Latest News,Sales & Lettings Liverpool – James Kristian

A recent report from Right Move shows in detail what we already knew, that James Kristian is the biggest and best Letting Agent in the area.

We pride ourselves on the service we deliver and the relationships we have built over the years with our clients.

And even though times are uncertain at the moment we want you to be reassured that James Kristian are still here and working for you, and if you are looking for a new home to let.

The office is still open for business, just give us a call and we are more than happy to help you find your new home.

Are you thinking about selling your house? Selling your house, apartment, or commercial property, its a nerve-wracking experience for most of us. Wanting to sell your house quickly, and just “getting on with” the process is often a priority. However, should you use more than one estate agent to sell your home?

Whether you have a property for sale in Bootle or have put a couple of houses for sale in Netherton on the market, you are probably anxious to sell fast. Should you use several estate agents in Waterloo or just one?

Better Service With One Estate Agent

There are many advantages to listing your home with only one estate agent. First of all, you need to consider the practicalities of listing your home with more than one agent.

Who is going to show your home? Using multiple estate agents often means more viewings, but that does not mean quality viewings. Don’t worry, we will explain the concept of quality viewings later in this article.

When you list your home with one estate agent, arranging viewings is easier. You will have to take less time off work and only have one agent to worry about. Creating a good relationship with your estate agent should always be a top priority.

He, or she, can help you with viewings and give you more personalised advice when it comes to top tips to sell your home faster.

Lower Proceeds With Multi-Estate Agency Agreement

Most estate agents in Waterloo are not happy to take on multi-agency agreements. They will do so at a push, but it often means they will charge a different rate of commission. A higher rate of commission clearly means that you are going to make less money from the sale of your house.

Shop around, but in general, you will find estate agents will charge a higher rate when you list your home with several estate agents.

At the end of the day, getting less money for the sale of your home is not really going to benefit you.

You may also find that different estate agents will come up with their own valuations. One may want to list your home at a lower price than the other to achieve a sale.

Also, your house turning up in several estate agents’ windows or websites may smack of desperation. Are you really in such a hurry to sell your home? The result is often a lower offer. As a matter of fact, you are giving potential buyers a reason to make you a worse offer.

Quality Viewings Do Matter

When you first pick an estate agent to sell your house, make sure you choose the right one to suit your needs.

The ideal estate agent should know the local area and have experience of selling homes in your part of the town. If an estate agent does not have any other listings in your area, you should ask yourself why.

Be clear with your estate agent on what you expect. If you have a demanding job, you may not have a lot of time to take off work. Forming a good working relationship with one estate agent is easier to do than trying to make it work with multiple agents.

When your appointed estate agent understands your personal circumstances, he or she is much more likely to make sure you get quality viewings. Yes, it is the job of an estate agent to close the deal. But, sometimes, “selling” your needs to the estate agent and making sure your agent, understands them, is as important.

Quality viewings also go along way to make sure you achieve a better price for your home. You only achieve those when an estate agent knows you and the property you have for sale.

Going Online To Sell Your Home

What about listing your home with one of the new online estate agents? On the face of it, it may seem like a really good idea. But, when it all comes down to it, there are downsides to trying to sell your house using only an online estate agent.

• You will personally be responsible for marketing your house. Are you up to that? Marketing your house is worth is weight in gold. Only a professional estate agent will know how to do that.
• We are back to viewings again. Yes, you will need to arrange all of the viewings and attend them all personally
• Selling tips. Most estate agents will want to sell your home quickly and are happy to give you advice and tips on how to do so. Perhaps your home could do with a lick of paint before you put it on the market.
• Quality photographs are one of the top-selling tools. Are you sure you are up to taking your own photographs?
• Local knowledge really does matter. Do you know all of the ins and outs of the local housing market and the benefit of living in your part of town? The needs of a new buyer are likely to vary from yours. Are you sure you can point them out to a potential buyer?
• Property listed with a local estate agent sells faster.

These are just some of the reasons you are better off listing your house with a local estate agent than with an online estate agent.

When you have houses for sale in Bootle or houses for sale in Netherton, it is better to list your home with a local estate agent that you can have face to face contact with when you feel you need to.

Doing so will ensure that you have a better working relationship and your home is likely to sell much faster.

If you would like to know more about services offered by estate agents in Waterloo, please feel to get in touch. Although we do move around nationally much more than we used to do, most houses are still sold by local estate agents to local people.

This is another reason why it is better to list your house with just one estate agent rather than entering into complicated multi-agency agreements.

As a landlord, you can choose to manage your own property, or contract a letting agent to manage it for you. Landlords who own several properties often have their own dedicated management team. But, if you only own one property, or if this is your first investment property, you may just want a letting agent help you to let your property.

This is a decision you need to make, and is just as important when you have houses to rent in Seaforth, houses to let in Bootle or looking for letting agents in Waterloo.

What Services Do Letting Agents Offer?

Letting agents offer a variety of services. If this is your first time renting out a home, it is best to choice a letting agent offering a variety of services. This will take all of the headache out of the situation and make life easier for you. As a matter of fact, most landlords soon realise that there is rather a steep learning curve.

