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Rental property mattress selection and care

24/4/2013 – 3:08 pm

Mattresses found within rental properties are stereotypically crawling with mites, covered in stains, being full of holes, and having springs sticking out of every angle, making them very uncomfortable. Although sadly this can be true in some cases, in reality, the majority of mattresses in rental accommodation are adequate – but it can be difficult to know where to start when choosing a mattress.

Here Andrew Waters, mattress expert at 1907 – a manufacturer of luxury natural and memory foam mattresses – offers some simple tips to landlords of private rented accommodation on selecting a mattress and its aftercare, in order to achieve the longest lifespan possible for the product.

Selecting a mattress

When selecting a mattress for rented accommodation, we recommend landlords use the same philosophy as they would when choosing a mattress for their own home – after all a tenant who is relaxed (helped by a good night’s sleep) is more likely to stay in a property for longer which makes the life of a landlord much easier!

Although it can be tempting to buy the cheapest mattress you can find, you may discover that you have to replace it more often than a better quality product and the signs of disrepair, such as stains or loose springs, become evident more quickly.

Instead, 1907 recommends that you buy the best mattress you can afford. By doing so you will achieve a greater lifespan for the mattress and you are likely to have happier tenants. Although there is no definitive answer as to whether to go for a memory foam or a natural mattress, it is worth considering both options for rented accommodation and understanding the properties of each.

Natural mattresses are filled with a range of materials including wool, horsehair, cotton and coir which provide varying support depending on the composition of each material – the various elements work together to offer benefits such as natural insulation, which combine to provide a comfortable night’s sleep. Natural mattresses contain open coil or pocket spring systems and some are even spring-free.

Memory foam mattresses on the other hand, have a unique open cell structure which reacts to body heat, moulds around your body and eliminates pressure points. Memory foam allows you to settle for long periods without constant tossing and turning, which gives you a restful sleep. Memory foam mattresses also contain open coil or pocket spring systems.

Caring for your mattress

To make sure your mattress wears evenly, they need to be turned regularly. Ideally you should flip and rotate a natural mattress once a month, and memory foam mattresses should be rotated end to end with the memory foam layer on the top once a month. Although there is no guarantee tenants will remember or be motivated do this, during inspections it’s always worth reminding them to do so, or doing it yourself during change-over.

At change-over time, if the mattress surface has become dirty or soiled, use an upholstery shampoo, with warm water and a sponge to clean it. However, it’s essential to not allow the interior materials of the mattress get wet, and do not use solvent-based cleaners as they can damage the foam in memory foam mattresses or discolour the fabric covering of a mattress which makes them aesthetically less appealing.

Mattress protectors or mattress toppers can also add significantly to the lifespan of a mattress so consider investing in one for rented accommodation. They are fairly inexpensive so can be replaced or washed when new tenants arrive.

For further information on how to care for your mattress and to view the 1907 range visit: www.1907beds.co.uk

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What’s to become of the high street?

28/3/2013 – 10:05 am

Perhaps more pertinent to landlords, what’s the future for their commercial property investments?

With shop vacancies in some locations surpassing 30% the immediate outlook looks pretty grim.

But, like all property markets, retail shopping has many parts, shapes and sizes, all with their own characteristics and local economies. These range from the small village, the urban neighbourhood shopping parade, through to the small, medium and large towns. Then there are the cities, out of town supermarkets, retail outlets, mill shops and large hyper shopping malls.

Whereas small villages are often down to one store, if they are lucky, most small urban shopping clusters are supported by large housing densities, so they can survive very well – their retail space is well supported for essential and convenience goods and services like hairdressers, chemists, newsagents etc.

But small towns are a different story, with some literally dying a death and others still surprisingly healthy. Some small, tired shopping centres are suffering almost as much as town centres, depending on their locations, whereas most modern out-of-town supermarkets and large destination malls seem to be where all the action is today.

It all boils down to competition: towns with other towns or out-of-town shopping in close proximity are more vulnerable than their rural counterparts, where people don’t have much choice as to where they shop. Once a town goes into a downward spiral it’s hard to reverse: shops start to close and the high street takes on that depressing run-down boarded-up appearance, with decaying upper parts, foliage growing from gutters, and a vista dominated by To Let or For Sale signs. Visitor numbers dwindle, profits decline and still more closures – the end is nigh!

