Right Estate Agents Cuffley and Goffs Oak

It’s pretty much inevitable that as a new landlord you’re going to make some mistakes along the way, Right Letting Agents are here to hold your hand and make sure you don’t trip up too often! Here are five of the most common blunders and how to avoid them.



Forgetting to protect the tenant’s deposit
This is top of our list because it can be the most expensive mistake of all. Every deposit must be protected in one of three government-backed schemes within 30 days and the tenant must be issued with certain Prescribed Information. If you forget to do this, or don’t do it properly, you can be ordered to pay the tenant 3x the deposit in compensation.

Not buying landlord insurance
This can turn out to be another very expensive mistake if there’s an accident on your property. Standard home insurance is not adequate for rental accommodation, you need a specific landlord insurance policy. Even if your property is let unfurnished and your buildings insurance is provided by your freeholder, you still need public liability insurance in case your tenant has an accident and sues you. An online search will give you the names of plenty of brokers providing landlord insurance.

Getting personal
Too many landlords treat a rental like it’s their own home and waste money on expensive fixtures and fittings, art work and scatter cushions. Not only will this eat into your profits, it could also put tenants off because your taste (fabulous though it might be) is unlikely to match theirs.  This isn’t personal, it’s business.

Treating tenants like BFFs
Remember this mantra “tenants are NOT my new best friends” and you’ll avoid the trap many landlords fall into of getting so friendly with their tenants that they find it hard to get tough when things go wrong. Just think how hard it is to remind your friend they owe you £10 and you’ll realise how difficult it would be  you’ll have chasing your tenant for rent arrears if you’ve become best friends. Keep it friendly but professional and you’ll be fine.

Not carrying out regular inspections
Once you’ve settled in your new tenants it can be tempting to think “job done” and do no more than check that their rent hits your bank account every month, but really you need to keep a close eye on your investment. You’ve all read stories of tenants turning rentals into cannabis farms and brothels, and while this is highly unlikely to happen to your property you should try to carry out routine inspections at least once every six months to check for signs of damage or wear and tear. While most tenants will immediately alert you to any problems, you can’t depend on them to do so and at the end of the day it’s your investment, not theirs.

If you would like some assistance to sell or let your property, please contact Right Estate Agents on 0845 026 8527 or visit our website.

It’s a term most of us will have become used to these days, but it is incredibly important when you’re selling a house.
 
We tend to accumulate all manner of things as we go through life, and while we’re staying put in one house that’s just fine. But once you decide to sell your house, all that stuff will get in the way and could easily kill your sale.

De-cluttering is a process that helps you to mentally move out of your home, ‘removes’ your ownership of the house and helps turn it back into a ‘blank canvas’ that could easily become someone else’s home.

Without de-cluttering, you’ll only get a good offer from a buyer who likes to live exactly as you do.
We’re all so very different, so what are the chances of someone else wanting their home to look identical to yours? Very slim.

When you’re selling, we believe you should remove about half of your stuff. Apply the 50 per cent rule and get rid of half the items on any surface or shelf, and in any integral storage areas such as fitted wardrobes, under-stairs and airing cupboards, and porches.

Garages, attics and sheds need to store items cleverly so they don’t look over-full and make buyers think you don’t have enough storage space.

Have a box for each of the following destinations:
• Bin or Tip
• Recycling
• Charity Shop or Give Away
• Sell
• Keep but Pack Away

Take one area at a time, bring everything out and try to get about half of the items into one of the above boxes. The things that stay need to be either:
• Absolutely necessary to daily life
• Attractive in a safe, non-quirky way (think Ikea art, not Damien Hirst)
• Beautifully matches the room’s (neutral or safe) colour scheme

Then get rid of the boxes straight away before things creep back in to mess up your tidy rooms. If you find you’re struggling with this, carefully choose a friend or family member to help. Someone who doesn’t live there will have a different view on things, might suggest solutions you wouldn’t have thought of, and could be the much-needed voice of reason when you’ve got frustrated and lost the ability to make decisions.

