Advice news

Good tenants 'more important than short-term rents'

It is more important for landlords to secure good tenants to fill their properties than it is to maximise short-term rents, one specialist has noted.

UK rental property expert James David made the comments after recent figures revealed that rents rose by 0.5 per cent on a monthly basis as rental demand increased in April, with annual rental inflation standing at...

23rd May 2012

Art deco 'set to be big' in 2012

Art deco is set to be one of the biggest home interior themes in 2012 as homeowners look to the past for inspiration, one expert on the subject has predicted.

Ellie Tenant, interiors journalist, acknowledged that everybody is talking about the Jubilee, and predicted that many people will be decorating in a temporary way for Jubilee tea parties with bunting and...

21st May 2012

Property owners 'should shop around' when remortgaging

People considering remortgaging their property have been advised not to settle for the first deal they see and instead shop around to see what is available.

Ben Wilkie, editor at What Mortgage, said there are two ways of going about the process, with the first being to get independent advice – a good idea for people who do not know a huge amount about the...

17th May 2012

Landlords 'must be aware of the law'

Buy to let property investment can be a lucrative business, but landlords need to be aware of the law if they are to be successful and the process is to be trouble-free, one expert on the subject has noted.

Tessa Shepperson from Landlord Law said that the main problem for landlords is not knowing what the law is.

If landlords deal with things...

17th May 2012

High number of LTVs 'means a good time to buy'

The high number of loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages being offered in the UK means that now is a good time to buy property, one expert has suggested. Paul Holmes, chief executive officer at the mortgage advice organisation Firstrung, said there is evidence that lenders will begin to offer more help for first-time buyers in the near future, such as increased numbers of LTV...

15th May 2012

Energy-efficient improvements 'provide financial benefits'

Having energy-efficient improvements carried out on a property can provide many long-term benefits, according to one expert on the subject who has advocated such measures.

Mike Shufflebotham, sales manager at Green Building Store, said that the energy efficiency products most in demand at the moment include high-performance timber windows and doors, mechanical...

14th May 2012

Communication 'essential' between landlords and tenants

It is vital that buy to let property owners maintain excellent levels of communication with their tenants, according to one expert who has said that neither party should underestimate the value of maintaining a solid relationship.

Marie Parris, managing director of George Ellis Property Services, said that the current...

10th May 2012

People 'should invest more' in home improvements

People should aim to spend more of their income on improving their home's interior and exterior and boosting its value, one expert has suggested.

Andrew Leech, director at the National Home Improvement Council (NHIC), said that the state of the economy has meant that some DIY jobs have taken second place, which he describes as "really...

9th May 2012

Twin university locations 'offer good investment opportunities'

People looking to invest in student property will find that the success of the venture may depend on the level of investment, but will mainly be determined by location. It is best to look at cities that have twin universities first and foremost, so investors get a "double hit" of full-time students, according to Marcus...

8th May 2012

Bank holiday weekends 'a great time for home improvement'

The Bank Holiday weekend presents people with the perfect opportunity to breathe new life into their property with some DIY in advance of summer, and possibly improve its value in the process, one expert has noted.

Ellie Tenant, interiors journalist, explained that the Bank Holiday means people have an extra day off work,...

3rd May 2012

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