Collecting Rent and Dealing With Problems

It is easy to assume that you will not have any problems when renting out a property. However, there are many day-to-day problems that may occur even when you are renting out a brand new investment property.

Dealing with run of the mill problems such as contracts and collecting rent, are just two of the things a professional letting agent can help you with as a landlord. If you find yourself asking what does your letting agent do for you, it is likely you may not have picked the right one.

Finding A Tenant For Your Property

Is it always easy to find a tenant? We have all heard about the UK housing crisis and most landlords presume it is easy to find tenants. Yes, there are a lot of potential tenants out there, but are they the right ones for your property?

When it all comes down to it, there is a lot more to renting out a property and finding the right tenant than meets the eye. For instance, do you have credit checking facilities with companies such as Equifax or Experian? A professional letting agent will always check if a potential tenant has a good credit score and can afford the rental cost.

All of this takes time and you need to have the experience to assess a tenant.

Having A Client Base

How are you going to find your tenant? Of course, you can list your houses for rent in Seaforth on the web or in the local paper. That is a great idea, but you may find yourself inundated with inquiries. How are you going to be able to handle that?

Dealing with a lot of people in one go is not easy. You may already have a daytime job and find it hard to allocate your time to viewings and checking potential tenants out.

Most professional letting agents Waterloo or other parts of Liverpool will have a client base with pre-qualified tenants.

Often using a letting agent is quicker when it comes to finding a tenant and cuts down on the hassle factor. Instead of waiting for weeks for the right tenant to contact you, he or she may instead be waiting for a home in your area to become available.

Who Is Going To Do The Paperwork?

When you rent out a home or any other kind of property, paperwork that needs to be done correctly.

The first piece of paperwork you need to tackle as a landlord is the tenancy agreement. Getting the tenancy agreement right is not easy when you are a first-time landlord. Many landlords use a local solicitor, but that often ends up costing a lot of money.

Using a letting agent to do all of the paperwork for you will, in the long run, save you money and make your life easier.

You also need to have landlord insurance. Finding the right one is not straightforward as terms and conditions vary a great deal. Instead of contacting all of the insurance companies you find online, it is probably easier to find a quality letting agent to help you with all of the necessary elements you need to have in place as a landlord.

A Fully Managed Service

When you really want to make life less difficult for yourself, and enjoy all of the benefits of being a landlord without any of the hassle, it is always best to use a fully managed service.

What does this mean? That means a letting agent will look after your legal obligations as well as all over the other obligations that come with renting out a property.

When you become a landlord, you will find yourself dealing with everything from inventory lists to water leaks. You may not think that is going to take up a lot of time, but it certainly does.

Most landlords also have jobs and fitting in their legal obligations is the biggest challenge any landlord faces. Often you need to have a list of tradesmen you can contact when you have a problem in the property you own. It is a bit like having your own emergency response team.

All professional letting agents have a list of other professionals they work with on an ongoing basis. Finding and setting up your own network of plumbers, electricians and decorators is not for the fainthearted.

Rent collection and disputes are not easy to handle. If not handled correctly from the start, they can quickly go on to cost you a lot of money.

This is why the majority of landlords opt for a fully managed property service. It takes all of the stress out of the situation and you will find that you will have less to worry about at the end of the day.

So, whether you have houses to rent in Seaforth, houses to let in Bootle or looking for letting agents Waterloo, it is best to go for a fully managed service. It means that you can go on holiday in peace without having to worry about the mobile phone ringing all of the time with the tenant’s problems or other issues that come up when you are a landlord.

If you need any help or advice in choosing the right tenant for your property, please don’t hesitate to contact the friendly and professional team at James Kristian, and we will be more than happy to help you.

Are you thinking about letting your home out? Finding houses to rent in Walton or finding houses to rent in Orell Park is not necessarily difficult, however, matching the right tenant with a home is often a challenge.

Thanks to our years of experience as professional letting agents, our team here at James Kristian letting agents in Liverpool, can help you to find the right tenant for your property.

Should you try to find a tenant on your own? It is easy to think that finding the right tenant for your property on your own is going to be easy. At first it may seem so, but in fact, finding the right tenant is often much more of a challenge than meets the eye. For instance, you need to have the know-how to put together a legally binding tenancy agreement.

What You Need To Know About A Potential Tenant

Here at James Kristian Letting agents, we follow certain procedures when we help you to find the right tenant for your home.

One of the first things we do is to make sure that we match the right tenant with the right property for him and her. Placing a single person in a 3-bedroom home may not be such a good idea unless there is a particular reason for doing so.

We would ask ourselves if that person would have the time to look after the property, and also if he or she can afford to pay the rent and bills on an ongoing basis. Checking that someone can afford to pay for the rent is something that we always do.

Credit Checking A Tenant

Once we have matched a tenant with the right property, we always credit check a potential tenant. We use professional credit agencies such as Experian or Equifax to make sure that rental costs and bills will be paid on time and the tenant can afford to pay them.

We may even ask tenants to provide references from an employer or a previous landlord to make sure that we supply you with a successful long-term tenant.

The Quality Of Your Property

Does the quality of your property matter? Yes, it does.