In the wake of a spate of high street closures such as the big chain retailers HMV, Blockbuster, Jessop’s, Comet, Land of Leather, among others, there are mixed feelings about the way things will go in retail as we pull out of this recession.

Graham Ruddick, writing in the Daily Telegraph, recently says: [the] “High street’s death has been greatly exaggerated” and goes on to cite the growth of the bargain basement retailers and the investments that some leading developers are making.

However, we need to temper Ruddick’s view with that of Lee Manning’s (lead administrator for Blockbuster), when he says that the era of the traditional high street has sadly past. “It is just too late. There might be nostalgia for the high street, but it is too late now. It is over”

The challenge from the combined impact of the Internet and out of town shopping has put UK high streets under more strain than many of them can cope with. The figures now available show that around 9,000 retail stores closed for the year ending 2012, 78% of which were in small towns or smaller shopping centres. More are predicted to go over the coming years as more chains and the traditional high street butcher, baker, greengrocer disappear.

Obviously, retail can never die completely as we all need to eat and consume goods and services. Despite this fact of life, the current economic environment means that consumer spending is down, and a large segment of spending is going down-market. But, at the same time retailing appears to be going through massive structural change.

What seems to be happening is a polarisation of centres; a repositioning to a smaller number of high profile retail destinations supported by Internet multi-channel delivery. According to credible research the average large retail chain will reduce its store count by around one-third over the next 3 to 5 years. Those retailers that are really leading the way, Tesco and John Lewis, for example, have been embracing the all encompassing consumer experience for some time, creating a holistic destination shop, supported with Internet access and delivery – browse and buy in-store, click and collect, click and deliver.

This shift is creating something of a demographic divide: the “haves” with their own cars willing to travel some distance for a large shop or family-day retail and entertainment experiences, the “have-nots” who are usually limited to the nearest town that they walk to, or a hop on a local bus route.

But all that’s only half the story: government, both central and local, rely heavily on business rates (the equivalent of council tax for businesses) to provide around 5% of their total tax revenue. In addition, local authorities take an increasing slice of their income from in-town parking fees, fines and charges.

Government desperately need the income from a dwindling pool of high street retail activity and despite their insistence that they support the traditional high street, always want to take more. All commercial premises are now paying full business rates when they are vacant, despite that fact that many landlords have no chance of re-letting in the short-term. Rate rises are still tied to the higher Retail Price Index, as opposed to the lower Consumer Price Index, which government now insist is to be the basis for most other consumer linked price guides.

Despite retailers expectations that something would be done about Business Rates in the budget it seems the government is to press on with a third successive substantial business rates rise resulting in an estimated 2.6 per cent increase linked to inflation. This will add something link £175m to retailers overall bills which is on top of increases of more than £500m in rates over the last two years.

The British Retail Consortium has been calling for a change in the way business rates are calculated which would use September’s retail price inflation figure plus a 12-month average of the consumer price index.

Despite recent hints from Vince Cable of a major overhaul of the business rates system, retailers are frustrated the issue was not addressed in the budget. There is still no sign of a change of policy on empty business rates, long called for by the British Property Federation (BPF)

So, where are we at? We’ve got retailers struggling to attract customers to the high street against aggressive parking restrictions, continuing business rates rises and an increasing wall of competition from out of town shopping and the Internet. We’ve got local authorities who, in many cases appear not to care, and competitors such as shopping malls and Internet retailers like Amazon, who pay virtually no business rates or corporation tax and where parking charges are not an issue.

The retail scene in many towns continues to decline further, and a bleak boarded-up landscape prevails; more shops will close and the downward spiral will continue as the retail mix needed to attract shoppers to the destination is lost.

Large and small commercial landlords alike are faced with these extremely challenging conditions. With an economic environment which is unlikely to change for the foreseeable future, if you are in locations in terminal decline you need to be prepared to make some tough decisions.

Economic adversity always brings opportunities but the challenges ahead mean that as a commercial landlord you need to be pretty astute to read these changes to your advantage.

By Tom Entwistle, LandlordZONE®

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London-based homeless charity looks to build on 100% contract-renewal rate

27/3/2013 – 4:22 pm

SPEAR is a charity based in South West London, which helps homeless people to access accommodation, and those at risk of homelessness to maintain their accommodation. Founded by members of the local community in Richmond, SPEAR opened its night shelter in 1987 to help rough sleepers in the borough have a temporary place to stay for the night. Since then, the charity has expanded to provide services including street outreach services, emergency accommodation for rough sleepers, tenancy finding facilities, a service providing support to veterans of the British Armed Forces and projects working specifically with young people.

