Tag Archives: modern
Research paints a generally harmonious tenant/landlord relationship
Tenants in the UK believe that landlords are fair and helpful but there’s room for improvement on safety issues according to new research. Overall a harmonious, friendly and respectful relationship exists between landlords and tenants, with 59% of people surveyed saying they believe they pay a fair price in rent and 48% saying they have a good or very good relationship with their landlord. The research from AXA Business Insurance also shows that only 6% of tenants feel their relationship with their landlord is bad or very bad, and good will and acts of kindness are common between property owners and the people who rent from them. But it also highlights significant room for improvement when it comes to safety and security. Some 43% of landlords have failed to arrange the legally required annual gas safety check, 54% have neglected to install a fire alarm, 68% have not organised an annual electrical safety inspection, and 71% have not organised a carbon monoxide alarm. In addition, 74% of landlords have failed to put locks on all external windows and doors and 78% of landlords have not arranged a door chain or spyhole to keep their tenants secure. Despite these important oversights, people up and down the country generally paint a positive portrait of the person who owns their rented home. Some 30% of tenants most commonly describe their landlords, 23% as helpful, 20% as responsible, 19% as trustworthy and 15% as caring. In the small number of cases where the relationship is more difficult, some 2% of tenants say their landlord is creepy, 3% think they’re seedy and 3% describe them as dishonest. Some 28% of tenants say their landlord has done something ‘nice’ for them and 20% say they have done something ‘nice’ for their landlord in return. Many swap cards on special occasions, while the most common acts of kindness on the landlord’s side include gift giving, forgiving a late payment in difficult times and offering help above and beyond what might be reasonably expected in a tenant’s agreement. In return, tenants are happy to arrange small decorating or DIY jobs and even do a bit of home baking when they expect a landlord visit. And while 35% of tenants admit they’d take more care of a home they owned themselves, most make a special effort to look after the property and aim to have it clean and tidy before the landlord pops round. Cleaning floors and bathrooms, making beds, spraying air-freshener or lighting candles and taking the bins out in advance of a visit are common. Yet even those people who enjoy a positive rental experience recognise that not everyone is as lucky, and 85% agree that the government should do more to protect people who rent from private landlords. ‘There’s clearly a lot of good will between landlords and their tenants and our research shows that rental home horror stories and negative stereotypes… Continue reading
Modern kitchen makes a property more desirable, new research suggests
A modern kitchen most likely to make homes more desirable to buyers and tenants in the UK while off street parking and a back garden are also influential, according to new research. A survey of estate agents found that 28% said a modern kitchen was the one feature most likely to prove attractive to potential buyers, 23% said a driveway or off street parking, 17% an open plan kitchen/diner and 14% a back garden. Other features chosen as most desirable to buyers were an en-suite in the master bedroom, neutral painted walls, fast internet connection, a conservatory, a front garden and real wooden floors. The data was gathered by property portal OnTheMarket and it also found that according to some agents, a modern kitchen could add up to £50,000 to the value of a property and the majority said it could add between £4,000 and £5,000, depending on the property’s overall value and size. Agents who said a modern kitchen was the most likely feature to make a home more desirable were mainly based in the South East. ‘Whilst the kitchen has always been a central part of the British home, its popularity amongst buyers and tenants has increased, triggered in part by the surge in culinary TV programmes,’ said Martin Flashman, a partner at Martin Flashman & Co, which has branches in Weybridge and Walton in Surrey. ‘Buyers are particular about kitchens, their existing facilities and the ability to extend them. Families are now spending more time in the kitchen, cooking together, baking and generally being foodies,’ he added. Nick Guy, director of Martin & Co lettings in Reigate also cited the popularity of cooking television shows. ‘This has led to more people experimenting with food and pushed the kitchen to the forefront of a tenant's/buyer's mind when they view a property. Everyone likes to picture themselves cooking impressive meals among family and friends,’ he said. ‘Buying a new home represents an investment in a certain lifestyle and for some, having a top of the range kitchen with a wow factor is part of this. It is true that this is the room that can often make or break a property deal,’ he added. The majority of agents suggested that off street parking could add £10,000 to £20,000 in value, depending on the property’s overall value and size. Agents who chose this option were mainly from the South East, Wales and the Midlands. Brian Thomas, from Ferriers Estate Agents, which covers Mid/West Glamorgan in Wales, said the appeal of off street parking was no longer confined to big cities. ‘Some of our potential buyers and tenants will not even consider looking at a property if it doesn’t have off street parking,’ he said. ‘Most families now have at least two cars, so… Continue reading
Online research becoming important for many UK buyers, survey suggests
The impact that technology is having on the estate agency sector in the UK is changing the property buying and selling landscape, it is claimed. With the explosion in popularity of buyers and sellers using portals such as Zoopla and Rightmove and the wealth of historic pricing data available, the internet has become the essential tool for the modern day house hunter. A survey carried out by online estate agent eMoov has found that the majority of buyers are well armed with information before they step through the door when viewing a property. Some 98% of respondents said they would take it upon themselves to do some research before attending a viewing in anticipation of finding the right property. The first step in the process is usually to visit the property details page and read the full property description, the starting point for 67% of those surveyed. For some this was as far as the research process went, however 41% would also like to view a floor plan. The research found that 36% would also compare a property to others listed in the area and 21% of buyers would research previous property sold prices. Consumers showed less priority to researching the surrounding area with 14% investigating changes to their commute and 11% taking school catchment areas in to account when digging for further information. Local authorities provide a wealth of information on school catchment areas and make it readily available online for prospective and existing parents looking to relocate. Zoopla also keeps potential buyers well informed showing the nearest schools as well as information on transport links and crime rates amongst others. Broadly speaking women would conduct more research than men when preparing to view, taking more time to consider the look, layout and practicality of a house. However their male counter parts did pip them to the post where value for money was concerned, with 40% of men looking at other listed properties in the area and 24% researching historic property prices in comparison to 33% and 18% of women respectively. With the internet only coming to full fruition over the past two decades those over the age of 50 fall under the label of technological novices. Using technology as relative beginners and adapting in comparison to their younger counterparts, or technological natives, for whom it has become second nature. However the rise of the silver surfer has very much risen with the elderly becoming a core demographic for surfing the net, they account for a large percentage of people using the internet to help them buy. Three quarters of those surveyed over the age of 50 would log on to read a full property description before viewing, a far greater number than those in the younger age brackets. This was also the case when checking floor plans, researching properties in the surrounding area and checking historic property values and potential new neighbours. However younger buyers are more interested in Google Street… Continue reading
