Blog: Money

Whether you’re extending your home to sell or extending to stay, adding more space can transform how you live and boost your sale price when it’s time to move. Research by Nationwide found that a loft conversion with a double...

Autumn is the season of magic and mayhem for selling your home. On the one hand, the light is lovely at this time of year, and when the sun hits the leaves on the trees, they take on a golden glow that gives your photos a...

At the last count, 8-10% of the UK were thought to be empty nesters (parents whose children have all left), and the initial change brings up mixed emotions. Everything from grief to relief. Wherever you sit on that spectrum,...

The phrase “timing is everything” can be applied to every major decision in life, but how is it relevant to your move? Well, from advance preparations to meeting your deadlines to choosing an agent, the magic ingredient is...

With so much happening in the UK over the summer, there’s really no need to fly overseas for a change of scenery or a refreshing break. And even if you are heading off for a couple of weeks abroad, that still gives you a couple...

When times are good, it’s easy to think tenants will rent anything at any price. But when the market changes and there's more competition from other rental homes, a property can quickly lose its appeal. Outdated homes also mean...

Whether you’re going upmarket to a bigger place, relocating for work or schools, or even downsizing from a longtime family home, selling for the first time is an exciting prospect in your life’s next chapter. Even so, the idea...

Whatever kind of landlord you are or wherever you own a rental property, some universal principles apply to keep your investments profitable, sustainable, and enjoyable. Private landlords are effectively small business owners, and...

More people than ever are sharing a rental home as rents keep rising and supply continually falls short of demand. Shared homes and HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) have been highly profitable for landlords, but they also come...

If moving home is anything, it's a massive to-do list! Jobs to do right now, others in the future, and plenty of opportunity to wonder what you've missed. In short, there’s a lot going on, and the best way to avoid overwhelm is...

You’ve been on the market for a while, followed your agent’s advice on price, and had plenty of viewings, but nothing ever comes of them. Where do you go from here? It can be a frustrating experience when all you want to do is...

There’s no better season for improving your home than the summer. With long and sunny evenings from up to 17 hours of daylight, there's so much more time to get things done before it gets dark, which means you can enjoy the...

“Look after the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves.” It might be an old saying, but keeping a keen eye on the day-to-day finances of your rental property can pay huge dividends. But we’re not talking about...

Tenants move out for all manner of reasons, whether they're getting married, needing more space, relocating, or going their separate ways. But before rushing to replace them for a same-day changeover, it's worth stepping back to...

When opportunity knocks, it’s not always clear whether to say yes or no, particularly when it’s unexpected or means changing your plans. Selling to your tenant could be one of those times, and even if you’re planning to be a...

If you’re looking for ways to boost your buy-to-let profits, converting your rental home to a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO for short) could be the answer. HMOs have exploded in popularity as an option for landlords to...

Making mistakes is a part of life: many can be laughed off, but others are more serious. And for landlords, there can be legal and financial consequences for getting things wrong. When we're asked to take over a rental home by...

If you’re a landlord with a fixed-rate mortgage nearing the end of its initial term, you’ll only be too aware of the coming increase in your monthly repayments. Back in October 2021 and 2018, two and five-year buy-to-let fixed...

Is your buy-to-let as profitable as it could be? Many aren’t. There’s often more mileage in a rental home than many landlords realise, and some of the checks you can make to determine whether your property is a peak performer...

Price is everything when selling your home. It doesn’t matter where you live, what you live in or what condition it’s in - if the price is wrong, you’ll be out of pocket or stuck where you are. Accurate valuations are...

How do you feel about adding thousands to your home without making a single improvement? One of the magic words in property is ‘potential’, and getting planning permission to increase the amount of accommodation is a great way...

Imagine if your child was already financially independent by the age of 25. How proud would that make you feel? With the UK’s massive housing shortage, rents are being pushed higher and higher. This means more private landlords...

Not every part of your home is created equal, and some have a quantifiably higher value than others. At the same time, there are those unique and saleable qualities that are less easy to put a figure on, but nonetheless play a...

There have been lots of changes to the way landlords are taxed over the last few years, creating plenty of confusion and leaving some questioning whether buy-to-let is a worthwhile investment. The answer is very much a personal...

Arrears - a dreaded word among landlords and, for anyone with even a mildly British temperament, an often uncomfortable situation to discuss and resolve. We’re fortunate enough to have very few tenants behind with their rent,...

Although rents are going through the roof, yields are getting higher, and there’s massive demand from tenants, many landlords are selling their rental homes. For some, it’s part of their long-term plan, but for others, it’s...

How many tax allowances do you think you can claim from owning a rental property? The truth might pleasantly surprise you. Being a landlord is a business, but from our experience, not every landlord knows what they’re entitled...

