New Years Eve!

It’s New Years Eve today, Christmas has passed and we’re looking hopeful into the new year: 2013. We hope you all had a good Christmas wherever you were and whatever you were doing. For this blog post we thought we’d bring you a brief overview, a reminder for some of you, of the services we can provide you going into the new year.

We pride ourselves on our team of experienced staff boasting vast knowledge of the industry and Bristol and the wider area. We specialise in lettings and property management and offer tenants and landlords a personal, honest and transparent service. With our round the clock opening hours we ensure we can accommodate viewings to go ‘hand-in-hand’ with your availability.

If you’re new to Bristol Property Centre then we hope to hear from you in the new year! Please visit the following site for more information about us and the services we offer: http://bristolpropertycentre.co.uk/aboutus.asp Have a happy new year readers!

Christmas Time!

It’s one day until Christmas day and here at Bristol Property Centre we can hardly wait. We thought we’d take this opportunity to bring you a more lighthearted blog post in a bid to make your Christmas just that little bit more merry. So seeing as this a housing blog we thought we’d bring you a collection of some of the world’s most ludicrously decorated properties!

Gas Safety This Winter

Winter is here, there is no debate about that. As the days get darker and lest we forget (as if we could) colder we are all beginning to switch on our heating. Coming back into a nice warm house from the unforgiving winter weather is one of the great comforts of life.

We thought we’d take this opportunity to talk to our readers about gas safety, as the winter weather reminds us how much we rely on it as the days get darker.

Here at Bristol Property Centre we insist that each and every one of our landlords’ carry out a variety of safety checks prior to us working with them. Listed below is the guidelines we provide to our landlords concerning gas safety:

Gas Appliances (Installation and Use Regulations 1998): It is the Landlords responsibility to ensure all Gas appliances comply with regulations, and that annual inspections are completed by CORGI registered engineers. The safety certificate has to be supplied to the tenant when they occupy the property. For long term lets the certificate has to be supplied to the tenant within 28 days after the annual inspection.

If you would like to learn more about the standards we require of the landlords we work with, then please get visit the following website and get in touch: http://bristolpropertycentre.co.uk/contact_us.asp

Warning against Rogue Letting Agents

Recently the Association of Residential Letting Agents issued a warning to tenants across the UK to be wary of rogue letting agents. The warning issued by the ARLA contains details on how to spot potentially rogue landlords which include checking logos and watching for signs of bad practice.

Ian Potter, managing director of ARLA, said: “Unfortunately, there are many horror stories of rogue lettings agents, as the rental sector is unregulated. This means anyone can set up shop as an agent, or become a landlord.”

Signs of bad practice include landlords offering property for a much lower price than similar properties or advertising properties with no deposit to pay.
Although here at Bristol Property Centre we are not affiliated with the ARLA we do share their condemnation for those operating under fake certifications. We are proud members of both The Property Ombudsman and The National Approved Letting Scheme and take great pride in offering both our landlords and tenants a professional and transparent service. For more information on our certifications and the services we offer please contact us here: http://www.bristolpropertycentre.co.uk/contact_us.asp

National Housing Federation’s Autumn Statement Submitted

Last week The National Housing Federation (NHF) revealed its five point plan for economic growth through housing.  The NHF is always striving to do more for housing within the UK, and it plans to lobby ministers to back the plan.

Very soon (December 5th), The Chancellor of the Exchequer will deliver his Autumn Statement. The statement will outline how the government aims to stimulate much needed growth within the UK in the coming years.

The NHF has been making the case for housing to serve as a driving factor in economic growth, and in doing so has shaped the Government’s housing stimulus package. We thought we’d share with our readers the NHF’s 5 point plan for growth through housing:

1. Rapid release of small sites for development
2.  Provide certainty on its long-term plans for supporting social housing by extending the current formula for social rent until 2020
3. Reduce the VAT rate to 5% for services provided to housing associations for the renovation of social housing
4. Supporting local investment for the development of new homes by raising the local authority debt cap
5. Welfare reform that supports new development

Here at Bristol Property Centre we will be sure to keep you up to date with the latest housing developments emerging from the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement.  Don’t forget to check back every week for our latest post!

