The Leasehold Scandal, A Suboptimal Conclusion?
Hello Readers, What a week! We’ve seen a snap election called, the renters reform bill thrown away (however, I suspect it will quickly be revived), a wash up to finalise as much policy as possible before parliament is dissolved and in that, the leasehold reform bill having passed! This is a huge deal, however in […]
*WARNING* The Government issue “How to Rent Guide” with incorrect date stamp
Gosh, it’s good to be back. It’s been a while since my last post and so much has happened in that time; I hate being away from the blog and sharing all the industry and local news. Undoubtedly the biggest reason for the gap in my posts has been that I was involved in a […]
Should Medway’s industrial and retail properties be included in an investor’s portfolio?
Five huge new retail stores and a raised car park at Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre were approved by councillors this month. It seems that while Kent and Medway has not been totally untouched by the economic uncertainty of Brexit, business activity and demand for retail property is still enjoying growth. As a relatively affordable area […]
A development in Hempstead halts but the news is sunny across Medway
News from a controversial housing development in Hempstead is that work has been halted because of a dispute over the ownership of the land. The proposed development of the land on Gibraltar Farm is for 450 homes to be built on farmland in Ham Lane. Initial the planning permission was rejected by the council but […]
A lot of news in a little month – here’s the latest from the property world
So it’s been a little while since my last update. Unfortunately I suffered an injury a few weeks ago that has prevented me from undertaking a lot of my normal day-to-day activities. But the good news is that I’m on the road to recovery. It’s been incredibly hard to sit back and take time out, […]
Is the complexity of licensing going to drive landlords out?
I’ve just written an article on some license changes in Bexley which could considerably change the landscape of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) ownership in that area, which led me to thinking about the wider impact of licensing complexities for buy-to-let landlords. Currently Medway Council follow the prescribed licensing set out by the government; that […]
EPC legislation changes affecting EVERY rental property are imminent
I’ve been really busy closing off January. Last week I spent a lot of time chatting with landlords and potential investors, giving advice on rental rates and property investment. Something that I wanted to bring to your attention once again, is the imminent changes to the minimum energy efficiency standard (MEES). I first mentioned this […]
Medway Property News review of the year
I’m spending Christmas and New Year in Cyprus this year. I spent most of my summer holidays as a teenager growing up there and so know the island well. Property prices have taken a hit badly there due to the recession and people who want to sell are really struggling. It’s a buyer’s market, so […]
Figures for the top buy-to-let rental yields across the UK
I’ve just come back from another meeting with a HMO landlord who wants me to take over management of his 5 bed HMO in Gillingham Road. An estate agent himself, he knows the property market really well but after losing two tenants, he simply doesn’t have the time to find new ones, complete the reference […]
It’s been an interesting week following the Chancellor’s budget…
Last week I reported on the market situation for first-time buyers following Phillip Hammond’s announcement to scrap their stamp duty; and the week before about the Rochester regeneration project which will bring 1,400 new homes to the area. All was looking positive for those looking to get on the property ladder in Medway. Well, a lot […]
