The Investors in People award measures numerous aspects of the business including training, communication, morale, and commitment of our team to grow and improve the business. It demonstrates that we are not standing still, but instead investing in our business and services and continually innovating and improving what we do.

I bet the majority of those landlords would think twice about depositing their cash in a bank that was not part of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme which covers deposits up to £85000. The same care should be afforded to their choice of letting agents as they are working with their money too,

Many landlords have come to PAD4U having lost thousands of pounds by believing that all agents are the same. They have leaned the hard way that this common held belief is not true. I’m hopeful that the Government will eventually regulate letting agents, such that they all must belong to a professional body and insure Clients’ monies; until then, professional bodies such as ARLA need to try harder to make landlords aware of this critical difference so landlords can make informed decisions.

You can save money at Trove, POD Deli, APL Locksmiths, Post Office Deli, M19 Bar, PAD4U of course, and lots more!  See all the discounts available in Levenshulme here.

PAD4U have been our letting agents for past two years. The service we have received from them has been incredible. We approached PAD4U when we had a bad tenant in our very first property and our then letting agent was totally unhelpful. We went to them with the view of moving our property to them. Luke Elston, their Business Development Manager took over the property from us, dealt with the immediate assessment of the property within a matter of hours and got it let out within 3 weeks. Luke had been immense help to us ever since. It’s his help in viewing properties with us and giving us good sound advice that’s led to us now being owners of 6 buy to lets in a short span of 2 years. What we can say about PAD4U is that there are many agents talking about service but PAD4U and specially Luke has given us support and reliability that we most wanted to maintain and increase our property portfolio. We would recommend PAD4U to anyone looking for a reliable agent and a value added service.

Luke Elston, Sales Manager, “We’ve sold a lot of stock in February and we’re now busily taking on new properties as confidence returns to the Levenshulme market”

Look our for our new style sales boards which will be coming to a street near you!  If you are interested in a FREE NAEA approved valuation of your property please contact us on 0161 257 2441 and you too can have a shiny new board!

“I’m proud to say that the launch of our new Guaranteed Rent on Time Scheme has already generated interest from Landlords wanting to secure their cash flow in the future. We have also converted a couple of our let only landlords to come on board our full management service so they can be included in this scheme.

The fact that PAD4U are guaranteeing Landlord’s Rent On Time free of charge for the initial 6 month period of any new tenancy is bound to be attractive to landlords in this difficult financial climate. It gives landlords the confidence in us as managing agents and they are safe in the knowledge that they will not have to be continually checking their bank accounts to see if the rent payment has arrived or have to start transferring monies between accounts to cover mortgage payments.

Other schemes are in place on the market but PAD4U will pay the full market rent (less our normal management fees) until vacant possession is obtained. We are not charging any more for this service and have not increased our initial finder’s fees or monthly management charges. Landlords will have the option to renew this valuable cover for either a 6 or 12 month period after the initial free period and we will be happy to discuss these fees with you. However, on average it works out at about 55p per day! For me it’s a no brainer as this covers full rent guarantee, legal costs up to £25000 and my rent paid on the same date each month without fail.

I am passionate about our new scheme being a success and will be delighted to take any calls to discuss this in more detail.”

To find out more click here.

The Green Deal has launched and whilst many will be aware of this, few actually understand what is it and whether it is good or just a green one.  There are 3 players in the Green Deal, Assessors who will determine whether the works will cover the loan (the Golden Rule), the Provider who will loan the monies and arrange a Green Deal Installer to carry out the works.

Finding more detailed information isn’t so easy such as the interest payable on the loan, although it’s widely reported that upwards of 7% is likely to be charged, which given current Bank of England rates of 0.5% is quite strong, and will make it difficult for works to pass the Golden Rule.  Relief comes in the fact the loan is very long term anything between 10-25 years (the later consistent with a mortgage term).  The debt is paid back via the electricity bill on the property.

There are many unanswered questions as to what works (if any) will actually meet the Golden Rule, whether the debt attached to the property meter will deter future buyers, or indeed tenants who will be paying for the works whilst living in the property.  Of course, if the Golden Rule holds then future buyers and tenants will enjoy the benefits.

Like most Government schemes this is certainly has merit, especially for landlords who will soon be forced into upgrading their properties to meet energy efficiency requirements anyway.  However, the deal is only as good as its implementation.  So far confusion reins and I’m not sure even the providers really know what is going on or how it will work in practice.

Wood flooring can uplift the interior of many properties and help make the property more attractive on the market. If you are a landlord looking to replace your current flooring with wood, it is essential that you become familiar with the different options at your disposal.

Noise and Flooring

If your property is situated above another, you are obligated by law to minimise footstep noise.  Regardless of which flooring solution you eventually decide to fit, be it wood, carpet or even laminate, noisy floors can become an annoyance to your tenants and neighbours.

Under the Building Regulations Approved Document E (2003, with various updates since), you must reduce noise pollution that is transmitted from the floor. The solution is to fit an underlay with acoustic properties. Some underlays can reduce noise pollution by as much as 30% and make walking on the surface more comfortable.

Types Of Wood Flooring

There are several types of wood floorboards at your fingertips. It is imperative that you fit the correct one so you avoid refitting new floors too soon. As a landlord you should pay attention to:

• A floorboard that is strong enough to cope well with harsh treatment
• A floorboard that has a long service life
• A floorboard that can be rejuvenated between occupancies easily

These requirements will narrow your choice to two types of wood floors. One made of complete wood and one made of wood and manufactured material.