Local MP Vince Cable said of the organisation:

“I have worked a lot with SPEAR. It is absolutely invaluable to have a ‘back stop’ for the homeless who cannot be helped by the council. SPEAR has prevented a lot of people having to sleep in the streets”

SPEAR has recently received funding for a new resettlement programme working within Richmond, Sutton, Merton and Wandsworth. The service aims to resettle clients into private rented accommodation in South West London. With this in mind, the Resettlement Team are currently looking for landlords primarily with single bedroom flats, houses and studios with rental prices that are set within the Local Housing Allowance.
Landlords enjoy a multitude of benefits by working with SPEAR. No fees or commission are charged for this service and we arrange for rent to be paid directly to the landlord, eliminating the risk of rent arrears. SPEAR also utilise their 25 years’ experience to ensure all paperwork is completed hassle-free and only place clients that have been thoroughly assessed and found suitable. SPEAR provides ongoing support to property owners and clients for the first year of the tenancy, acting as a point of contact for both Landlord and tenant.

Once a tenant moves into a property, SPEAR co-ordinate the entire process for both parties, such as organising Housing Benefit claims, setting up utilities, signposting to other local services, and managing any needs through regular support reviews. The careful, tailored approach taken by SPEAR in assessing the suitability of tenants for the privately rented sector has seen fantastic results, with 100% of landlords in Richmond renewing their contracts after the initial 12 months, and zero tenancy failures.

As well as helping clients find accommodation, the Resettlement Service provides ongoing support. Clients can access support to develop their skills and progress towards employment through SPEAR and benefit from SPEAR’s sustained ‘pathway’ from rough sleeping to an independent life away from the streets. SPEAR is proud to have supported thousands of homeless people to transform their lives and build independent futures since its formation in 1986.

By providing accommodation, Landlords will be enabling the people we work with to have a home in a safe and stable environment. If you own suitable property in West or South West London and would be interested in getting involved in this beneficial and fulfilling project, please email resettlement@spearlondon.org or call 020 7036 9765.

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Buy to Let Portfolio Mortgages – Advantages, Tax and Mortgage Interest Relief

27/3/2013 – 12:50 pm

Advantages of combining all your buy to let mortgages on to a single BTL portfolio mortgage account.

The private rental sector has grown from strength to strength in the last few years, as more people look towards renting long term. This trend is predicted to continue well in to 2013/2014, with some property experts predicting much longer still. This increased demand for rental accommodation has been great news for private landlords.

Record low mortgage interest rates, high rental yields and an uncompetitive housing market, make this an ideal time for landlords to expand their property portfolio – if they are able to do so.

In addition to experienced landlords expanding their property portfolio, we have new property investors entering the market due to the profitability which owning a buy to let portfolio can generate.

Most landlords start off with a single buy to let mortgage and purchase new buy to let properties with new, separate buy to let mortgages. Depending on what BTL mortgages where available at the time each new property was bought, it is quite likely these BTL mortgages are spread over different lenders as new products come to the market, this can make keeping track of mortgages, accounts, payments and fees increasingly difficult and time consuming (and may also be reducing the profitability).

Combining separate BTL Mortgages to a single BTL Portfolio Mortgage has many advantages, the main ones are:-

1. You have one account to manage. This means you will only have one direct debit mandate, one monthly payment, one mortgage statement and one set of interest charges for the entire buy to let mortgage / property portfolio. This covers all of the property in your portfolio and if you wish to add or remove property from this portfolio you do not have to “re-mortgage” this can save thousands in fees over the years.

2. With portfolio mortgages you have the possibility of drawing down equity from the combined property value to buy more property. This can make purchasing additional property much easier and cost effective, as you avoid the often expensive re-mortgaging fees on multiple accounts. Instead you have a much smaller arrangement fee for purchasing new property.

3. However, probably the most beneficial element of the BTL Portfolio mortgages (and quote why they are becoming so popular) is the fact they can be taken out on behalf of a limited company, rather than an individual. Corporation tax is lower than income tax, and so this transfer from individual to company account can greatly reduce the tax liabilities of the property owner(s).

