Bergason Property Services Limited

2 Bedroom Flat, Erdington £127,000.00

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 02:20:35 GMT

A modern, second floor, two bedroom, unfurnished apartment located off Chester Road, close to the local amenities of Wylde Green and Erdington. Ideal for Investors and first time buyers alike.

3 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Streetly £415,000.00

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 03:35:38 GMT

Bergason are delighted to offer for sale this generous and thoughtfully extended 3 bedroom property in this most sought after location. This well presented property is situated within walking distance of well regarded local schools, shops and transport links.

2 Bedroom Link-Terrace, Sutton Coldfield £244,995.00

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 11:13:43 GMT

***GREAT LOCATION***TWO DOUBLE BEDROOMS*** ***MODERN FITTED KITCHEN / DINER*** ***LARGE MODERN FAMILY BATHROOM ***SEPARATE LOUNGE & DINING ROOM*** ***NO UPWARD CHAIN***

2 Bedroom Apartment, Mile Oak £155,995.00

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 11:01:35 GMT

***GREAT LOCATION*** ***TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT*** *** MASTER WITH ENSUITE & BUILT IN WARDROBES*** ***LARGE LOUNGE*** ***MODERN KITCHEN*** ***BATHROOM*** ***SECURE ENTRY*** ***PARKING*** ***EPC B***

1 Bedroom Flat, Reddicap Heath Road £139,995.00

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 02:55:39 GMT

***1 DOUBLE BEDROOM*** ***LARGE OPEN PLAN LOUNGE/DINER*** ***WELL FITTED KITCHEN*** ***GATED ENTRANCE*** ***MODERN FITTED SHOWER ROOM*** ***ALLOCATED PARKING*** ***VIEWING IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED***

4 Bedroom Detached, Sutton Coldfield £529,500.00

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 04:38:22 GMT

***SOUGHT AFTER LOCATION*** ***FOUR GOOD SIZED BEDROOMS*** ***MASTER WITH LARGE ENSUITE*** ***LUXURY FAMILY BATHROOM*** ***GOOD SIZED DINING ROOM*** ***LARGE LIVING ROOM*** ***MODERN KITCHEN*** ***DOWNSTAIRS CLOAKS***

1 Bedroom Flat, Hodge Hill £625.00

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 11:13:19 GMT

***1 BEDROOM FLAT*** ***FIRST FLOOR*** ***GOOD SIZED LOUNGE*** ***RECENTLY FITTED KITCHEN*** ***RECENTLY DECORATED*** ***RECENTLY CARPETED*** ***RECENTLY FITTED BATHROOM WITH SHOWER OVER***

2 Bedroom Terrace, Tamworth £195,995.00

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 12:00:33 GMT

***GREAT LOCATION*** ***TWO/ THREE BEDROOMS*** ***GOOD SIZED KITCHEN*** ***RE-FITTED BATHROOM*** ***LARGE LOUNGE*** ***SEPARATE DINING ROOM*** ***DOWNSTAIRS WC*** ***FURTHER LOUNGE/DINING ROOM*** ***PATIO AND ARDEN AREA*** ***REAR GARAGE*** ***PRICED TO SELL WITH SOME COSMETIC MODERNISATION***

2 Bedroom Terrace, Wylde Green £239,950.00

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 02:26:50 GMT

***GREAT LOCATION*** ***LARGE THROUGH LOUNGE/DINING ROOM*** ***DOWNSTAIRS GUEST CLOAK*** ***MODERN FITTED KITCHEN WITH APPLIANCES*** KITCHEN DINER**** ***TWO DOUBLE BEDROOMS*** ***MODERN REFITTED BATHROOM WITH SEPARATE SHOWER CUBICLE*** ***ATTRACTIVE REAR GARDEN*** ***WITH NO UPWARD CHAIN***

