Registry House price Index, record prices from May this year and show the average house price split by County and Region across the whole of the Country.  The Headline Statistics concentrate on the average house price in the UK which continues to be disappointing after what was considerable hope that prices were recovering after the winter. But what the figures clearly show and the headline report fails to mention is that when looked at closer the gap between London and the rest of the country is continuing to grow.

London and the South East.

London showed an annual increase of 7.7% and the South East of 1.7% these two areas were (apart from the East) the only areas to show an increase. The stand out figure for me is the size of growth in London compared to the rest of the country and this does clearly show how an average price does not reflect what is still happening outside of the Capital.

Regional.

In the West Midlands for example, where we are based (as far as the collated figures are concerned) we have shown a monthly growth of 2.0% but we still have an annual decrease of 1.2%. This does mirror what we have seen and the level of activity Estate Agents are now reporting and reflects the overall monthly growth of 2%. But a quick glance at the rest of the Country and you can clearly see how many areas are still seeing depressed figures.

What happens in London.

Unlike the popular saying does not stay in London and even from my days in retail more years ago than I wish to remember, does eventually spread to other areas, but having seen the differential close for many years, it does seem that this effect reflects a period of sustained downturn and recession, but it is now so different that there is an argument for the Land Registry to split between London and the South East (or just London) and the rest of the Country.

True feel.

 It would probably be unacceptable from a political viewpoint, because of how bad the rest of the UK fares when considered against London, but it is probably the only way to get a truly balanced picture of what is actually happening outside of the Capitol. I like most who look at these figures on a regular basis do at times scan rather than study and I am sure like most who read them fail at times to see the true picture and for me separation should now be part of the reporting every month.

25Jun 2012

Property Landlord advice: Explaining who is who in Block Management. Part 2

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By Steve Roulstone

In part two of this Blog having explained the possible Management structures your property could be controlled through, I now move on to the reasons why the situation can cause confusion.

Different rules for different schools.

This is at the hub of this Blog because of my experience with so many sites from Management Company controlled to sites where the Freeholder still appoints the Managing Agent and the site is therefore not run by a Management Company Limited. So until you know the way in which the site you are considering is run you will not be able to understand for yourself. Not that any decision should be made to buy or not, rather by being aware, you will better understand how your property and your responsibilities fit in with the site. 

Residents Committees.

What bought this matter to mind at present and the reason I stated I would return to Freeholder managed with site participation, is because we have become involved with a site where the Freeholder allowed communication with the Residents through a Residents committee. The problem that occurred on this site was a lack of trust between one half of the residents of the site and the other half containing the committee. In this case the Freeholder has stepped in and instructed us how to manage the site which will allow us to look after our Clients interest as Managing Agents. This kind of scenario is unusual and would never be explained by the questions asked by your Legal Representative.

Legal position.

More importantly to me is the total lack of explanation of the legal position surrounding the obligations the Leaseholder now holds. Of course those that ask do not understand. Conversely, those who do not ask probably do understand. So we only hear from those who do not, but that is still too many. The Lease that they have entered in to explains fully their financial obligation and rights surrounding the charges they must now pay. As these include buildings insurance, grounds and internal area maintenance, as well as any funds being held in reserve for costly requirements that may be required at a later date, explains why these obligations should be explained in full prior to completing any purchase.

Speak to those who know.

What never happens is the purchaser phoning and speaking to the existing Managing Agent to enquire about the site and how it is run and to have the financial idiosyncrasies of the particular site explained yet the legal representative of the purchaser does ask a series of set questions surrounding this very subject, including current and past accounts. For me it is a simple step from this position to that of speaking with us and of course what could be better than an introduction and explanation of the manner in which the site is currently run.

Conclusion.

What I believe all of this misunderstanding dictates is that as a potential buyer of a leasehold property, it is right and correct that you not only rely upon the information gathered by your legal representative, but also ask to speak to the Managing Agent, because whichever side we work for and to be able to do both is not straight forward, we can at least ensure you understand how the site is run and that you fully understand what you pay and more importantly why. We will also be able to point you in the direction of the lease, which is designed to be the rule book for the way in which all parties must operate, but that is probably for another Blog!

