Why Landlords Should Give Their Property Strategy a Spring Clean

Spring is traditionally a time for a good tidy up and clear out. If you’re a landlord, it’s also an excellent opportunity to give your property management strategy a once-over.

Taking the time to review what is and isn’t working with your investment will save you money and energy further down the track.

What you’re looking for in your property spring clean are pinch points: issues that cause aggravation and loss of income.

Sometimes, we need to step back and look at the … Continue Reading…

Planning a Holiday? Take a Trip up the Garden Path

In this three-minute read, we look at how you can use your garden to make a staycation feel like you really are getting away from it all.

The last year has left many of us more in need of a holiday than ever. While things will slowly start getting back to normal, there remain plenty of valid reasons that may make you reluctant to travel anytime soon.

The good news is you don’t need to go far. Here are our top tips … Continue Reading…

Why Letting Agents Are a Busy Landlord’s Best Friend

In part two of our series on property management, we look at how letting agents save landlords time – that precious commodity that is always in short supply.

A survey of 500 landlords found that using a letting agent saves a landlord on average six hours a month (source: Endsleigh Insurance).

We would go further and argue that letting agents don’t just save landlords time, but the right sort of time.

It’s one thing to get a call from your tenant saying a pipe … Continue Reading…

Sell Your Home This Spring by Following These Top Tips

If you’re planning a spring move, get ahead of the competition by preparing your property for sale now.

You’d be amazed how a little bit of planning and elbow grease can influence the sale process.

Paying attention to detail can mean the difference between achieving a good price and top price. It can also play a part in the speed of a transaction.

Homes that “stick” – stay on the market for a long time – tend to be in a bad state … Continue Reading…

Richard James receives Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award 2021

Richard James Estate Agents has won the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service award, an independent seal of excellence that recognises businesses for delivering exceptional experiences, as rated by real customers.

Created by Feefo, Trusted Service is awarded only to businesses that use Feefo to collect genuine reviews and insights. Businesses who meet the high standard, based on the number of reviews they have collected and their average rating, receive the award. A highly valued badge of approval, this accreditation remains unique, as … Continue Reading…

Tips for Managing Your Child’s Return to School

After many long and draining weeks of learning from home, children across the UK are finally returning to school.

While weary parents may be glad to see the back of homeschooling, some children may find the transition from front room to classroom daunting.

After spending so much time at home, dealing with the hurly-burly of school life might prove challenging for young people.

Here are some back-to-school tips from the NSPCC and mental health charity Place2Be.

 Sleep tight

If your routine slipped during lockdown (and … Continue Reading…

What the Spring Budget Means for Home Movers

This afternoon the Chancellor Rishi Sunak outlined his plans to get England back on track as we come out of the pandemic.

Among furlough extensions, extra support for the self-employed and business loan schemes was the welcome news that the stamp duty holiday is being extended.

When it was introduced, the original deadline was March 31 2021.

Here’s what the Chancellor announced this lunchtime.

Until 30 June 2021, no stamp duty will be charged on a residential property bought for up to £500,000.

Until 30 … Continue Reading…