Property Blog [ Page 7 ]

The Ugliest House In The World

15 Comments Comments / Article written on 14 Dec 2007, and filed in the Architecture/Design section

Me and a few of my loyal companions decided to embark on a challenge- to uncover the ugliest house in the world. What an ambitious challenge, aye?
We put together a list of guidelines to help us unravel the unfortunate piece of shit that is destined to top the poll of being the ugliest house in [...]

A Housing Crash May Encourage Your Tenant To Leave

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 11 Dec 2007, and filed in the Ranting Landlord section

On one end you have landlords that want to welcome a property crash so they can add more properties to their portfolios. A declining market for an ambitious landlord is like a moist armpit for bacteria- tranquil beauty. We can call those landlords the fat cats. On the other end you have another breed of [...]

Mortgage Overpayment Calculator

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 10 Dec 2007, and filed in the Mortgage Stuff section

After writing the Mortgage Overpayments article, I decided to put together an overpayment mortgage calculator, so you easily work out how much you can save by making overpayments. The tool calculates how much you can save, along with how much time you will be shaving off your mortgage.
Most lenders allow at least 10% penalty-free overpayments [...]

Mortgage Overpayments

7 Comments Comments / Article written on 09 Dec 2007, and filed in the Mortgage Stuff section

This is an extension to a previous article I wrote on ‘The Benefits Of Paying Your Mortgage Off Early‘. Making overpayments on your mortgage is a great way of reducing your mortgage, consequently providing the opportunity to paying off your mortgage earlier than due. Overpayments is usually suited for those that want to reduce their [...]

Why Do People Appear On Property Ladder?

8 Comments Comments / Article written on 05 Dec 2007, and filed in the Sarah Beeny section

I think i’m a little confused, care to help me out?
I watch Sarah Beeny’s Property Ladder religiously. I think it’s a great show, even though I spend most of the time with my mouth open, eyes covered and my skin crawling. Let’s face it, the show is about stupid people developing property, for the most [...]

The Basics Of Interest Rates

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 04 Dec 2007, and filed in the Mortgage Stuff section

I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again (until I’m blue(r) in the face), a mortgage can ultimately determine the success or failure of a property investment. My point being? It’s imperative that you understand how mortgages work so you are able to get the best deal available on the market, without getting wool [...]

Capital Transaction Vs Trading transaction

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 03 Dec 2007, and filed in the Tax And Property section

Buying property seems to be the easy step when it comes to property investment, and relatively speaking, so is selling property. However, it goes without saying that you don’t want your profits eaten up by the taxman, and that’s when selling property can be a little bit complicated.
In principle, I always recommend getting a good [...]

Carpet vs Wooden Floor

2 Comments Comments / Article written on 30 Nov 2007, and filed in the Property Development section

Wooden flooring has become the cornerstone of modern style for many homebuyers; they’re an extremely sought after commodity. It’s not surprising; they look great, they’re easy to maintain, and they have the potential to make an ordinary room standout with a bit of contemporary style. For those reasons buyers do favour wooden flooring over carpet [...]

DSS Tenants And The Shitty Council

16 Comments Comments / Article written on 28 Nov 2007, and filed in the DSS Tenants section

I’ve decided it’s not worth getting involved with DSS tenants because of the incompetence of the local council (or at least my local council). They are so stupid and unwilling to help landlords that they make me want to rip my beautiful eyes out with a blunt spoon every time I have to deal [...]

Home Information Packs (HIP) Apply To All Properties

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 27 Nov 2007, and filed in the Home Information Packs (HIP) section

Here’s a quick recap..
1st August 2007: The home information pack will be required and become law for all homeowners with 4 bedroom properties and larger in England & Wales who put their home up for sale from the 1 August 2007.
10th September 2007: Home Information packs will apply to 3-bedroom homes.
14th December 2007: Home Information [...]

Sell A Property And Benefit From Taper Relief

5 Comments Comments / Article written on 26 Nov 2007, and filed in the Tax And Property section

27/11/2007 EDIT:
From the 6th of April 2008 Taper relief will be abolished. Chancellor Alastair Darling announced that taper relief will be abolished, and will be replaced by a flat 18% tax rate.
Following the abolition of taper relief, when any such loan notes are redeemed or otherwise disposed of after April 5, no taper relief will be available on [...]

Using A Property Company To Save On Tax

5 Comments Comments / Article written on 25 Nov 2007, and filed in the Tax And Property section

As far as I’m concerned, the biggest drawback to buy to let investors is the huge tax implications. You could potentially end up paying a massive 40% of your profits because of capital net gains. That’s a lot of lost profit (politicians may disagree- but who cares?).
There are many reliefs and deductions you can claim [...]

