All About The Rochester Riverside Development
Hello readers! I nipped out for a walk the other morning as dawn broke around the Rochester Riverside Development – a significant new development for the Medway towns that will bring 1,400 new homes to the local area. My curiosity drove me as I wandered around the part-developed site, taking in the view of a […]
Section 21 abolition – the time to speak is now
In April the Government announced plans to scrap Section 21 notices. In a widely ridiculed move that will see landlords lose the power to easily regain access to their own properties, a consultation is to be completed to explore the implications of the move and set the terms of the new law. That consultation won’t […]
New tax year, new tax changes. What buy-to-let investors need to know for 2019
As we welcome (!) a new tax year, I’ve been reading up on what that means because – as always – there are more changes. The implications for buy-to-let landlords are considerable, although not unanticipated and there are also a few market legislation changes that I think it’s important to recap too. So here’s a […]
How a gas safety certificate has prevented a landlord gaining access to his property
An interesting case was heard at Exeter County Court last month when a judge ruled that a landlord could not regain possession of their property because of a technicality relating to the issuance of a gas safety certificate. It seems the landlord in question had failed to serve a gas safety certificate in accordance with […]
An unexpected buyer for Chatham’s Pentagon Shopping Centre
Redevelopment of the Medway towns is always a discussion I enjoy and it seems that there’s a new topic on the development horizon which is going to move Medway into unchartered territory, as Medway Council have agreed plans to buy Chatham’s Pentagon Shopping Centre. The Pentagon was constructed in the early 1970s. The demolition work […]
Sensationalised headlines and the truth of a “sales figure collapse”
I read the headline “Shock fall-through figures show almost 50% of sales collapsing” this week and thought, oh no. But as is always the case, the devil is in the detail…. So firstly, let’s examine the detail. The article from Estate Agent Today was based on data from a ‘quick buy’ property company. Granted, the […]
New year, new start…the merits of Medway are attracting first time buyers
The new year is in full flow already and it’s started with planning my goals and plans for 2019. Anyone who reads my blog with any regularity will know that I like to focus on the positives. I’m a fairly optimistic person and I believe that good things happen to good people. So this year my […]
With 45% of Medway HMO owners living outside of the Medway towns, could smartphones replace cheap letting agents?
There are very few people who have not succumbed to the ease of a smartphone. Those that haven’t – I’m in awe. For me, my phone is instant access to every aspect of my business and – as for many I’m sure – has become a fairly permanent extension of my forearm. But is it […]
A 7.3% rise in new builds, prospering business parks + £22m highway investment – The Kent Property Report headlines
This year’s Kent Property Market Report has been published and it is packed full of good news for Medway. It’s a detailed report produced by Caxtons Chartered Surveyors, Kent County Council and Locate in Kent, designed to give a concise appraisal of property development and investment across the county, broken into six key areas of […]
Tax, tax, tax, tax, tax…. Is a landlord tax bill of 66% really a possibility?
Over the past year, the government clampdown on the buy-to-let sector has continued to throw doubt into the minds of investors about the viability of making a decent return on buy-to-let investments. Landlords tax bills are rising and new laws designed to protect tenants – such as the Right to Rent scheme – no doubt […]
