Planting for Summer: Turn your Garden or Balcony into a Magical and Valuable Haven
By Rachel OllingtonWhether you're planning to sell in the brightest months or dreaming of long days and balmy evenings outdoors at home, May is the perfect moment to start planting for summer. And if a move is on the cards, a blooming garden or...
Net Zero Lettings: Will they Ever Happen, and what do they Mean for Landlords?
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteCast your mind back to 2022, and you might remember a loud fanfare over levelling up the UK’s rental homes as part of the Government's target to reach net zero by 2050. Back then, the rhetoric was that all tenancies created from...
Selling to Your Tenant: Everything You Need to Know to Cut the Best Deal
By The Vesta TeamWhen 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...
Outgrown Your Home? Getting it Right When it’s Time to Upsize
By Rachel OllingtonPeople outgrow their homes for all sorts of reasons, from pure practicalities to aspirational dreams. Maybe your family’s growing, you're thinking about schools, or you can simply afford to go upmarket. Whatever lies behind your...
A Landlord's Best Friend: How to Find the Perfect Letting Agent or Property Manager
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteA brilliant letting agent or property manager can have a profoundly positive impact on your life as a landlord, from enjoyment to profit to spare time, but how do you find the perfect one? Maybe you'd check the neighbourhood for...
Conflicting Valuations: How do You Know Which Agent has Given You the Right Price?
By Rachel OllingtonImagine putting your home on the market in spring, then missing the two best seasons to get the best price, and finally selling for less money in winter - how disappointing would that feel? Unfortunately, it's not an unusual tale,...
Raising the Rent: How to Renegotiate a Higher Rate Without Losing Your Tenant
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteIs there anything trickier than a rent review with a tenant you want to keep? It's little wonder so many landlords leave things as they are, no matter how far behind the market their income falls. Eventually, though, an...
Damage or Wear & Tear? Which Counts as Which, and What Can You Claim Back?
By Phillippa Baillie-WhiteJust like a friend you haven’t seen for a long time, your rental property will look older when you get it back at the end of a tenancy, and the difference can be jarring if you haven't visited for a while. Regardless of whether...
Get Sold This Spring: Give Your Home an Instant Spring Lift to Sell Fast and High
By Rachel OllingtonDaffodils, bluebells, and tulips are out in force, and bare branches are filling with leaves and blossom: it must be spring! As the time of fresh starts, now is when buyers come out of hibernation in droves. But so do many...
Four Ways to Declutter: Add Value and Space with the Perfect Method for You
By The Vesta TeamEven though it can add thousands to your selling price and give you more space to enjoy, decluttering can feel like a mountain to climb. As well as the dilemma of where to start, it's easy to lose momentum when you're halfway...