The ‘right and wrongs’ of selling your house by our Philippa Peasegood - #Spencer #Sheffield

The ‘right and wrongs’ of selling your house

It has the potential of being the most stressful thing you’ll ever do, so to alleviate the pain here are a few useful tips of what to do, but more importantly what not to do when selling your home.

Choose your agent wisely

Many people consider online agents cheaper, but when you’ve weighed up all the hidden costs you may find they could cost you more. Ensure your chosen agent as an excellent reputation and are proactive. Virtual agents aren’t ‘real’ estate agents.

Marketing

A great way to accentuate your sale is social media and property forums. Most people rely on this, rather than traipsing through agents’ websites. Also ensure you have a board outside. Unless people know your house is for sale, they can’t buy it!!

Overpricing your property

You may have an figure in your head, but let the agent advise you as they will be able to use their experience and knowledge of the market to assist you. Going with a valuation which is too high can actually backfire and be reduce the amount of interested buyers.

Get ready!

Most buyers will know in the first 60 seconds of walking through the door of your home if they can see themselves living there, so be prepared. Declutter and tidy your home are the key to selling.

Be prepared!

Along with tidying and decluttering, get those little maintenance jobs done. Most buyers don’t want to renovate, simply move in, so holes in the walls, peeling wallpaper or damp patches will put potential buyers off. If you need to paint a wall - do it.

Flexibility

Be prepared to be flexible. This may involve doing viewings at times when you simply want to sit down with your feet up. Some viewers work long hours, so if you can go the extra mile it may just work in your favour.

Use your agent

Let your agent guide you. They’re used to every question, stumbling block and eventuality. If you’re not sure - ask! It’s what we’re good at, but also what you’re paying for.

Keeping these common mistakes in the back of your mind will help you avoid them during the selling process.

Spencer. The Estate Agent

Love thy Neighbour #Blog #Sheffield #EstateAgent

Love Thy Neighbour

Whether you are a home owner, renting or living in a block of apartments most of us have neighbours and if you have them here’s my top tips to being a good neighbour in Sheffield.

Introduction

Neighbours can be a source of useful information when you are settling into your new home. So it’s well worth a friendly hello when you meet them for the first time. They can after all fill you in on the everyday stuff like where’s the nearest shop, bin collections and the do and don’t of street parking, if you don’t have sufficient driveway to house you and any visitors.

You don’t have to become best of friends, but neighbours on your side can be a valuable asset, they can look out for your property when you are away from it, offer you use of some extra parking if you have a party, be understanding if you are having some property maintenance carried out. So it’s worth keeping them in the loop and returning the favour when they are in need of a little help from you!

Be Considerate

With Bonfire night round the corner, you might want to pre-warn neighbours if you are planning a fire, so they are sure not to have washing out or windows open. If they have small children with a set bedtime, you could agree a time when the fireworks will be done or ask them round to join in with the fun, then you’ll be sure to have them on-side, or at least you’ve given them the opportunity and pre warned them of the event.

If you are planning a special occasion with a D J or band in the garden, it’s worth being clear about your intentions giving neighbours the date and time when there will be noise disruption and keep to the timescale, if you’ve said quiet by 10-30pm, everyone knows where they stand and there’s less chance of you getting reported to the local council/ police. 

Also if you’re coming and going unsocial hours for your work or just coming in late from a night out show them consideration and keep the noise down. No-one likes to be woken in the night by car doors slamming and shouting, it’s sure to be annoying for them to hear.

Disputes

We are all different people with varying standards and without realising it disputes can come around and that’s just life. If you need to approach a neighbour with an issue, try and keep your cool, explain what the cause of the problem is and listen respectfully to what they have to say . There could be a reason you were unaware of, sure as there garden being untidy due to illness, or bereavement in the family. Give them a chance to respond to you, try and understand from their perspective and hopefully you can work towards a suitable solution for all, even if it means you rolling up your sleeves and offering to lend a hand. Before you go down the path of reporting them to the authorities, it’s worth giving them a chance to redress the issue.

If someone comes to you with a concern, even if you think it’s petty, for them to seek you out, it is something that they are finding an issue. Be respectful and give then a timescale of when you look to have the problem dealt with, if it’s down to lack of money be honest and tell them to  bear with you until you have the funds to resolve this.

Peaceful Times Ahead

If you follow my top tips I am sure in the majority of cases you will be able to hold your head up high on seeing your neighbours, give them a friendly greeting and get on with your day. They may  be of help to you one day, taking in a parcel while you are out or pushing through some important post delivered to them in error.

