lotw-17.02.12-4

Case Study – How to present your property: Tower Hamlets, E14

What we liked about the property… It is a modern apartment located in the East End of London. The East End has undergone significant redevelopment over the last few years, and is one of few places to offer new private lets to tenants. This means it is primed for new investment, as a lot of buy-to-let focus is on the area. What we like about the listing… This listing is... Read more

lotw-10.02.12-6

Case study – how to present your property: Lambeth, SE24

What we like about the property… It is located in Herne Hill – an up-and-coming location in the South London, sandwiched in between Brixton & Dulwich. It is a prime commuter spot and a good area for investment, due to the sky high rental prices in zone 2 causing tenants to look further out. The property is a Victorian terrace, newly refurbished. Refurbished properties attract... Read more

Badge of Honour

London homeowners go for gold as new Olympic lettings service launches

Its official, the race is now on as London homeowners seek to cash in on the estimated 500,000 visitors flooding into London this summer to witness the 2012 Olympic Games. A prime case is the former Spurs and Arsenal defender Sol Campbell's, who will be renting out his Chelsea townhouse for £75,000 a week, around four times its value throughout the Olympic Games. Like Sol, londoners have... Read more

lotw-03.02.12-4

Case study – how to present your property: Liverpool, L3

What we like about the property… • The listing states the property is situated in the best postcode in Liverpool, and the surrounding features back that up. It’s close to the World Heritage Waterfront, the Liver Building and the Cunard Building. Architectural features like these will attract tenants. • The property has magnificent interior design. It has all the mod-cons and a rather... Read more

james-davis-feb-2012

60 Seconds with James Davis

What is your role? Founder & CEO of www.upad.co.uk What is Upad in a nutshell? Upad is the UK's largest online lettings agency. We help landlords let and manage their properties nationally, and because we've grown so large, we can pass on massive savings to landlords. How is it different to other lettings agencies? Our landlords are generally experienced buy-to-let professionals who... Read more

Mill Conversion - Balerno, Edinburgh, EH14

Case study: how to present your property – Balerno, Edinburgh, EH14

What we like about the property… • It is located in a beautiful setting on the Water of Leith in the village of Balerno. It is within commuting distance of Edinburgh, and close to Heriot-Watt University, meaning the area is a great buy-to-let investment for those that want to attract professionals and students. • It is an old mill conversion. Properties embedded with history tend to let... Read more

Woman and Idea

Essential reading for landlords! Top tips on finding and keeping great tenants

2012 looks set to be a particularly fruitful year with buy-to-let lender Paragon Group revealing that landlords are expecting tenant demand in the UK to remain high, predicting a double-digit increase in the number of people who will choose to become “professional tenants”, opting to rent rather than buy. With renting becoming ever more popular, a number of lettings agents have explained... Read more

lotw-2001122012_1

Case study: how to present your property – EAST HAM, E6

What we liked about the property… It has a gas central heating system. With the major gas companies dropping their prices this could save tenants a substantial amount on bills. It features modern furnishings as shown by the kitchen, lounge and master bedroom photos. This always helps properties let out fast. It is an affordable, East End London property. At £1550 per month for 4... Read more

lotw-1301122012_3

Case Study: how to present your student property – Cardiff, CF24

What we liked about the property… It is situated in the prime student area of Cathays, close to the main university campus and Cathays rail station. This property will always be in demand from students making it a fantastic investment. The property is well furnished unlike many student properties, ensuring it will be let quickly and will achieve top rent. The house is licensed by... Read more

potw_06012012_5

Case Study: how to present your property – Greenwich, SE18

What we liked about the property… It’s a luxury new development in an up-and-coming part of London. It has great facilities such as a gym exclusive for residents, and a concierge. It has multiple transport links with easy access to the centre of London (Train/DLR 8 minutes walk). Beautiful Thames views upstream to Canary Wharf and The City. What we liked about the... Read more

students

A slump in student numbers is bad news for landlords

A decrease in student numbers could be bad news for landlords who have been relying on the student market. With fees of £9000 a year on the cards for undergraduates starting their studies in autumn 2012, it seems that there could be a significant drop in the number of young people choosing to go to university. Figures released by UCAS, the organisation that administers university admissions,... Read more

Upad_ToLetBoard_JPG

Property viewings: nobody does it better than landlords

Showing prospective tenants around your rental property, really couldn't be easier. So, why do so many landlords leave this vital task to other people? Lettings agents and others very often don't make a very good job of viewings. Here are four good reasons from Upad on why landlords should bite the bullet and do their own property viewings: Landlords know best. You really do know your... Read more

Upad_ToLetBoard_JPG

Upad on the Road: Sheffield, Huddersfield, Plymouth, Weston Super Mare, Cardiff

Next week, Upad CEO James Davis will attending and speaking at several meetings of the Guild of Residential Landlords. If you're close to Plymouth, Cardiff or Weston Super Mare, do come along and say hello. You can find out all about these meetings on the Guild website. Upad will also be at two other events organised by the National Landlords Association. The first on Monday in Sheffield will... Read more

telly

Ask Upad: My tenant has filled the front garden with junk.

Q: I rent a small unfurnished family home to a couple and their kids in Bristol. The tenants have been with me for several years and have been no problem really. Recently I noticed that they have been gradually filling the small garden with junk. It started with a few chairs and boxes, now the collection includes a grubby old mattress, disintegrating chest of drawers, an old telly and a small... Read more

Money

Rent arrears are rocketing: are you ready?

There's plenty of evidence around that rent arrears are on the increase, but what's more troubling is that we have a feeling that the current economic climate things can only get worse. The National Debtline, a charity dedicated to helping people with money worries, says that enquiries related to rent arrears have rocketed by 84% in the past four years. This certainly tallies with other evidence... Read more