As professional Liverpool letting agents we don’t list all properties that we are asked to list. We will always visit the property before we decided to list it and make sure that it is up to our high standards.

In general, better quality property attracts the right type of tenant. It is certainly worth making sure that your home is “up to scratch” before you decide to rent it out. If you need any advice on how to make sure your home is ready to rent out, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Are there any particular areas you should focus on? The most important rooms in the house are the bathrooms and the kitchen. However, the rest of the home should be in good condition as well and this includes the garden.

Should I List My Rental On Gumtree?

There are many free listing sites such as Gumtree on which you can list your house or other property. But, it means that you will be responsible for all of the work associated with the rental including credit checks and contracts.

It is easy to think that listing the property yourself is going to save you money, but that is not the case. In fact, ending up with the “wrong” tenant in your house could indeed cost you money.

Best Advice For Renting Out Your Home

There are many factors that you should take into consideration before you rent your property out. We will be more than happy to talk you through all of the best advice you need to rent out your property at no risk to you.

A good example is Landlord Insurance. This will ensure that if there are problems during the rental agreement, the insurance company will deal with any issues such as non-payment of rent. Going through the courts is expensive so this kind of insurance is a cost-effective option.

As rental property now needs to meet certain standards, it is not easy for homeowners to keep up with the standards. We will make sure you are aware of everything that is expected of you as a landlord.

Promoting Your Rental Property

When you sell a home, you expect your contracted estate agent to promote it for you in a professional way. The same goes for rental property. Unlike many other letting agents, we take a personal interest in your property and do all of the hard work for you.

The emphasis will be on you to make sure that your property is of a good standard and that you will be able to fulfill your part of the legal agreement. We will take care of the rest including tenant’s checks such as the credit check, viewings and contracts.

How Long Does It Take To Find A Tenant?

Often it will take a local letting agent less time to find a suitable tenant for your property. Most quality letting agents will have potential tenants waiting for the right property for them to become available.

If you are a developer of houses to rent in Walton, or houses to rent in Bootle, it is a good idea to contact us as soon as you know you will have properties for rent available. We will start the process of finding the right tenants for your properties and help you to set up everything you need to make the rental a complete success.

Would you like to know more about the services James Kristian letting agents can provide? When you are ready to rent out your property, or would like to know more about the services we can provide, please feel free to get in touch with us.

Our professional team is more than happy to answer all of your questions. Making sure that we find the right tenant for your rental property is just as important to us as it is to you.

Please feel free to get in touch with us via email. Alternatively to ensure a fast response, just pick up the phone and give us a call. We will make all of the necessary arrangements and make sure that we find the right tenant for your house as soon as possible.

This time of the year, whether you are looking for houses to rent in Bootle or letting agents in Waterloo to help you rent out your home, Christmas is probably on your mind. After all, the Christmas season is one of the busiest times of the year for all of us.

Let’s be honest, even if you have just moved into a new home in Bootle or Waterloo, you are more than likely trying to get ready for Christmas. You have Christmas presents to buy and you need to plan your Christmas dinner as well.

The Christmas season is the busiest time of the year in the UK and we often try to fit in all sorts of things that we would not normally do.

But, it is not the only the average hard-working person, who is rushed off their feet. During Christmas 2018 UK home burglaries soared and according to the police, the trend is set to continue.

Soaring Christmas Burglaries

Sadly, Christmas burglaries are on the increase nationwide. That includes areas such as Bootle and Waterloo on Merseyside.

There are many reasons why burglaries around Christmas time are on the increase. We are buying more expensive Christmas presents than ever before, and that has made Christmas the opportune time for burglars.

So, what precautions can you take to minimise the risk of a burglary occurring in your home?

How To Minimalise The Risks Of A Christmas Burglary In Your Home

The best way to minimise the risk of burglars coming down your chimney at Christmas, is to combine both low and high tech methods.

Yes, it would be nice to think that no one is going to break into your home this Christmas, but with rising crime statistics, it is always best to take precautions.

Here a couple of tips on how you can make your home safer in and around Christmas time:

Invest In A Burglar Alarm

A burglar alarm is one of the best ways to stop a burglar at any time of the year. Thanks to modern technology, it is now easier to protect and monitor your home than ever before. Most of the time, you don’t need to get one of the top home security companies involved.

Popular websites such as Amazon offer an endless amount of easy to install home safety systems. Many modern alarm systems are easy to set up and come with add-on technology which allows you to monitor them from your Smartphone. An app on your phone quickly alerts you to any problems in your home.

Smart Home security systems are not expensive and will continue to protect your home all year round.

Santa Does Not Help You To Clear Up

Both adults and kids do love leaving Christmas presents lying about the home. The living room is a particularly critical area. Ask any burglar, and he will tell you that leaving stuff out is basically an open invitation.

Most home burglaries do not happen by chance. Burglars are likely to scout an area before they go about their “business”. During the day when you are out taking the dog for a walk, they may even peep in through your windows or letterbox.

They quickly assess what you have in your home, and when they spot some that they like the look of, they will return later.

A good idea is to put away all Christmas presents when you are not in the home. Also, don’t forget to check locks on doors and windows. It is easy to leave a window or back door open unintentionally.