After all “ Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours”  and  “ That’s when good neighbours become good friends”

www.spencersestateagents.co.uk 

Minimise Void Periods in #Rental #Property - #Blog by Emily from #Spencer #Sheffield

Tips to minimise void periods in rental properties

Usually when a tenant moves out of a rental property there is a short period of time when a property remains empty before the new tenant moves in, at Spencer we encourage this and usually suggest a week between tenancies. It can be a beneficial time to ensure the property is ready to be re-let by having any maintenance work and cleaning carried out so it’s in tip-top condition for new tenants.

However, this is not always the case and unfortunately some properties remain empty for a period of time. Every landlord should be trying to minimise the void periods where possible, because at the end of the day empty properties cost money. Whether it be through the mortgage, council tax, utility bills or service charge there is always some cost the landlord has to pay. 

There are a number of things that landlords and agents can do to ensure void periods (AND COSTS!) are kept to a minimum.

1)      Start marketing early

At Spencer we always contact our tenants at least 2 months before their move out date to find out their intentions at the end of the tenancy, we aim to advertise properties 6-8 weeks before the available date. This means that any prospective tenants looking for a new home have plenty of time to give notice on their current property.

2)      Renew contracts without delay – avoid periodic where possible

As mentioned above we always contact tenants 2 months before their vacating date to find out their intentions, this gives plenty of time to arrange any contract renewals. Where possible we advise landlords against periodic contracts as it means that tenants can give their one month notice at any time, if a tenant was to give notice in the winter months then it can be more difficult to re-let the property.

3)      Keep an eye on the property during tenancies

We recommend carrying out regular inspections on rental properties to ensure that they are being looked after by the tenants and that any maintenance issues are noticed and dealt with quickly & efficiently. At Spencer we carry out regular property inspections and provide our landlord with a full report and photos on the condition of the property.

4)      Keep the property in good condition

Once you have a good tenant in your property it’s important to keep it in good condition for them to want to stay, maintenance issues should be dealt with quickly & efficiently and we recommend being open and accommodating to reasonable tenant’s requests. Ongoing investment in the property especially in bathrooms and kitchens can also help secure tenants and always helps when re letting the property.

5)      Utilities – take meter readings!

As soon as a tenant vacates meter readings should be taken of all the utilities, this ensures that landlords aren’t paying for the previous tenant’s usage, it ensures the void period costs are kept to a minimum.  As part of the check-out process we take all meter readings to provide to landlords along with a detailed check out report.

6)      Expect a void period

The average void period in the UK per year is between 2 and 4 weeks, it is recommended to budget for one month per year to avoid any unexpected costs.

7)      Find good tenants – and keep them!!

The best way to minimise void periods is to avoid them completely!! Once you have the right tenant in your property, at Spencer we fully reference and credit check all our tenants and always ensure they are the best fit for your property. We then work constantly to ensure tenants are happy and keep them in your property! If you don’t believe us just check our 5* Facebook and Google reviews!

Whether you are a landlord letting your property for the first time or a landlord stuck with a vacant property, our focus and attention at Spencer will always be to provide you with practical and honest advice. If you need help re-letting your property please get in touch with our rental team. 

www.spencersestateagents.co.uk 

Tenant Fee Ban - #Blog by Lynn Braha of Spencer's Estate Agents #Sheffield S11

Agency fee ban!

Lynn Braha talks about the tenant reference fee ban that has been suggested. Lynn is a Senior Lettings Manager at Spencer, here on Ecclesall Road, Sheffield.

"How are things going to change you ask? I say for the worse. I’m not convinced this is going to help anyone. 

"The ban is meant to help people afford to rent in the private sector, or so they say but this is debatable. In my opinion part of the problem comes from local councils selling off the bulk of their housing stock and leaving them with less social housing stock for people on a low income. 

"The main suggestion to counter the fee ban is higher agency fees being charged to landlords for tenant finding and property management, in effect the landlords will pay the tenants agency fees instead, but this will no doubt encourage landlords to increase rents to cover this and so in the end it will be tenants who ultimately pay, as rents will go up overall and tenants could be having to pay what they cannot realistically afford.

"Landlords may also stop accepting people on housing benefit, as the rates will not cover the increased rents.  This will cause an increase in homelessness and so defeating the objective.

"Another suggestion is tenants will be expected to pay the whole tenancy rent in advance to reduce the risk to landlords again making it more difficult for people on a low income.

