Chichester Property News: maintenance

Showing posts with label maintenance. Show all posts

Thursday, 7 December 2017

Top 5 tips for property maintenance in Winter

The following tips can be applied all year round but are particularly relevant this time of year as it gets colder, darker and wetter outside.

1) Familiarise yourself with your property

Ensure you know where the fusebox, gas safety valve and water stop valve are and how they operate, in case of an emergency (I provide a house guide to my tenants with this information and also show them when they move in).

2) Keep on top of basic maintenance

Check roofs and gutters for slipped or damaged tiles and for any leaks. Check overflows and pipework for any leaks as well as damp smells or flaking paint, which may indicate a hidden problem.

Bleed the radiators and check the pressure of the boiler to see if it needs topping up.

3) Avoid condensation

Build-up of condensation can be more prevalent in winter as more heating is used, clothes are dried inside and there is a tendency to want all the windows shut.

All this moisture in the property needs to go somewhere and will invariably attach itself to cold surfaces (exterior walls / window surrounds) and create unsightly condensation / mould patches.

Keep windows open throughout the property, particularly in bathrooms and kitchens and especially during and after showering/bathing and cooking. Use extractor fans where fitted and wipe down any wet surfaces after using the shower/bath.

4) Don’t turn the heating off

This is very important to prevent the freezing of the water system and expensive burst pipes.

The easiest solution if you are planning to be away from the property is to leave the boiler on and set the thermostat to a low temperature i.e. 12°.

5) Fire safety

Do not overload electrical sockets with appliances and Christmas lights as this can cause a fire hazard. Avoid using candles, particularly near Christmas trees, decorations and curtains.

Test all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to ensure they are working correctly.

I believe prevention is better than cure, which is why I pre-arm my tenants with a 'winter maintenance guide' at the beginning of their tenancy and re-issue it as winter approaches.

You can download this short guide, free of charge, from www.crjlettings.co.uk/winter-advice.

(This article was featured in the Chichester Observer's property section on 7th December 2017)

Clive Janes, CRJ Lettings.

www.crjlettings.co.uk

____________________________

If you are looking for an agent that is well-established, professional and communicative in Chichester, then contact us to find out how we can get the best out of your investment property.

E-mail me on clive@crjlettings.co.uk or call 01243 624 599.

Don't forget to visit the links below to view my previous buy-to-let deals and Chichester Property News articles:

Follow The Buy-To-Let Property Investment Market in Chichester

Chichester Property Market LinkedIn Page for Clive Janes

CRJ Letting Agents Chichester Facebook Page

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Chichester Investment Property Management Specialist CRJ Letting Agents Website

c/o CRJ Lettings, 30B Southgate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1DP

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Thursday, 3 August 2017

What’s the point of an EPC?

I wrote about Energy Performance Certificates a couple of years ago, questioning whether they were “a waste of time”. The article got a good response, with very few people having anything positive to say about EPC’s.

Questions were raised about the accuracy of the reports, said to be fundamentally flawed due to the surveyor having to make various ‘assumptions’. As they aren’t able to drill into walls or ceilings to check insulation levels they have to guess instead, typically leaning towards the worst case.

Others confirmed that so few people pay attention to the EPC that there is little value in improving the energy efficiency of the home to then instruct and pay for another assessment to prove it.

Through all of this though, the fact remains that having a valid Energy Performance Certificate in place before marketing a property for sale or rent is a legal requirement.

And new lettings legislation stipulates that if you don’t provide the EPC to your tenant before they let the property you are unable to serve them with a Section 21 notice should you want to regain possession of the property.

I think EPC’s are going to get a lot more press in the coming months and years for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, their implementation has just turned ten years old. Many of you will know that an EPC is valid for ten years. That means the very earliest EPC’s are expiring and, as you need a valid one to let a property, not having a new one in place could see you unwittingly breaking the law!

Secondly, from the 1^st April 2018 you will not even be able to let out a property if its energy rating is lower than an ‘E’!

Listed buildings are exempt however, because improvements, such as double glazing, are often barred and thus it is very difficult to rectify a low rating.

Of the 4.2 million privately rented properties in England and Wales though, it is thought 10% will be unlettable without improvements before next April.

I think we’ll see some news stories from both elements of this. There will be the hard luck stories of landlords having to spend thousands on energy upgrades just to let their property out. And there’s bound to be a court case between a non-paying tenant and a landlord where the tenant’s defence to stay is that they weren’t shown an EPC.

If you’re a landlord and you’ve misplaced the paperwork, you can visit the EPC register at www.epcregister.com to find your Energy Performance Certificate free of charge. Be sure to check it is still valid and make a note of when it expires (ten years after it was commissioned). Ensure your property is at least an E rating and provide your tenants with a copy if they don’t already have one.

If you’d rather someone else dealt with all the paperwork and ever-changing legislation in regards to your rental property, please get in touch and I’ll be happy to help.

(This article was featured in the Chichester Observer's property section on 3rd August 2017)

Clive Janes, CRJ Lettings.

www.crjlettings.co.uk

______________________________

E-mail me on clive@crjlettings.co.uk or call 01243 624 599.