2 Bedroom Flat, Sutton Coldfield £189,950.00

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 12:55:33 GMT

***GREAT LOCATION*** ***GROUND FLOOR*** ***TWO DOUBLE BEDROOMS*** ***MASTER WITH ENSUITE*** ***TWO BATHROOMS*** ***OPEN PLAN KITCHEN WITH APPLIANCES*** ***GAS CENTRAL HEATING*** ***ALLOCATED PARKING SPACE*** ***NO UPWARD CHAIN***

2 Bedroom Apartment, Streetly £269,950.00

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 08:44:28 GMT

***GROUND FLOOR*** WITH PRIVATE ENTRANCE*** ***NEWLY DECORATED*** ***NEWLY CARPETED*** ***2 BEDROOMS*** ***KITCHEN*** *** LOUNGE*** ***JACK & JILL BATHROOM*** ***GAS CENTRAL HEATING*** ***ALLOCATED PARKING SPACE*** ***GATED DEVELOPMENT*** ***SUTTON PARK NEARBY***

2 Bedroom Apartment, Lichfield £94,950.00

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 06:19:40 GMT

***GREAT OPPORTUNITY*** ***50% SHARED OWNERSHIP*** ***TWO BEDROOMS*** ***GOOD SIZED LOUNGE*** ***KITCHEN*** ***BATHROOM*** ***GROUND FLOOR*** ***EXTENDED LEASE UPON COMPLETION***

3 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Derby £950.00

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 10:15:13 GMT

***GREAT LOCATION*** ***NEW KITCHEN*** ***NEW BATHROOM*** ***NEWLY DECORATED*** ***NEWLY CARPETED*** ***NEW WINDOWS & DOORS*** ***3 GOOD SIZE BEDROOMS*** ***GOOD SIZE LOUNGE*** ***LARGE DINING THROUGH KITCHEN***

3 Bedroom Detached, Coton Green £295,000.00

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 12:18:21 GMT

***SOUGHT AFTER LOCATION*** ***THREE BEDROOMS*** ***DETACHED*** ***MODERN FAMILY KITCHEN*** ***MODERN FAMILY BATHROOM*** ***GOOD SIZED WELL KEPT GARDEN*** ***LOUNGE THROUGH DINING ROOM*** ***SEPARATE WC***.

2 Bedroom Flat, Sutton Coldfield £152,500.00

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 10:32:01 GMT

*** GREAT LOCATION *** ***TWO GOOD SIZED BEDROOMS*** ***MASTER WITH BUILT IN WARDROBE*** ***LARGE LOUNGE/DINER*** ***NEWLY FITTED KITCHEN WITH NEW APPLIANCES*** ***MODERN BATHROOM WITH SHOWER OVER BATH******NEWLY DECORATED & CARPETED THROUGHOUT*** ***NEW 125 YEAR LEASE***

2 Bedroom Apartment, Brownhills £129,995.00

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 03:11:36 GMT

***WELL PRESENTED*** ***TWO BEDROOMS*** ***DOUBLE BEDROOM** ***SINGLE BEDROOM*** ***BATHROOM WITH SHOWER OVER*** GOOD SIZED LOUNGE/DINER WITH KITCHEN OFF*** ***JULIET BALCONY DOORS** ***ALLOCATED PARKING*** ***SECOND FLOOR***

2 Bedroom Maisonette, Sutton Coldfield £165,000.00

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:49:10 GMT

***LONG LEASE*** ***GREAT LOCATION*** ***GROUND FLOOR*** ***TWO BEDROOMS WITH BUILT IN STORAGE*** ***CONVENIENT LOCATION*** ***SEPARATE PORCH*** ***GOOD SIZED LIVING ROOM*** ***MODERN KITCHEN*** ***FAMILY BATHROOM*** ***GARDEN*** ***NO SERVICE CHARGE***

2 Bedroom Apartment, Birmingham £1,250.00

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:16:09 GMT

***PART FURNISHED*** ***TWO DOUBLE BEDROOMS*** ***FANTASTICE VIEWS OVER THE CITY CENTRE SKYLINE FROM THE TWENTY FIRST FLOOR*** ***PARKING AVAILABLE*** ***OPEN PLAN LOUNGE/DINING KITCHEN*** ***MASTER WITH DRESSING ROOM & ENSUITE*** ***FURTHER LUXURY BATHROOM***