"How is this helping people in the long term, yes it will get them into a rented property initially but will they be able to afford to sustain it?

"In my opinion the fee ban is not the answer, a cap on these fees would have been a better solution.

"Maybe if the government had a register where agents can register bad tenants minimising the checks that agents need to do to reference potential tenants.

"Only time will tell if this idea is going to work, watch this space!"

If landlords want to talk to us about their investment property or properties we are happy to help. Call us on 0114 268 3682 or email rent@spencersestateagents.co.uk to arrange to meet up on Ecclesall Road. 

The Sheffield Property Market and Final Offers - how high do you go? #Blog by Philippa Peasegood at Spencer The Estate Agent

You've found it, your dream home, your forever home - exciting!!!!

So you ring the estate agent full of confidence to place your offer. Then come the dreaded words "we currently have 5 other offers on this property". Suddenly you realise your dream home is also someone else's dream too. How can you detach from this property when your emotions are so invested in it? Questions fly around your head, "what do we do to ensure we get it?" - and so the process begins....

Best and Final Offers

This may seem a harsh system when your heart is set on a property - but is it really that unfair?

Prior to reaching this stage the Negotiator will speak with each offeree informing them of the latest amounts and frequently applicants want to increase on their offer. This process can be lengthy with small increments causing the price to escalate bit by bit. It can be agony or irritating for you when the Negotiator calls back with the latest offer, particularly if it's the amount you would have also offered, and then you might feel the urge to increase, hence repeating the cycle. 

So, when is it right to call time on this pain and go to sealed bids? Typically when there are numerous offers, the Negotiator discusses them with the Vendor and then a date and time for final offers is agreed. At that point the top offer becomes the 'Highest Disclosable Offer' and all future bids are then confidential.

At Spencer. The Estate Agent all offerees are equal. We feel a level playing field can only be achieved if we don't divulge the positions of all parties, just the Highest Disclosable Offer, and this sits in line with regulations and advice. We are frequently asked by those in the running what the position of the other parties is, are they in rented, do they have a property to sell etc, but this information will only go to the Vendor. That way you can put an offer forward without gambling on the fact that you are in a better position than your rivals, and we stay within our responsibilities for protection of other people’s data.

The question begs - how high do you go? There is no crystal ball to give you that answer, but our advice is to decide on an amount you're happy with, be confident that that's the value you would place on the property, and put that forward. It's easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment and put a bid in to eliminate others, but would that give you peace of mind knowing that you paid more than you wanted to and eating into any future resale value? Take a step back, evaluate the situation and keep level headed. 

When the Vendor accepts an offer, all applicants are immediately informed. This can be devastating when your heart is set on a property, but there can only be one buyer.

There is a dream home for everyone, you may just have to offer on a few frogs to find your true love. 

Come and meet us at Spencer at 469 Ecclesall Road, or call us on 0114 268 3682 to have a chat or email us, if you prefer, at sales@spencersestateagents.co.uk and we will offer friendly advice. 

Spencer. WEBSITE.

Looking for an #HMO in #Sheffield? Speak to #Spencer

What is an HMO?

Even in times of uncertainty, bricks and mortar are thought of as being a safe place to invest your hard earned cash, and that opinion doesn’t show any signs of changing in the current climate.

Over the past twenty four years we have experienced a fantastically high demand for investment properties with a HMO being THE most sought after type. HMO stands for ‘House of Multiple Occupation’ but to help confuse you there are different types of HMO. A standard HMO is a residential property of any type which is let to 3 or more unrelated people who share common facilities like a kitchen or bathroom.  There is then such a thing as a Licenced HMO which covers properties which are let to 5 or more unrelated people who share common facilities and is spread over 3 or more floors. What many people don’t realise is that you often need planning permission to create an HMO especially in densely populated areas. Councils use HMO licensing to improve the quality of housing and they give the steps you need to follow to run a legal HMO property that is safe for your tenants. These normally include details of minimum room sizes, the amenities needed and how to keep your tenants safe from fires. Each local council will use slightly different definitions so it’s important to know what they are and work with them to keep everybody happy.

Here in Sheffield the most popular locations for tenants wanting to live within a HMO property are fairly obvious being the areas closest to the Universities, Hospitals and City Centre. These are all areas that we here at Spencer will cover and generally speaking we will have a steady flow of available HMO properties to buy throughout the year.