4. With a little careful planning you can use the equity built up in your buy to let portfolio to pay down the mortgage on your main residence. The result of this is more interest relief on your buy to let business, and lower mortgage payments on your main residence.

Tax advantages of a portfolio mortgage

As rental interest can be off set as an expense against rental income profit, it is logically that higher the interest payments will reduce profitability and tax liabilities. This is the premise that most portfolio mortgages operate.

As detailed in “PIM2105 – Deductions: Interest: Introduction” on buried section of the HMRC website which says as long as the property passes the wholly and exclusively test applied to normal business expenses, then the mortgage interest is fully deductible.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/pimmanual/PIM2105.htm

Further, details on “BIM45700 – Specific deductions – interest: Withdrawal of capital from a business” confirms that the owner of any business can withdraw any equity from the business and the interest that remains is fully allowable as a business expense because the original reason for the mortgage still remains (as long as the withdrawal of equity does not exceed the value of the business, with the business in the taxmans eyes being the capital invested in the property itself.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/bim45700.htm

This means that you can expand a property portfolio using equity from existing properties and the interest paid is allowed in full as a deduction against rental profits. This together with the portfolio mortgage being “owned” by a limited company has the potential to greatly lower the tax liabilities on the buy to let properties.

Transferring buy to let equity to pay down your main residence mortgage

BIM 45700 Mortgage Interest Relief creates a little known strategy where by a landlord with equity in their buy to let properties can use this equity to pay down the mortgage on their main residence. This shifts the debt on to the properties in which mortgage interest relief can be claimed on the full amount.

This article was provided by Ascot Mortgages your buy to let mortgage experts.

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27 viewings arranged in 5 days, my property let and at zero cost… pinch me, am I dreaming….

20/12/2012 – 3:40 pm

Well it appears not.

As a landlord with a property to let in Brighton, I recently decided to try out an online property letting service that was offering ‘free property letting’. I have to admit to being more than a little sceptical, however, with the opportunity to save £675 in letting agent fees, I thought it was worth a go.

The agents I decided to go with are called www.tenants4u.com and whilst they have a number of ‘fee based’ options, I decided to try out their ‘Free Tenant Find’ service.

Overseas at the time on holiday, I fired up my laptop and started to upload the rental property details – a pretty straightforward process of describing the property and uploading images. I stated my availability to start viewings in 5 days time when I knew I would be back in the UK and whoosh, my property had been posted as available to rent. I instantly received confirmations that my upload was successful and within 24 hours the property was on Rightmove and I was receiving texts from Tenants4U confirming viewing requests. By the time it came to conduct my viewings, 5 days later, I had no fewer than 27 prospective tenants lined up to view the property…. yes, 27!

The first person who viewed the property wanted to take it and I had another 3 hours of viewings lined up. Tenants4U organised all of the tenancy agreement paperwork, they charged the tenants a £99+VAT application fee and wrapped everything up very swiftly.

I’m sure that every property let through this type of service doesn’t let quite as easily as mine did, but there is no doubting the power of such a service. I would never consider any other way in which to let my property. Furthermore, all of my details are now with them, so when it comes to re-let, all I need to do is literally click a button and the process starts again – without costing me a penny.

I’m certainly converted to this new age of property letting and I’d recommend any landlord that hasn’t already given it a try to have a go. Really, what is there to lose?

For more information regarding this service visit http://www.tenants4U.com

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Now Available – LandlordZONE Up-Date – Issue 6

23/11/2012 – 6:08 pm

Read Issue 6 of the LandlordZONE Up-Date
Read More »

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Celebrate with the Stars of the Industry at the Landlord & Letting Awards

23/11/2012 – 12:17 pm

Forget the Oscars, Brits or Grammys. There is only one ceremony that is on the minds of all private rented sector professionals… the Landlord & Letting Awards.

Now in its third year, the Awards promises to be bigger and better than ever and the awards organisers, Landlord and Buy to Let Magazine, anticipate that even more companies and individuals will come forward in the hope of having their achievements recognised.

Landlord & Buy to Let Magazine’s editor, Oliver Romain, commented; “We have organised the, independently judged, awards annually since 2009 and have attracted a steadily increasing number of entries every year.

“We wait with baited breath to see how much many more entries we will receive this year, and anticipate a lot of hard work ahead for the judges, who will be tasked with whittling down to submissions to a shortlist for each category.”

