Many landlords may underestimate the importance of using a professional cleaner before putting a property on the lettings market, or indeed between lets.

 

Today we spoke to Richard from the highly recommended Cheltenham firm, Custom Clean. This local business covers a region that includes all of Gloucestershire, and for certain contracts even as far as Swindon, Birmingham and Bristol. We have been fortunate enough to be recommended him and now call him for many of our managed properties and most managed blocks communal areas.

 

Having worked alongside lettings agents in the county, he has seen first hand the results on property letting turn over that cleaning can make. I know myself that I have had clients walk straight out of a property based simply on it being slightly grubby, it is wrong to assume that clients can always see past this.

 

The most common requirement for correct property presentation for us is cleaning of carpets and a light clean of both kitchen and bathroom. The worry for clients is that when they see marks on a carpet, they may not come up and the landlord may not want to replace them. This can make a possible let fall through instantly. It is well worth paying out for cleaning as soon as possible rather than waiting until a let occurs, this can be an expensive false economy if it means clients will not offer on the property due to cleanliness worries.

 

It may be helpful here to give an idea of the time required, and indeed costs involved. A standard one bedroom flat would typically take about one and a half hours to clean, at a charge rate starting from just £55. This tends to go up in a fairly liner format with an extra half hour and additional £10 per further room. Of course some properties are more quirky and may require specialist services.

 

With the more specialist requirements such as deep cleans, required after building work or major refits in property, jobs have to be quoted on an individual basis. In such circumstance a test area can be worked on to show the final result to ensure the required standard is actually possible with the materials and tools to be used. This prevents and need for arguments after the fact.

 

Richard tells me that over the years he has come to the conclusion that the best way to halt arguments is to offer a guarantee for all his work. Any job he carries out comes with his two week promise to return if he has missed something agreed in the original price.

 

Which in three years has only actually happened twice!!!

 

If you are either a landlord, or a tenant about to vacate a property, Richard can be reached either via the contact information on his site or through the contact area here on Must Have Pads. Additionally feel free to contact us here to get a personal reference for his work, as I have seen it more than once my self!

 

tags: cheltenham, cheltenham cleaners, cheltenham cleaning services, cheltenham lettings, clean, cleaner, cleaning, cleaning services, custom clean, gloucestershire

Some of our more astute readers have noticed that amongst the images used for our front page, one is a screen shot from HMT.co.uk the home page of well established Cheltenham agents HMT Lettings & Management. The question has been asked of me as to just what is the link between MHP and HMT.

 Actually a number of pertinent questions have in fact been raised during the last few weeks. Amongst the most pressing are these: what does the business do? How do we use the services? What makes it different from other property companies? How can we contact the team?

 Now that Must Have Pads is officially open for business, as of 01/09/08, it is high time to do some quick explaining to all our visitors, and indeed the potential clients amongst them.

 Although Must Have Pads is for all intents and purposes perfectly able to operate as a stand-alone business, it actually functions rather like a company division or partnership. HMT offers many integral aspects of the framework, a physical office location, a long respected name in the county, property management facilities, and indeed a number of high-end properties that appeal to MHP’s rather selective clientele.

The way in which the two entities function, and indeed benefit, within this symbiotic relationship is as follows. HMT offers the familiar face of the Lettings industry as well as the logistical faculties for the day to day requirements. MHP however, fully embraces Web 2.0 technologies, operates on the cutting edge of E-Commerce marketing strategies and utilises all of the optimisation methodologies available. The two then feedback loop with each other ensuring that a full package can be offered to clients, whether they pick up the phone looking to talk to MHP’s or indeed HMT.

Many UK agents, and indeed some of their clients, seem unaware that whilst the UK property market has sadly languished in an internet marketing rut for many years, the US property market has seen agents embrace the massive potential of correct web technology implementation. American agents have also used the web as a place to meet with their clients, talk with them and indeed Blog for them. Through this online activity US agents further assist customers and potential clients, becoming a friendly face in their customers lives.

 The continued existence of the faceless agent in the UK has led to a culture of hostility, both against estate agents and lettings agents. Agents have become commonly thought of as little better than money grabbing pond slime. Anyone who operates their business in the shadows is likely to find a negative image will inevitably form (just look at solicitors!). Transparency is key to deep relationship building, whether in our personal lives or in our business concerns. The bottom line is that every customer likes to know what it is they actually pay a company to do, and that they are visibly getting a good value service.

 It is for all of the above mentioned reasons that MHP centres its business model around the tried and tested methods used by our ‘Real Estate’ (that’s property to you and me) agent cousins in America. The days of cobbling together a web site and simply hoping for the best are finally over. We see ourselves as being where all of the UK property market will be in about five years from now.

