By Admin UK First Time Buyers 0 Comments

How Government Schemes Could Help First-Time Buyers

For people who are looking to get their own home for the first time, the housing market can seem quite daunting. Fewer people are able to buy or rent a house today than a few years ago. But the government has several schemes to give first-time buyers a leg up on finding the home for them. This is an explanation of those schemes, as well as how to make the most of them so that you get the assistance you need.

Help To Buyfirst time buyers

Help to Buy is a scheme for first-time buyers who have a small deposit when buying a home. You are eligible for the scheme if you have at least a 5% deposit. There are a couple of ways to use the Help to Buy scheme. First, you can take out an equity loan if you are buying a new build home. An equity loan would ensure that you can borrow 20% of the purchase price interest-free. This would be true for the first 5 years as long as you have a 5% deposit.

Another option is mortgage guarantees. These are available for both new and old properties in the UK. When you take out a mortgage guarantee, the government will cover any of your mortgage lender’s losses as a result of the problems you have in paying it back. Under this scheme, you will still have the responsibility for making your mortgage repayments regularly, but you are given a buffer by the government to take on some of the financial responsibility if you fall on hard times or experiences crises making it more difficult to pay your mortgage. This guarantee smooths out any bumps in the road to home ownership.

Right To Buy

A service for tenants in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who rent housing from the local council or housing association. Right to Buy allows tenants to buy their council housing at a discount. Right to Buy was implemented as a government policy in 1980 by Margaret Thatcher, to make the ideal of home ownership a reality for a greater number of people. In 2005, the rules of Right to Buy were changed, now requiring 5 years’ tenancy for tenants to qualify. Also, if the new owner of a property which they bought under Right to Buy decides to sell, it can’t immediately be put up for sale. They must approach their previous landlord, which is the council of housing association who sold them the house, to offer a “first right of refusal”. This allows the council or building association the chance to buy the property back. If they are no longer in existence, then the property is to be first offered to whichever local housing authority is in place.

More recent changes have affected the Right to Buy scheme. In April 2012 the Right to Buy discount was increased to a maximum of £75,000 or 60% of the house value, whichever is lower. In March 2013 the maximum in London was raised to £100,000. Also, if the property is sold on within 5 years of being bought, part or all of the discount will need to be paid back. In July 2013, the Scottish government confirmed that Right to Buy would be abolished in Scotland in 2017.

Shared Ownership

Under shared ownership, you buy a share of a property from a landlord, again usually the local council or housing association. The remaining share of the house is renting, so that you can take out a mortgage to pay for the share of the house you own, between a quarter and three quarters of the property’s value, and pay a reduced rent on the share you don’t own. You can then buy a bigger share of the property later when you are in a better financial position to do so, up to and including the entire property. This staircase towards full home ownership is geared towards helping first-time buyers and can usually only be undertaken for newly built properties. If you are disabled, financially unstable or otherwise unable to raise a mortgage, the landlord of the property can choose to waive the need to take out a mortgage, but you will be required to undergo a financial assessment to establish how much of the property you can afford to take on.

First Steps London

This is a service eligible to people with a gross household income of no more than £71,000 per annum if they want to buy or rent a 1 or 2 bedroom home. If you’re looking to buy or rent a family-sized home with three or more bedrooms, you must have a gross household income of no more than £85,000 per year. Another requirement is that you are unable to secure housing to adequately meet your needs on the open housing market.

First Steps is an intermediate housing programme established by the Mayor of London for people living in London. You can check your eligibility and if you are eligible register online. You can then search for properties which are held to help low and modest income Londoners buy or rent a home at a price that they can afford. It has become increasingly difficult for people living in London to buy or rent properties and this scheme is a step to correcting this.

Rent to Save

Rent to Save involves setting the rents of council housing at lower than the market rate, meaning that even if you cannot afford a mortgage you will be able to save up to buy a house while you rent. Calculating based on rent levels and mortgage prices, the rent will be set so that the tenant will have a sufficient deposit for a mortgage in less than 2 and a half years.

