“Rentr” – Automating Your Property Lettings Business

July 19th, 2016 by admin

Staying in line with the raft of legislation and increased regulatory control governing the lettings sector often means that landlords use private lettings agents to manage the entire process. Fees for such services can range from 7-12% depending on the property´s location and the level of management required. An app that sets out to lower or even eliminates such overheads whilst ensuring that both smaller and larger landlords can offer a professional service without the associated headaches is always likely to appeal. This blog post contains an interview with Adam Blaxter Paliwala (@the_rentr_app) from Rentr: [Read More]

Allsop on Post-Brexit London Property Auctions

July 8th, 2016 by admin

With 33 boroughs across the capital (59.9%) voting to remain in the EU, the result has sent some jitters amongst London investors – particularly in light of the ensuing political and economic uncertainty. Nonetheless, whilst the true effects of Brexit are hard to frame at the time of writing, investors may well be able to find interesting opportunities amongst a more subdued marketplace, the likely continuation of low interest borrowing, the possibility of lower Corporation Tax and (possibly) a more favourable operational environment for landlords. On this very topic we were very pleased to be able to interview Gary Murphy (@GaryCMurphy) from prominent auction house Allsop: In your view, what are likely to be the predominant post-referendum shocks to the London auction market over the remainder of 2016? Our commercial auction sale on 5 July was the first large post-Brexit auction. Despite movements in other markets, it was... [Read More]

PropTech – Growing Pains and Opportunities

May 8th, 2016 by admin

The Property Investor´s Blog – Welcome Back

May 6th, 2016 by admin

After a long hiatus, we are relaunching this blog to complement the work of PS Investor Services – a company focused on sourcing quality property investment buy to let / buy to sell (“flip”) opportunities. We look forward to addressing a range of topics that we hope will be of relevance to the residential investment sector and very much welcome your comments and suggestions (either below or via e-mail at: info@psinvestors.co.uk). A New Operational Environment for Buy to Let Investors In addition to the imminent tapering off of tax relief on mortgage interest for personally owned buy to let property, a series of other challenges such as the removal of the wear and tear allowance on Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and the 3% stamp duty surcharge (for second homes / buy to let acquisitions) have become instilled into the marketplace over the last year. Nonetheless, whilst these... [Read More]

Buy to Let an Attractive Option

October 11th, 2011 by admin

It has been featured in the news recently that Birmingham is the latest UK city to be hit by a rather large shortage of rental properties. It seems that there is extremely high demand for rental properties in the West Midlands city. [Read More]

Allsop Property Auctions Summer Update

June 2nd, 2011 by admin

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Please see an interview with Gary Murphy of Allsop – one of the leading auction houses in the country – where we discuss recent sales patterns; the popularity of auction buying; impending base rate rises; auction stock level predictions; getting the best deal possible in the current market; dealing with negative equity; placing the right guide price when selling; conditions of sale and recent emerging issues that investors should be aware of. [Read More]

Sarah Beeney on the Current State of Play…

April 28th, 2011 by admin

Needing very little introduction, Sarah Beeney’s reputation as a genuine expert in all aspects of property ownership is unquestionable. With a number of varied business interests – including a TV series, an award winning property portal and a popular dating website – her dedicated and strong work ethic has made her a household name and a positive figure representing the property industry as a whole. Please see an interview below where we talked about what Sarah has been up to; the future effects of base rate rises on the property market; protection against negative equity; acquisition strategies; buying at the right price in the current climate; buying to sell; lease options; the growth of the Tepilo brand and the online vs. offline estate agency debate... [Read More]

Interview with the UK Empty Homes Agency

April 21st, 2011 by admin

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With a UK property market considered to be at one of its relative lowest points for decades, the hunger for investors to build their portfolios is ever-apparent. One potential acquisition strategy – that is often overlooked due to perceived misconceptions – is to look into properties that have been left empty by previous owners. Please see an interview below with David Ireland of the Empty Homes Agency with whom we discussed current levels of empty properties in the UK; the effects of the recession on the situation; the housing deficit; the government’s response; what steps can be taken to investigate an empty home; seeking legal advice; available grants for renovating empty properties; getting advice from local authorities; the organisations’ campaign for council tax relief as well as a very worthwhile conference worth attending on May 23rd. [Read More]

Rightmove Speak on Buy to Let and More…

February 17th, 2011 by admin

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Now a household name, the Rightmove property portal has now become the first point of call for the large majority of the nation’s house buyers and sellers. Launched in 2000, the company is now listed on the London Stock Exchange and recently attracted attention as being one of the only sites on the planet that Google were afraid to compete with due to its well established presence. We were therefore very grateful to be able to ask some questions to Miles Shipside – the company’s commercial director – who has had an integral role in bringing the company to where it is today. We focus on how the company has grown over the last 10 years; maintaining its strong position; 2011 plans; searching for investment property; quality control; what makes a successful property advertisement; the overseas property market; the Rightmove property index; the role of the web in the future of buying / selling property and estate agency fees. [Read More]

Property Lease Options – A Dying Investment Strategy?

January 20th, 2011 by admin

Using lease options to control property has grown to become an investment technique being used popularly around the country – particularly as a consequence of stringent BTL finance rules impeding many investors’ growth strategies. As what was to be expected, many have either been sceptical about their medium to long term effectiveness or questioned the fact that there is no tangible ownership. Nevertheless, for the time being, their use is likely to remain and so we therefore chatted to one the UK’s thought leaders on the topic – Mark Jackson of Lease Options Made Simple – on a number of subjects including legal issues; the ‘fad’ argument; benefits / risks; potential FSA intervention and protecting future interests amongst others. [Read More]