Christmas Wrapping Paper and Card Boxes

It is hard to resist all of those special offers which are available before Christmas. If you find yourself returning home with a new Smart TV, or top of the range games console, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, it is best to dispose of any packaging safely.

That does not mean putting the box it came in out by your wheelie bin. Instead, take any packaging down to the tip right away, or store it away somewhere in your home where it can’t be seen.

Burglaries lookout for everything including large card boxes and accidentally dropped credit card receipts. The small details matter as much as the bigger ones. Don’t only put away your card boxes, make sure you keep your receipts in a safe place.

Are You Going Away For Christmas?

Increasingly more of us go away for a ski holiday or sunshine break in the days after Christmas. If you are planning a break, make sure that your home is safe before you go.

The jury is out on if drawing the curtains is a good idea. However, one thing that can make is a difference, is making your home looks occupied.

Once again, thanks to smart technology, you can now buy systems that allow you to switch on the lights at random intervals. They are not expensive to invest in and are a mix of a low-tech and high-tech way of keeping your home safe.

The idea behind them is to stop a burglary from occurring. The idea is simple, a potential burglar will not be sure if you are home or not.

Another low-tech way of ensuring your home stays that little bit safer over Christmas, is to get your neighbour on your side. Ask your neighbours to take in any deliveries that you may be expecting.

Better still, make sure you don’t have any deliveries to worry about if you are planning on taking a Christmas family holiday.

Updating Your Social Media Status

A surprising number of burglaries monitor social media. Don’t kid yourself that this only applies to high profile celebs, the same is true for the average person as well. The average British home is just as much at risk of being broken into as a celeb’s home.

Try to limit your social media activity in the time leading up to Christmas and during Christmas time.

Yes, you may be excited about that discounted Christmas family break in the Dominican Republic you picked up on Wowcher, but you may not be the only one counting the days until it is time to go. The golden rule is to never post your holiday dates on social media.

And here is another thing you should never do – don’t post images of your expensive Christmas presents. That is just asking for trouble.

No matter if you are hunting for houses to rent in Bootle, or searching the Internet for top letting agents in Waterloo like James Kristian, make sure that you keep your home secure this Christmas.

That is the best way to enjoy this very special time of the year with your friends and family and keep on rocking around the Christmas tree.

James Kristian are a leading letting agent in Waterloo who landlords can work with when looking to manage houses to rent in Bootle, Litherland and Waterloo amongst other local areas.

It pays for landlords to be aware of how they can become more knowledgeable about not only handling property rentals, but also about handling tenant relationships to ensure longer-term commitments and full client satisfaction.

In this article, we provide ten points that landlords should be mindful of, especially those who are in the early stages of their careers, and who are still picking up tips of the trade.

Tip 1

To begin with, a landlord should make sure that the agency that they work with are credible, trustworthy and have a strong track record, as well as seeing what industry bodies they are members of.

If a landlord wants to make sure of good management, they should pair up with a letting agent that also acts with the highest levels of professionalism and customer care. Fortunately for those landlords reading, James Kristian are perfectly suited to tick all these boxes and many others in proving to be a leading letting agent in Liverpool.

Tip 2

The second thing is to understand the market trends, as well as being proactive in attempting to identify other potential trends before they become a reality.

Tip 3

On a similar note, the third tip is very important, and that is to be aware of the rules and regulations within the property world, which includes being acquiescent with tax legislation and any other laws which have to be adhered to for landlord compliance.

Sometimes, landlords might overlook the sudden implementation of certain guidelines which can prove to have a major impact in the subsequent years, but when it comes to the law, ignorance or obliviousness is not an excuse for non-compliance.

Conducting thorough research and always keeping an eye on what is and isn’t legal is not only a recommendation, but a necessity.

Tip 4

Number four on our list concerns other parties that a landlord might establish a connection with in order to prepare properties to the highest possible standard in terms of quality and safety. We’re talking about gas and electricity experts, and this ties into our fifth tip, which is about taking out related policies that cover both the future renter and the landlord.

Tip 5

British Gas’ Homecare Policy is highly recommended, which will really help the client in the winter months, but landlord insurance is also essential, as it includes rent protection and legal protection, which covers the landlord in the event of some unusual circumstances that would otherwise place him or her in a problematic position.

Tip 6

Next, a landlord should think about the areas that they wish to prioritise. For instance, there are plenty of great houses to rent in Bootle, and it is also very much a localised community, which might help landlords to target clients who wish to remain within the area.

Tip 7

Litherland also has some fantastic properties, as well as having shopping districts and green parks nearby. Waterloo, meanwhile, has a plethora of homes surrounded by entertainment and service options.

By identifying specific areas and focusing increased attention on those districts, it becomes easier for a landlord to not only build up a property portfolio, but to expound the benefits of each site for would-be clients.

Speaking of which, we now come to four major points relating directly to the future tenants. We strongly encourage landlords to keep in close contact with customers whenever possible.

Tip 8

This includes having a good level of regular communication, because it builds trust from their end and also gives the landlord increased confidence that they will remain at the property beyond the initial tenancy agreement.