 One of the major differences between MHP and any property agent web site is abundantly clear. At our core is the provision of local property information to a very wide, very eager, Gloucestershire public. As an addition to this service we are able to offer them a selection of properties for sale or let, and links to related property services provided by respected firms in the county. This is radically different from simply the posting of a selection of properties on a web site, linking it to a few major property portals and sitting back waiting for a bite.

  For too long Gloucestershire has been reduced to trying to best guess what is happening in the local property market by reading the occasional newspaper article or watching television shows focussed on London or somewhere even less relevant to us. In my opinion it is high time for a local hub for information that serves landlords and tenants, buyers and vendors. MHP has the added bonus of being a platform for related services to make their importance to the industry known, and indeed get their names more widely recognised (no more need for a random ‘Yellow Pages’ selection). Oh yes, and of course we do provide properties as well!

 After all this I am sure you are wondering how you get involved with all this change, how do you get your business mentioned or your property listed. Well whatever your query, no matter how big or small, please just fill out a query form on the Contact section of the site. We will endeavour to reply in a prompt fashion!

I hope that we enjoy a long and happy Web 2.0 relationship.

Bruce & all of the MHP team

tags: cheltenham, cheltenham lettings agents, cheltnam lettings, contemporary, cotswolds, estate agents, gloucestershire, hmt lettings, letting, lettings management, property blog, property market

There are many ways in which Cheltenham’s letting agents promote themselves to the local and national rental markets. The Echo newspaper is of course just one of them. There are currently some sixty different lettings firms that operate within the town, therefore its essential that an agent provides not only an exceptional service but also uses intelligent self-promotion methods.  If you really do offer a great service then it’s important to shout about it.

In my role as Sales & Marketing Manager I am constantly looking at new ways to attract both landlords and tenants to our service packages. Alongside this I am always monitoring the effectiveness of the existing methodologies. Traditionally an agent was reliant on their local newspaper, boards outside houses and the signage above their office door. Those days are certainly at an end; these are in fact the three least important aspects of property marketing today. Any agent who tells you otherwise is in my opinion sadly out of touch with reality.

In the current sales environment there is little doubt that effective e-marketing solutions are the greatest priority for both Estate Agents and Lettings Management companies. It would be corporate suicide to pull web-marketing campaigns and rely on the aforementioned old methods. The opposite does not hold true however, some firms have indeed pulled their newspaper adverts to cut back on costs, or at least drastically reduced them, yet find they perform almost as well as ever.

Personally I believe that all media forms can have relevant functions in the marketing mix of an effective promotional campaign. Recently we cut our advertising in the local rag down to a size that retains a function, yet makes it more cost effective. This is no knee jerk reaction on our part, unlike our friends in the estate agency market we are not suffering a downturn and as such are not pressured to cut advertising costs. The actions of our business are actually based on conversion tracking. Every let agreed is noted against the method of marketing that attracted that particular client. My tracking has shown that in the last quarter none of our successful property rentals has been thanks to the listings in the Echo.

There is a however a big difference between the way tenants and landlords run their search for an agent to can provide that which they require. A prospective tenant searching for a new property, at least initially, does not much care whom they get it from. First they want to see the majority of local stock available in the shortest time possible. Waiting for Thursday’s Property Finder to see a handful of random properties from the handful agents that use the paper is not a likely choice. Prospective tenants can simply type ‘Lettings Cheltenham’ into a Google search, followed by a quick browse through Rightmove.com, and by this method find almost all the agents and properties in the town.  For a landlord however, the first search is simply for names of reputable local agents to contact for information packs or meetings. This is where the newspaper can still be a useful first port of call for some. It’s for this reason alone that we do not pull our newspaper advertising completely.

Surprisingly though the Echo seems to be hell bent on forcing the hands of the local Lettings agents and putting them in a position where further cuts in advertising may yet occur. Recent promotions made available to Estate Agents, and to Estate Agents with lettings arms to the business, have not been made available to Lettings Agents. This has led to many agents cutting the size of their adverts, or temporarily pulling them altogether. The towns letting agents, with the director of the newspaper group, have now called meetings. I must be honest and say that I am hoping the meeting leads to agents pulling their adverts. If this is the case then the Echo will become redundant for the letting agencies and I will shift the expenditure into other mediums. I am far more able than many of my competitors in utilising modern marketing methodologies. Anyone can order a box in the Echo; not everyone fully comprehends the breadth of e-marketing solutions!

tags: cheltenham, cheltenham lettings, cheltenham lettings agents, estate agents, gloucestershire, lettings management, property blog, property market

Gloucestershire’s letting agents are currently experiencing soaring demand for good quality rental property. Thankfully the supply of property has so far been fed by the transfer of houses, flats and apartments from the more sluggish sales market. Whether based in the South of the county in towns such as Stroud, Tetbury, Nailsworth and Cirencester or in the northern towns of Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Gloucester City, agents find themselves busier than ever.