3 Bedroom Maisonette, Erdington £148,500.00

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 02:48:10 GMT

***GREAT LOCATION*** ***THREE DOUBLE BEDROOMS*** ***LARGE LOUNGE*** ***NEWLY FITTED BREAKFAST KITCHEN*** ***FAMILY BATHROOM*** ***SEPARATE WC*** ***FRONT & REAR GARDENS***

Rental Sector Predicted To Grow To 2025

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Renting is set to increase according a study from Cambridge University, that predicts that
home ownership will fall to 27% by 2025, compared with 43% in 1993-94 and 35% now.

The prediction is that more families will be forced to remain in rented accommodation because home ownership will be increasingly unaffordable.

The report predicts that more than a third (36%) of British households will be renting by 2025.

Flatsharing `Likely To Creep Up`

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Letting agents are likely to see flatshare rents increase in the forthcoming months as improvement is expected to remain stagnant in the first-time buyer market.

Director at SpareRoom Matt Hutchinson described how prices in this area of the rental sector often "creep up" rather than make a "dramatic" leap.

This is due to a lack of movement in the first-time buyer market meaning there is greater demand for rooms to let.

"People aren`t moving out of rentals and moving on and things aren`t freed up, so rooms have more of a premium," Mr Hutchinson commented.

However, it was noted that often flatshares are cheaper due to the live-in landlords not having as many large outgoings and overheads as traditional rental owners.

A recent report from easyroommate.co.uk revealed that flatshare rents have increased to a record high, with prices rising from £368 to £375 in May, which is a two per cent rise so far this year.

Tenancy Cheats To Feel The Full Force Of The Law

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Tenancy cheats who deny social homes to families in need will "feel the full force of the law" under new plans published today, Housing Minister Grant Shapps said.

The Minister said the Government would back a new Bill, introduced in Parliament today by Conservative MP for Watford Richard Harrington, which would make the subletting of social homes a criminal offence.

Creating an effective deterrent

Estimates suggest that between 50,000 and 160,000 social homes are unlawfully occupied across the country.

Tenancy cheats can earn thousands of pounds a year renting their social homes out to private tenants, while thousands of families are languishing on social housing waiting lists.

However, if caught these cheats face little more than losing their tenancy.

Mr Harrington`s Bill would:

-create a new criminal offence of subletting

-allow for proceeds of subletting to be reimbursed to the social landlord in whose stock the fraud was committed

Housing Minister Grant Shapps said:

"Tenancy cheats profit from renting out homes that were built to help those in greatest need. Due to their actions, thousands of families who could benefit from this vital support system are instead languishing on housing waiting lists.

I am delighted that Richard Harrington`s Bill will make this fraud a criminal offence so that the perpetrators don`t just lose their tenancy but feel the full force of the law. And by introducing this effective deterrent against subletting, we can free up thousands of homes for those who genuinely need them.

I look forward to working with Mr Harrington to give this Bill the best possible chance of being passed into law."

Conservative MP for Watford Richard Harrington said:

"It has been a concern of mine for some time that whilst hundreds of people in my constituency are unable to access social housing and may sit on the waiting list for many years, a large number of properties are being sublet improperly - allowing those individuals who do so to profit at the expense of local authorities and preventing hardworking and the most vulnerable individuals and families from accessing homes.

I welcome that this and previous Governments have introduced measures to try and tackle this problem. I think it is right that once and for all this offence is criminalised, giving local authorities greater powers to prevent and prosecute.

I am pleased that this Bill has attracted support from MPs of all parties and that the Government are also lending their support to making this Bill law."

Shapps Promises `No More Red Tape` For Private Landlords

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Housing Minister Grant Shapps has today promised England`s one million landlords that the Government has no plans to introduce new regulations on the private rented sector.

