Tenants are now protected by a raft of rules and regulations, which are geared
towards ensuring fair play on both sides. These rights apply to all tenants,
regardless of whether they are mentioned in the tenancy agreement  signed at the beginning of the tenancy.

But simply being aware of the rules isn’t enough – landlords must be prepared
to act on them. For this reason, getting
landlords insurance in place could be a good move, as it can cover landlords
in the event of problems with plumbing, electrical wiring, roof damage and
more. Having a financial safety net in place could offer encouragement to get
things sorted sooner rather than later.

Under tenant’s rights, landlords must:

• Allow tenants to live undisturbed in the
  property
• Keep the property in a good state of repair at
  all times
• Allow tenants to access details of their tenancy
  agreement at all times
• Ensure tenants are protected from eviction.

Deposits

Deposits are also central to tenant’s rights – so it’s really important to
be aware of the rules regarding their management. Once a landlord has taken a
deposit from a tenant, under strict rules it must be protected by a
government-approved tenancy deposit scheme. This needs to happen no more than
14 days after the deposit was taken and the tenant needs to be informed of what
has happened to their money. Failing to comply with this legislation can have
serious consequences. Not only can the tenant be entitled to a full refund of
their deposit, but landlords may also be forced to hand over three times the
amount on top.

Could landlord insurance help?

No law-abiding, decent landlord would ever neglect their responsibilities
deliberately. But financial and time pressures can leave even the most conscientious
landlord in danger of being in breach of housing codes. For this reason, getting
cheap landlords insurance could be a smart
move, as it can reduce the cost of getting those repairs that can crop up
from time to time sorted out. The insurance can be created to suit the
individual, with some covering boiler repairs and checks and others
incorporating plumbing, drainage, wiring and roofs. Above all else, it could save
you money, help keep you on the right side of housing rules and maintain your
reputation as a good landlord – so why not compare landlord insurance today?

HBF Investments are certainly here to help you make your wealth this year from your property investing.  We are already generating loads of great deals across the UK, simply because people still cannot sell their houses through estate agents so they are turning to us.  What is unfortunate news for home sellers is however, great news for our investors:  HBF are snapping up fabulous properties at barmy-bargain prices and we want to get off to a flying start in 2012 by giving our most motivated investors a massive New Year’s give-away!!

HBF are kick starting to 2012 with a BUY-ONE-GET-ONE-FREE sale for the next 10 of our investors who buy from us in January!!  This means that you can buy two fantastic buy-to-let deals, with around £50K equity, for just £5995!!!  How else can you generate a £50K instant return from less than £6K cash that you may have wasting away in the bank?

I recently sold a share in my new comedy club in Chester (www.thelaughinnchester.co.uk) to TV personality and top UK comedian, Jason Manford. We are no co-owners of a superb business with ambitious plans to expand across the UK.  This deal was all made possible with cash generated from the returns I have made from my property investing.   Simple as that!

I am continuing to buy property throughout 2012 and investing my profits in commercial property and other businesses.  You can so the same and I will be happy to show you how.

I will be holding seminars at my hotel in Chester (www.thecommercialhotelchester.co.uk) and at our offices in London throughout 2012.  We will be treating our loyal investors to fantastic nights of entertainment with top UK comedians at my comedy club as well as providing them with fantastic deals so they can make money – which is what it’s all about.

If you would like to learn more and get involved, please call me or my sales manager, Andrew Bradley-Cull, on 0151 651 3456, or check our website, www.hbfinvestmentproperties.co.uk.  Call us now and book an appointment to come and see us, and let us help you become wealthy from property.

With rental profits and yields set to remain at historical highs for years to come, now is the best time to join our savvy investors, snapping up bargains and getting into property to make the most of your money during very tough times.

At HBF, we provide the complete package for our property investors.  We not only give you FANTASTIC discounted buy-to-let deals, we also rent them out for you, manage your tenants, maintain your houses, and work with the best financial services to help you make the most of your hard earned wealth.

We make sure we have the best people working for you, to make the most of your money. Just ask TV’s JASON MANFORD, who is our most recent client, and co-owner of our critically acclaimed Comedy Club – The Laugh Inn. Or check out our websites: www.hbfinvestmentproperties.co.uk (Nationwide) and www.corrius.co.uk (London) which have supplied over 1000 properties to hundreds of satisfied investors over the last 7 years.

Here at HBF, we make sure we pass on our valued expertise to ensure you achieve the same success as us. Having bought over 150 properties myself I am now generating rental profits of £30K/month, enabling me to add Hotels (www.thecommercialhotelchester.co.uk) and Comedy Clubs (www.thelaughinnchester.com) to my growing portfolio, and you could join me!

