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As property prices rose through the past decades it became almost a foregone conclusion that whichever agent you chose to sell your property, a buyer would be found within a few days. So vendors became less discerning over their choice of agent and were understandably tempted to appoint the agent who charged the lowest commission percentage. However, in this market, this approach usually turns out to be a considerable false economy, as the difference between a good agent and a mediocre one can be highly significant. First, if the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive agent is...
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Despite what you might read in the press, the current market is as near a “normal” market as experienced estate agents have known for years in terms of the balance between properties available for sale and the number of registered buyers. However, unlike most “normal” markets, some sellers are not as committed to selling as they might be, and are prepared to remain on the market until what they regard as an acceptable offer comes along.
Likewise, some buyers, whilst generally remaining committed to a purchase, do not exhibit a great deal of urgency, and believe that they are entitled to...
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Last week’s article focussed on issues to think about when buying an unmodernised property. However, sellers should also be careful when considering the sale of a property in need of renovation. Firstly, unmodernised is unmodernised! It is usually a waste of money to make improvements to a property on which people will want to do their own thing, and you could well fall between two markets.
Certainly clear away an overgrown garden and remove whatever debris you can from the house. Preventative maintenance such as repairing a leaking gutter (miniscule cost to repair, but huge consequences if...
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There are about a dozen property-related programmes on TV every week. Some of these track the progress of a wreck to a finished home, or at least highlight a property’s potential. We have certainly noticed an increase in the number of enquiries from people specifically wishing to buy a run down property, and this has had a positive effect on the price we have been achieving for such properties.
However, a word of caution here to buyers of unmodernised homes. Firstly, be careful not to get sucked into a scarcity-induced frenzy – particularly if you are buying at auction. Such buyers often find...
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ARLA, the Association of Residential Letting Agents promotes itself as the only professional self-regulating body to be solely concerned with lettings and letting agents. ARLA provides a professional trading standards platform and redress system for letting agents, tenants and landlords alike. From a landlord’s point of view, there are any number of good reasons why you should choose an ARLA registered agent, but here are 5 main ones:
When you choose an ARLA registered agent, your are sure that your agent is covered by the ARLA Client Money Protection Scheme. This means that if your agent...