New regulations were proposed by the previous administration in response to the Rugg Review of the Private Rented Sector, but have been judged by the new coalition to introduce too much additional red tape.
These included a National Register of Landlords, regulation of letting and managing agents, and compulsory written tenancy agreements.House covered in red tape

Speaking at the first Communities and Local Government questions since the formation of the Coalition Government, the Minister confirmed that the legal framework already in place strikes the right balance between the rights and responsibilities between landlords and tenants, with the vast majority of private tenants reporting they are satisfied with the service they get from their landlords.

Instead, Mr Shapps called on councils to use the wide range of powers already at their disposal to tackle the minority of rogue landlords that fail to provide good quality accommodation and blight local neighbourhoods.

Councils already have powers to require landlords to take action to rectify hazards in their property and where landlords resist, to make and charge for improvements, and to prohibit use of the affected parts of the property.

Local authorities also have discretionary licensing powers to tackle areas blighted by poorly managed privately rented stock.

He said:

"With the vast majority of England`s three million private tenants happy with the service they receive, I am satisfied that the current system strikes the right balance between the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords.

"So today I make a promise to good landlords across the country: the Government has no plans to create any burdensome red tape and bureaucracy, so you are able to continue providing a service to your tenants.

"But for the bad landlords, I am putting councils on alert to use the range of powers already at their disposal to make sure tenants are properly protected."

House Prices Up 1% In June

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

According to the Halifax House Price Index, released today, house prices were up by 1% from the previous month, despite an annual change of -0.5%.

June 2012 (seasonally adjusted)

- Annual change: -0.5%

- Quarterly change: -0.3%

- Monthly change: +1.0%

- Average Price: £162,417

House prices in the three months to June were 0.3% lower than in the preceding three months (January-March). Prices on this measure of the underlying trend slipped back into negative territory following successive small gains in the two previous months.

House prices increased by 1.0% in June. Prices continue to fluctuate on a monthly basis with an even number of falls and rises in the past 12 months.

Prices in the three months to June were 0.5% lower than in the same period a year earlier. There has been a marked improvement in the annual rate over the past 12 months with an annual decline of 0.5% or less in each of the past three months. The annual rate stood at -4.2% in May 2011.

Commenting, Martin Ellis, housing economist, said:

"House prices in the three months to June were 0.3% lower than in the previous three months. Prices increased by 1.0% in June alone as house prices continue to fluctuate on a monthly basis with an even number of falls and rises over the past year.

"There has been a marked improvement in the annual rate of change over the past 12 months. A year ago, in May 2011, house prices were falling at an annual rate of 4.2%. In contrast, there has been broad stability recently with the annual rate between 0% and - 0.5% in each of the past three months.

"The ending of the stamp duty holiday at the end of March appears to have distorted house price movements and sales in recent months. Nonetheless, despite falling back in April and May, sales remain slightly higher than a year ago.

"Continuing low levels of mortgage payments relative to income and recent increases in employment may have helped support house prices so far this year. We expect little change in prices and sales over the remainder of the year provided that the UK`s economic outlook does not deteriorate significantly."

Top 3 Trends In Property

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

As more people in the UK turn to the internet to organise, entertain and inform themselves so home hunting is going online at a breakneck pace.

Back in 2009 just 69% of the UK population used the internet but that's now 74% and is set to rise to 78% by 2015, according to emarketeer.com.

Such a seismic shift into digital is driving millions of people away from magazines, newspapers and direct mail and into the digital world of Google, property portals such as Rightmove.co.uk, PrimeLocation.com, Zoopla.co.uk and FindaProperty.com plus – to a certain extent – Facebook and Twitter.

1. On the move

Mobile smart phones are taking over the world, it would seem. No hand is complete without one but the question is, will they change the way people house hunt in the same way the PC did? One answer is this – the PC put the ‘search' online while smart phones, iPads and other tablets are moving that search out of the house (or office) and into the rest of people's lives.