This agreement can be ended at any point by the tenant, the household provider will regularly check that you are saving a sufficient amount for a mortgage and the period of tenancy can be extended if you need more time to save up to buy the property.

By Admin UK Hob Installation 0 Comments

Hob Installation Work Will improve Your Kitchen

For many people, the kitchen is the hub of the home. It is not just about cooking meals, kitchens provide a social hub where people can have fun and catch up with what has been happening. This is why you should be looking to have the best standard of kitchen you can hope to find and when it comes to installing a new hob, a helping hand is often of benefit.

Given the fact that induction hobs can help people to cook faster, you can see why so many people opt to have this style of cooker installed at their home. This is a great benefit that may really appeal to you depending on how you cook food but there are also many other benefits that come from this style of cooker.Hob Installation

You will find that this style of cooker is very easy to clean, which can make life a lot simpler. If you would rather spend your time having fun and enjoying life as opposed to cleaning at your home, you’ll find that this is an excellent choice of cooker. There is also the fact that these cookers are now coming with digital touch controls. This ensures that you can create your own cooking zones and it also helps to improve the level of safety associated with using this style of cooker. Anyone that wants an effective and safe cooker will find that a hob cooker is a great choice.

We offer a safe and effective hob installation service
Of course, if you are looking for a safe and effective solution, you will also find that you need to ensure that your cooker has been properly installed. If you have experience or skills in installing appliances, this isn’t a difficult task but if you are unsure of what you are doing, it imperative that you call on an expert.

If you are unsure of what you are doing, you may be putting your home and loved ones at risk by carrying out this work by yourself. There is a great deal to be said for calling on professionals because they will ensure that you receive a safe and effective installation that will keep your cooker working effectively for many years to come. A poorly installed cooker may put you or your loved ones at risk in the short or long term. There is also the fact that a lot of problems that arise with cookers over the years can be traced back to poor installation work. Just because something appears to be working at first doesn’t mean that it is installed as securely as it could be.

We will care for your home in an effective manner
While safety is the most important issue for many people when it comes to hiring someone to offer hob installation services, there is a lot to be said for improving the effective of your new installation by ensuring it is carried out by professionals. If you are looking to save money on your energy bills and be more environmentally friendly, you should be looking to improve the efficiency of all appliances around your home. Small changes can add up over the course of the year or the lifetime of your home or appliance. This is why there is justification for calling on a professional to care for your home. If you want to find value for money in the service that we provide, thinking about being able to reduce your energy bills on a monthly basis is going to be a very attractive proposition for many people.

Your kitchen is at the hub of modern family life and you should be looking to have a stylish, safe and effective kitchen. However, you also want to ensure that everything is working in an optimum fashion and this is why it is best to not cut corners when you are pulling your dream kitchen together. At Cenultra, we have a team of experienced professionals who are willing to provide guidance, support and work at all steps of the process and we believe that the peace of mind we offer to all of our clients provides them with a kitchen that they can be proud of.

There is also a lot to be said for landlords calling on local professionals. While no one wants to have a poorly installed cooker or appliances around the home, landlords have a greater duty of care to ensure that their guests are being properly taken care of. At Cenultra, we have developed a great working relationship with many landlords, providing them with peace of mind and the ability to look after their tenants with ease. If you need certification for any electrical work around the home, we are the London experts to call on.

By Admin Plumbing Services 0 Comments

Power Flush Benefits Will Suit Every Home

When it comes to feeling comfortable and cosy at home, there are some times when you need fast action. If you have just got in from being outside in the cold weather or there has been a rapid cold snap, you may find that you need to get warm quickly. Depending on the age and condition of your boiler, this may not be as easy as it sounds. Some boilers take a while to gear into life and when you are cold, damp or miserable, this can seem like a lifetime.uk power flush
This is why many people invest in an improved system for their boiler and there is a great deal to be said for investing in a Power Flush service. When it comes to using your money wisely, you need to think about how to best use your money and what sort of return on your investment it will provide you with. When it comes to making improvements at your home, it is only natural that people will be looking to add value to their home. This is why investing in a system that will improve the quality and condition of life in your home has to be considered as a positive thing. If your main focus is on the bottom line, you will find that having a Power Flush service to your home will keep you happy and offer long term benefits.