Social Media, Social Landlords and Social Tenants

At the recent CIH Eastern Region conference in Stansted three expert speakers highlighted the importance of social media in the modern housing sector. The speakers described how the organisations they represent had embraced such social media platforms as Twitter and Facebook for communication.

Nick Atkin of Halton Housing Trust describe how those who are frequenters of social media sites are now becoming an ever growing base of customers. Engaging with them on their terms will allow for a much more effective, two-way channel of communication.

Here at Bristol Property Centre we have already began to embrace the potential that social media can offer. At the turn of the year there were near 30 million unique users of Facebook in the UK and 26 million Twitter users. With those numbers the potential of social media cannot be underestimated. We have active Facebook, Twitter and Youtube profiles that are instantly accessible to our clients, landlords and the general public. Have a look at our social media platforms and feel free to get in contact with us on them or on our site: http://bristolpropertycentre.co.uk/contact_us.asp

First Green Deal Service in Private Sector

The first Green Deal service for private sector landlords was agreed last week. The service was created when the Residential Landlords Association and Cornish energy company Enact Energy agreed to join forces in a deal which could be worth up to £100m.  Seeking to target 1.4 million private landlords who may be in control of some of Britain’s least energy efficient buildings the deal aims to upgrade thousands of the UK’s draughtiest properties over the next five years.

As part of the scheme landlords will be offered a complete energy efficiency upgrade of their properties. This will be financially backed by access to grant funding and Green Deal finance when it becomes available in April or May of next year. Because of the length of time it may take to secure Green Deal funding Enact are encouraging landlords to take advantage of free and grant-funded insulation and heating measures which will be available through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO).

“Green Deal and ECO offer landlords a significant opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of their properties but the legislation and processes are complicated,” says Alan Ward, chair of the RLA.

At Bristol Property Centre we understand that the various legislation processes involved may be complicated. If you would like any help or advice regarding either the Green Deal or the ECO then please get in contact with us here: http://bristolpropertycentre.co.uk/contact_us.asp

Happy Housing Professionals!

A recent study shows that those in the housing profession are happy with their careers.

Excellent news for us here at Bristol Property Centre as it’s always good to hear that those in our industry are happy with their careers. This news comes in stark contrast to a recent report by the Office of National statistics. The report found that wellbeing in Britain is down 13% on ‘pre-crisis’ level which is not such good news.

According to a specialist recruitment agency housing staff are happier because “people like working in housing”. A vague claim but one that may have some truth behind it. The Survey of Earnings by Hays Social Housing Recruitment noted that nearly two-thirds of the 200 people surveyed said they were satisfied with their jobs.

We are very satisfied to hear the news and we are determined to ensuring both our landlords and tenants are as satisfied as those in the survey. If you have any questions or if you just want to let us know if anything has brightened up your day, contact us at info@bristolpropertycentre.co.uk.

Big Energy Saving Week!

Last week the National Landlord Association pledged their support for Big Energy Saving Week, by helping Landlords to work with their tenants in reducing energy bills and costs. The Association advised that 43% of people worry that they cannot afford their next fuel bill, and as winter looms the fear of fuel poverty grows. In their official press release the National Landlords Association stated: 

"The NLA urges landlords to work with their tenants to ensure they are using the most competitive energy tariff for their consumption; switching suppliers could save tenants hundreds of pounds per year"  

This statement advises that just a change in energy supplier could make a massive difference for UK tenants. We agree with this concept and hope that many Landlord's took the advice from the NLA in their stride and have helped tenants reduce their bills before the Winter months truly set in. 

Although changing energy supplier can offer an immediate solution for lower energy bills, the use of the Government's Green Deal Initiative will solve the problem of high energy bills in the long run. In implementing ecological changes into your property you will not only improve its' environmental standard, you will also ensure lower energy bills indefinitely. 

If you need any help or advice in comparing the best energy companies or regarding the Green Deal Initiative please do not hesitate to contact us directly for advice! We have years of experience in managing properties and tenants and always ensure we are available for any potential problems or issues. 

What did you do to support Big Energy Saving week? Get in touch at info@bristolpropertycentre.co.uk we would love to hear stories of your sustainable support! 

