Tips to bring out the best in your property
Selling your home? Not having much success? When the time comes to sell your property, it’s vital to present it in its best light.
How to prepare your house for sale
Monthly Archives: June 2020
Negative equity on property
What does it mean, and what can you do if you find yourself in this situation?
For homeowners with mortgages, a fall in property prices brings a risk of negative equity. With the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic expected to impact on some property prices, you might be concerned about how this will affect you. Here are some common questions about negative equity.
What are business rates?
A simple guide to business rates in England and Wales
When properties are used for commercial purposes (i.e. to make money from the activity that takes place in them), the owner or occupier is required to pay business rates. This includes obvious examples of commercial properties, such as shops and restaurants, and less obvious examples, such as holiday homes that are rented out to guests.
If you own or rent a commercial property in England or Wales, we’ll explain what you need to know about business rates.
Tenancy agreements and handling deposits
Essential information for buy-to-let landlords
The most common type of tenancy in the UK is an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST). This describes tenancies involving:
- a private landlord who will not be living in the property
- a tenant or tenants who will be living in the property
- annual rent that is no less than £250 and no more than £100,000
At the start of a new AST, a tenant and landlord will sign a tenancy agreement, and the tenant will pay the landlord a deposit. If you’re a buy-to-let landlord, here are the answers to common questions you may have about this stage of the tenancy.
When is the best time to sell property?
Factors to consider when listing your home for sale
Timing can be a significant factor in property selling prices, and so it’s natural to worry about getting it right. While the markets are difficult to predict, there are some annual trends that are evident over time.
Commercial property
If you’re looking to sell commercial property, then our guide will help.
Selling a commercial property is different from selling a residential property. Before marketing your property, it is important to understand what your buyers will be looking for. Their primary considerations will probably be location, suitability and property price. While the details can vary between properties, our guide will help you to navigate the standard process, step by step.
Lender’s valuations explained
What is a lender’s valuation and why do you need one?
The process of buying a property often involves getting a lender’s valuation. If you have questions about yours, we can explain what it is, why it’s important, and how it affects your mortgage.
Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme
How the scheme can help to get you on the property ladder
If you want to buy a home of your own, but don’t have a very large deposit, the government’s Help to Buy equity loan scheme is there to lend a hand. It could help you pay a lower deposit and pay less per month for the first five years. Find out if you qualify, and how it can help you.
Rental yield and capital growth
Understanding buy-to-let investments
Buy-to-let investors make money in two different ways: rental yield and capital growth. If you’re looking into property investments, here’s an explanation of both to help you get started.
Managing volatility
Diversification is paramount in uncertain times
The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) has understandably been dominating the news headlines. Market fear over the escalating global spread of coronavirus has seen a sell-off across many asset classes. This period of market stress further emphasises the importance of diversification within portfolios. Investors’ objectives can rarely be met by investing in a single asset class.