Oliver was inspired to launch the Landlord & Letting Awards in 2009 after Landlord & Buy-to-Let magazine was shortlisted for a publishing award and discovering there was no equivalent for the private rented sector.

The aim of the Awards is to celebrate achievements in the private rented sector and reward industry professionals for their high standards. The continued success of the Awards is helping to prove Oliver’s theory that the awards present the industry in a positive light and help to dispel some of the myths about the sector.

LandlordZONE scooped the 2010 Website Award and 2011 Website – Supplier Award. The founder, Tom Entwistle was delighted with the results: ”We were thrilled to win this Award. The competition was tough, so we really see this accolade as recognition of our long-term contribution and commitment to the industry and it’s testament to the hard work and commitment of our team.”

The accolade of simply being shortlisted reaps benefits for the entrants, with many receiving extensive press coverage, obtaining new customers and praised by clients, all thanks to their participation in the Awards. Now that the Landlord & Letting Awards are even more widely recognised throughout the industry as they enter their fourth year, Oliver Romain believes there will be even greater benefits in store for those who enter 2012.

He comments: “the Awards receive the industry wide support. You only need to browse the internet and discover all the press coverage and Awards logos displayed on the websites to know how proud our finalists are to be a part of such an initiative. It really does raise the profile and credibility of private rented sector professionals.”

Winners will be finally announced at glamorous gala dinner to be held at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry on Wednesday 28th November 2012 to coincide with the Landlord and Letting Show.

This year categories are: Agent, Association, Customer Service, Developer/Housebuilder, Innovation, Landlord, Public Service/Not for Profit, Supplier and Website.
Good luck!

Also posted in Block10 | Comments (0)

Book your place at the London and South East Landlords Day 2012

22/11/2012 – 5:25 pm

This free event will feature an exhibition (view floorplan) and a series of informative seminars (see agenda and speaker information) to help you as a landlord learn more about your business, how to improve your housing standards, how to meet your legal obligations effectively and how to work and gain from your local council.

The day officially opens at 10:15am and features:

• An exhibition
• Seminars throughout the day
• A key note speech
• An expert panel discussion
• A free mince pie and drinks reception
• A networking session

Whether there is a specific area of advice you are seeking or if you are interested in learning more about how a particular issue will affect you, this event is an absolute must for landlords looking to make contacts and develop their business.

A café is on site and the venue is within walking distance of London Kings Cross Station. Parking is available nearby, please see a location map here.

Register for your free place (tickets are not required) and sign in on the day to claim 5 CPD points with the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme and to be entered into a draw to win 1 of 5 free RLA memberships!

This event is open and free to anyone interested. Attendees are welcome to arrive on the day without pre-registering, but may take longer to enter.

Book your free place today
Or interested in exhibiting? Download an exhibitor information pack today
www.lase-landlordsday.org.uk

The event is being organised by Unipol Student Homes and the Residential Landlords Association with the support of the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme and many of the London Regional Housing Partnerships.

Senate House
Malet Street
The University of London
Bloomsbury
London
WC1E 7HU

on
Friday 7th December

Learn more about the London and South East Landlords Day 2012 by visiting
www.lase-landlordsday.org.uk

We look forward to seeing you there!

Also posted in Block14 | Comments (0)

Landlords could be Liable for Tenants Water Charges

22/11/2012 – 5:06 pm

Landlords could be billed for their tenant’s water rates arrears if they fail to advise the utility company of the tenant’s details. This is the outcome of recent changes to the law.

Up until recently, a tenant’s arrears of any of the utilities: water, electricity, gas or telephone had not been a concern of the landlord. The contract for the supplies is directly between the legal occupier and the supplier, and the letting agreement should state clearly that the tenant is responsible, so the landlord is invariably in the clear.

This has always been the case until now, except for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), where the landlord is always responsible for utilities supplies to the property and is expected to recover from the individual tenants.

Following the introduction of the Water Industry Act 1999, water utilities companies, unlike all the other utilities, had their traditional threat of cutting off supplies to non-payers withdrawn – they are no longer allowed to use this sanction by law, and effectively have their hands tied on the issue.

This has lead to increasing concerns from the water utilities companies faced with ever increasing debts from tenants, especially when landlords fail or refuse to notify them of tenants’ details.

