LANDLORD NEWS AND ADVICE FROM UK'S LARGEST ONLINE LETTING AGENT
The latest from the world of lettings and written for landlords. Top stories, advice, commentary and analysis...
Keep the discussion lively, if you read an article and have some thoughts, please comment. We’re always looking for new landlord tips and stories so if you have something you’d like to share please let me know, simon@upad.co.uk (editor).
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Archive for the ‘Finding Tenants’ Category
Staging the perfect viewing
As with most things in life, it’s best to be prepared when showing a potential tenant around. Here is what you need to know in order to stage the perfect viewing: 1. Be ready for tenants’ questions 2. Consider asking some pre-qualifying questions 3. If you have a lot of interest, think about holding group viewings Other things to think about: Help your current tenants tidy up, if... Read more
The difference between amateur and professional photos
Just how important is professional photography to finding the right tenants fast? Our statistics show the professional photos considerably increase your response rate. To prove this, we advertised the same property under separate adverts and compared them. One had the original photos taken by the landlord; the other has professional photos taken by one of our photographers. Here are the... Read more
How to take great property photos yourself
Great property photos are essential if you want to make the most of your listing. They can increase the number of tenant enquiries you receive by up to 400%. But how do you go about taking great property photos yourself? Here's how... Preparing your property Arguably the most important part of taking photos of your property is preparation: make sure the rooms are set up in a way that makes... Read more
Case study – how to present your property: West Molesey, KT8
About the property… Our case study this week is a 3-bedroom house in West Molesey. This landlord is clearly after a family judging by the key features (located in quiet cul-de-sac, close to local shops and schools). Knowing what type of tenant you are marketing to helps you phrase your description and orientate your key points towards them. What we like about the listing… The description... Read more
Pros and cons of letting to tenants on housing benefit
LHA tenants get a bad press - often unfairly so. Here are the advantages, and disadvantages, to renting to this type of tenant. Key points: 1. According to research, LHA tenants stay in properties for twice as long compared with non-LHA ones. 2. You can apply to the council to get housing benefit paid directly to your account if you have a good reason (like a failed credit check). 3. It... Read more
Is your sex letting you down? Over half of UK landlords care about the gender of their tenants
Finding a place to rent can be hard enough but what if your sex was a deciding factor in whether you get your foot in the door of your potential new pad? According to our survey, over half of UK landlords care about the gender of their tenants. Asking 885 landlords, we discovered that the sex of a tenant was a genuine concern for 57.4% of respondents. Our founder and CEO James Davis... Read more
Case study – how to present your property: Longfield, DA3
About the property… This is a house-share situated in Longfield, in the Medway area of Kent. With direct commuter links by rail (42 minutes) and links via the M25 to London, Longfield is well connected and appealing to city commuters. Being a small village with good connections, Longfield provides a rest bite from busy city life and could be an attractive proposition for property... Read more
Case study – how to present your property: Bradford, BD10
About the property… Our case study of the week is a three-bedroom house, situated just outside Bradford. Since suffering at the hands of the declining textiles industry, Bradford has built itself up into a cultural hive attracting new business, such as the Freeman Grattan home-shopping company head office, and a significant redevelopment of the city centre: things that should attract property... Read more
Case study – how to present your property: Thornhill, WF12
About the property… This house is situated in the village of Thornhill in West Yorkshire. Thornhill is an old English town with numerous pubs and Anglo-Saxon artefacts. With plenty of sporting facilities as well as a Post Office, florist, dental surgery and a beauty salon - it has enough to keep renters well-provided for and property inventors interested. What we like about the... Read more
Case study – how to present your property: Hamilton, G72
About the property… It is a family-sized detached house in Hamilton, Scotland. Family homes have largely been the preserve of the sales market, with the security of owning your own property being of importance. Now, attitudes are changing, and we are seeing more and more family properties appear on the market – making them a great investment for budding buy-to-let entrepreneurs. What we... Read more
Avoiding void periods
Void period are one of a landlord’s worst nightmares: a property vacant with no sign of a new tenant. However there are ways to make sure this doesn’t happen; all it takes is a little know-how. Top tips Make sure your property is clean and tidy (absolutely essential for quick lets). Have great photos – they can increase tenant interest by up to 400%. Ensure your property is... Read more
Case study – how to present your property: South Ealing, W5
Our case study property of the week is a PassivHaus in Ealing, West London. PassivHaus properties are extremely energy efficient with a typical energy consumption of under 15kWh. This could mean for an average size PassivHaus, an energy cost of just £25 per year to heat the property. The landlord has used this unique selling point well in their listing. As a result tenants were found within 5... Read more
The perfect listing
In the world of property advertising, bad first impressions don't just last, they ensure that second impressions are never made. The aim is to grab the tenant's attention so they click on your listing to see a more detailed view. Here's how to go about that: Make sure your summary description (the part that appears in tenants' search results) is right on the money, as this will be the... Read more
Buy-to-let property types
In order to be a successful buy-to-let landlord, it's important to know who you are renting to and what they want. Below is a list of the major types of tenants. Young professionals People in their 20s and 30s who are starting their career and don’t have a family. Generally, they are looking for a property that is better quality than their student homes, but not too expensive. They are likely... Read more
Case Study – how to present your property: HOLLAND PARK, W14
Our case study of the week is a rather nice 2-bedroom apartment in Holland Park. Holland Park is a popular area for wealthy City professionals, looking for an upmarket home. While it’s easy to make a property like this look good, there are listing features used here that can make any property stand out on the lettings sites: Professional photography: can make your property look more... Read more
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Recent Comments
- David Lawrenson: Good piece Freeholds are more valuable to buy and sell (among people who did this sort of thing) if...
- David Lawrenson: James, Good piece but why do Shelter fail to mention the rather important fact that lenders’...
- John Gell: Non-paid utility bills need not concern a landlord and it is not lawful to hold deposit money against...
- Maggie: We once had to install 2 Miele washer/dryers in 3 years for tenants and the original one was a Miele –...
- Sharon Bilsby-Vint: I only ever install Miele Washing Machines in all my rented properties for peace of mind. (I even...