18Jun 2012

Property Landlord advice: Explaining who is who in Block Management. Part 1

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By Steve Roulstone

As a Letting agent who also offers Block Management services, it is a common scenario for us to have Landlords who have just purchased a Leasehold property to question what is behind the charges that are linked to Leasehold properties. We feel this is because, whether purchased new from a developer or through a Private sale, it seems the information given by the legal profession in explaining why and what the charges cover can lack depth.

Part one- who does what.

So this Blog which is in two parts is to confirm the differing scenarios you can be faced with when buying a Leasehold property. You would think this part would be straight forward, but it is not, as we fulfil a role where we can be employed by either side of a responsibility fence and at times made to look as if we are on the side of the Freeholder and at others holding up the rights of the Leaseholders. Complicated it is, but here as ‘Part one’ are the differing Management structures.

Freehold Controlled.

The Freeholder, if a Right to Manage (RTM) Company has not been set up, will control who does run the site, usually through a Managing Agent that they appoint and this is where the major difference lies. The Agent is therefore beholden to its client the Freeholder. The Leaseholders still pay in the same way as they would under any RTM but it is the freeholder and not the Leaseholder that has the power to control the budgets. It can therefore seem to the uninitiated that the Agent is working against the Leaseholder especially if the Leaseholder does not get their way when considering the site requirements.

Freeholder controlled with Resident input.

This is why on many sites where a Management Company has not been set up either by the Freeholder or the  Lessees through RTM a Residents Committee will exist enabling lessee input into day to day decisions about the running of the site. This is where problems can occur, because clear lines of authority become vague concerning who can request what and with what authority. It is a situation I shall return to.

RTM

More often than not nowadays, plans are drawn up for the site to be handed over to the control of a Management Company Ltd, who will be written into the Lease as the organisation responsible for running the site and appointing a Managing Agent. Handover would normally happen once a site is complete; this allows the builder to run the site until completion, although the payments and expenditure items will be a liability of the Leaseholder from day one. The Management Company would then take over the formal running of the site and be run by Directors appointed from Leaseholders with again, the Lease directing how such appointments are made. These positions are confirmed through the AGM attended by all Leaseholders once a year. Once the site is completed, the Freehold is then also passed on to the Management Company, who may or may not as the Company decides, continue to collect Ground Rent.

 RTM with Freeholder.

The other manner in which sites are run is where the Freeholder retains the Freehold and collect Ground Rent, however the RTM Company continues to run the site is exactly the same manner as the Freehold owning RTM and in fact little will be heard of from the Freeholder under this style of Management. This would normally happen on a smaller site developed by a smaller builder, but once again the Lease will dictate the rights and requirements of the parties concerned.

14Jun 2012

Current Property News: Rental sector attacked for no reason – again!

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By Steve Roulstone

Once again I find myself reading a report condemning the rental sector, this time  as the background to the thrust of the actual article, which is about increasing trends in the rental sector. The reason given is financial insecurity which should come as no surprise to anybody, but the article takes the unreasonable opportunity to condemn the rental sector without providing any evidence for the statements made.

Hidden reasons.

Of course the reason why is to suggest that the Government (this is after all a left wing paper)  are forcing families down a road to unsettled and poor condition housing, when in reality, and I can only comment from what I know about, the truth is nothing like the picture painted and indication given within the report.

Bad Housing, Bad Landlords and High rents.

As a professional letting Agency, we will only take on property that is to standard and when allowed upgrade property as required. I say when allowed because only this morning I have been discussing a Tenant who will not allow access to make alterations which will vastly improve a bathroom. Equally, we always and ONLY advise Landlords of the correct path and procedures surrounding the property and their Tenants. Also, rents in Staffordshire are not rising and Tenants are benefitting from the number of properties on the market by making offers.

Source of information.

Because of this and with the knowledge that not every property or Landlord is perfect and therefore accepting that problems do exist, I would suggest that like most of what facts are listed in the article, it is the London market that is the source of the information. But it would be so much better if either the article were split into two, sticking to the point made as the reason for the increase and giving the chance for the detail behind these damning statements about the rental market instead of providing no evidence what so ever!   

Professionalism.

