Get to know #Spencer's People! This is Tom! #lettings #Sheffield #hero

1)      Who would you like to share a pint with, either dead or alive?
Louis Theroux and Karl Pilkington.

2)      What is the most embarrassing thing you have done?
Whilst I was at University, I somehow slept walked across campus and ended up in the library in just my boxer shorts and t-shirt. Because I had locked myself out of my room, I had to climb through some randomers window to get back into the building as well. Quite a sight I imagine for all concerned!

3)      What is your Guilty Pleasures?
Horrible Histories (a program on CBBC) and I am quietly fond of Made in Chelsea.

4)      Who is your sporting hero?
AP McCoy – these jump jockeys are incredibly tough and to ride 4300+ winners is something that will not be topped in my lifetime. An unbelievable achievement for someone who has broken every single bone in his body at some point in his career! Made being a jockey look easy. Unbelievable attitude and drive in becoming the best.

5)      Favourite Musical Artist + Film?
Tough one – I would probably opt for The Smiths, but with an honourable mention to The Stone Roses, The Streets and Oasis.  As for film, I would say Dead Man Shoes.

6)      What is your biggest fear?
Balloons. I cannot stand the things. I have to leave the room if someone starts to play with them in front of me. The fear of it randomly popping is too much for me to cope with. I also have a huge hatred for the smell of bleach and feeling dizzy (both alcohol and non-alcohol induced).

7)      What would you sing on a Karaoke night?
I would probably pretend I was Noel Gallagher and sing Don’t Look Back in Anger.

8)      Have you ever had a nickname?
At University, I was called “Asbo”. My second name is Aspinal and I am probably the last person who would ever get an actual “Asbo” so it was quite an ironic one and just stuck. However, being introduced to parents and other people I did not know as “Asbo” might not have given the greatest first impression!

9)      List two pet peeves.
Slow walking pedestrians who walk in front of me & people who put milk in before the hot water when making a brew. 

10)   Do you have any weird celebrity crushes?
Nothing out of the ordinary, but there is something about Alex Polizzi (the hotel inspector) and Lorraine Kelly.

www.spencersestateagents.co.uk 

Avoiding Common Mistakes as a #Property Landlord - #Spencer. #Sheffield

Property Management Avoiding Common Mistakes.

Owning a property and renting it out is a challenge in itself, with the amount of time and effort that needs to go into advertising, viewings and then there’s the management side once a tenant moves in, not to mention all of the additional legal and regulatory processes that need to be followed.  Landlords have a lot to think about.

A good Managing Agent should take care of all of the legal obligations on the landlord’s behalf.  However, landlords should also make sure that they maintain a good relationship with their tenants, as happy tenants will generally pay their rent on time and look after the property.

A few common mistakes that landlords make which can upset their tenants, leading to future unnecessary problems are,

Ignoring property maintenance issues, as a landlord, it is your responsibility to ensure that the fundamental utilities of the property are maintained to a good standard. For example faulty heating or water leaks etc. are up to a landlord to repair and it can be annoying for tenants if landlords take too long to fix these problems.  Not only can this cause friction in the  relationship with the tenant, it can also cause the property to deteriorate, by not repairing the leak can cause bigger problems in the long run, leading to greater costs and at worst can even make the property uninhabitable for a period of time, potentially resulting in a loss of rental income.   If the property management issue is an emergency i.e. it relates to heating, plumbing, gas or electric it is useful to have some type of Home Emergency Cover in place to help with the cost of repairs. 

Not allowing tenants a bit of flexibility, whilst landlords should ensure that the relationship with their tenant remains professional at all times, it is also good to remember that they are also people who are using your property as their home.  As such, offering a bit of flexibility when it comes to decorating etc. This can go a long way in making tenants happy.  It can also add value to your property by increasing the rents if it is modern/desirable for future tenants.

Having the wrong insurance, Standard home insurance is not designed for landlords or rental properties, landlords will need to take out specific landlord insurances that cover their needs.  Specialist buy-to-let insurances can cover buildings and contents policies, as well as public liability insurance is needed as well, which allows a landlord to be covered against all possibilities of claims.  Landlords can also take out rent guarantee insurance, which can cover unpaid rent if a tenant fails to make their rent payments and remains in the property, along with the cost of issuing notices and court costs etc.

Not familiar with property management & legal requirements, Many landlords choose not to use a managing agent, which can save money in the short term, but often leads to greater costs in the long run, in terms of time and resources as well as financial. By having a good managing agent dealing with the administration and legal obligations the landlord can take a back seat focusing on enjoying the monthly rent coming in.

To speak to Spencer about renting your property, please call us on 0114 268 3682 or have a look through our website: Spencer

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