Opt for the local boiler and plumbing experts
If you are looking to get a Power Flush service at your home, you should call on the local experts. At Cenultra, we are London plumbing and boiler specialists, and we have a great deal of experience and expertise in installing and maintaining this style of system. We are also on hand to provide you with guidance and advice on whether this system is ideal for your needs, so if you have any questions about this style of system, get in touch and we will be more than happy to help.

We believe that there is a broad range of benefits on offer from this service, and these will help you to make more of your home life. One of the most important benefits is the fact that due to the improved levels of heating efficiency, you will have lower heating bills. This has to be a positive factor for most people and this is an integral element in the way that this style of system manages to add value to someone’s home. After all, if you knew that the home you were going to buy had a heating system that saved you money; you would have a greater interest in obtaining this home.

Heat your home faster
Another very strong point of this service comes with the fact that heating up times is much faster. This is something that many homeowners are on the lookout for and knowing that your home can be heated up in next to no time is a great comfort and benefit for many people. At Cenultra, we know that you are looking for a heating system that meets your needs and which will provide you with immediate comfort and this is something that we are more than happy to help you achieve. While we provide emergency callout services, we know that a large part of our role is to ensure that people enjoy their home and feel comfortable.

There is also a lot to be said for the fact that Power Flush helps to cure radiator cold spots, so that you benefit from the full surface of the radiator heating the room. This can make a massive difference to the level of comfort you experience around the home and it is another example of why this is such a great addition to your home. It can be easy to focus on making massive changes at your property but quite often the best way to improve the efficiency around your home is to make changes to the small issues that impact on you. This is one of the reasons why this style of system is of great benefit to homes.

You’ll also find that the Power Flush service helps to increase your pump life and the life of your boiler and by removing contaminants; you will be able to extend the life of your central heating system. Add in the fact that this system is also able to reduce the level of noise from your boiler system and you will find that the Power Flush option is ideal for your needs.
If you would like to have a power flush or you want to find out more about the benefits, call on Cenultra for Power Flush support.

By Admin Landlord 0 Comments

Why It Is Very Important To Have A Tenant Guarantor

A tenant guarantor is a person who vouches for your tenant and agrees to cover costs associated with rent arrears, damage to the property or other costs should the need arise. Essentially, a tenant guarantor acts an insurance policy in case the tenant defaults on rent payments or otherwise does not uphold their responsibilities in the Tenancy Agreement. So from a landlord’s perspective, why is a tenant guarantor important? And how can you ensure that your tenants’ guarantor is reliable?tenant guarantor

Why should I request a tenant guarantor?
As stated above, a tenant guarantor is your assurance that if anything goes wrong with the tenancy, your costs will be covered. It is particularly advisable to request a tenant guarantor in situations where the tenant has a low credit score or is otherwise considered ‘high risk’, for instance if they are a student or benefits claimant. Also, if your tenant is unable to provide a suitable financial reference, a guarantor should be sought.
Realistically, though, even the most reliable-seeming tenant is only a job loss away from finding themselves unable to pay the rent – a situation which, sadly, is all too common in the present economic situation. Therefore, you may want to consider requesting a guarantor for all tenants to protect your finances.

Who can act as a tenant guarantor?
In theory, anyone who is over 18 and happy to vouch for the tenant can act as a tenant guarantor. However, if your tenant is considered at risk of default, you’ll want the guarantor to be someone who is reliable. Ideally, they should be a homeowner in steady employment with a good credit score, whose income will allow them to cover costs associated with the rent for the whole tenancy.
They should also be fully aware of their obligations as guarantor – particularly, in the case of shared or student houses, guarantors should be aware that they would likely be held jointly responsible for any arrears or damage costs, no matter which tenant is involved. Due to the nature of the law it is not possible to stipulate that a guarantor is responsible only for one tenant in these circumstances.