A key aspect of this is to be listening at all times, as a client may raise an issue that may seem minor to the landlord, but could ultimately be impactful to the customer.

Tip 9

On a related note, a landlord should be quick to respond whenever any queries are brought up, because clients can recognise when the landlord seeks to eliminate any causes of concern at the earliest possible stage.

Tip 10

Finally, emphasise to a would-be tenant that the first-class customer service offered by the landlord is part of the package that comes with the property and the letting agent like James Kristian.

This will make the tenant less inclined to move elsewhere, since they wouldn’t just be changing houses, but also changing landlords, which could make their experience at an alternative property less enjoyable.

Selling your home is a big decision to make and often coming to the point of putting it on the market could have taken months of deliberation. So you speak to your agent and place your home up for sale and wait for the offers to come in.

You are full of excitement and anticipation as the viewings start, and you hope you are going to make the sale quickly and move on to the next chapter in your life.

What happens when you have had some viewings but no offers come in, or not the offer you want, and after some time on the market the interest fades and the time between viewings becomes less and less.

It’s easy to become dispirited when this happens, but if a house has been on the market for too long without selling there is generally a reason, and it may be time to reassess the situation and be objective as to why it hasn’t sold.

Is The Price Right

It’s an all too common occurrence unfortunately that houses are priced too highly by agents when they talk to prospective sellers to win the business, luring them into a false hope of the price they may achieve for their property.

This is not a practice James Kristian encourages at all, as it leads the seller to believe they may achieve more for their property than they actually will.

Before you agree to place your house for sale in Litherland with an estate agent do some research online to find out how much houses in your road, or the local area has sold for recently.

This will give you a realistic price for what you should achieve for your property, indeed it will tell you if your house is over valued and the reason why you may not be getting the viewings you anticipated.

If you feel your property may not be valued at the correct price to achieve your sale then discuss this with your estate agent, you can also get a second opinion from other agents in your area to make sure you have the correct valuation to get people viewing your property.

Presentation Is Key

Making sure your house is presented in the best manner is essential to achieving a sale, first impressions count, especially when a potential buyer enters your home.

They have a vision in their mind on how the house will look, and if they enter and find clutter untidiness this can put them off from making an offer.

Despite all the property programs you see on TV, most people don’t want to carry out big renovation jobs on a house they are going to buy.

Most people want to move in, redecorate and live in it, so if you present to them a messy cluttered house it will give a bad impression and make it seem there is a lot of work to do to make the house liveable to their standard.

If you want the house to sell quickly and not sit on the market for months then make sure you get rid of all clutter before viewings, its best to depersonalise the property from you to make it easier for the viewer to visualise how they would like it.

It’s worth investing in some paint and give the house a makeover before it goes onto the market, this doesn’t have to be too expensive, but freshening up the rooms and creating space will make a massive difference when it comes to achieving the sale.

When you put your property up for sale you are effectively competing with other sellers in the same price bracket. So make your property stand out from the crowd by presenting it in the best fashion.

If you haven’t done this and your property has been sitting on the market for a while then it’s time to invest some time and effort into clearing the clutter and giving your property a make over to get those offers coming in.

How’s The Maintenance

Apart from clutter, which is fairly easy to remedy, how is the general condition of the house, are there any prominent cracks in the walls? Is the gate hanging off its hinges? Do the windows leak?

These are all issues that would cost the buyer money to remedy, and they may not have the time or the budget to fix any major structural issues. If there are these kinds of issues it will deter a sale, or attract an offer well below your asking price.

Do all you can to ensure these kinds of issues are repaired ahead of any viewings to make the sale move forward without any untoward delays.

Make the sale

Selling your home can be an emotional rollercoaster, and its easy to get sucked into thinking you will achieve a quick sale for your preferred asking price. But you have to be objective before you put your house on the market.

In preparation to make the sale have a good look around as if you were the buyer, what jumps out at you that would prevent you from buying your own property.

Its even a better idea to get a friend round and ask them to view the property as if they where a potential buyer, and draw up a list of the negative points they find that would prevent them from making an offer.

This will give you a realistic idea of the issues that will prevent a sale and leave your house sitting on the market for an unnecessary length of time.

If you would like an objective opinion on what your house is worth, and any issues that may prevent it from selling give us a call at James Kristian estate agents in Waterloo, and we can have a discussion on the state of the market and how you need to stage your home to make the sale.

Or feel free to call into our office and one of our friendly team will be happy to chat with you on the best options available for you to sell your property as quickly as possible and for the best price for you.

At James Kristian we have been helping homeowners sell their homes now for over 10 years, and we have learnt that no two sales are the same, and there is often unexpected twists and turns that occur during the sales process.

There are multiple people involved when you sell your house, and this means not everything is in your control, which can be frustrating. Having the right team in place is essential to making the sale go through smoothly and quickly.

Your Property Team

Having the right team to assist your house sale is very important, your estate agent, solicitor and surveyors all need to work together to ensure completion comes around quickly. But where do you start when it comes to putting your team together?

