By 1999 I had realised that I needed to put money aside for maintenance. Tenants were moving in and out all the time and I was bleeding money on carpet cleaning, magnolia paint and replacement carpets at an unbelievable rate. I’d started investing into bigger houses and renting them to people with children and groups […]

The commercial property market is still struggling due to the difficulties in the economy, according to Jones Lang LaSalle. Their latest forecast cites returns down at 2%, although office rentals in the West End should perform well. Elsewhere across the country will not experience the same though, with Jones Lang LaSalle expecting rental falls.

Thanks to Don Holmes of Go Direct Lettings for providing us with details of a recently completed deal in Liverpool L4, about 3 miles outside the City Centre, an area which Don believes is one of the UK’s Buy to let Hotspots. This particular property produces a gross yield of 13.9% and here’s how…..

The buy to let market has been very quiet for the last few weeks with little to report on rate changes, but the first lender to make their move appears to be the state owned Northern Rock. The Northern Rock have reduced their rates by up to 0.36% and continue to offer a £500 Cashback […]

Every Town and City in the UK has its own unique set of dynamics when it comes to property values and rental yields. For example, I know that in Norwich, one the most established areas for letting is known as the Golden Triangle because it’s very close to the University, the Hospital and within easy access of the […]

Plush Kensington and Chelsea is the streets ahead as the most expensive place to buy a home in Britain – with average house prices of nearly £2 million. Buying a house in Kensington costs around £1.87 million and is £90,850 (5%) up on last year’s prices, according to online property portal Zoopla.

Rents are still rising and are unlikely to drop anytime soon, according to one of the UK’s leading letting agents. Average rents in England and Wales edged up by 0.4% in May to £712 a month in May – increasing for the second month in a row as the market settled after the end of […]

The number of buy to let homes to rent may soon outstrip the number of homes coming to the market for sale. Research by Experian shows the number of private homes to rent coming to the market in the first three months of 2012 increased by 6.34%, while the number of homes put up for […]

Students living at universities in London and Manchester face the worst crime rates – according to a survey of offences reported to police over the last year. The figures were compiled by The Complete University Guide for the year to May 2012. They list 103 further learning institutions by numbers of burglary, robbery and violent […]

My first intentional property investment part 4 – “My first Property Management Checklist“ In the last instalment of the story of my first intentional property investment I promised to share with you the first property management check list I put together, it wasn’t perfect but it was a lot better than nothing. If you want to catch up on […]

Homes selling at auction in May sold for around 80% of the price of an average home. The latest figures from auction monitor EI Group show 2,034 properties changed hands for an average price of £128,466 in May 2012.

Many landlords run a property business from a home office but are scared to claim business expenses because they are worried about triggering a capital gains tax bill when they move house. The myth is claiming tax relief for working from home makes part of the property business premises which is liable to capital gains […]

We are always very pleased to hear from Sales and Letting Agents up and down the country about what they believe are the Buy to Let Property Hotspots in their area and why. This is the perfect opportunity for agents to share their local knowledge and experience with literally thousands of landlords who may never otherwise hear […]

Tenants, utility suppliers, landlords and change don’t often mix too well. I wanted to share a problem that I have had with a utility company charging on disputed meter readings and standing charges and the impact of the law relating to deemed contracts when a property is void. Happily I have resolved this after much […]

This weekend I came across a person who could become to landlordism what the legendary Roy Brooks was to the world of Estate Agency. His name is Mick Roberts and he operates in the Nottingham area under the brand of Advance Properties. I’ve not met Mick yet, in fact I’ve not even spoken to him […]

Letting agents regularly go bust amid claims of owing landlords and tenants thousands of pounds, so here’s a quick guide to what to look for to safeguard your money. Letting agents are not regulated, which means anyone can open and trade as a letting agent without any qualifications or licence.

Target markets where demand for student housing is growing are highlighted in a new specialist property report. Cities where demand is at the highest are in Lancashire and Scotland, according to analysis by property consultants Savills.

The Property Ombudsman wants views from letting agents about setting up client money protection insurance to safeguard rents and deposits. Unlike estate agents, letting agents are not regulated and do not have to protect client money in separate bank accounts.

The average monthly cost of renting a buy to let home dropped by 1.3% to £760 in May, according to a new survey. Although rents slipped back across the UK, renters are still paying more in London as average rents climbed 0.8% to £1,187 a month, says the latest monthly letting report from specialist landlord […]

I had a really interesting discussion about life insurance yesterday with a lady I’ve respected for many years. I will not embarrass her by publishing her full name as she doesn’t know I’m writing this. Some people reading this (former clients of The Money Centre in particular) and the lady in question if she reads […]

Just two years after buying my first intentional property investment I owned 9 more. Buying that first one was like finding a magic lantern for my buy to let mortgage business. The Genie that popped out to grant me my wish gave me the confidence I needed to share with other prospective landlords how I got […]