And while online house hunting often goes ‘offline' when people start viewing properties, this too is being ‘digitalised' as properties are discussed, compared and rated by house hunters with friends and family using their devices, helped by the proliferation of mobile search apps with ‘share' facilities such as those recently launched by Zoopla.com, PrimeLocation.com and others.

But many websites are poorly prepared for mobile searchers. Incorrectly optimised websites drive away new business so developing a mobile site that works across all devices is essential for your business.

2. Going online

The decline of classified advertising in newspapers and magazines continues. Seven years ago £800m was spent on this type of advertising and a significant percentage of that was by agents. Today that has shrunk to around £300m while overall ‘internet spend' has increased from £250m in 2005 to some £1bn today. Online advertising currently represents a third of all spend across all industries.

3. What's SEO?

Such astounding growth has had one unintended effect – the rise of Google. Most property websites whether portals or agent ones draw up to 75% of their traffic from Google so understanding how search engine optimisation (SEO) works will soon be an essential skill for many agents. As well as understanding how featured property listings work, a knowledge of how keywords, linking and paid search all interact may soon be as important as understanding a property's potential sales or rental value.

Squatting Becomes An Offence On September 1st 2012

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:00:00 GMT

A new offence of squatting in a residential building comes into force next weekend (1st September 2012).

The offence will be committed where a person is in a residential building as a trespasser, having entered as a trespasser, the person knows or ought to know that he or she is a trespasser and the person is living in the building or intends to live there for any period.

The maximum penalty for the offence is six months' imprisonment, a £5,000 fine or both

The offence will protect owners and lawful occupiers of any type of residential building. This includes homeowners and lawful occupiers who might have been excluded from their homes by trespassers, but it will also protect landlords, second homeowners and local authorities who discover trespassers in any residential property that they own or control even if no one is living there at the time the trespassers occupy the building.

The offence will not apply to tenants who entered a residential building with the permission of the property owner, but later withhold rent or refuse to leave at the end of their tenancy. Such persons are not ‘squatters' for the purposes of this offence. Landlords should continue to follow established eviction processes to regain possession of their properties in such circumstances.

The offence will not apply retrospectively. People who are known to have squatted in the past will not be liable to prosecution. The offence will only apply to people who are squatting in residential buildings on or after 1st September 2012. This includes trespassers who entered the building prior to commencement if they remain there on or after the 1st September.

Bergason Continue To Use The Best Protals

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:00:00 GMT

DPG traffic surge continues into 2012

The number of visits to the Digital Property Group`s (DPG) portals during the first quarter of 2012 totalled 18.2 million each month, a 20% increase over 2011, latest figures show.

Also, the number of email and phone leads driven by its sites (FindaProperty.com, PrimeLocation.com and Globrix.com) to customers rose by 40% over the same period, equating to an average of 28 enquiries per minute.

And looking at FindaProperty.com alone so far this year, visits to the site grew faster than other leading property portals, including Rightmove, figures from leading media research comScore reveal2.

Sheraz Dar, Marketing Director, DPG, says:

"Over the past year DPG`s advertising investment accounted for over half of the total among the major portals and both PrimeLocation.com and FindaProperty.com were on TV during the first 3 months of 20123. This has helped create a sustained increase in visits and enquiries that`s been building now for many months and we are delighted our customers are seeing the real, tangible benefits of investing in us."

We also upload to 68 other websites.

Home Extensions Can Add Significant Value To The Average Home

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Nationwide shows the cost and value of home extensions following relaxation to planning laws

Adding an extension or a loft conversion to your home could increase its value by almost a quarter, according to research by Nationwide. In addition, the Society has changed its mortgage proposition for further advances, putting borrowers into an excellent position to take advantage of the new relaxed planning laws announced by the Government today.

Nationwide`s House Price Index Special Report looked at the value of improvements made to an average three-bedroom house. Nationwide found:

-Creating an extra bathroom could add 6% to the value

-Adding another double bedroom can push up the value by 12%

-Building an extension or loft-conversion to create a double bedroom and en-suite bathroom could add 23% to the value

-Increasing floor space by 10% can add 5% to the average value

The price for building an extension can cost, on average, around £1,000 per m2 or £23,000 for a single storey and £76,000 for a double storey.