Word of mouth is often the best way, if you know someone who has recently sold their house quickly, then why not give them a call and ask who they used through the process. How was their experience? And can they make any recommendations, like one of our recent clients did who had houses for sale in Litherland.

Aside from recommendations you can also do your own research on the internet, people leave reviews on sites like Trust Pilot so you can get a gage on how good the services you may want to hire are by reading their reviews.

Take time to do your research before you take action on the sale, good preparation is key to a quick property sale.

Who Is Your Buyer

Once you have selected your property team and the house is on the market, the next stage of the process is to get viewings on your property, and then offers for your asking price, and indeed you may get offers for higher than the valuation.

But is the highest bid the best bid? If your buyer has a house to sell before they can buy yours, this can seriously delay the process, and if you are looking for a quick sale to move on then it may not be the best idea to take the highest bid.

If you have a buyer who offers a lower offer, but can move quickly to buy then this may actually be the best way for you to sell your house quickly and move on.

When the offers come in you need to be speaking with your estate agent to make sure any offers on your house are credible, does the buyer have their team and more importantly their finances in place. And how quickly can they action the sale to completion from their end.

So due diligence is key, when the offers come in make sure you take the time to find the right buyer to complete your house sale quickly.

Is Your Paperwork In Place

When it comes to exchanging contracts the last thing you want to happen is to not have all your paperwork in place to delay the sale. Ensure this doesn’t happen by doing your research beforehand, proof of identity and property title deeds to name a couple.

If you need advice on what you need in place to complete the sale speak to your estate agent and they will be able to advise you on everything you need.

Keep In Contact

Once you have accepted an offer on your property your team will kick into action to make the sale, and this is when keeping in contact becomes essential, if your solicitor is trying to call you and you don’t pick up this will inevitably delay the sale.

Name and store all your important numbers in your phone, often people will ignore strange numbers when they appear on the screen of your phone. If this is your estate agent with important information about the sale you need to make yourself accessible to assist the process.

Check your emails regularly to keep up to date with any developments, and if you receive documents through the post that need signing make sure you sign and return them as quickly as possible and keep the sale moving quickly.

Through To Completion

Whether you are selling or you are buying no one likes delays, and once you have found the right buyer for your house then it pays to make sure you do everything you can to make the process run smooth and quickly through to completion.

Having the right property team in place at the start of the process will go a long way to ensuring your quick property sale.

If you need any help or advice on how to assemble your team then James Kristian are more than happy to help, we have been helping people to sell their homes for over 10 years, and we have the experience and the contacts to help support you in making your sale.

For a no obligation chat just give us a call or call into our office in Waterloo and we can help you on the way to selling your home.

Are you looking for help with finding and screening suitable tenants? Perhaps you want the peace of mind and convenience of a comprehensive round-the-clock letting and property management service that takes care of everything?

Whatever level of support you need James Kristian can provide the landlord service that is right for you.

We have more than 20 years experience in letting properties in the North West. Our clients range from private landlords with one small rental property to buy-to-let investment landlords with a property portfolio.

As standard we have 4 different levels of service:

• Marketing only service

Perfect for landlords that have their own experienced staff to conduct viewings and manage their investment. The property will be marketed extensively including all the major property portals, our website and 24hr touchscreen window display.

• Tenant find service

Perfect for landlords who have the time and experience to manage their own investment, but want assistance with finding a suitable tenant and accompanying the viewings.

• Let only service

Perfect for landlords who want to manage the tenancy themselves but want to ensure all the paperwork (tenancy agreement, inventory and statement of condition) is completed professionally.

• Fully managed Letting service

Perfect for landlords who have limited time, or are travelling / living overseas, and want to outsource the entire day to day tenancy management and upkeep of their property investment to a professional property management agent.

All our services can be tailored to suit your individual needs and we will provide a written quote with absolutely no obligation.

We understand that becoming a Landlord can be a daunting experience. So we have provided you this step-by-step guide to what’s involved in letting your property.

We have included information on some of your legal obligations and practical matters as well as an overview of all the services we offer.

So whether you are thinking of letting your property for the first time or you’re an experienced landlord looking for a new letting agent service, please get in touch to discuss your requirements.

Getting Started

Our knowledge of the local rental market coupled with a tailored approach to advertising will help you set an achievable rent and find the right tenant.

Property appraisal and valuation

We offer an independent assessment of your property by one of our trained and experienced members of staff.

This is free of charge and with absolutely no obligation.

We will visit your property and advise you of any work required to meet regulatory requirements.

We will also offer advice on any other actions you need to take before you let the property including necessary repairs or refurbishments.

It’s important that you set a rent that is competitively priced, fair and achievable. Using our extensive knowledge of the local rental market, we will assess how much your property could fetch in the current climate.

Our rental valuation will take into consideration the location, size, standard and condition of the property and whether it will be let furnished, part furnished or unfurnished.

During the assessment we will be happy to discuss the lettings process with you and answer your questions.

If you are first time landlord you will have plenty of opportunity to find out more about what is involved in letting a residential property.

Effective advertising and marketing

At James Kristian we use the very latest technology and proven marketing techniques to advertise our rental properties.

We use all the major property websites including RightMove, Zoopla and Prime Location.