The ability for supply to meet demand is however unlikely to last forever and already national statistics shows a steep increment in rental values and yields. In some areas of the country rent is up by as much as 12% compared with just one year ago. Many landlords are rubbing their hands together with glee as they see their rental yields climb toward a pleasing 6.5%, which is a high of over two years. Although Gloucestershire may not be quite at the top of these national statistics yet, there is little doubt that it will be within months. Actually the initial glut of sales properties appearing on the market actually brought down the rental on some properties during the last quarter of this year, so no doubt many local landlord will be pleased to here the trend is now set to reverse.

More than one property investor has begun to eye up the lettings market again, having put their chequebooks firmly back in their pockets as the slow down in the economy manifested with the credit crunch. The difficulty in getting buy-to-let mortgages brought about by the problems in the financial markets, and indeed doom filled predictions of property prices, had driven most of these folks away. The lower property prices and higher rents have meant though however that buy-to-let is starting to look desirable once more. In one recent survey 74% of landlords questioned stated they would buy more property if they spotted a good deal, both in terms of property price and supporting financial products.

Recent studies released by groups such as the Smith Institute, in regards to the lettings market in the future, have been extremely encouraging. They better my own predictions for the market significantly, the five years of significantly increased demand in the sector is depicted as being more likely to go on for anything up to twenty years. Supposedly by 2021 we will see one in every five new build homes going straight to the lettings market. In a turn around to previous criticism of buy-for-let investors, this area of the market will be seen as incredibly important and beneficial to us all in terms of the provision of necessary affordable housing.

Unlike the excessively steep curve of the rise in property purchase prices, rental rises have remained very much in line with income. This has meant that even those who could afford to buy have in many cases chosen to rent as it means they can enjoy a more fulfilling life style thanks to the extra cash left in their banks every month. It is wrong to assume that those who rent are forced to do so, over 25% of tenants are earning well over the national average salary at £30K+.

There is no doubt however that as the rental market becomes a greater matter of focus for government, and indeed for the average U.K. family considering a move, that a far greater emphasis will be put on professionalism. A combination of public outcry, and Government recognition of current failings, will mean new legislation in, and greater scrutiny of, the lettings process. I predict that cowboy agents and dishonest landlords will find themselves rapidly squeezed out of the market. Good riddance to them says us all.

tags: cheltenham, cheltenham lettings, cheltenham lettings agents, cheltnam lettings, cotswolds, estate agents, gloucester lettings, gloucestershire, hmt lettings, letting, lettings management, property blog, property market, rural, tewkesbury lettings, to-let, to let

Gloucestershire is without doubt one of the most popular areas of the U.K. for stars and celebrities searching for an idyllic rural retreat. Whether it is a luxury apartment, high spec country house or even a period mansion, Gloucestershire is the preferred place to buy it.

Members of the ‘Gliterati’ have snapped up local properties, almost as enthusiastically  as the many high flyers from London buying second homes here.  Cheltenham, Stroud, Cirencester, Tetbury and Gloucester all boast many household names amongst their residents.

There seems to be an ever-lengthening list of the rich and infamous infiltrating the counties property market. Already the likes of Kate Winslet, Anne Robinson, Dom Jolly, Sharon Davies and Kate Moss have set up home here. There is in fact an impressive list of writers, actors, sports professionals and television regulars to be found wandering the shopping streets of the county. Some may be closer to Z than A-list admittedly!

The most recent purchase of note in our fair county has to be Liz Hurley’s acquisition of a rather humble working farm in Cirencester, a 400 acre £3.3M humble farm that is. Liz has been quick to promote an image of her with working togs surrounded by snorting animals, talking about her  ‘jersey full of holes and mud encrusted wellington boots’. One can’t help wondering if the holes in question were not strategically placed by some Italian designer, the mud I will except as genuine with our latest summer weather mud has been in plentiful supply.

Not satisfied with simply turning her hand to the age-old yokel pass time of raising chickens and planting cereals, Liz seeks to put the county on the reality show map. With her partner the software magnate Arun Nayar, she seeks to bring potential applicants for farm positions onto her estate and have them work on live television to earn a job down on the farm. Actually Arun’s background in his families textile business is far more in keeping with the county history, with towns such as Stroud and Nailsworth having been famous for clothing manufacture in centuries past.

Personally I probably won’t be keeping much of an eye out for a television show depicting celebrities playing at being farmers. I will though keep my eyes peeled for other interesting celebrity real estate purchases in Gloucestershire!

tags: cirencester, cotswolds, farm, gloucestershire

Cheltenham Lettings Market Reviewed: The property lettings market in Cheltenham is hugely varied in style. From modern city style flats and apartments, to period houses and country cottages. Around fifty property management and lettings companies service this buoyant rental market. Cheltenham’s tenants, and landlords have an amazing plethora of choice with regard to the service they choose to use.

