April 2022

The Key to Getting Top Price for Your Home (Hint: Choose a Great Estate Agent)

This two-minute read explains how to identify a great estate agent – one who’ll land you the best deal for your home.  What separates a mediocre estate agent from an exceptional one? It’s not what they say; it’s what they do. While some agents talk a big game, in reality they just go through the motions. But great agents (and we like to think that here at Nest in Essex we fall...

Why Renting Your Property to Family Could Be Problematic.

Here are some questions you should ask yourself before you rent your property to family or friends. Do they need to sign a tenancy agreement? Yes, yes, and yes again! They might be family, but they’re also your tenants and both parties need to know what is expected of them. For example, they might say they want to stay for 12 months but then leave after just six. Without a tenancy agreement,...

Want to Achieve Top Asking Price for Your Home? Join a Winning Team

Selling a home is not a solo project – well, not if you hope to achieve top selling price. A three-minute read. If there’s one piece of property advice worth remembering, it’s this: be wary of anyone who tells you that selling a home is so easy that you should do it yourself. Many things in life are easy, like singing Baa Baa Black Sheep out of key or eating a whole packet of chocolate...

Why Landlords Should Respond Promptly to Tenants (And Not Mess Them About)

When a tenant gets in touch, don’t faff about – a prompt response will save you time and money in the long run. A three-minute read. Picture this: you’re frantically busy at work, scrambling to meet an urgent deadline when your phone pings. It’s your tenant raising what seems like a pretty minor issue, so you make a mental note to get back to them in a few hours when things calm...

Quick Tips for First-Time Buyers

Taking that first step on the property ladder is simultaneously exciting and terrifying. No matter how old you are, buying your first property will make you feel like a proper grown-up. Before you even find the right property, there’s lots to learn, so in this quick read, we’ve pulled together our top five tips for first-time buyers. Be mortgage savvy There are so many different options...

Top Tips for Managing Joint Tenancies

When they run smoothly, joint tenancies can be a good source of income for landlords. This three-minute read explains how to get the best out of them. Joint tenancies are a great way for friends or couples to live together and share the rental burden. (Think about best buddies and flatmates Joey and Chandler in Friends, they had a ball,right?) And joint tenancies can also be good news...

The Bank of Mum and Dad Comes to the Rescue

This two-minute read looks at parents’ integral role in helping young people get on the property ladder. There’s one financial institution that never seems to go out of fashion, and that’s the dear old Bank of Mum and Dad (or BOMAD for people who like acronyms). About half of all first-time buyers (FTBs) last year relied on BOMAD, with parents dishing out a record £9.8 billion to help...

A Guide to Reference Checks for Landlords

Don’t make the rookie mistake of cutting corners with reference checks – it’s a sure-fire way to wind up with a nightmare tenant. A three-minute read. When it comes to tenant selection, there’s a saying that all landlords should heed: Go with the right tenant, not the first tenant. Sometimes, landlords are so eager to see rent payments rolling in that they treat the reference checking...

Two Property Trends That Sellers Need to Know about

This three-minute read looks at the current market trends and what they mean for people who are looking to sell up. Are you thinking of selling your home? Then let’s look at two trends that have dominated the market over the past year and see what they mean for you.  Demand is strong Many people predicted that the robust demand seen in early 2021 would fizzle out when the Stamp...

Repairs and Maintenance – What Are a Landlord’s Responsibilities?

This two-minute read details a five-point plan to help landlords manage their maintenance responsibilities.  There’s no quick fix when it comes to maintenance and repairs; to avoid stressful and costly tenant disputes, landlords need to be organised and proactive. Who is responsible for what? Always check your contract, but as a general rule, landlords are responsible for structural...

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