Our own website www.james-kristian.co.uk is responsive, which means it automatically optimises the display to work and look good on smartphones and tablets.

This gives your rental property the highest possible online exposure, whichever device your potential tenant uses.

Our online marketing activity includes social media through our Facebook pages and Twitter account. We supplement this with press advertising, email marketing campaigns and our distinctive ‘To Let’ boards.

We tailor our marketing approach to the type of tenant you are looking for to attract genuine interest.

Once instructed, one of the first things we do is to match a property with our list of waiting tenants and send them your property particulars by email with alerts via SMS text message.

High quality photography and floor plans are fundamental to presenting your rental property in the best possible way.

James Kristian takes the time to capture the best picture of each room and show off its best features, ensuring every picture looks professional.

Location is a primary factor for people when choosing somewhere to rent and our online property particulars include information on transport links, schools, shopping and leisure facilities and other local amenities with useful maps of the area

Securing the most suitable tenant

As a landlord, you need peace of mind that the right tenants will be living in your property. All potential tenants on our rental database are pre-qualified by us before we carry out viewings to ensure they are suitable.

All property viewings are accompanied and conducted by a fully trained member of our team and we provide prompt and honest feedback.

We will keep you up-to-date on progress and will let you know as soon as someone applies to rent your property.

We take up tenant references and credit checks on your behalf using a specialist referencing agency.

This vetting process is a critical step in securing a reliable tenant for you.

Preparing you property to let – the legal essentials

Our experienced lettings team will provide the latest information and guidance to ensure you meet all your legal obligations as a Landlord.

Energy Performance Certificate

All properties for rent must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) before any marketing or viewings can take place. An EPC rates energy efficiency and its environmental impact and is valid for ten years for rental properties.

A copy of the EPC must be made available to tenants before entering into a tenancy agreement. If you do not have an EPC for your property, James Kristian can arrange an inspection for you.

Gas Safety

Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, landlords have a legal obligation to make sure all gas pipework, appliances, fittings and flues are safe to use and maintained in a safe condition.

Every gas appliance and flue must be tested for gas safety every 12 months.

A Gas Safety record must be provided to existing tenants within 28 days of the annual safety check, or to new tenants before they move in, and you must keep copies yourself for two years.

All installation, maintenance and safety checks must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. We can arrange this for you.

Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety Amendment) Regulations 2010

Upholstered furniture and soft furnishings supplied in a rented property must comply with current regulations.

This includes, but is not limited to, bed frames, mattresses, headboards, sofa beds, pillows, cushions, seat pads and any garden furniture that may be used indoors.

Items, which comply, will have a suitable permanent label attached. All non-compliant items must be removed before a tenant moves in.

Bedding, carpets, curtains and any furniture made before 1950 are exempt.

Electrical Safety

Landlords are required to ensure that the electrical installation in a rented property is safe when tenants move in and maintained in a safe condition.

Although not a legal requirement, it is strongly recommended that you have the property inspected and tested by a registered electrician every five years and arrange Portable Appliance Testing (PAT test) once a year, to ensure electrical appliances are safe and fit for purpose.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

New regulations introduced in October 2015 require landlords to install smoke alarms on every floor of their rental property and test them at the start of every tenancy, and to install carbon monoxide alarms in high risk rooms such as those where a solid fuel heating system is installed.

Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)

If you own a property and rent it our, your local council may decide to do an HHSRS inspection. Inspectors look at 29 health and safety areas.

Consent to Let

If your property is mortgaged, you must obtain written consent to let from your mortgage lender. If it is leasehold, your lease may require written consent from your landlord before you can sub-let.

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO)

If your property is let to at least three tenants who share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities but are not from one household or family – sometimes called a ‘house share’ – it is a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).

Depending on the size of the property, the number of tenants and the area, you are likely to need an HMO licence from your local council plus an HHSRS inspection. We can advise you on this.

Buildings Insurance

Landlords are required by law to take out buildings insurance for rental properties. We advise our clients to also consider contents insurance and policies to cover rent guarantee and legal expenses.

Letting your property – moving your tenant in

Our experienced lettings service ensures everything is in place for a smooth and trouble-free start to renting out your property.

Tenancy Agreement

This is a legally binding agreement, setting out the rights and obligations of both Landlord and Tenant.

Most residential properties are let on an Assured Shorthold tenancy (AST) for an initial fixed term of 6 or 12 months. We will prepare all the paperwork and draw up a comprehensive legal document for signing.

If we are fully managing your tenancy and rental property for you, then the tenancy agreement will include those activities we will be responsible for on your behalf.

Inventory / Schedule of Condition

All of the inventories produced for James Kristian clients contain a full written description of the property, it’s contents and schedule of condition inside and out, including the walls, flooring and all fixtures, fittings and furnishings.

We also offer market leading 360° photographs to protect our landlords, this provides a crucial legal reference in case of any discrepancy or claim against a tenant’s deposit at the end of a tenancy.

Utilities & Council Tax

Usually, it is the tenants’ responsibility to pay utility bills and council tax. We can organise all meter readings and arrange the transfer of water rates, gas, electricity and Council Tax accounts to the tenant.

