Tag Archives: christmas
Survey reveals gifts landlords give to tenants
Bad news stories tend to dominate the headlines when it comes to relationships between tenants and landlords in the UK but new research reveals that the relationship is often much more convivial. Indeed, some 34% of landlords have given a welcome or farewell gift to a tenant and 30% of tenants have received an act of kindness, according to a survey from tenant insurance provider Endsleigh. It shows 54% of tenants received help with DIY and 29% a bottle of wine as a result 72% of tenants said such acts positively changed their perception of their landlord. A positive relationship seems to have an impact on the length of tenancy too with 70% of tenants who receive an act of kindness staying in their property for 24 months or more, compared to just 53% who didn’t receive an act of kindness. Landlords were most likely to give a gift of a bottle of wine with the survey finding that 59% did so, followed by 49% giving cards and 25% plants and flowers. However, qualitative data shows landlords have given everything from Christmas hampers, home grown vegetables and gifts for children through to rent free months during periods of unemployment and topped up gas and electricity meters. The survey also investigated what the ideal relationship should be between the two parties. Half of the landlords surveyed said a professional relationship with a tenant is preferable and 49% of tenants agreed. More than a third, 36%, of tenants wanted a friendly relationship with their landlord compared with just 21% of landlords. However, of the landlords and tenants that answered ‘other’ to this question, many said they would prefer both a professional and friendly relationship. ‘The easiest and most stress free lettings come when there’s a good working relationship between the landlord and the tenant. Our survey results show it’s important to remain professional as a landlord, but also that tenants appreciate help getting settled into a property,’ said Endsleigh's lettings and landlords manager Marcus Latchford. ‘Providing a welcome hamper when a new tenant moves into a property will go a long way to setting the relationship off on a good foot. However, the thoughtful, practical gifts and gestures like offering to hang pictures on the wall or letting the tenant select flooring when redecorating add the most value,’ he added. The survey is part of Endsleigh’s 2015 ‘Better Relations’ campaign, which aims to encourage stress free lettings for both tenants and landlords. Continue reading
Research reveals UK estate agents tactics for making a property more sellable
British estate agents are not always popular but new research reveals the lengths they will go to sell a property by making it more suitable for viewings. They will literally don rubber gloves to clinch a sale with many opening windows to get rid of bad smells, flushing the toilet and hiding inappropriate items on display, according to the research by Big Yellow Self Storage. Many agents have had to clean properties and hide items ahead of viewings. Some 36% said they have had to open windows to get rid of smells, 31% have pushed things under a bed and 29% have tidied up mess. Others have resorted to age old tactics to increase desirability with 22% turning on lights to create the impression of greater brightness and 15% brewing fresh coffee to create a homely atmosphere. The research also shows that 21% have tidied items away into cupboards, 17% have sprayed air freshener, 12% have flushed the toilet before viewers arrive and 10% have encouraged the property owner to get rid of large items. ‘Every agent wants to get the best price they can for their sellers, but many of the ways they do this go unnoticed. Agents get a bad press, but the research reveals that they’re often going above and beyond and undertaking less appealing tasks to make sure a property is presentable at viewing time,’ said property expert Kate Faulkner. The research also reveals agent’s tips on boosting a property’s sale price. Ways that reap particular dividends include clearing kitchen of small appliances such as kettles and toasters which can add £973 in value, creating an open plan living area adding £972 in value and de-personalising the property by removing ornaments and knick knacks adding £948 in value. It also found that in some cases, de-cluttering by removing bulky items to maximise space pushed the sale price up by as much as 11%. In fact, each square foot of floor space freed up is estimated to be worth an average of £238 by agents researched. ‘The UK is in the grip of a housing squeeze with the smallest homes in Western Europe, so space is increasingly desirable for buyers, as agents well know. Our research found that a fifth of buyers wouldn’t make an offer on a property because it was too cluttered, so it’s in the interests of agents to advise vendors on how they can maximise the space in their homes to clinch that sale,’ said Anthony Chenery, Big Yellow spokesperson. Some 95% of estate agents say de-cluttering leads to homes selling for more and 38% insist it increases the sale price 'every time' and yet only 56% have recommended short term self storage to clients as an aid to selling their home. Overall the study found that two thirds of sellers who de-cluttered before viewings received a higher offer than expected of £4,811 more, on average. ‘Self storage allows vendors… Continue reading
UK estate agents see surge in home hunters as supply remains low
The number of house hunters recorded by estate agents in the UK is at the highest level in nearly 10 years as supply is at a 12 year low. The latest figures from the National Association of Estate Agents shows that in September its members reported an average of 405 house hunters per branch, the highest since October 2004 with each agent averaging 511 buyers. The September Housing Market report also reveals that 82% of homes sold for less than the original asking price, suggesting that sellers still need to be flexible when it comes to pricing. While supply of housing increased slightly from last month, from 49 houses available in August to 51 in September, this figure is seasonally low for September. The last time that supply levels were lower for September was in 2002, when 43 houses were available per NAEA member branch. The NAEA says that it is promising to see that first time buyers now account for 30% of all sales estate agents reported for the month of September, compared to 28% in August and 20% in July. ‘The report demonstrates to us that people are ready to get on or move up the housing ladder, but the supply levels do not match demand,’ said Mark Hayward, NAEA managing director. ‘September is a notoriously busy month in the housing market. The kids have gone back to school after the summer and people want to get sorted before Christmas, however it seems a lack of affordable and quality housing has been a problem this month. Now that the economy is picking up and Brits are in more comfortable financial situations, more people will want to buy and sell homes, but may be restricted,’ he explained. Despite high volumes of house hunters, the majority of houses are being sold for under the sellers’ original asking price. Only 4% of properties sold in September were sold for more than the original asking price, and a stark 82% were sold for less than asking price, some 16% more than in July, when this was last reported on. The report also shows that 70% of estate agents agreed that the impending interest rate rise set for 2015 is already effecting demand in the housing market, this is up by a quarter from September when only 39% thought that the rise was already effecting demand. ‘There’s still a visible gap in the number of house hunters, and the number of properties available and the impending base rate rise is likely to have an effect on this, with almost three quarters of agents reporting evidence of the rise affecting demand already,’ said Hayward. ‘All of our research does emphasise the need for the government to take action and ensure measures are in place for more homes to be built in order for supply to eventually meet the growing demand,’ he added. Continue reading