How do I arrange a tenant guarantor?
If you do wish to have a tenant guarantor, you should ask your tenant to provide details of a suitable candidate (who, of course, has already agreed to it!). You should then supply the guarantor with two copies of the following:

  • The Tenancy Agreement – one copy should be signed and dated by the guarantor, the other is for them to keep so you can be sure they are aware of the tenant’s obligations;
  • The Deed of Guarantee – this must be signed, dated and witnessed in order to be legally enforceable;
  • A Guarantor Application – templates for this and the Deed of Guarantee are readily available online. The Application Form should include details of the property to be let, the personal details of the guarantor, their residency, legal history, employment history, their solicitor, accountant and character reference and a declaration to agree to a credit check.

Once these have been returned, a credit check and references should be sought. If these are satisfactory, then the individual can be confirmed as tenant guarantor and will remain so for the duration of the tenancy.
Seeking a tenant guarantor is a wise move for landlords, especially if you are renting your property to ‘risky’ tenants. It will give you protection in case of problems, and it may be that these are less likely to arise if the tenants are aware that they will be getting someone else into trouble too.

By Admin Plumbing Services 0 Comments

London Emergency Plumber Services When You Need Them Most

While you will find that many businesses operate traditional business hours, there is a growing need for services being provided around the clock. The nation, if not the entire world, are moving towards a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week nature. This means that some people will benefit from having access to stores and service in hours that are traditionally non-working hours.
This is a growing phenomenon, but it is not as though it is an entirely new phenomenon. There have always been some services that people need access to around the clock, particularly when there is a need for emergency support and services. If you experience a plumbing issue at home or in the workplace, it is best to have it resolved as quickly as possible, no matter the time of day or night. You will find that plumbing emergencies pay absolutely no attention to the time, and this means that you need to know who to call on when you need support.London UK Emergency Plumbers

We offer a range of property maintenance services
At Cenultra, we are pleased to provide a wide range of property maintenance services and we know that there are times when people need help in a hurry. We are delighted to say that we offer a full range of emergency plumbing services and as a local firm, we can be with you at short notice, when you need us most. We aim to provide affordable and effective London emergency plumber services for our clients and if you need any assistance, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to help you out.
Issues like burst pipes and blocked toilets can occur at any time of day or night, and this is why it makes sense to call on a local firm who can be with you at short notice. At Cenultra, we take great pride in offering a prompt level of service. While some people will believe that there is comfort and confidence to take on from working with a national plumbing firm, there is no guarantee that they will be able to provide you with a swift service. There is also the fact that they may decide to outsource the work to a more local plumbing firm, which means that you don’t know who will carry out the work for you.

Emergency plumbing services need to be swift and effective
While a swift response is important when it comes to emergency plumbing services, there is also a need to ensure that the plumber knows what they are doing. This is why choosing Cenultra, a company that can be relied on is a very sensible move. Knowing that your choice of plumber is highly experienced and well-equipped to deal with a wide range of plumbing services. The best plumber for the job is the one with the best tools and experience for the task at hand, which is why so many London homeowners call on Cenultra for effective support and assistance when it comes to plumbing issues.
There is also value for money to be found from calling on the services of a local plumbing firm. The longer you leave a plumbing issue, the greater the likelihood of damage and the bigger the overall cost in resolving the issue. Emergency services will always carry a price but by calling on a skilled local plumber, you will find that the overall cost of plumbing services is far more attractive than the overall costs associated with not calling on a local plumber. You’ll also find that a local plumber will be happy to provide you with tips and ideas for getting more from your plumbing and plumbing related appliances. At Cenultra, we are always happy to offer guidance on how to best look after your home, and we will always do what we can to ensure that your home is kept in the best possible condition.
It is also fair to say that landlords can benefit from working with reliable plumbers who offer a local emergency repair service. While we offer a broad range of safety reviews and tests that will allow a landlord to care for their home and tenants, there will be times when a landlord needs professional support that they can rely on. This is an integral part of our service and no matter whether the plumbing job is a big or small one, we look to provide the most effective and reliable plumbing services in London.