Solid Wood Flooring – These floorboards are made from 100% natural wood. By far, they are the stronger of the two and offer an unparalleled service life of over 100 years.

Engineered Wood Flooring – These floorboards are made from a top layer of natural wood and three to four layers of manufactured materials such as MDF, Plywood and Softwood. Of the two, they are by far the more versatile option in terms of suitability around the property.

Solid vs. Engineered Wood In Your Rental Property

The choice of one instead of the other should be based on the location of the floor in the property and budget constrains. Naturally, solid wood flooring due to their complete solid construction is dearer, but equally offer longer service life. However, they are not always the best option for you. It is easier to understand based on the type of room.

Properties With Under Floor Heating – Natural wood expands in the face of warm temperatures and contracts in the face of cold temperatures. Such conditions are likely to occur in properties that fitted under floor heating. A floorboard that is made completely of natural wood such as in the case of solid wood floors may damage from expanding and contracting. An engineered wood floorboard does not expand nor contracts which makes it suitable to fit over under floor heating.

Busy Areas – Areas that experience high usage will logically also experience quicker wear and tear. When possible, it will make sense to fit solid wood flooring as the floorboards are not only the stronger of the two, but can be sanded and recoated many times thereby rejuvenating the floor for a small financial investment.

Sanding is a process that removes a thin 1mm layer of wood to expose new wood. The floorboard is then recoated and looks freshly fitted. For a landlord looking to tidy up a property between occupancies, an ability to sand the wood is a great cost saving exercise.

Humid and Damp Rooms – Areas that include damp and humid conditions such as the bathroom and kitchen areas require a flooring solution that does not damage from water. Wood is not resistant to water and exposure will damage it. However, engineered wood flooring with a waterproof top layer can be fitted safely in the kitchen, basement, bathroom, extensions and conversions. However the coating does require up keeping ensuring it has not been damaged.

Choosing wood flooring for your rental property is down to understanding your options and fitting the most suitable type.

Written for PAD4U® by Oak flooring vendor Wood and Beyond.

This time last year I blogged about PAD4U’s property market predictions for 2012.  The view I took was that there were equally opposing forces for prices to both rise and fall and thus nationally at least I expected house prices to pretty much remain the same.  Depending on which index you follow Nationwide report prices down 1% over 2012 and Halifax 1.3%. However, whichever index is to be believed I think it’s fair to describe house prices as flat over 2012.  Of course, at the time, all sorts of speculations were being touted including drops of 20%… which of course didn’t materialise.  Low interest rates ensured forced sellers remained minimal and the banks were not so keen to repossess properties if there were viable alternatives. This, along with a predictable supply side deficit meant there was little chance of such predictions coming true.  However the figures for 2012 belie the underlying regional differences with London and South East property markets defying the recession whilst the majority of other regions are suffering price drops.

So what will happen to the property market in 2013?  Well everyone seems to be in more optimistic mood and again we have wild speculation about dramatic rises in house prices, presumably from those who predicted dramatic drops the year before!  Our view is that the spread between the divergent fortunes of the South East and London and rest of the UK is likely to diminish.  This could occur by rising house prices in regions outside of London or a slowing of the London/South East price increases, or a combination of both factors.  Overall we expect the Government and Bank of England initiatives to start trickling through and for banks who have also been fearing the collapse of the euro economies, to be less pessimistic and more willing to lend to what has been a reasonably steady asset class over 2012; ergo we are likely to see increased housing transactions over 2013.

We are also likely to see the return of the First Time Buyer, who having been sitting on the sidelines has taken note that the market appears stable, combined with the understanding that renting is no panacea and rents continuing to play catch up after a long siesta (of which landlords will continue to try to grow their portfolios to profit from), are likely to want to pull the trigger on a house purchase, with their parents crucially in agreement and more certain of their ability to support their children in this financial commitment.   However, don’t expect a landslide. Due to deposit requirements, people will be renting longer as they try to build up the necessary funds.

Manchester looks well placed overall to benefit in 2013 with Jones Lang LaSalle tipping the City Centre as one of it’s top 2o investment opportunities.  The Metro network continues to grow, whilst Media City and the BBC inflow has certainly raised the profile of the Manchester.  PAD4U have long seen the opportunity here and invested whilst the banks and others ran for the exit.  We have found demand for rentals to be strong and tenants willing to pay a premium to be in the centre.  Rents in the suburbs of Manchester such as Levenshulme, Longsight may continue to be constrained by austerity, but demand will continue to be strong.  We expect sales in Levenshulme, Longsight to grow as First Time Buyers come back to the market.  Plans announced this week for HS2 (the high speed link to Manchester/Leeds/Sheffield to London), are likely to pique both foreign and domestic investor interest and perhaps persuade them to leave the relative safety of the Capital to seek greater rewards further north.  The journey time from Manchester to London will be halved from around 2 hours to around an hour (possible commuting time).  This will bring the Capital closer to Manchester than ever before and curtail the recent increased divergence of the North/South divide .  Whilst the project isn’t certain and is a long way off, markets and investors tend to look forward when making their decisions today.  For those who act sooner rather than later the risk is greater, but so to are the likely rewards.

For those Landlords who are looking to increase their portfolios in 2013, please drop us and email and let us know (luke@pad4u.com, david@pad4u.com), as there are often opportunities available off market that you may not be aware of.  Please let us know your views by placing comments below.

I wish you all a prosperous 2013.

Interesting table design for the slightly nerdy/nostalgic – 3.5″ Floppy Table

Source: http://bit.ly/UdvJcF