The Importance Of Remortgaging

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 22 Nov 2007, and filed in the Mortgage Stuff section

I personally believe that the quality and suitability of a homeowner’s mortgage is the second biggest factor that will ultimately determine the success of a property investment, especially with buy to let investors; the biggest factor being the market condition. However, you alone can’t control the market condition, but you alone can play a key [...]

Investing With Friends And Family

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 21 Nov 2007, and filed in the Property Investment Tips & Info section

Flying solo on a property venture can be a scary concept because the responsibility falls onto one person’s head- YOURS. Let’s face facts; it’s a lot easier to sleep at night knowing that if shit hits the fan, the shit will fall onto multiple overalls.
However, it can also be heartbreaking to split the profits from [...]

Will A Loft Conversion Add Value?

3 Comments Comments / Article written on 18 Nov 2007, and filed in the Property Development section

With the dramatic increase in house prices it’s no surprise that people aren’t able to afford upgrading to bigger, more suitable homes. A lot of families are finding themselves in situations where they need more living space as their families are growing. As a solution, people are starting to build upwards- converting lofts into suitable [...]

How Do You Get An Estate Agent To Stop Calling You?

4 Comments Comments / Article written on 17 Nov 2007, and filed in the Property Comic Sketches section

Selling Property Privately

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 15 Nov 2007, and filed in the Selling Property Tips section

There used to be a time when the natural step for buying or selling a property would involve approaching an estate agent. That was yesterday and today’s a different day. Today there’s a new generation of internet entrepreneurs making it increasingly easy to go down the private sales path. As more and more people are [...]

Long Term Investors Shouldn’t Fear A Crash

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 14 Nov 2007, and filed in the Property Investment Tips & Info section

One likes to watch the casserole slowly stew, while the other likes to barbeque the fillets on full heat. That’s the difference between a short and long term investor. Both can potentially be a satisfying meal, but the short-term investor is looking to get satisfied a little quicker while the long-term investor is happy for [...]

My Tenant Left Without Paying Bills

2 Comments Comments / Article written on 12 Nov 2007, and filed in the Landlord Legal Obligations/Issues section

One of my “problem” tenant’s vacated one of my properties after being evicted, but she left behind unpaid gas and electricity bills. The bills totalled to approximately £200. This particular tenant had already cost me money (eviction fees, the rent she failed to pay..etc), so there was no way I was going to part with [...]

The House Price Crash (HPC) Community Are Crazy

4 Comments Comments / Article written on 11 Nov 2007, and filed in the Property Comic Sketches section

To Furnish Or Not To Furnish

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 09 Nov 2007, and filed in the Selling Property Tips section

You’ve spent thousands on renovating your property, the gaudy 70’s carpet has gone, the hideous net curtains have been dumped and the flaky woodwork has been repaired. The house is perfect and you’re feeling proud. But it’s empty. So what do you do? Do you leave it empty so your potential buyer can see what [...]

Struggling To Find Tenants? This is The Guide For You

2 Comments Comments / Article written on 08 Nov 2007, and filed in the Marketing & Finding Tenants section

Are you struggling to find tenants? It’s a common problem a lot of landlords have and it can be extremely frustrating because the longer a property remains unoccupied the more costly it will be.
It’s not rocket science, the more viewings you take, the greater the opportunity to find tenants.
Use multiple methods of advertising
First thing [...]

Golden Rules For Property Development

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 07 Nov 2007, and filed in the Property Development section

Property development is becoming increasingly popular, especially in a cooling market. Profit margins are becoming slimmer for straight flipping (buy to sell without development) so people are starting to look for properties in need of a little TLC to make that extra fortune.
It’s still frustrating to witness inexperienced developers fall into the most basic development [...]

Calculating Your Profit And Loss

6 Comments Comments / Article written on 06 Nov 2007, and filed in the Landlord Money & Saving Costs section

Buy To Let is a business, period.
Anyone that has a property on the rental market is running a business, regardless of how dislocated they are from the project. I know a lot of Landlords don’t see it as a business, but rather a long term investment which just ‘works’ on its own accord. While that [...]

Listed buildings

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 03 Nov 2007, and filed in the Property Investment Tips & Info section

Are you interested in buying a property that is listed or do you own a listed building and are unsure what it all means? Here’s a quick guide for you.
What is a listed building?
If a building is listed it mean it is protected because it is deemed important in some way, usually in a cultural [...]