Don't forget to visit the links below to view my previous buy-to-let deals and Chichester Property News articles:

c/o CRJ Lettings, 30B Southgate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1DP

__________________________________

Thursday, 13 July 2017

Landlords: How to move tenants in

As a landlord and letting agent it’s crucial to have processes in place to ensure you provide a consistently excellent service. I’ve just got back from my third move-in within a week, so I thought I’d give an overview of CRJ Lettings’ move-in process.

It’s actually a pretty mundane hour or so of paperwork checking, contract signing and multiple page initialling! But, it’s crucially important that all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed to ensure the tenancy gets off to the right start. Done properly, it will also mean a tenant is fully-equipped to enjoy their new home, whilst keeping it in good order for the landlord.

I go through a check-list to ensure nothing is missed; starting with the paperwork. That means the tenants signing the tenancy agreement and initialling each page (it would have been sent to them in advance so they’ll have already had a chance to read it). Then it’s the same process with the security deposit certificate and prescribed information forms.

I’ll then show the tenants where the water stop tap, gas safety valve, fuse box and mains isolator switches are and what to do in case of any emergencies. Showing them these could be crucial for the tenants’ safety as well as minimising any damage to the property (for instance in the case of a water leak). We’ll also take meter readings together at this point, as well as showing the tenants any communal areas of the property and how the heating system and kitchen appliances work.

Just in case the tenants might forget any of this important information, they’ll then be shown the house manual I prepare for all my fully managed properties. This lists the location and operation of all the above, as well as setting out other general tips about good home management, along with all the contact details they’ll need throughout the tenancy. It will also contain the property’s safety certificates and EPC, as well as the governments ‘How to Rent’ guide, as legally required.

The ‘move-in checklist’ can then be used as proof that all the legal requirements have been completed (including showing the tenants a working smoke alarm on each floor of the property and a carbon monoxide alarm where required).

The last bit of paperwork to go through is the inventory. This is a substantial (50 page+) document created by an independent company, who go into very fine detail. The tenants should ensure they’re happy the condition of the property is correctly noted, as it forms the basis of how it should be returned at the end of their tenancy.

Finally the keys are distributed to the tenants and any other questions can be answered. It’s also a good opportunity to explain when I’ll next be in contact regards to the receipt of rent and future inspections.

This thorough move-in process ensures the landlord is legally compliant, the tenants are aware of everything they’ll need to know and it creates a good start to our professional relationship. I think it beats many letting agents’ approach; which is to simply hand over the keys and let the tenants sort themselves out.

If you’d like a free copy of my ‘move-in checklist’ please contact me and I’ll be happy to send it to you.

____________________________

E-mail me on clive@crjlettings.co.uk or call 01243 624 599.

Don't forget to visit the links below to view my previous buy-to-let deals and Chichester Property News articles:

c/o CRJ Lettings, 30B Southgate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1DP

__________________________________

Thursday, 20 April 2017

How much are Chichester landlords spending on property maintenance?

As the tax year has come to a close, I have just finished sending out annual account statements to all of my Chichester landlords who employ me on a full management basis.

It’s not something I publicise I do (free of charge) as part of my service, but I think it will make my landlords (or their accountants!) lives easier come self-assessment time.

The statement breaks down the total rent they have received in the tax year for each property, along with any deductions that were made (my management fees and any property maintenance costs). It’s similar to what I send each month when the rent comes in, but this time for the whole tax year.

Not only is this a nice overview for the landlord and again demonstrates my complete transparency in regards to my fees, but it also ensures all costs are accounted for so that they can get maximum tax relief. This is increasingly important at a time when mortgage interest relief is reducing, as I discussed a couple of weeks ago.
http://chichesterproperty.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/tax-just-got-more-taxing-for-landlords.html

It also gives me some great figures to analyse, which I wanted to share with you.

The average rent my landlords are achieving is £1,150pcm, which is 18% higher than the current average Chichester rent of £972pcm. Plus they have received 100% of the rent due to them i.e. there were no non-paying tenants all year - phew!

What’s more is that my unique fixed-fee structure is proving to be excellent value for my landlords; demonstrated by my average landlord being charged 7.8% in total for a full tenant find and ongoing management service. One landlord is paying just 4.7% as their property achieves a particularly high rent, meaning my fixed fee proves to be even cheaper for them.

What was also interesting to see is that my landlords are spending just £378.25 a year on average on property maintenance, which is just 3.1% of the total rent they receive.

Common lettings advice is to set aside 10% of your annual rent to account for property maintenance, but my landlords are doing far better than this. I suspect this is partly because I focus on more modern properties, which should inherently have fewer issues, and because I tend to endorse the attitude of ‘prevention rather than cure’ - spending a little in the short-term to save a lot in the long-term.

I hope it’s also in part down to the carefully selected maintenance contractors I use, who offer good value for money, plus the fact I don’t add a mark-up to maintenance costs or charge additional commission. I also often check issues for myself to see if they can be rectified by me, free of charge, before getting in the paid help.

If you’d like to discuss the ins and outs of how I can make the management of your rental property a little bit easier and perhaps more cost-effective, please get in touch.

