By Admin UK Inventory Services 0 Comments

Property Inventory Services Reduce Conflict

With the rise of the lettings market in the United Kingdom growing all the time, and there being a large number of notable disputes between landlords and tenants, it is probably fair to say that there is a greater need for support mechanisms for landlords and tenants to be protected. The introduction of the Tenant Deposit Scheme back in 2007 provided some comfort for tenants but there is a need to push on with improved ways of minimising conflict and potential conflict between tenants and landlords.London inventory clerks

Quite often the basis for disagreements between landlords and tenants comes down to poor communication. If matters could be debated and discussed in an effective manner, many of the disputes would be stopped from happening before they even begin. One of the most common reasons for a dispute between a landlord and tenant is over the inventory of a property and this is why there is a growing demand for property inventory services.

Detailed inventory lists benefit everyone
Detailed and comprehensive inventory lists provide protection for the landlord and the tenant. No matter who is responsible for hiring the services of inventory clerks, both parties will benefit from having well-detailed and clearly defined inventory lists. This is why paying for inventory services is a smart use of money because it can minimise the amount of disagreement that occurs at a later date.
The process of checking inventory in a property is a very simple one. The inventory clerk will make their way around the property. They will not only note what items are available, they should look to record the condition of these items. In the present era of smartphones and tablet devices, it has never been easier to take photographs and record video content so there should be no argument about the condition of items at a particular moment in time. A reliable inventory clerk will record and present the information in a fair and unbiased manner, and they will also provide this information in a manner that is easy to read.
At Cenultra, we understand the importance of property inventory services and if you are looking for the most effective property inventory services London has to offer, we can help. We have a team who are dedicated to maintaining the property of conditions and if you want recorded information and evidence of the inventory at a set point in time, we can help.

Arrange an inventory check at the start of a tenancy period
It clearly makes sense to carry out an inventory check just prior to a new tenant moving or just at the start of their tenancy. When it comes to reviewing the condition of the property at the end of the tenancy, the information contained in the property inventory list contained at the start of the process will help comparisons to be made. If there was no independent inventory list compiled at the start of the tenancy, a landlord may find it very difficult to raise a successful claim against their tenants, so it is in a landlord’s best interest to arrange this service.
You may think that the cost associated with hiring this service at the start of a tenancy isn’t worth it but by the time the tenancy comes to an end, there may be a very different state of affairs for the landlord. Being a landlord is often about looking about the long term impact or benefits, and hiring an inventory clerk is definitely something that pays off in the long term.
At Cenultra, given our experience in helping property owners maintain the condition of their home, we fully understand that accidents can occur and that over time, there will be general wear and tear in a property. This is why having a detailed inventory list, including the condition of items, is essential to determine if there was any notable damage in a property, or if what occurred could be described as general wear and tear at the property.
Hopefully no issues between a tenant and a landlord will arise at a property, and the money spent on an inventory check wasn’t really required. In this regard, it should be considered along the same lines as insurance. You hope to never actually use it or need it in place but for your peace of mind and comfort, you are glad that you arranged it.
Hiring an inventory clerk from Cenultra will provide peace of mind and comfort to all parties. When it comes to developing a reputation as being trustworthy and indicating to potential tenants that you can be relied upon, calling on the services of a professional and independent inventory clerk makes perfect sense.

By Admin Landlord 0 Comments

Things You Should Know When Choosing Your Estate Agent

With so many estate agents available, it can be hard to choose who to use when selling or letting your house – and a good agent can make the difference between selling at a great price and not selling at all, or getting tenants in quickly or having an empty property for months. So what should you know when you choose an estate agent?
Whether you are a vendor or a landlord, your agent needs to be registered with a Redress Scheme. The three approved schemes are The Property Ombudsman, Property Redress Scheme and the Ombudsman Service.property-london

Vendors
If you are selling your property, ask your estate agent about the following:

  1. Fees – Is their commission fixed or dependent on the sale price? (While a fixed fee may help you budget, agents that charge commission as a percentage of the sale price will be more motivated to get you a decent price!) Are there other costs – for instance, for sale boards, floorplans, printed marketing materials etc.? How much will the EPC cost and can you order it elsewhere for less?
  2. Marketing – In 2015, a new property portal called OnTheMarket was launched. Agents signed up to this site can only list your home on one of the two major property sites, Rightmove and Zoopla. As it is not yet as big as these sites, you could potentially be halving your exposure to prospective buyers by using an agent who is signed up to OnTheMarket, so check this with them.
  3. The contract – Does your contract allow you to use more than one agent? If you find a buyer yourself, will you still have to pay the agent? Will you still have to pay if the agent finds a buyer but you decide not to sell? Is there a tie-in period where you cannot change agents? If you do change agents will you still be liable for fees with the original agent?
  4. Viewings – Do the agents carry out viewings themselves? If so, when are they available? (An agent who only does daytime viewings on weekdays might not be much use if your target market is people in full time employment!) How many viewings have they arranged for comparable properties? How many viewings usually take place before a sale is agreed?
    For more guidance on choosing your estate agent, the HomeOwners Alliance has a great guide.

Landlords
If you are looking for a letting agent, you should check that they are a member of a professional body, for instance the National Association of Estate Agents, Association of Residential Letting Agents or Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The following points are also important to check:

  1. What the agent will do – Decide what you want them to do: do you just want them to find a tenant, do you also want them to deal with rent collection, or are you looking for a full management service? If the last option, will they deal with matters such as gas safety checks, repairs and maintenance, keeping the property up to rental standard etc.? Will they deal with all aspects of the application procedure, such as credit checks, references and (from 1st February 2016) right to rent checks?
  2. Fees – What are the fees for the level of support you are asking for? Is there a fee for including your property on the agent’s list? Will you be charged fees when the property is vacant, and if so, at what rate? Will you be charged commission for tenancy renewals where the agent found the tenant originally, even if you’re not using them for property management? What other charges are there – for instance, administration charges when the new tenant moves in, charges for inventories, tenancy agreements, etc.?
  3. Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP) – If you want the letting agent to deal with rent collection or fully manage your property, find out which TDP scheme they use. Also ask if they have client money protection in place, and follow up with them after the tenancy begins to ensure the deposit is protected – remember, you remain liable for return of the deposit even when using a letting agent.

If you want more information on choosing a letting agent, Prime Location offer a useful guide on their website.

Whether you are selling or letting, choose a well-established agent who really knows the location and has good word-of-mouth reviews. If you get on with them too, that could make the whole process easier!

By Admin Landlord 0 Comments

The best ways for landlords to cut costs

Thе dауѕ оf 10% уіеldѕ are nоw аll but a distant mеmоrу for lаndlоrdѕ. Intеrеѕt rаtеѕ аrе ѕtіll moving uрwаrdѕ аnd seem dеѕtіnеd tо hіt 6% bу thе еnd оf thе уеаr. Sо what саn lаndlоrdѕ dо tо drіvе up margins & hеlр саѕhflоw. The аnѕwеr іѕ to cut costs аnd hеrе аrе six ways fоr lаndlоrdѕ to do thіѕ.

1. Buу сhеар – lаndlоrdѕ need tо bе tоugh negotiators
Thеrе is ѕtіll money to bе mаdе іn the рrореrtу mаrkеt whether landlords buу аt аuсtіоn оr thеу find a residential investment property іn thе lосаl estate аgеntѕ or over thе internet. UK Lаndlоrdѕ Tо Cut Costs

Thе ѕесrеt fоr lаndlоrdѕ іѕ to аlwауѕ drіvе a hard bаrgаіn. Lаndlоrdѕ should vіеw 50 residential іnvеѕtmеnt рrореrtіеѕ, рut in 50 ‘ridiculous оffеrѕ’; 49 wіll be rеjесtеd but thе chances аrе оnе will ѕuссееd. Then a lаndlоrd wіll get a buy-to-let bаrgаіn. That wау a landlords rent wіll rеflесt thе vаluе ѕау оf a £200,000 рrореrtу but if a lаndlоrd hаѕ mаnаgеd tо ѕесurе a 15% dіѕсоunt thеіr costs wіll only bе that of a £170,000 rеѕіdеntіаl investment рrореrtу.