I would agree however, as I have stated on oh so many occasions before, that the intended route the previous Government was intending to take, to ensure all agents were approved, is still the best possible route for the Industry. For if this is still a major problem, and as I have sated I can only comment on my local market, then the Industry itself, having launched ‘Safe Agent’ cannot be blamed for doing nothing to improve standards. The problem still seems to be in the Self Managed Landlord or the Agent who ignores all professional bodies and here all Tenants have a clear choice! Ask which bodies the agent belongs to that will protect them!

Legislation.

One of the first issues that I cannot agree with is that of legislation, because if ever an industry has been targeted it is the rental industry, with every facet of what we do coming under the legislative microscope for the last few years. The comment about deposits for example is a ‘throw away comment’ which cannot be supported, because any Tenant who suffers at the hand of an Agent or Landlord who does not use the Deposit legislation can be heavily fined and the Tenant has a clear route to take.

Tenant problems.

Of course what this could refer to is the number of Tenants who have found themselves loosing when being processed through the Deposit legislation, because although most do win because of badly prepared defences by the Landlord or Agent, I know as a fact, that if the Tenant looses when going through arbitration, they still blame the Agent and talk about the cost as if they have been treated unfairly. This of course is not the case, but as the article gives no background to the statements made we will never know!

Figures.

But one bit of background I can supply is that the percentage of people renting privately has been increasing for years and particularly so over the last two years. I asked the Department of the Communities only last week if the overall privately rented % for 2011 was yet available and it is not, but I expect it to reach 20%, a rise of nearly 5% in the last two years. Therefore to state it may be 36% by 2025 (which let’s not forget is still over 12 years away) when twelve years ago it was at 9% would reflect a rate of increase through good AND bad times that at current trends will stand at 31% anyway!

Bad Journalism.

So I am afraid that overall I label this article as bad journalism, trying to score a political point without any confirmation of the statements made attacking an industry which is not represented and quoting figures, which, when you are aware of the background, are really not that surprising. But it does touch on one major factor. Unless the availability of mortgages for Buy to Let Landlords is improved, the supply of rented property will quite possibly dry up! But where I will concur, is that by failing to introduce Licensed Agents and Landlords, the standard of the current source of rented stock, namely properties that fail to sell could well continue to suffer. For without legislation, as we all know, when finances are strained, shortcuts are taken!

12Jun 2012

Property Landlord advice: Buying a House to rent Part 4.

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By Steve Roulstone

Part 4; Just how flexible is the house?

Finally in my humble opinion, you need to consider how easy the property will be able to be used as a rental house, not just for you as Landlord, but also by the Tenant. It is these practicalities that will be in the mind of any possible Tenant when they visit the house in the first place and my experience of such is littered with examples.

Furniture.

The number of times a rental has fallen through because the Tenant could not get his furniture (usually the settee) in the lounge is by far the most common. The size of room is not usually the issue, rather where are the doors situated. I myself have turned down a house because the Landlord had built a conservatory with an entrance from the lounge, which meant there were three doors and a fireplace to contend with. The end result was a total lack of wall space. There is also the issue of tight corners and narrow staircases. They do still exist and if for example the bedrooms do not have fitted wardrobes, you have to imagine how such large pieces of furniture are able to be manoeuvred around any tight corners.

Gardens.

Now for the big one! It is to be hoped that the garden is not the main reason anybody buys a rental home, but a fiddly set of borders and rockeries are a definite disadvantage to a Tenant. Exactly the opposite of flexible! It should also be remembered that just because a garden is immaculate when handed over, does not mean that the Tenants are expected to know when to cut plants back or down in accordance with the RHS Gardening year book. The expectancy on a Tenant to look after a garden is that of what is considered reasonable in very general terms. In other words, one man’s Eden project is another man’s Butterfly garden. Both are acceptable, providing they are not left alone completely. So make them easy to start with, it will pay in the long run. I am not suggesting concrete wall to wall, but perhaps a new lawn is better than a rockery and vegetable patch.

Decoration.

If you are lucky (just like my Landlords) The Tenant will rent for several years and decorate top to bottom himself. As a Landlord I have never been so lucky. So you need to consider how easy it will be for you to decorate, which will be needed along the way and ideally between Tenants. This means that dado rails and wallpaper are not the best way forward. Anaglypta however is perfect, because you can apply a coat of paint easily and quickly. Likewise anything other than sapele doors are more difficult and will probably need several coats. White painted doors fit the bill, look clean and are again neutral in colour and therefore better all round. The point being that these issues are not deal breakers, but by changing or decorating or dealing with them at this stage, you could remove difficult decisions from a later date and make the property more flexible during its lifetime as a rental property.