There is some truth in the old saying thought that one can be, ‘spoilt for choice’. At times entering this fast paced and hugely veried playing field can prove somewhat daunting. I am myself a tenant, I have lived in rented accommodation since leaving home some twelve years ago. As a tenant, as well as being involved in the provision of rental properties, I can fully appreciate the position of others. There is a great hunger for good information, that may just help to narrow the field for those in both camps, tenants and landlords that is.

As well as the need for good information about the available property and local letting services, there is also equally a demand for more general details regarding areas in which to live. Such concerns are greatly magnified for those looking to rent in Gloucestershire from outside of the county, or even the country.

With international schools and world famous events, Cheltenham has come to be the home of an extremely diverse collection of people from all walks of life and indeed from dozens of nationalities.

The questions that I often encounter range through; school catchment areas, local services, social harmony, desirability of location, distance to train station and the chances of being flooded out. For many property hunters, the distance to restaurants, bars and night-clubs is far more of a factor than whether their desired flat has a washing machine or not. Still others simply do not want to sit in traffic every morning trying to cross town, and just want to know where is a nice place to live whilst avoiding the daily headache.

It is of course not possible to answer all the many question being asked in one long rant by myself. The only way to deal with the myriad queries is to address them each in turn, by referring to the latest available information at hand. The combination of my own local knowledge, with the wonders of the internet database, mean that we should be able to bring some more order to the chaos of the process of choosing areas, and weighing up property requirements against locations. There is of course a golden rule to the business of renting or letting a property, all other considerations aside, ‘you get what you pay for’. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Due to the ongoing effects of the now infamous Credit Crunch, the property market in Cheltenham has gone through a radical shift. The number of property sales being processed successfully has spiralled downward, sounding the death toll to some local estate agents and causing grey hair for many of those that remain. Though of course properties are slowly shifting, numerous vendors have tired with the treacle like progress, and indeed the lack of serious buyers viewing their property. All of a sudden these people, whom have never previously considered renting out their most valued asset, have invaded the lettings market en-mass.

We should not assume however that the market is now flooded by the formally sale properties. Fortunately for landlords the number of people seeking a property to let has also spiked radically. Thanks largely to the multitude of people unable to get a mortgage, or simply too concerned about buying into potential negative equity. Whilst the sales market remains unstable many have found caution a wise option.  This other influx has given back the lettings market its fluidity and prevented dozens of worried phone calls to letting agents around the county. Though some properties have had their price affected, few are likely to stick around for long when marketed at their correct market rate.

For potential tenants there is now probably the widest selection of Cheltenham properties available for rental than has ever been on offer previously. Getting the perfect property is now a real possibility, as long as one is fleet of foot, and able to keep ahead of the competition. Do not make the common mistake many others do in thinking that whilst you view another ten properties on your list, that the one you liked right at the start will still be their for you to come back to. How many times have all of us heard the story about the one that got away, and how they wished they had just paid the holding fee in the first place. If your heart says yes, get your wallet out. Verbal agreements with an agent that you will have first refusal are very rarely worth the paper they are written on!

tags: cheltenham, cheltenham lettings, cheltenham lettings agents, contemporary, cotswolds, estate agents, gloucester lettings, gloucestershire, hmt lettings, letting, lettings management, property blog, property market, rural, tewkesbury lettings

Typically when we come across examples of contemporary residential architecture, it generally does not call the UK it’s homeland. So imagine our surprise when we came across a whole development of such, not just on UK soil, but in the prestigious and much revered Cotswolds, home of winding lanes, rickety yet charming stone cottages and plenty of antiques. Then add the exact location to that element of shock, the Cotswold Water Park, a nature reserve and outdoor pursuits treasure buried deep in the heart of the conservative countryside, a place where I myself spent much of my youth dabbling around in a canoe.

So you see, Landmark Houses, are not even just mere landmarks they are something quite historically groundbreaking too. Billed as the UK’s first residential nature reserve, the development although unquestionably modern is sensitive to the surroundings, a place where families can embrace both the countryside and the contemporary existing in harmony together.

The sponsor and land owner Jeremy Paxton, has brought together over 30 of the worlds leading architects including, Will Alsop, Eva Jiricna, Sutherland Hussey, Richard Meier and Partners, Roger Sherman, Sarah Featherstone, Alison Brooks, Piers Gough and Greg Lynnto complete this impressive project.

Designs include the Orchid House, inspired by the camouflage of the Bee Orchid and the Sundance Villa, of which the main floor rotates 360 degrees for panoramic views of the landscape.

For more information and images visit www.lmearchitecture.com

tags: architecture, cirencester, contemporary, cotswolds, south cerney