Pushing your home's value to its full potential can make your next move bigger and better. That could mean more space, a larger garden, or a swisher location than you thought was possible. But where do you start? Well, we talk to...

Not every home sells for its full potential value, and that’s often because the finest features are either hidden or under-presented. But you can add many thousands to your sale price simply by showing off what’s already...

Have you ever known the costs of utility bills to be such a massive conversation? As well as being a hot topic at home and at work, the news is full of stories about soaring energy prices, future supply questions and the...

“Being a landlord might still pay better than a pension” - that was the arresting headline in The Telegraph that caught our attention recently. Pensions have certainly been squeezed, with workplace pension pots shrinking and...

It doesn't always work out with your first choice of estate agent. Perhaps things went well at first, but viewings are now thin on the ground. Maybe you sense your agent’s initial enthusiasm has begun to cool. Or you could be...

Everyone's talking about inflation right now, and usually in negative terms. The current climate of rising prices is affecting us all, from filling up the car to doing the weekly shop. There’s also plenty of news about tenants...

Even though many lenders lowered their mortgage rates after Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister, we all face a bumpy road ahead. The media is battling it out to write the scariest headlines of an imminent price crash and soaring...

There are many different models of buy-to-let, but a proven winning formula is buying a property in need of renovation, upgrading the specification, then releasing the increased equity to fund another buy-to-let project. Homes in...

With the annual tax return deadline a couple of months off, what better time to explore preparing in advance to avoid all that late-night uploading on January 31st? Using the tips in our handy guide, you can make a start right...

If you’re considering becoming a landlord, there are many elements to consider and understand before you purchase a property. The process of buying a buy-to-let property differs compared to buying a residential property that you...

As a landlord, you might own your property outright or you may have a buy to let mortgage. If you do currently have borrowing, that could be because you didn’t have enough capital available to buy without a mortgage, or perhaps...

Whether you want to invest in property or save for retirement, there are plenty of pros and cons for each. If you’re unsure what’s best for you, this guide should help to give you a few handy tips to fit your circumstances....

When you first begin renting a property, your new landlord is highly likely to ask for a deposit before letting you move in. Typically, this is one month’s rent payable upfront, although it can be more in some cases. Your...

If you’re currently deciding whether to let your rental property unfurnished or furnished, you might be weighing up the pros and cons of each. But have you thought of everything? Here’s our handy round up of some of the main...

Rental income is an important part of being a successful landlord. Whether you need it to cover mortgage payments and expenses, or you’re taking rental profits as valuable extra income, you might want to check whether you’re...

For many landlords, rental income provides a valuable boost to their other earnings or pension. For some, it may even be their only income, while others might mainly use it to cover the cost of the mortgage and other expenses, as...

If you’ve ended up with a ‘spare’ property – perhaps because you’ve inherited one or moved in with your partner – you might be wondering whether to sell it or hang on to it and become a landlord. There are pros and...

You’ll probably know this already if you are a landlord, but if you don’t yet, you should get to know it – because rental yield is important! But, what is rental yield and what do you, as a landlord in Benfleet need to know...

Some people are landlords because they’ve made a deliberate decision to buy property and rent it out. They’re part of the buy-to-let crowd, who’ve chosen to use property as an investment vehicle to grow their wealth....

Refurbishing a rental property can be a big project. And when you’ve already had to invest a fair amount to buy it, the big question is: how much more do you need to spend doing it up? Is it worth putting in a high-end kitchen...

Homing in on the future as a property owner Are you renting in Basildon at the moment? Perhaps you are a tenant in a lovely property but you have aspirations of buying your own place? Renting is great, and can be the right...

Whether you’ve got lots of capital and are a cash buyer or you need to borrow money to finance your rental property purchase, there’s a lot to think about. The right financing can make the difference between a good rental...

When it comes to property, the best thing can be to own it outright – either buying with 100% cash, if that’s possible, or taking out a mortgage and paying it off as soon as you can. And when it’s your own home, that’s...

Congratulations on your rental property in Basildon, whether this is an exciting journey into Buy to Let, or as a result of a home move or inheritance. This is an exciting time for you, and now is the right moment to consider two...

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, better known as the furlough scheme, was introduced by the chancellor Rishi Sunak in March to help employers deal with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Official estimates suggest...

With so much in the media at the moment relating to the housing market and private rented sector prices, it can be hard to decipher what is really happening in the rental market in Benfleet and the rest of Essex. I have spent some...

I read an interesting article in Scientific journal Cosmos recently. Apparently, research suggests that paying people to help out with odd jobs that you don't enjoy doing could lead to a happier life. A research team from Canada,...