Following Ofwat and government reviews on how water charges are to be collected, and specifically over this landlord issue, the recommendations have now lead to changes in the law under Part 2, s45 (1-3) of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, which came into force in October 2012.

Effectively, what this means is that landlords failing to notify the suppliers (water companies) of a tenant’s details will become jointly and severably liable with their tenants for overdue water charges. Invariably, the easier option for the water companies, therefore, will be to pursue the landlord for the debt, rather than trying to trace and recover from the tenant.

Landlords should always make a point of informing, in writing (and in view of this measure perhaps by recorded delivery for water utilities) all the utilities suppliers of the tenants’ full details when a new tenancy starts. Likewise, when a tenancy ends, the landlord should again inform the utilities companies, providing a forwarding address for the tenants whenever possible.

When agents are employed they should inform the utilities companies on behalf of their landlords, so landlords should confirm this is being done. Bear in mind that this may not be the case with a let-only contracted agent.

Also posted in Block2 | Comments (1)

Buy to Let Investing Tips for the First Time Landlord

22/11/2012 – 4:51 pm

Becoming a landlord can be an aspiration for many, but few rarely take the plunge and make it a reality. For those that have, they often find the investment greatly rewarding, not only financially but rewarding in terms of the satisfaction they get from “doing a property up” ready for the rental market and then successfully letting it to a happy tenant.

If you are thinking about investing in the buy to let industry, now is a great time to pursue that idea – the Letting’s Industry is one of only a handful for industries in the UK which is experiencing strong growth, with very little sign of it slowing down. This combined with the relatively low mortgage rates currently available because of the record low base rate means that the profit has an all-time high potentially.

Many private individuals are choosing to invest in a buy to let property as an alternative to a traditional cash pension. Cash pensions have had a great deal of value “wiped off” them during the banking crisis and this may be another factor which is encouraging people to think about alternative ways to fund their retirement.

5 Tips for ensuring your buy to let property investing

1. Research your location. Traditionally the most popular locations for rental properties are where there is the highest concentration of employment areas. For example, near a hospital or shopping center would make good locations. But it is always important not to ignore the out of town areas or even village locations, as rental property here maybe harder to come by and therefore you may be able to charge premier rental costs if those areas are also in demand by renters.

2. The type of property. Landlords and property investors need to consider property location alongside property type. It is important to match the type of property most sought after to each location. A simple example of this would be to say a small terrace maybe better suited as accommodation for a single worker, where as a family sized property will be well placed if located near a well-regarded secondary school.

3. Rental yields. The rental yield is a simple calculation which shows the overall profitability of a particular rental property. The higher this value is the better. An average good UK yield should be near 8%, although in London and the South East, a good yield is much lower, at around 3-4%.

• Gross BTL Yield = (annual rental income) / (house price)
eg £6,000 annual rent (£500 PM) / £100,000
= 6% Yield

4. Finding the right mortgage. The mortgage on a buy to let property will without question be the largest expense in most situations, and as buy to let mortgage rates vary so much it is essential that landlords not only ensure they start off with the best deal on a buy to let mortgage, but also they regularly review the rates they are on and remortgage the buy to let as often as is viable to ensure the interest rates paid as the lowest which will keep the overall mortgage costs down (and therefore maximise the rental profit). Ascot Mortgages are buy to let mortgage specialists and can review this for you quickly.

5. Do you have the time and energy to look after the project yourself, or would you prefer to pay someone to do it for you? With residential property, its problem a good idea to take care of it yourself to see more profit, but this can be very time consuming. A property management company can take all the pressure of your shoulders, but this will come at an adding expense.

The most important part of the consideration process is where to buy the property. It’s been proven in the past that first time buyers usually feel more comfortable purchasing a property closer to home. This can be the perfect choice if the buy to let market is thriving in that specific area, although this option could leave you struggling for money if there is no real demand in that area. The better option might be further afield. It’s worth checking out the area you have in mind and having a look at other properties that are on the market. The best areas to look at generally can be family orientated ones, with a demand for rental properties and ever increasing popularity or near to a university or college as students are always on the lookout for flats to rent.

By putting yourself in the shoes of someone who is looking for a rental property, you give yourself the best way of meeting their demands in terms of location, interior and affordability. You also need to remember that you’re buying the property to see a steady incline on your income and not looking for a quick profit, so carefully consider all your options!

By Ascot Mortgages – Buy to Let Specialists
http://www.ascotmortgages.co.uk

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