Top five things you can live without for a while:
1. Seasonal clothes – pack up your summer clothes if you’re selling in winter, and vice versa.
2. Sports gear, hobby or craft supplies – if you’ve got lots of these things, pick a sub-set to keep out and pack away the rest for now.
3. Boxes of old paperwork – they really don’t need to be getting in the way while you’re selling.
4. Old technology – you know, phones, computers, that box of cables you’re keeping ‘just in case’.
5. Most of your CD, DVD and games console collections – free up some of that shelf space to make everything appear larger.

If you would like some assistance to sell or let your property, please contact Right Estate Agents on 0845 026 8527 or visit our website.

At Right Estate Agents we all know that a home is so much more than bricks and mortar. It’s a place to raise your family, to experience major life events, and a place to create and share memories.




Think about how you felt after your first bike ride, or that of your child. You probably returned to your home elated (perhaps a bruised knee or two, but thrilled all the same!) Or after getting promoted at work, you might have gone home and opened the bubbly. Returning from the hospital with your first child, you showed them around their new home.

There’s a whole host of memories that are attached to ‘things’ within a home – whether it’s your first bike, photographs, children's drawings, souvenirs, a family heirloom – a big part of home security is about protecting these irreplaceable things.

According to a survey commissioned by Confused.com, 74 percent of homeowners said that their most expensive possession is not the most valuable to them. Computers and jewellery topped the list of the most expensive items owned, but almost two-thirds of homeowners said that sentimental items such as photos, letters and drawings their child has done are more precious than their most costly items.

The survey of 2,000 UK homeowners revealed that almost half (41%) of people credited photos as their most precious or sentimental item, with objects inherited from a relative coming second place in the poll (13%).

Letters came out as the most precious belongings of 12% of the homeowners, with jewellery being the most sentimental item for 10%. Interestingly, 7% of people polled said that prize drawings from their child are the most precious item they own.

While these possessions are unlikely to have the financial value to attract would-be thieves, they could get damaged or lost in a burglary. That’s why home security specialist Yale is encouraging homeowners to protect the things that make a house a home.

Think about investing in a burglar alarm, installing a home safe, or changing your locks when you move, as a few simple steps can make a big difference to keeping your home (and the memories it holds) protected.

If you would like some assistance to sell or let your property, please contact Right Estate Agents on 0845 026 8527 or visit our website.

As many people will tell you, selling/renting your home is never easy, and it isn’t something that happens overnight. To increase the chance of sale/renting, you need to make sure your home is in the best condition possible.




One area that is very important, and one that many people neglect is the garden. A nice garden can add a lot of value to a home, but a neglected garden can give a bad impression and could put off potential buyer/renters. This can all be changed, and by spending a little time and money you can make your garden a feature of your home, and a selling point.

The Basic

No one likes an overgrown or dirty garden; it gives off the wrong impression, and could affect potential buyers/renters. Most people will want to move into a house where everything is ready, and they don’t have to do too much work.
Make sure the lawn is cut, any bushes are trimmed and paths are brushed and cleaned, a little effort can go a long way. Generally just make it look tidy, don’t have any rubbish or other bits lying around. Although this doesn’t take too much effort it will vastly improve the appeal of the home.

Get Creative

If you have done this but the garden still feels a little bare and empty, try and add something to make the garden look more loved. Maybe even borrow furniture off friends or family to make your garden look nicer.
Garden furniture can be expensive, especially if you have no need, or use for it after. You can save yourself this money, and get the same effect by borrowing furniture. Ask if any friend or family have some garden furniture you can borrow. Then once sold/rented you can give it back.

Adding Value

If you are willing to spend a little bit more time and money, you could even add more value and appeal to your home, and make the garden a feature of the house.
Something you can try on a budget is adding some plants and flowers to the garden. These can be picked up from a garden centre relatively cheaply, and only need to be planted, this it makes a garden feel more loved and homely. If your looking to doing more maintenance work, ask around for any tools you can borrow so you don’t have to buy anything, or potentially rent them. If you’re willing to take it that step further you could add some decking or artificial grass. Artificial grass has gained popularity over the last few years and is a desirable feature, as it is low cost, and maintenance, as well as being perfect for pets and children. Fake grass is relatively inexpensive and can even be fitted yourself.

If you would like some assistance to sell or let your property, please contact Right Estate Agents on 0845 026 8527 or visit our website.