If you are looking to invest in a property like this, would like some advice or have a property that you would like to sell, please call 0114 268 3682 and ask for Chris or Nicola to see how we can help. 

http://www.spencersestateagents.co.uk/

Property Market Forecast for 2018 - #Sheffield #EstateAgent #Blog

Property Market Forecast for 2018 

No one dare say the words “strong and stable” anymore in the same sentence but, if we were to, it would pretty much describe the current property market conditions in Sheffield. Over the last few years, the market has slowly limped towards Christmas with us hoping for little snow, and praying that the New Year would fast approach, whereas the end of 2017 saw a strong level of interest and a high level of property instructions right to the end of the year. There’s no doubt that the very top end of the market is still the slowest to move but with realistic expectations there are no reasons why it isn’t a good time to sell or buy.

We are yet to work out whether the stamp duty changes will make any real inroads to the first time buyer market but hopefully it helps to counter the interest rate increases, and we have been rather pleased to see that, although the press aren’t making too much noise about it, the Help to Buy scheme is definitely helping to make life easier for many.

In Sheffield, because prices are solid, we aren’t able to say that any one particular area is “up and coming” but there are many areas that are seeing good results in suburban districts particularly Walkley, Woodseats, Hillsborough, Meersbrook, and Abbeydale, where they may have, not so long ago, been quoted as the areas to buy for better value. The city centre is the one to watch in Sheffield though, and our only advice there is to BUY WISELY, there are many developments shooting up all aiming a similar markets so quality and position have to go hand in hand to ensure a decent long term investment. 

www.spencersestateagents.co.uk 

Please call us for any advice on 0114 268 3682

Christmas Greetings from Spencer! #openinghours #sheffield

Christmas Greetings from Spencer!

Although we will be closed for a few days over the Christmas period please continue to contact us as we will be open between Christmas & New Year for viewings and to agree a sale or two!

If you need us, our opening hours over Christmas are…

Saturday 23^rd – Open 8.45am – 1pm

Christmas Eve – CLOSED

Christmas Day – CLOSED

Boxing Day – CLOSED

Wednesday 27^th – Open 10am – 3pm

Thursday 28^th – Open 10am – 3pm

Friday 29^th – Open 10am – 3pm

Saturday 30^th - Open 8.45am – 1pm

New Years Eve – CLOSED

New Years Day – CLOSED

Tuesday 2^nd January – Open as usual

If you are one of our tenants we will be sending out an email confirming who to speak to in our absence.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Buy off market, market off market! Don't miss out! #Spencer #Sheffield #Estateagent

Are you missing out on properties by not talking to the local estate agents? 

We regularly speak to people who are gutted that they have missed out on a property and yet don't want to be put on our mailing list because they search Rightmove & Zoopla regularly or get alerts from them. 

What a mistake!

If you register with us not only do we send an email out to our applicants first when a house comes to market, we also send out a seasonal newsletter about the Sheffield housing market including houses which are coming soon and let people know about properties that are not being actively marketed online. Recently we dealt with a £1.5 million stunner of a house but we hadn't even taken the photos, let alone put it online, when it sold! This is because we know a handful of people looking for their perfect home at that price bracket so we called them, booked in viewings for them and then worked with the buyers, sellers & solicitors to get the sale through to exchange of contracts & completion.  

This isn't just the case for private buyers but for developers too. We regularly get calls from sellers of blocks of apartments, land, and tenanted properties that they want to sell without the hassle of tons of viewings... you could be missing out on a great investment opportunity if we don't already have your details. 

If you'd like to register, it takes two minutes to call and speak to one of the lovely members of the Spencer team to register your details and to be added to the mailing list so give us a call on 0114 2683682 in office hours or email your details to us at Sales@SpencersEstateAgents.co.uk and make sure you don't miss out on your dream home! 

Don't forget to check us out on social media, you'll be the first to know about new houses and lust over some amazing interiors too. 

www.spencersestateagents.co.uk 

Renting can be scary - not with #Spencer of #Sheffield

Renting can be scary!

Here at Spencer we specialise in helping first time renters. It can be a very daunting moving into your first home or even moving from an owned property in to a rental property but we are here to help. We talk tenants through every step of the way making it as stress free and as clear as possible. We offer a ‘hand held’ service to anyone one who needs one.

Here are a few bits of information you may find helpful.

Once you have decided you are wanting to rent a property you now need to decide:

How long do you want the tenancy for? We usually suggest 6 or 12 months to start with (6 months being our minimum)

What can you afford? The letting agent or landlord should be able to advise what you can afford monthly based on what you earn.