The Cooling Property Market

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 31 Oct 2007, and filed in the Property Comic Sketches section

I Can’t Afford My Mortgage Payments

2 Comments Comments / Article written on 30 Oct 2007, and filed in the Mortgage Stuff section

Coming to terms with the fact that mortgage payments are no longer realistically possible to maintain is an extremely important step to take. People see it as “defeat”, and it’s never easy to admit defeat, especially when you have a fighting spirit. But don’t think of it as “defeat”, think of it as “surviving”
Giving up [...]

Using Credit Cards To Pay Your Mortgage

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 29 Oct 2007, and filed in the Mortgage Stuff section

I recently read a report on The Guardian, which said that more than a million householders have been using credit cards to pay their mortgage or rent. The data was gathered by a new survey published by ROOF, Shelter’s housing and homelessness magazine.
For many people trying to keep a roof over their head is becoming [...]

Check Behind And Under The Furniture

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 26 Oct 2007, and filed in the Buying Property Tips section

I was browsing through the moneysavingexpert.com forums and I found a, dare I say, humourous thread about vendors leaving behind bad surprises for new owners. I shouldn’t laugh, because I genuinely do feel for the lady in distress and everyone else that shared a similar story.
Moving home is stressful enough and i’m sure the last [...]

Crossover Leases

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 25 Oct 2007, and filed in the Property Investment Tips & Info section

What is a crossover lease?
A crossover lease is when two people live in the same building, but have their own flat. Essentially, a building with two seperate flats. Each homeowner has a lease to the flat they own AND the freehold to the other flat in the building. They are commonly used with maisonettes. Here’s [...]

I Received An Email From Sarah Beeny’s Business Partner

9 Comments Comments / Article written on 24 Oct 2007, and filed in the Sarah Beeny section

I received an interesting email yesterday, which was supposedly sent by Sarah Beeny’s business partner, Amanda Christie. Before I discuss the matter further, I’ll show you the email:

Email: mailamanda@yahoo.com
Dear Sirs,
I represent Sarah Beeny, as her business partner.
We would like to give you one opportunity to cease using her name in the advertising, page titles and [...]

I Reduced My Mortgage By 15k And Saved 30k

2 Comments Comments / Article written on 23 Oct 2007, and filed in the Project 2- Reducing My Mortgage section

I Raised My 15k (Plus More) to complete my “15k project” a while ago, 10th September to be precise, but as already mentioned, I’ve been unsure about what to do with the funds. I wasn’t sure whether to invest more money into another property, or do as initially planned, which was to use that 15k to [...]

Changing Mortgage Repayment Method

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 22 Oct 2007, and filed in the Mortgage Stuff section

Most mortgage lenders allow a borrower to change between interest-only and repayment methods at any point during an exiting policy. For example, if you have an existing mortgage policy that is interest-only, you can change it to repayment and visa versa.
The actual process of switching is pretty straightforward; it’s not like completely remortgaging. You’ll still [...]

Typical Day For An Estate Agent

4 Comments Comments / Article written on 19 Oct 2007, and filed in the Property Comic Sketches section

Credit Card Calculator

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 17 Oct 2007, and filed in the Personal Finances section

I previously put up a Mortgage Calculator; but because a lot of people have been paying their mortgages with credit cards, I decided to go one step further and put together a Credit Card calculator.
This card calculator will let you see how long it will take to pay off your credit card. Additionally, if you’re [...]

How The Main House Price Indices Gather Their Data

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 16 Oct 2007, and filed in the House prices And Interest Rates section

Indices are statistical measures of change in the economy or financial markets. Here’s a list of the main house price indices, and how they individually retrieve their statistical data.
Land registry
The Land Registery report quarterly and gather their data from the actual sale prices paid at completion.
Adjustment: no seasonal adjustment.
Financial Times (FT) House Price Index
The FT [...]

Ways To Save Money

0 Comments Comments / Article written on 15 Oct 2007, and filed in the Personal Finances section

I’ve recently been spending extremely carelessly; I’m not out of control or anything, but I’ve been consciously aware of my expenditures. If my mind is telling me that I’m spending a bit too much this month, it’s usually because I am. I’m not a complete scrooge so I don’t mind parting with money, but some [...]

“House Price Crash” (HPC) Website Mentality

49 Comments Comments / Article written on 14 Oct 2007, and filed in the Property Comic Sketches section

The Greedy Landlord And The Piss-Taking Tenant

1 Comment Comments / Article written on 13 Oct 2007, and filed in the Property Comic Sketches section

Things I Hated Hearing From My Tenants

2 Comments Comments / Article written on 12 Oct 2007, and filed in the Ranting Landlord section

Every landlord has a list of things they dread hearing from their tenants; the list usually consists of requests from tenants that are completely inappropriate or require effort from the landlord to execute (we’re a lazy breed). Here’s a few lines i’ve heard from my tenants that I didn’t (and still don’t) want to hear: [...]