2. Landlords nееd to get the best fіnаnсе dеаl
Thе bіggеѕt cost tо аnу landlord іѕ their mоrtgаgе. If a lаndlоrd саn сut thіѕ bу еvеn a 0.5% thаt wіll wоrk оut as a соѕt ѕаvіng оf £62.50 per mоnth оn a £150,000 buу-tо-lеt mortgage. Fоr a lаndlоrd to еnѕurе thеіr mоrtgаgе іѕ соmреtіtіvе they nееd tо kеер сhесkіng their rate against thе best BTL mоrtgаgе rates сurrеntlу аvаіlаblе. Landlords should nеvеr, еvеr pay thе mortgage соmраnу ѕtаndаrd vаrіаblе rаtе, thе сhаnсеѕ аrе you will bе рауіng 1-2% above what уоu need tо. Most landlords can save аt least 0.5% on thеіr іntеrеѕt rаtе if they ѕhорреd аrоund.

3. Sаvе on mаnаgіng fееѕ bу DIY Lаndlоrdіng
Hоw еvеr landlords look аt іt іf they get іn a lеttіng agent іt’ѕ gоіng to соѕt. For the full mаnаgеmеnt оf a landlord’s property thіѕ is lіkеlу tо bе bеtwееn 8-12% оf a lаndlоrdѕ’ rent. Fоr mаnу lаndlоrdѕ thіѕ саn represent 20% of thеіr аnnuаl соѕtѕ. Bу landlords DIY, thеу саn boost thеіr рrоfіtѕ and cashflow іmmеdіаtеlу. This gіvеѕ lаndlоrdѕ greater ѕсоре tо perhaps ѕwар tо a rерауmеnt mortgage. In thіѕ wау landlords will gradually сut their lоаn rерауmеntѕ bесаuѕе оf their rеduсіng mortgage balance. If landlords thіnk thаt managing thеіr іnvеѕtmеnt рrореrtу themself іѕ a daunting рrоѕресt thеn thеу shouldn’t. There аrе рlеntу оf Frее Aѕѕurеd Shоrthоld tenancy agreements аvаіlаblе online. This saves a landlord £15 for thе bооk, £10 fоr the Aѕѕurеd Shorthold Tenancy Agrееmеnt, £100 for the рrореrtу management ѕоftwаrе. In total £125.

4. Lаndlоrdѕ muѕt аvоіd the vоіd
Experienced lаndlоrdѕ drеаd the void. Thіѕ іѕ thе tеrm gіvеn tо a landlords rеѕіdеntіаl investment рrореrtу when іt is еmрtу. At аll соѕtѕ landlords ѕhоuld аvоіd this. Many novice lаndlоrdѕ whо have bееn tоld by a letting agent often desperate fоr buѕіnеѕѕ that their buу-tо-lеt рrореrtу is worth £750 pcm, will thеn end up wіth іt empty fоr 3 mоnthѕ оnlу tо thеn have tо lеt it fоr £600 аnуwау. Far bеttеr is for lаndlоrdѕ tо hаvе іt let аt thе outset fоr a realistic rent. Onсе a vоіd is experienced thеn a lаndlоrd will never gеt thіѕ money bасk. The аvеrаgе vоіd fоr a buу-tо-lеt property is рrоbаblу about оnе month per annum. If a lаndlоrd can сut this tо zеrо then thіѕ іѕ аbоut thе еԛuіvаlеnt оf сuttіng thеіr аnnuаl соѕtѕ by 10%.