Decide which area you would like to rent in

How many bedrooms?

Are you wanting it furnished or unfurnished?

Do you have pets?

Most letting agents insist that people view a property prior to taking an application and we are no different. We need to ensure you like the property and have seen it for your own eyes. We understand how important it is to be happy in your home and feel that if you are happy at home than you are able to deal with the rest!

Read up on who you are potentially going to be letting the property through and look out for landlords who belong to an accreditation scheme. You may find a fantastic property to rent however the letting agent or landlord could be dreadful and not look after you whilst you are in there. Always read reviews!

Check all fees before you agree to anything. Some companies have hidden fees for example: tenancy renewal agreement fees, check in and out fees.  By law, a breakdown of all fees should be clearly visible to you in the letting agent’s office and on their website.

Please ensure you have the correct documentation ready when applying for a property. Landlords and agents will want to confirm your identity, current and previous address, immigration status, credit history and employment status. They will want to see your passport and visa and /or residence permit (if you have one).  Also if you have bad credit history please declare it at this point so we can advise the best way to get you through the referencing.

Also check which government scheme your deposit will be registered with throughout the duration of the tenancy. This must be done by law and will protect you.

When moving in to a property please ensure you have from your landlord or letting agent (as a minimum):

Copy of the signed tenancy agreement

Copy of the most recent How to Rent Guide

Valid Gas Safety Certificate (if gas in the property)

Deposit protection information

Copy of the Energy Performance Certificate

A detailed inventory with photos. If you are not supplied with an inventory by the agent or landlord, please do your own inventory along with photos with dates and times on.  This is to protect you at the end of the tenancy.

Never be too scared to ask questions or query things you are unsure about.  Everything should be very clear for you to understand. If you wish to discuss renting any of our properties or would like us to rent out your property, please contact the office on 0114 2683682, email rent@spencersesateagents.co.uk or pop in to the office based on Ecclesall Road.

Zoe Addenbrooke - Pictured 

EPC CHANGES FOR 2018 #Spencer #wearespencer #Sheffield #Property #Blog

EPC CHANGES FOR 2018

If you are renting a property out you should be already be aware of the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate). Up until recently there has simply only been the need to have an EPC visible on a property to let it out and the tenant must be supplied with a copy on the move in date. However, as of 1^st April 2018 there will need to be a minimum energy rating needed to rent out a property in the private sector.  As of this date, new lets and tenancy renewals must have a minimum energy performance rating of E. This will come into force for all existing tenancies on 1st April 2020.

Any Landlords who do not comply with this new rule should not rent out their property however if they do still proceed to tenant it with a rating below E the property would be deemed to be substandard and not fit to rent. Trading Standards could be able to impose a fine of up to £4,000. Due to this, we are encouraging our landlord’s to check their EPC readings now and get any works need doing asap so there is not a mad rush nearer to this date.  I am sure contractors will be very busy close to 1^st April 2018. Some properties may only need a few little things doing to improve the reading while others may need substantial works.

There are various different methods that can improve the EPC readings. Firstly, the cheapest things to do are getting a smart metre for the property as accurate usage of energy used can help. Low energy lighting and light bulbs can also benefit this. It can be as simple as changing a light bulb. Have adjustable thermostats fitted on radiators to make sure you are not heating empty rooms unnecessarily. Most of a building’s heat is lost through poor sealing of doors, windows and through poor insulation in both the roof and walls. There are government backed incentive schemes to help reduce the cost. Renewing or adding if not already present, new window and door seals can eliminate drafts. Insulation in attics should always be installed or if already present, renewed and thickened.  Whilst it can be quite a big job having cavity wall insulation put in, it will significantly improve the EPC reading. Getting a new smaller more modern boiler can reduce energy bills as they are now made to run a lot more efficiently.

When the assessor goes to the property to carry out the EPC tell him all about the insulation you have had fitted, smart reader, new low energy light bulbs etc. Ask them to take in to account any changes and improvements made to a building since the last EPC. Don’t be afraid to tell them and show them as it will help with the reading.

Energy efficient properties with a better reading will have greater appeal to purchases and investors and this will show in pricing of properties. Therefore, if your property is on or below E on the energy rating we fully recommend you start making changes sooner rather than later.

If you need any further information regarding EPC’s or anything relating to renting your property out, please do call the office on 0114 2683682, email rent@spencersestateagents.co.uk or just pop in to the office at Spencer The Estate Agent 496 Ecclesall Road, Sheffield S11 8PP for a chat.