Is buy-to-let broken? Facts, figures and future trends for private landlords
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteThere's no denying that buy-to-let isn’t the same as 10 or 15 years ago. Changes in lending criteria mean landlords have to put in more of their own money; changes in tax policy have affected initial yields; changes in lettings...
Rentability review: does your buy-to-let tick the right boxes for the right tenants?
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteThere's a book by Simon Sinek called Find Your Why, and it's all about identifying your reason for having a business: why do you do what you do? The same question can be applied to your rental property: why would a tenant choose...
Protection money: a guide to landlord insurance and reducing your premiums
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteWe all know someone who never insures anything and never has any problems. But given that £8m is paid out every day in home insurance claims, not everyone has the same luck. Although it isn’t a legal requirement to insure...
Premium lettings: How to Attract High-Earning Professional Tenants
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteLandlords are always asking us how they can make their property more attractive to professional tenants, and no wonder. It's a lucrative market of high-earning people who'll pay a premium rent for the right home. But what exactly...
Unfurnished lettings: what features do tenants pay more rent for?
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteThe average age of a first-time buyer has risen to 32, and tenancies are lasting longer than ever. Not all national trends apply to lettings in Benfleet, Basildon, Canvey Island or Wickford, but this one absolutely does. With...
Switching letting agents – All you need to get it right
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteAs a landlord, when you use a letting agent to find a tenant – and particularly if you have a ‘fully managed’ service, where they look after both the tenant and the property on your behalf during the tenancy – there’s a...
Cost of living crisis: what can landlords do?
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteWe've all seen the headlines: inflation at its highest point in almost 30 years; interest rates are rising, and the energy cap is about to lift. Everyone's on tenterhooks to see what it will mean for their bank balance, and of...
Property inventories – All you need to know
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteAn inventory lists and describes the contents and condition of everything in a property – from the paint on the walls to the cutlery in a kitchen drawer. It’s put together before a tenancy starts and then used to compare the...
Letting agent diary: behind the scenes of a typical working week
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteTo describe this job in a single phrase, it would have to be 'never a dull moment'. Aside from opening the office, making a coffee and checking new messages, no two days are ever the same. Meeting new people and being out in the...
A Quick Guide to Purchasing a Buy To Let Property in Benfleet
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteIf 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...