If you would like to buy property or learn more about how I can help you achieve financial success through property, please drop me an email:

david.coughlin@hbfinvestmentproperties.co.uk

David Coughlin,
MD, HBF
——————————————–

Rental Property Facts:

Sky high rents are being propped up by:
1) huge deposits needed by first time buyers
2) undersupply of any affordable housing
3) the lack of house construction to keep pace with demand

Simply put, supply and demand for properties will continue to push up rents for many years to come. There has never been a better time to buy, than 2012 with HBF.

Not only have I revelled in the challenges of battling the on-going barrages faced by my property businesses resulting from the continuing economic downturn and financial crisis; but I have been bold and brash (and some would say outright daft enough) to launch two new business ventures in the leisure/entertainment industry. 

All of these industries and sectors are taking a battering so, I have to ask myself, why I would be crazy enough to do this??!!  The reason is that I have total belief in the businesses and the people running them and that they make a profit.  Just as important is because I enjoy them so much.  The numbers stack and they provide massive future opportunities for combining both fun and business – the perfect combination!!

We opened the Commercial Hotel (www.thecommercialhotelchester.co.uk) in Dec 2009 and the Laugh Inn comedy theatre in Feb 2011 (www.thelaughinnchester.co.uk) – both in Chester and both full-on developments of empty premises.  

The Commercial Hotel is now one of the busiest and most highly regarded bars in Chester and receives great feedback from its customers in Tripadvisor.  It’s been a challenge getting all three aspects of the Commercial right: the bar, restaurant and hotel but we have now got a great chef and management team and staff and a loyal customer base so we are doing well and are thankful for the support we have received from our staff and customers. 

The Laugh Inn is rapidly gaining a massive reputation for providing top-end quality entertainment, comedy, music and food in a superb theatre.   It’s been a hard slog getting the building completed.  We took on a massive task and underestimated the building development challenges.  It took us from Dec 2010 to Oct 2011 to completely finish the building and satisfy all the current regulations.  A costly eye-opener for us but well worth the effort when you see the results!  The Laugh Inn will be a great place to spend a night out for all occasions, especially Christmas and office parties so I encourage everyone looking for a great night out in Chester to try us!

I also launched Corrius Asset Management (www.corrius.co.uk) in May this year.  Corrius has their offices located in Bank/London and has a client bank of High Net Worth (HNW) city-based clients.  It was set up to enable HBF to continue to sell the property deals to wealthy clients who have the financial means to buy them.  This was an essential move in the continuing economic downturn where mortgage lending is highly restricted.

It has definitely been the most challenging period in my business life leading and funding these three new start-ups but we are almost over the hardest bit and breaking through to success in 2012 will be very very rewarding.

I will keep you posted on how my businesses develop and will do better at providing more BLOG updates about the property market and business opportunities that can be exploited in the current economic crises.

I would finish on that although it’s really tough out there – there is money to be made.   You need to be the best at what you do.  Recruit the best staff you can afford and really look after your customers.  Keep your chin up and work harder than you have ever worked – the rewards will come.

Land comes up for sale on a regular basis, both via land agents and estate agents, and at auctions. Prices vary depending on the type of land being offered, whereabouts its located in the UK, whether it’s in the town or country and the prospects it has for the future. If you choose carefully and buy wisely, land can certainly prove to be a good investment.

Like any property purchase, it’s advisable not to rush into a land purchase without doing your research first. If you’re thinking of using the land, either immediately or in the future, for a building project, then you’ll need to find out if there are any restrictions in place that would prevent you from building on the land.

It’s also worth finding out if anyone else has ever successfully applied for planning permission or had it turned down. Some land may even come with planning permission granted – but be aware that you could end up paying as much as 10% extra if this is the case. If you have entirely different ideas as to what you want to do with the land and don’t want to take up suggested plans, then you may be better off finding land without pre-accepted plans attached.

The first thing most people think about is to build a house or flats on any available land, but there are other useful projects that you could consider too. If the land is in a town or city, and especially if it may not be suitable for putting a residential development on, it’s worth considering whether you could use the plot to build one or more garages instead.

Garages and parking spaces are often in huge demand, especially in towns and cities, as we’ve explored previously. Building one or more decent sized garages would obviously be a lot cheaper than building a property, so you’ve less outlay to worry about, and if you consider adding basic facilities, it could double up as workshop space too.

Both garage sales and garage rents can bring in a decent amount of profit and a good return on your land investment. If the location is particularly desirable for garage lets, then renting it out could be a better return in the long run than selling it on.

So, if you fancy something a bit different, don’t mind some hard work and have ideas of your own to explore, it may well be worth giving a second thought to land investment.

As we’ve said before, carrying out thorough research before you purchase a property is essential in order to ensure you buy in the right place to make a return on a rental property, and the right property to attract the type of tenants you’re focusing on. There are all sorts of aspects involved in researching a property investment and, in addition to other research you may be doing, using location data alongside it can be very helpful.