Deposit Schemes

A deposit is paid by the tenant at the start of a tenancy to safeguard against damage.

Since April 2007, all new Assured Shorthold Tenancies must be registered with a government-backed tenancy deposit protection (TDP) scheme within 30 days of receipt of the deposit.

If we were not providing our Fully Managed Letting Service to you, then you would need to register the deposit with a TDP scheme yourself.

Landlords should be aware that there are significant penalties for failing to comply with deposit protection requirements.

Right to rent check

Landlords of properties throughout England must check that the prospective tenant has the right to rent before letting them a property.

Strict government legislation was introduced, if not completed correctly large fines can be imposed for none compliance.

Council Selective Licensing

Selective licensing requires landlords who privately rent out properties in the designated area to obtain a licence from the Council.

Liverpool & Sefton councils have already introduced this and Landlords are required to meet a range of licence conditions, and show that they have appropriate management arrangements in place.

Day to Day Management

Once you tenant has moved in we can take care of your property, tenancy arrangements and your landlord duties throughout the tenancy and beyond

Keys

You should provide at least one set of keys for each tenant. Where we will be managing the property for you, we will also require a full set, which will be coded for security purposes. We can arrange to have duplicates cut.

Collecting rent

James Kristian offers a rent collection service as part of its Fully Managed Letting Service for busy landlords. We collect rent monthly unless the Tenancy Agreement specifies otherwise.

Occasionally, tenants may experience financial difficulties and our rent collection service includes chasing any late payments.

We will notify you at the earliest opportunity of any rent arrears. You can protect against loss of rental income with an insurance policy; we can suggest one if you wish.

We pay the rent to landlords monthly by BACS (net of our fees and any disbursements, bills and income tax if appropriate) and provide monthly income and expenditure records.

Rental income and Taxation

As a landlord, you are responsible for assess your own tax for rent received. Below is some basic guidance on taxation matters relevant to landlords; however we would always recommend you seek independent financial advice from an accountant on tax matters.

Income Tax

Rental income is liable to tax, although a number of expenditure items can be offset against rental profit. You also need to pay Class 2 National Insurance if the work you do counts as running a property business.

Overseas Landlords

Under the Non-Resident Landlord (NRL) Scheme, your lettings agent will need to deduct tax from the rental income and pay the tax directly to HM Revenue & Customs.

If you choose not to use a lettings agent to collect rent, then your tenant will be legally responsible for collecting and paying the tax to HMRC.

Alternatively, landlords living overseas can apply for approval to receive rental income with no tax deducted. Full details of NRL Scheme are available from HMRC.

Inspections, maintenance and repairs

The practicalities of being a landlord can be very time-consuming. With our Fully Managed Letting Service we take care of all the day-to-day management and upkeep of your rental property so you don’t need to worry about it.

We will carry out regular routine inspections – usually quarterly – at a mutually convenient time agreed with the tenant.

This will involve visual inspections, assessing any wear and tear, and organising maintenance and compliance checks.

If we identify any problems we will advise you and, depending on our agreement with you, we can arrange for repairs and any work to be done on the property and pay for this out of the rent received.

We have an in house team of trades people as well as a network of reliable and trustworthy contractors we can call on to deal with routine repairs or emergencies at very competitive rates.

Tenancy Renewals, reviews and notices

We will handle all tenancy renewals, including rental reviews, for you. If you decide to increase the rent we will issue the relevant notice informing your tenants.

If you wish to end a tenancy, we will serve notice to your tenants in line with all legal process and timing requirements and manage all the end of tenancy administration.

End of tenancy checks and deposit returns

At the end of a tenancy the landlord should ensure the property is in a good, clean condition before the tenant checks out, take back the keys and formerly take possession of the property.

Assuming there are no issues and all paperwork is completed, utility companies notified and you have a forwarding address for the tenant, the landlord should return the tenant’s deposit.

This is all included as part of our Fully managed Letting Service.

Remarketing

No landlord wants a vacant property. If a tenancy is not renewed, we offer landlords who take our Fully Managed Letting Service an automatic property appraisal, rental valuation and remarketing service until we find a new tenant.

Piece of mind for busy landlords

Choose our Fully Managed Letting Service and all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the rent. Your dedicated Property Manager will take care of everything and keep you informed.

Once your property is let the work doesn’t stop there. Today’s tenants can be quite demanding, expecting maximum value for their rental.

Whether it is fridge failure or a leaking shower, you can be sure any tenant will want a swift repair, however inconvenient the timing may be for you.

This is why our clients value our full property management service where we look after any repairs and tenancy issues for you.

And, for your peace of mind, we also visit the property regularly and organise any maintenance and safety compliance checks, assuring you that your property remains in sound condition and your legal obligations are met.

Personal service

You will have your own Property Manager who will look after every aspect of the let and your property throughout the life of the tenancy. Our landlord clients tell us they appreciate the continuity and accountability of a single point of contact.

Pop in for a chat

If you are looking to rent out a property or you already do and may be looking for management, then why not pop into our office in Waterloo for a chat to see how James Kristian can help you.

One of our friendly staff is on hand to give you the best advice on how to let out your property with minimal fuss.