We support Bristol City Council:

A recent survey by LettingFocus.com highlights how there is little information made available by London Council’s for both tenants and Landlords in the private rented sector. LettingFocus.com specifically advise that they found almost a total lack of information for necessary subjects such as letting agency fees, charges to tenants and other legal issues. The report suggests that this basically is not good enough as the private rented sector stands for 25% of all housing throughout London.

At Bristol Property Centre we compared this report with local councils across the South West. The work of Bristol City Council in particular is fantastic for the private rented sector. The website not only offers dedicated pages to private landlords, but also issues a magazine entitled “Landlord News” to provide local landlords with up to date information within the rented sector, including ideas and comments from local letting agents. 

At Bristol Property Centre we are supportive of the council’s work for Private Landlords and offer our services to local authorities if they have any questions regarding the current private rental market across the south west. We also welcome any questions from Landlords within the region and will always aim to do our best to help.

A Divided Market:

According to the most recent report revealed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, property sales will increase by the end of 2012 as house prices will continue to fall. 

The report advises that the increase of loans from banks and building societies together with better mortgage rates will ensure a necessary lift in the property market. However, as money starts to exchange hands on a consistent basis, it seems first time buyers, landlords and those eager to move will benefit from consistently low property prices. The same report advises that although the increase in available mortgages will help to get the property market moving, it will be the vendors who are forced to compromise as they have no choice but to sell in a buyers market. 

However, what is most interesting about this report, is that it also advises London and commuter towns are unaffected by this slump in property prices, as in such areas prices continue to increase. In an area high in demand it is clear that the property market has returned to its' state as a seller's market. A market where the vendor is able to let their house go for a reasonable price where they may have even made a profit.

It seems that this recent report by RICS not only shows a sheer divide in the property market between different areas of the UK, but also aims to suggest that the property market will improve through the developments in lending banks and building societies. Like many other industry related professionals, we at BPC have observed movements and changes in the property market with baited breath. We hope that this development will ensure a positive change for the property market.. for both buyers and vendors. 

Rain rain go away...

Over recent weeks Britain has been subjected to days of relentless rain, which has consequently resulted in flooding through many areas. For many, this involved being evicted from their housing until further notice. The impact of flooding for properties is devastating, not only for the bricks and mortar but also, and more obviously, for the tenants or homeowners. 

Through our years of experience we have found that many tenants have not bought contents insurance and in turn have regretted it some time later. There will most likely be several tenants who are unfortunately affected by the floods, and are in this very category. We strongly advise all tenants to buy contents insurance to not only cover themselves in rare situations as this, but also for times of loss, accidental damage, change of locks in the event of losing your keys, and access to 24 hour maintenance professionals. 

At Bristol Property Centre we aim to provide excellent customer care for our tenants and our landlords. If you have any questions regarding contents insurance or require advice on the best insurance providers please do not hesitate to contact us directly at info@bristolpropertycentre.co.uk

Fee Guarantee Scheme

A lot of estate agents issue hefty fees for landlords to promote rental properties to the market. As the rental market soars, we at Bristol Property Centre see little point in issuing extortionate fees for Landlords to use our services. Our aim is to help Landlords fill empty properties, and where required offer our full property management services. We work on the retainer that if our services excel expectations Bristol Property Centre will continue to succeed, and Landlords will continue to trust us with their properties.

Our main ethos is our fee guarantee scheme, where we simply will not be beaten on fee. With this scheme we will ensure all landlords receive our services at a cheaper rate than any of our competitors. We also work on a “no let no fee” basis assuring Landlords that they will not have to pay mass charges with little result.

We offer our landlords two main service options, a fully managed service or a Let only Service. For both services landlords will receive: Your property advertised on national websites, eye catching to let board, accompanied viewings 7 days a week and evening viewings. Your tenants will be fully referenced. To fully manage your property we will then look after your tenants and the day to day running of the property. For the Let only service, the day to day running of the property will remain your responsibility. For both services we always aim to meet your specifications and where needs be, we will tailor our work to meet your requirements. For further information please do not hesitate to get in touch!