In fact, location data can be an important tool for property investors to be aware of and use and should, ideally, be at the heart of the business tool kit for the property sector. For property investors and developers, location data can be used in a variety of ways:

• To highlight planning issues and land use.
• To find out details about boundary lines and geographical features.
• For demographic profiling – for example, to highlight the average type of tenants living in a particular area or the crime rate.
• To find out more about a particular property and neighbourhood.
• To help you pinpoint where to invest and, perhaps, where to avoid.
• To give an indication of any environmental issues to be aware of.
 
To find out more about the tools available for your property investment business, then Ordnance Survey is a good starting point.

Some mapping data and geographic information even became free earlier this year, with the launch of OS OpenData so you may find that there’s data available that you can get started with straightaway.

A budget helps keep you on your toes throughout the property purchase and gives you more chance of making a profit on your property too, whether from rental or from selling it in the future. It helps you be sure from the outset about how much money you’ve got to spend on a property, helps you keep within your boundaries when purchasing the property and can give you a guideline to work towards meeting when you’re doing up or renovating a home.

Ideally, before you start looking seriously at property to buy, set a budget for how much you can spend on the initial property purchase. Take into consideration any funds you have towards a purchase, or get a mortgage arranged in readiness.

If you’re planning on renovating a property or might have to do any work on – and it’s a good idea to allow extra funds for this, as you never know what might crop up – set aside a further sum of money that you can use for renovations or repairs.

Don’t forget to include the buying costs such as stamp duty in your calculations too (yes, some people really do forget this) and the cost of a survey.

Once you’ve found properties that you’re interested in, look at how the sums might add up. If you’re going to rent it out, find out what rental figures other similar properties in the area or road achieve and look at whether the amount you’ll spend out on it, and the amount you could gain back on it, add up and make it a worthwhile purchase for you.

Setting a budget might seem like hard work, but if you’re serious about making money from property, then it’s essential business sense.

Clean The Property

Your property needs to be thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom to make it spotless for viewings, as potential tenants aren’t impressed by dirt or dust. If the carpets haven’t been cleaned for a while, then a deep clean may be in need.

Don’t forget to clean the windows and blinds, dust the ceiling to remove any spiders webs, wipe down the tiles in the bathroom and kitchen, and ensure the hallway or entrance is clean and tidy too.

Give the property a good airing by leaving the windows open to get fresh air through.

Sort Out Repairs

If the property has been let for a while, or you’ve just taken it on, check to see whether there are any repairs that need doing. Check for cracked tiles in the bathroom, loose paving outside, drawer handles that need tightening in the kitchen or light bulbs that need replacing. You want your property to look in tip-top condition, attract a good fee from rentals and rent quickly.

If you don’t want to do the repairs yourself, then hire a maintenance specialist to do the job for you.

Redecorate

If the interior walls, woodwork or front door are all looking a bit tired and worn, then get out a paintbrush and give them a lick of fresh paint. Choose neutral colours for the interior, to give it a fresh and contemporary look – it will also mean that the tenants existing furniture should go with the rooms if they’re not painted in bright colours.

Paint woodwork, such as skirting boards or door frames, in a satin finish, as it won’t go yellowy with age like gloss paint does.

You can use colour on the front door though, as that can help make it stand out from others on the street. Favourites include red, blue or green.

Clear Clutter

Ensure the property is clear and clutter-free. Remove unnecessary furniture to make rooms appear bigger and certainly remove or replace any old or battered furniture. Present clear and tidy rooms as they would be used – e.g. don’t have a bed in the living room (honestly, some landlords do!).

Outside, ensure the walk up to the house is clear – cutback overhanging bushes or trim hedges – and, where possible, hide the rubbish bins from sight.

Look out for part 2, to discover more ways of staging your property for rental viewings!

A recent survey involving over 200 leading estate agents in the UK, carried out by movewithus, analysed the best ways of adding value to a property. They identified the most profitable additions that could be made and looked at how much value could be added, based on average price values.

The number one most profitable addition was found to be adding an extra bedroom, which could increase the value of a property by over £14,500. A loft conversion adds over £11,000 and an extra bathroom can add on just over £10,000.

If you’re prepared to put a bit of work and money into your property before you sell, you could end up with a higher sale price than you bargained for. Many of the improvements, such as a loft conversion, extra bedroom and extra bathroom, could also add a significant chunk of extra rental income to your property too, if you think about improving it early on.

Here’s the top 10 most valuable additions you can add to a property.

The first percentage figure relates to the typical average value added and the second monetary figure relates to the added value based on the Land Registry’s average house price (of £165,596).

1. Extra bedroom, 8.8% – £14,572
2. Loft conversion, 7.1% – £11,757
3. Extra bathroom, 6.1% – £10,101
4. New kitchen, 5.8% – £9,605
5. Central heating, 5.4% – £8,942
6. Off street parking, 5.2% – £8,611
7. New bathroom, 5.1% – £8,445
8. Conservatory, 5% – £8,280
9. Double glazing, 4.2% – £6,955
10. New conservative decoration, 3.7% – £6,127