(This article was featured in the Chichester Observer's property section on 20th April 2017)

Clive Janes, CRJ Lettings.

www.crjlettings.co.uk

_________________________________

E-mail me on clive@crjlettings.co.uk or call 01243 624 599.

Don't forget to visit the links below to view my previous buy-to-let deals and Chichester Property News articles:

c/o CRJ Lettings, 30B Southgate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1DP

__________________________________

Thursday, 17 November 2016

Top 5 property maintenance tips for winter

The following tips can be applied all year round but are particularly relevant at this time of year as it gets colder, darker and wetter outside.

1) Familiarise yourself with the property

Ensure you know where the fusebox, gas safety valve and water stop valve are and how they operate, in case of an emergency (I provide a house guide to my tenants with this information and also show them when they move in).

2) Keep on top of basic maintenance

Check roofs and gutters for slipped or damaged tiles and for any leaks. Check overflows and pipework for any leaks as well as damp smells or flaking paint, which may indicate a hidden problem.

Bleed the radiators and check the pressure of the boiler to see if it needs topping up.

3) Avoid condensation

Build-up of condensation can be more prevalent in winter as more heating is used, clothes are dried inside and there is a tendency to want all the windows shut.

All this moisture in the property needs to go somewhere and will invariably attach itself to cold surfaces (exterior walls / window surrounds) and create unsightly condensation / mould patches.

4) Don’t turn the heating off

This is very important to prevent the freezing of the water system and expensive burst pipes.

The easiest solution if you are planning to be away from the property is to leave the boiler on and set the thermostat to a low temperature i.e. 14°.

5) Fire safety

Do not overload electrical sockets with appliances and Christmas lights as this can cause a fire hazard. Avoid using candles, particularly near Christmas trees, decorations and curtains.

Test all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to ensure they are working correctly.

I believe prevention is better than cure, which is why I pre-arm my tenants with a 'winter maintenance guide' at the beginning of their tenancy and re-issue it as winter approaches.

You can download this short guide, free of charge, from www.crjlettings.co.uk/winter-advice.

(This article was featured in the Chichester Observer's property section on 17th November 2016)

Clive Janes, CRJ Lettings.

www.crjlettings.co.uk

___________________________________

If you are looking for an agent that is well-established, professional and communicative in Chichester, then contact us to find out how we can get the best out of your investment property.

E-mail me on clive@crjlettings.co.uk or call 01243 624 599.

Don't forget to visit the links below to view my previous buy-to-let deals and Chichester Property News articles:

c/o CRJ Lettings, 30B Southgate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1DP

__________________________________

Thursday, 27 October 2016

Safety first for Chichester’s rental properties

I was recently contacted by a landlord who had become too busy to continue managing their tenanted rental property in Chichester. They lived a reasonable drive away and whilst they were good landlords who wanted to do right by their tenants, they realised the growing responsibilities aimed at landlords was becoming too much to handle.

My first task upon taking on the management of the property was to ensure it was safe for the tenants and fully compliant with all the various legislation that had crept up on the landlords over the years. Here’s a brief summary of some of the important safety precautions to think about when letting out a property.

1. Gas safety

There was no gas safety certificate in place for the property’s boiler and gas hob, so this compulsory annual requirement and a swift phone call to my gas engineer was first on the to-do list. Non-compliance could have resulted in the landlord being fined £6,000 per appliance and/or six months imprisonment.

2. Electrical safety

The electrics hadn’t been checked at the property for some time and whilst this isn’t always a legal requirement it is certainly best practice if you want to ensure the safety of your tenants whilst minimising a landlords’ liability in the event of an electrical incident.

3. Smoke & Carbon Monoxide alarms

New legislation came into force in October 2015 regarding smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms in rental properties. There was already a working smoke alarm on each level of the property (as now required) but there wasn’t a carbon monoxide alarm in the lounge, which has an open fireplace. As this could be used to burn a “solid fuel”, the room needed a carbon monoxide alarm installed. Fortunately for the landlords I install a carbon monoxide alarm free of charge in all of my fully managed properties.

4. Energy Performance Certificate

Finally, as the tenancy paperwork was largely out of date (having not been altered since the initial let 10 years ago and now naming tenants that had since left) it seemed sensible to arrange a new start in this regard too. To do this, however, would mean the requirement of an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for the property, or face a £200 fine and the inability to serve notice to the tenants.

The landlords are now pleased that the property is safe for their tenants and that they are fully compliant with all lettings legislation; avoiding any fines or incrimination should the worst have happened at the property.

If you’re struggling to stay on top of all the legislation that a landlord must comply with please get in touch, whether it be for a free checklist of what you need to have covered or if you’d like to instruct me to take all the hassle from your hands.

(This article was featured in the Chichester Observer's property section on 27th October 2016)

Clive Janes, CRJ Lettings.

www.crjlettings.co.uk

___________________________________

E-mail me on clive@crjlettings.co.uk or call 01243 624 599.

Don't forget to visit the links below to view my previous buy-to-let deals and Chichester Property News articles:

c/o CRJ Lettings, 30B Southgate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1DP

__________________________________