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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Posts Tagged ‘Buy-to-let’
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
At last good news, property repossessions remain low
The level of property repossession in Britain has held steady in the third quarter of 2011. 9200 properties were repossessed, compared to 9100 in Q2, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). In total, over the course of 2011, 27500 properties have been repossessed and that's down on 2010. The CML predicts there will be fewer repossession in 2011 than last year. Considering the... Read more
Rents rise but rent arrears rise much faster
The latest research from LSL shows that rents rose in August by 1.2% but so did the number of tenants with rental arrears owed to landlords. The increase in rental arrears, and the total amount of money owed to landlords is staggering. LSL estimate that 10.7% of all rent was late or unpaid in the month of August 2011. The total amount of unpaid rent in August was an estimated £300m, up... Read more
Riding the storm with Buy to Let
Following recent turmoil on global financial markets and talk of a double-dip recession, getting an attractive yield for investments can be challenging. But, amid all this depressing news, there is one shining star – the buy to let market. In this time of uncertainty, landlords are putting their faith in bricks and mortar and seeking new acquisitions to expand their portfolios. According... Read more
Are Buy to Let landlords to blame for Britain’s housing crisis?
An article in The Daily Telegraph this week focussed on the causes of Britain's acute housing problems. The article by Ed Howker, associate editor of 'The Spectator’ and co-author of 'Jilted Generation: How Britain Has Bankrupted its Youth', cited Buy to Let landlords as part of the problem. The article entitled “Britain has too few homes for sale” claims that one of the major reasons... Read more
Ask Upad: should I let my BTL property as a student house or family home?
Q: I have just recently completed and bought a 4 bedroom house in my town as a Buy to Let investment. But I am unsure whether to let it as a family home or transform it into a student house. The property is in need of some repair and renovation, so either is possible. I just need some ideas, as I weigh up the pros and cons. What would be the best route for maximum profits? A: You ask a big... Read more
Buy to let, it’s the second property that’s the hardest.
How did you become a landlord? Everyone landlord has their own tale. Most people don't plan it, but rather a whole new career just creeps up on them. People become "accidental landlords" because, often, it just makes sense and there isn't another viable option. It happens that they just can't sell a property but need to generate some income. In other cases an inheritance or lifechange means that... Read more
Buy to Let is harder than it looks
Is it silly season already? There have been a glut of articles in the press recently talking up the opportunities of Buy to Let. There is some news here. A chunk of mortgage lending is going to BTL and lenders like Natwest have been promoting some very attractive deals. House prices in most areas are falling this year and national rent levels are growing steadily. It would be hard to imagine... Read more
Buy to Let casts a spell over Harry Potter stars
Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have turned to property investment as their careers playing Hogwart's student wizards draw to a close. Having made millions of pounds each from J.K Rowling's blockbuster series of films, they are reported to have spent £25 million (about one third of their combined wealth) buying property in London, New York, the Alps and... Read more
Buy to Let key to mortgage lending rise
In June, there was a significant rise in mortgage lending according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). Gross mortgage lending rose by 16% on May 2011 but was still 3% lower than June 2010. It’s expected that mortgage lending will grow modestly year on year in 2011. Pundits have noted that among the reasons for the increase are existing borrowers fixing deals in anticipation of... Read more
From one to more: how to become a portfolio landlord
From the single property landlords to those with thousands of properties, there are always opportunities out there for landlords who want to expand their business. In the current climate there are many so-called "accidental landlords" popping up: someone who has turned to lettings because of a change in circumstance or because they couldn't sell their property. Lots of landlords start out this... Read more
Purchasing buy-to-let property at auction
Buying property at an auction is a popular and potentially efficient way of getting your hands on one. Lots of landlords swear by auctions as a way of buying property at a good price, but if you’ve never been to an auction before then you might be daunted by the process or even mystified by how it all works. As always, a bit of research goes a long way. If you’ve never been to an auction... Read more
Interest rates: the only way is up. Are you ready?
The doom and gloom is set to continue as more numbers come out from the coalition government about the state of the UK’s economy. In particular, inflation is very high at 3.7% and that spells trouble for retailers and savers alike. That rate is way above the target of 2% and something will have to be done. You know what means: interest rates will have to rise. The Bank of England base rate... Read more
Tenant demand hasn’t boosted landlord confidence in buy-to-let
Landlord confidence in the buy-to-let market is still shaky, despite record tenant demand. The latest findings from the Upad Landlord Confidence Index show that just 57% of private residential landlords say they are more confident than last month in the lettings market. 327 landlords responded to the question “are you more or less confident in the rental market than last month?” Of those... Read more
Mortgage lending fell in August
Mortgage lending in August fell on July levels and the same period last year. According to the British Bankers Association, during August only 31,767 home loans were approved representing a 16 month low. Although more properties are reported to be on the market buyer demand remains weak fuelling speculation that a significant fall in house prices is inevitable. The chief UK and European... Read more
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Recent Comments
- Sophie Trucker: Excellent idea but lets hope that this does in fact happen. So often the Government promises to...
- Steve - Camden CA: Even though it isn’t a rocket science for getting good tenants, these days to ensure that...
- andrew: excellent idea.
- Paul Barrett: If somebody choose not to sell their property but wishes to live elsewhere; there is nothing wrong with...
- Crown Property Investments: I sincerely hope the government do follow through with this. I’d also like to see...
