Top Five Tips to Buying or Selling at Auction

Buying and selling at auction is a good way of finding and selling property fast. And if you are a seller in this current market, it could be a good way to secure a sale within weeks, which is especially worth knowing if you are worried about repossession or have found a property to buy and need to sell quickly.

Unlike buying/selling in the ‘open’ market, an auction allows buyers and sellers to find a ‘fair’ price without complex negotiations or ‘positioning’ negotiating that goes on when estate agents are involved. This is not to say that the agents are the cause – it’s actually buyers and sellers that play more of a game when there is a 'middle man' (or woman!) involved.

Follow Kate’s Top Five Tips to find out if buying or selling at Auction is for you.

Attention all Landlords – Act on Climate Change now and Save Money!

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Climate change is upon us, most scientists, weathermen and politicians around the world now agree. Even America and China, who have been slow to react are now taking climate change seriously and the man made cause - CO2 emissions, need to be brought under control.

As a landlord though, there are questions to be asked. Is it your responsibility or the tenants? After all it is the tenant that will benefit from savings in their utility bills, so surely they should take the financial burden? Haven’t Energy Performance Certificates already proved that tenants don’t really care about how energy efficient a home is? After all, they rarely ask to see one, as long as the property is the size they want, in the location they want and at a price they can afford.

Why should landlords bother? Read on to find out ....

Legal and Tax Implications of Inheriting a Home

Losing a loved parent can be really tough and I know that one of the things I really struggled with when my father died, was dealing with all the paperwork and the legal bits and pieces afterwards.

So I thought it might be useful to write a quick Q&A on what you need to be aware of when inheriting a property – either as a single child or if you have brothers or sisters. Please note these answers have been given with the help of Bridge McFarland Solicitors.

Read on to find out the Legal and Tax Implications of Inheriting a Home.

Should you buy, sell, rent, renovate or build in 2010?

2008 delivered a disastrous year to the property market with funds disappearing, buyers losing all confidence, developers almost going bust and sellers struggling to get viewings let alone sell!

For some, lack of a deposit to buy or unfortunately being temporarily in negative equity may stop some people from moving. However for many, 2010 will bring some clarity to which direction the property market will go. And of course for those that are considering renting, the picture is already clear: most rents are going up!

For self builders and renovators, this year has been one of the best. With land prices dropping, a significant increase in the number of available building plots, great offers and deals on building materials, coupled with the availability of low deposit finance, it’s never been a better time to build or renovate!

So, whether you're a buyer, seller, renovator, self builder or renter, here are my top tips for anyone thinking about carrying out a property project in 2010!

Do properties in high performing school areas cost more?

Since league tables were introduced in 1992, there have been many reports suggesting that you would pay up to a 34% premium for properties in high performing school catchment areas!

Back in October 2007, Savills' research suggested that prices for property in poor performing school areas led to properties being worth 10% less than other homes, 13% more for good state schools and up to 15% more for good private schools.

So has the recent house price crash made a difference to premium prices for good schools? Nationwide have issued a recent report that suggests not.

What does it mean for all those mums and dads, buyers who can't afford to live near their favourite school or those who don't have kids at all?

Buy to Let In Peterborough

I find it really strange that when a property investor wants to expand their portfolio or buy their first investment property to let, they turn to property sourcing companies that will charge you thousands of pounds to source a property but won't give you your money back if you cannot rent it out at the income levels they suggested.

Fortunately for all you budding buy to let investors, Terry Lucking owner of Belvoir Lettings Peterborough, Corby and now Cambridge is running a FREE Buy to Let Seminar about the investment potential of Peterborough.

Did you know that Peterborough is only 45 mins from London, has an average property price of just of £100,000 and is expected to expand its working population by 20,000 people by 2021! Visit the Buy to Let in Peterborough website.

If you are serious about investing in property or expanding your portfolio, don't miss this excellent event and don't forget if Terry finds a property for you it will only cost you £500 and he's the one that will have to find a tenant at the income level he suggested!

Why not go along to the Maximising your Buy to Let Returns seminar so you can meet some of Peterborough’s best property experts including:-

Steve Bowyer, Director of Opportunity Peterborough Terry Lucking, Award winning lettings expert and me!

Rental rates on the rise? Overview of the rental market 2009-10

Despite the number of people buying a home falling by half in the last 12 months, we have heard little about a different property market that has rocketed from a volume perspective and is currently signalling a rise in prices is on the way.

This year it’s estimated that the private rental sector will top (two million people) in comparison to the number of people buying (and selling) a home which has fallen to only 6-700,000.

Normally when property prices fall as they did in 2007 and 2008, rents increase. This was true up until September 2008 when we saw a sudden rush of frustrated sellers take down their ‘for sale’ boards and raise a sign ‘to let’! This dramatic increase in private rented stock caused rents to fall across the UK, and in some cases properties to lay empty for the first time.

Although this hasn’t been great news for landlords, letting agents have benefited from a booming business – especially in comparison to their estate agent cousins. Tenants too had a great time, picking where and what they want to rent while negotiating some fantastic rental deals.

Read on for Kate's full overview of the rental market!

Watch out for Letting Agents Running off with your Cash!

With business for letting agents booming while income from estate agency has plummeted in the last 12 months, it’s important for both landlords and tenants to be aware that letting agents (unlike estate agents) are not regulated and although there are some great letting agents out there, there is the potential for them to run off with YOUR cash!

There have been a number of stories emerging in the last 12 months of estate agents who have turned to lettings to help cover their bills, then have got into financial difficulties.

Read on to find out what you should do to ensure your money is safe!