Category Archives: Tips For Tenants Uk

Buy to Let Investment Advice for the UK – 4 Tips for Success

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Buy to Let Investment Advice for the UK – 4 Tips for Success

Article by Steve Martin









Buy to Let Investment Advice for the UK – 4 Tips for Success

Location – A good location is imperative. If you are looking at family sized homes then proximity to good school catchment areas will be important. If you are looking for Student style accommodation then properties close to colleges or transport links to colleges are good. There is also normally a Student Area of most College towns, typically where the larger, older houses with multiple rooms are found for an affordable price. If you are thinking of a modern apartment, then locations in the centre of town or near pubs, restaurants and shops are ideal places for young professionals to rent.

Avoid: Rural areas – there is a limited market. Bad neighbour hoods

Property Type – we have already discussed 3 types of property above. These all have advantages and disadvantages. The UK rental market is flooded with 1 and 2 bed apartments which have been bought by investors. If you choose to purchase an apartment then make sure it stands out from the crowd, either through location, design or price. Consider furnishing, as there are usually less furnished properties available in most areas (City centres excluded).

Larger homes obviously cost more to buy and maintain but are popular with executives relocating with families. They can receive higher wear and tear if there are children or pets present.

Student homes may be in cheaper areas which can over time become trendy places to live realising a good return on your investment. Renting on a room by room basis can achieve a higher overall rent than renting the whole house to a family. The downside is that they tend to not be looked after and can need a lot of TLC between tenancies and may only rent for 9 months of the year during term time.

Décor and design – Most people, regardless of tenant category look for the following:-

• Modern Kitchens with appliances – even if unfurnished.• More than one bathroom – unless studio or 1 bed flat.• Neutral colours – not necessarily magnolia.• Off road parking – preferably more than one space.• Outside space – terrace or balconies in apartments give the wow factor.• Low maintenance gardens.• Clean and tidy properties.

Rental Value – before committing to a mortgage do your research thoroughly. The main property portals will allow you to check the market in the exact area you are considering. Look at:

• How many of the type of property you are looking at are available at the same time. • What rental they are asking for (remember most people make a lower offer than the advertised price).• How long do they stay on the market?• The numbers of furnished vs. unfurnished.• The quality and design of the properties available.

You may print this article or display on your website providing you include the Authors name and link to letting agents leamington spa

For more information visit Landlord Information or Tenant Information



About the Author

Steve is Director of Martin Property Management – letting agents for Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Warwick – Warwickshire, UK.










Ten Tips For Buy To Let Mortgages

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Ten Tips For Buy To Let Mortgages

Buy to let mortgage has become quite popular with people in Bristol and some other parts of the UK. But many buyers make their buy to let mortgage in a haste, making insensible business decisions. There are a few important  things that you need to keep in mind while going for a buy to let mortgage deal:

Be choosy with the location – Buy a home only in those location where there is demand for rented homes. Don’t buy a house in a very posh locality which tenants may not prefer, due to the inefficiency in meeting up the high demands. Your property’s proximity to schools, shops and transport services can fetch you good deals while renting it out.    

Know your budget – It is very important to know where you stand as the start up costs of buying to let can be fairly expensive. You should make sure that you have sufficient capital to get involved in the deal. Make your plans according to your budget.    

Study different mortgages – Don’t choose the first mortgage no matter how attractive it may sound as there is always a ‘better deal’ somewhere else. Try and find the most suitable deal for your circumstances suiting your criterion. Mortgage brokers have more information and can guide you to best buy to let mortgages. You can also use a mortgage calculator to help you.    

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Keep surplus capital – Always keep some surplus capital after buying a house as you might have to cover some unexpected expenditure such as repairs. The property that you are buying might be vacant for some time until you find new tenants so you might need to bear the mortgage repayments.    

Know your potential tenants – You should know your potential tenants well in advance when you plan to go in for a  buy to let mortgage. Keep the building type, the furnitures etc in mind which your potential tenants may be looking for.     

Do a background check – You need to let your house to the right person after securing it. Do a background check on them and verify their financial status from their employer or the bank before renting out your property.    

Insure your property – Get insurance cover for your property as tenants will only be responsible for covering their own possessions. An insurance cover will help in case of some unfortunate situation.

Keep the decor simple- Remember you are not the one who will occupy the property but the tenant so don’t decorate the property to your own taste, rather keep it simple.     

Seek professional advice – You might have done a thorough study  but it is good to seek advice from real estate agents, mortgage brokers and letting agents.    

Get insurance – Make sure you have the relevant cover for your property for any unfortunate incident. Tenants themselves will be responsible for covering their own possessions.    

All these considerations can make sure your buying to let mortgage very easy deal. Remember it is a long term investment and not just for making a quick buck.
For more information : http://www.severnsidemortgages.co.uk/buy-to-let

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How to know if your UK property investment is being used to grow illegal drugs

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How to know if your UK property investment is being used to grow illegal drugs

As a landlord , when you let a property, you hope that your tenants will treat your property with care and respect ensuring that, at the end of their tenancy, they return the property to you in the same condition they found it in when they arrived. You also assume that your tenants will not undertake any kind of illegal activity in the house. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. In the UK there is a growing trend towards tenants renting properties for the purpose of cultivating illegal drugs. Make sure you reduce the risk of becoming a victim of this type of activity by learning how to spot the warning signs of illegal activity.

The equipment and materials required for growing cannabis can be acquired quickly and cheaply by almost anyone. This combined with the attraction of being able to carry out the activity in someone else’s property has made it a relatively simple task for the criminally minded tenant to set up a cannabis factory. However you can mitigate your risk of falling foul of this type of activity by looking out for a few simple clues

Your vigilance should start at the tenant viewing. Tenants intending to grow cannabis may show little regard for the practical considerations that would normally concern prospective tenants such as identifying a space to position their washing machine in the kitchen or checking there are enough sockets where they would want to position their television. They may not even look in all of the rooms. This is because they do not intend to use the property to live in, in a normal fashion

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You should also be wary of tenants who show an unusual interest in the electricity supply at the viewing. If a tenant asks repeated questions about the location of the rcd board, where the supply enters the house, and other aspects of the electrical infrastructure this could be another indicator that they intend to grow cannabis at the property. The reason for this is that cannabis needs a lot of heat and light to grow, meaning that the  electricity consumption in the property will increase massively. Invariably the grower will try to tamper with the wiring, by bypassing the electricity meter, as a way to avoid detection

You should also be wary of any tenant offering to pay the rent for the entire tenancy upfront and in cash at the start of the tenancy. Cannabis growers will often make such an offer to increase the chances of you not needing to visit them and disturb their activity, during the tenancy. Also, doing this will mean that you do not have their bank account details, making them more difficult to trace if their activity is discovered.

When a tenancy has started there are other signs to look out for. Cannabis cultivators will obviously try to hide their activity from view and therefore will ensure that curtains remain closed and windows blacked out at all times. If you notice that this to be the case during the day time it should arouse your suspicions. You should then attempt to contact the tenant to arrange a property inspection. If the tenant ignores your calls or tries to avoid an inspection this indicates that they do not want you to see the inside of the property and should arouse you suspicions further.

In such cases you may wish to examine the rubbish being thrown out of the property for further evidence. Large quantities of plant waste and an unusual odour provide further reason to be suspicious.

Following these tips should ensure that your uk property investment is not an easy target for cannabis growers. However, if you have reason to suspect that cannabis is being grown in  one of you investment properties, you should contact the police immediately and ask them to investigate.

For more information on issues related to investing in property in the UK go to :

http://www.investmentpropertyinuk.com