5. Cоmреtіtіvе insurance
It is vеrу еаѕу fоr a landlord tо over рау fоr thеіr buy-to-let іnѕurаnсе. Oftеn buy-to-let mortgage companies wіll trу аnd sell lаndlоrdѕ thеіr оwn insurance product. Never buу thіѕ. Buу-tо-lеt mоrtgаgе companies rеlу оn thе араthу оf the аvеrаgе consumer not to check оut the bеѕt dеаlѕ through a ѕресіаlіѕt landlords іnѕurаnсе broker whісh enables thеm tо charge inflated prices. Landlords ѕhоuld mаkе sure thеу gеt a numbеr оf quotes аnd knоw what lаndlоrd іnѕurаnсе рrоduсt they аrе gеttіng before thеу buy.

6. Avoid taxes
Wеll prepared lаndlоrdѕ should pay lіttlе or no tаx. Not because thеу аrе criminals but because lаndlоrdѕ nееd tо be shrewd businessmen аѕ wеll аѕ gооd рrореrtу іnvеѕtоrѕ. Tаx аvоіdаnсе іѕ not іllеgаl; it’s whаt thе billionaires dо. Lаndlоrdѕ ѕhоuld be fullу іnfоrmеd about thеіr lаndlоrd tаx allowances аnd keep uр tо dаtе rесоrdѕ to ensure thаt they dоn’t hаvе to рау оut unnесеѕѕаrіlу. Avoiding tаx соuld ѕаvе hundreds іf nоt thоuѕаndѕ of pounds реr аnnum tо a landlord. Thіѕ mоnеу саn thеn be rе-іnvеѕtеd bу a lаndlоrd іn growing thеіr buy-to-let роrtfоlіо or сuttіng thеіr соѕtѕ furthеr bу рауіng down their dеbt.

By Admin UK Boilers 0 Comments

Vaillant Boilers Can Boost Your Home

While there is no shortage of options for you when looking to find a boiler for your home or premises, it doesn’t necessarily follow that every boiler on the market will be right for you. You should be looking for a boiler that is within your budget, which will fit in the available space you have and which will provide you with the features and benefits you are looking for from a boiler.
Given the importance of a boiler system and the impact it will have on your home, it makes sense to take your time to evaluate what boiler is right for you. If you are unsure of where to begin, the internet provides plenty of information but it may be best for you to speak to an expert who understands what different boilers can offer. At Cenultra, we are proud to say that we have helped many homeowners find the boiler that is ideal for their needs and if you are looking for an affordable and effective solution, you will find that we are the London boiler specialists you can rely on.

Vaillant Boiler
Photo from Vaillant.co.uk

The right boiler will transform your home
While there are many different companies offering reliable and effective boilers, there is a lot to be said for Vaillant Boilers. We believe that these are energy efficient combination boilers that can provide you with the support and assistance you need to make sure that you care for your home and your loved ones.
If you have a larger home that needs to be warmed up quickly, you will find that Vaillant Boilers are more than capable of doing the job you need. This is because they manage to provide a high level of fuel efficiency while still offering an exceptional level of performance. This provides the homeowner with a boiler that is affordable and economical. When it comes to finding the best boiler for your needs, you want to find a boiler that uses less fuel and which will help you lower the amount of energy you consume. The cost of energy bills is a major concern for most homeowners these days and knowing that the right sort of boiler can lower the amount of money you spend each month is going to be a great comfort.

We offer a high standard of boiler services
While the functionality of a boiler is very important, you can see why some people will focus on the style and shape of their boiler. This is why it is great to see that Vaillant offer a range of slim line and compact boilers. You want to find a boiler that is easy to use and won’t cause you any hassles or problems if you need to make a change quickly. This is definitely a great reason to turn to a major boiler manufacturer and at Cenultra, we believe that Vaillant Boilers are amongst the best options you can choose from. There is also the fact that these boilers have received the “Quiet Mark” accreditation, which means that they are very quiet. If you are looking for a boiler which doesn’t impact on your everyday life or cause too much noise, this is definitely going to be the sort of boiler that appeals to you.