 Thats all folks!

This four part article is by no means the definitive ‘what to do when buying’, but hopefully it is a big enough one to provide you with a basis to start. In all seriousness it is your Agent (and everybody else you know who is a Landlord) that will help fill in the gaps. I have said before you will be surprised just how many people you know own at least one other property which is rented out. One thing for sure, is that the trends we are currently experiencing show no signs of slowing down. Even quite periods, the like of which we have witnessed since Easter are only a week away from a busy one. Only two weeks ago, we were discussing just how many properties we have available at present. After what are possibly two record weeks renting those very same properties, I know the ‘we need more properties to rent’ discussion is only a couple of days away!

08Jun 2012

Property Landlord advice: Buying a House to rent Part 3.

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By Steve Roulstone

Part 3; Will the house be popular with Tenants.

The next area for consideration when buying a house for the rental market, now you have your major suppliers sorted and know the property itself is sound of construction, is to look at the area itself and what facilities are going to attract Tenants to rent your property. The prime example is always the schools but access to public transport can be equally as important.

Style of House.

And in this case I do mean style! If you moved in tomorrow, would it provide everything you wanted? Would your furniture (and therefore anybody else’s) fit with the decoration. Making it easy for a Tenant to move in to a house is half the battle, if they do not have to compromise because their furniture does not ‘go’ with the decoration they are being asked to make a decision. If the decoration is neutral then it is one less decision to be made and that might just be the reason why your property is chosen. This means not only decorating as needed but fitting new carpets as well. Nowadays, the range available means that it is possible to find a quality finish such as the range of Berber which will be very pleasing on the eye and still hard wearing.

Bathroom and kitchen.

Now for the two most important rooms in the house. I always say it because people remember the description when put like this, that Tenants must be able to see themselves cooking in the kitchen and naked in the bathroom. This principal has never changed and with the number of properties available, if you are making a decision now then it is one to bear in mind from the start. A small kitchen does not allow for the vision of playing the chef and similarly a cold bathroom or one with poor decoration does not encourage people to feel comfortable in the house! These are important matters and ones that are not to be forgotten. I would suggest if the property you are considering does not offer these two rooms in good order, then either add the cost of replenishment or look elsewhere. I well remember looking at a house to confirm the Landlord had found a good property only to realise that it had no bath, just a shower. They are therefore ruling any Tenant with a small child out of the market for their home. Why reduce options if you do not need to?

Amenities.

So now let’s consider what is outside the front door and what your Tenant is liable to want. As mentioned, a house in a good school catchment area is always going to be popular. So you will need to find this out, although the price will reflect this as well (as would the achievable rent) but this will be the very reason why this property will cost more – popularity! Next, how do they get about? Is the local transport system close to hand, nobody wants to walk a mile to the bus stop, especially if kids are involved (this will just mean Mum and Dad Taxis Ltd!) On the other hand is it close to a local station, or a place of employment such as a hospital? By looking at the area and scoring the pluses against the minuses you will get a clear picture of how popular a property could be, but be realistic, those of us who like the countryside sometimes find it difficult to see why others do not. This is not about your opinion, but that of others, be sure it is their opinion you are thinking about.

Flexible.

Finally, look at the options for Tenants; this is a lot simpler than it sounds, because it is what the house offers that enables Tenants to use the house in differing ways.  In its simplest of forms, does the house have more than one reception room? Is there a garage or a shed, or a conservatory? All of these are going to allow the property be utilised in a more flexible manner. The more flexibility a Tenant can see in the home, the more reasons they can find to rent it. I well remember one of the reasons a house in Stafford was chosen above another was because there was a small office at the rear of the garage that was accessible from the house. The Tenant saw just how he was going to separate his children from the household when they had homework. Even though it was a smaller property than the other options he had, it was the flexibility that worked for him and the reason why that property won over others.

Knowledge is all.

The important point at this stage is to think about the scenarios around renting, imagine yourself in the house and how you would live in it and remember that the Agent you choose will be a vital source of information on all of these areas. This and all sources of information should be considered at this stage.