Some of the key features of Vaillant Boilers include:
– A design which is streamlined, which makes it very easy to place around your home
– A 5 year guarantee which comes as standard
– The Quiet Mark accreditation
– The fact that it is an extremely economical boiler
– The controls are very easy to use
– You can receive hot water in a short period of time
– You can obtain a higher level of efficiency at a lower level of output

At Cenultra, we have come across many different brands and makes of boilers and we believe that the Vaillant brand is one of the leading brands in the industry. Our team of experienced professionals are highly skilled at installing these boilers so you can be confident that when we provide you with a new boiler, it will be fitted to the highest standard. If you have any questions about the Vaillant range or you want to know how it will impact on your life, get in touch and we will be more than happy to help you out.

By Admin UK Cooker Installation Services 0 Comments

Cooker Installation Services You Can Rely On

If you have bought a new appliance for your home, you want to make sure that it is up and running in an effective manner. A lot of homeowners suffer or fail to get the best level of service from their purchase due to them not being properly installed. In some cases, you may even be placing yourself, your loved ones and your home at risk if you do not properly install items like cookers. If you are confident and have experience in dealing with these issues, you should feel free to carry out the work yourself but if you have any doubts, you are always advised to call on an expert.Cooker Installation Services London
While it is easy to say that hiring a professional to carry out work for you will cost money, it is often the most cost effective approach in the long term. You will gain confidence and peace of mind that comes from having a professional carry out this work for you. You will minimise the likelihood of any issues or problems arising at a later date. You will also find that your cooker is far more likely to work in an effective and efficient manner if it has been properly installed. This may even see you save money on your energy bills, which is definitely something that people should be looking for in the current economic climate.
If you have ordered a new cooker and you want to ensure that it is properly installed, call on Cenultra. We provide the highest standard of cooker installation services in London and you can be confident that the work is carried out by skilled and experienced professionals. We understand the importance of ensuring that your cooker is properly installed and if you have any questions, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to help you out.
There are a number of key steps in installing a new cooker and if you are unaware of these steps or you don’t know what to do, you’ll find that you could cause problems for yourself.

Your old cooker needs to be properly disconnected
If you are moving into a new home and there is no current cooker to disconnect this isn’t an issue but if you are replacing or upgrading from your existing cooker, it is important that you undertake this step in a correct manner. Many problems have arisen due to people disconnecting their old cooker in an incorrect manner, so to be on the safe side, it is always best to leave this job to a properly.

We can evaluate the existing connections
Before you connect your new cooker, you should check the existing connection points to determine that they are all in good working order, Again, future problems may arise from issues at this stage, and it is always best to review these connection points. If you are not sure of what you should be looking for, it is best to leave this type of work to the experts and at Cenultra, we are more than happy to provide this service.
We will also undertake a full health and safety review of your cooker and the surrounding areas. This can include ensuring that all cabinets and worktops meet the required safety standard. When it comes to looking after your home, you will always want to ensure that your property is well looked after but if you are a landlord, you will need to carry out more checks. We are able to provide landlords with assistance that will ensure their property meets all required electrical safety standards. When it comes to obtaining certification and ensuring that your home is up to standard, get in touch and we will be more than happy to provide you with the assistance you require. If you required an Electric certificate, or a gas certificate, if you have a dual fuel cooker, we can provide you with the assistance you need. When it comes to finding the most effective and efficient cooker installation services, we are on hand to ensure that you can be confident that everything is working as it should.
We can also test your cooker ensuring that it is operational and working as it is expected to. We will also test the independent electric circuit for your cooker, providing you with even more confidence about the new addition to your property.
When it comes to getting the best value and performance from your cooker, making sure the cooker installation process runs smoothly is an excellent start. At Cenultra, we aim to provide you with the best standard of cooker installation services in London.