For people living in more expensive parts of the UK, such as London, where moving from a three bedroom to a four bedroom property carries a £90,000 premium on average, extending may well be the only solution for the growing family.

Commenting on the Special Report, Robert Gardner, Nationwide`s Chief Economist, said:

"With housing market demand still very weak, increasing numbers of homeowners may opt to improve rather than move. Our research assesses the factors that affect the value of homes, and the potential to add value.

Having more useable space is generally thought to be consistent with better quality accommodation and people are prepared to pay for it. A 10% increase in floor space, other things equal, adds 5% to the price of a typical house, while adding space equivalent to the size of a double bedroom to a two bedroom house can add around 12% to its value.

A second bathroom is also a favourite with homeowners and our research shows that creating an additional bathroom can add 6% to the value of the average house. Homeowners that add a loft conversion or extension incorporating a double bedroom and a bathroom can add about 23% to the value of an existing three bedroom, one bathroom house."

Buyers Will Compromise On Garden Before Anything Else

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Buyers will compromise most on their gardens, followed by a downstairs cloakroom, while least up for negotiation is the number of bedrooms. A surprisingly large number will, however, compromise on the location.

A survey of independent estate agents by Move with Us found that nearly 40% of agents noted that the size of a property's garden is the first thing to be forfeited when buyers were purchasing a new home.

A downstairs toilet is next on the list with 33.5% of agents highlighting that buyers are willing to sacrifice this. Location is third at 15.4%, followed by parking at 9.3% and the number of bedrooms at 2.7%.

The survey also found that the number of property viewings that home buyers completed before buying their new home has also increased. The average number of properties a buyer has typically viewed before buying in the last six months is between 11 and 15.

Are Rent Guarantees Worth Buying?

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Increasing rents, a difficult economy and job losses mean a growing number of tenants are struggling to pay their rent. When rental income is relied upon to cover a buy-to-let mortgage, arrears can be a very real risk and it doesn't look like the economy is going to improve significantly any time soon.

Many with landlord insurance may be disappointed to find that unpaid rent isn't covered in their standard insurance policy. Whilst most landlords have some form of insurance in place, this is most commonly simple buildings cover, which would offer little support if a tenant were to stop meeting rental commitments.

One way to protect yourself is to take out specific rent guarantee insurance, a policy designed to limit risk should a tenant be unable or unwilling to pay the rent. But is it worth taking out, or is it an expense you could live without?

How do rent guarantee insurance policies work?

Obviously they vary from one insurer to the other, but common features are:
You will normally need to let a property under an assured shorthold tenancy
Insurers will insist each tenant named on the tenancy agreement and is property credit checked and the relevant references are obtained.
Policies generally only pay out for a maximum fixed period (6 or 12 months).
Some policies charge a premium based on the amount of rent covered, while others charge a fixed price per tenancy agreement.
There is likely be an excess which means you may not be covered for the first month's rent arrears.
Rent will be covered until the policy expires, or when the tenancy agreement ends, or you gain vacant possession of the property so it can be re-let.
Some policies (mainly comprehensive policies) may cover rent for a limited period even after possession of the property is obtained.
Legal expenses insurance might be included which covers the legal costs incurred in proceedings against tenants.
Some insurers may deal with the tenant eviction process on your behalf.
Do you need rent guarantee insurance?

If you've decided that cost is not prohibitive and like the idea of being insured to reduce the risk of rent arrears, is there anything else to consider? You might be able to recover arrears through any normal arrears process you use, contacting and visiting tenants or through the courts if the situation deteriorates. You may have a savings cushion to fall back on and arguably this is a better way of protecting yourself, but this isn't always easy to achieve. So you may think paying a few % of the rent is a small price to pay to cover the rent and provide legal protection. Afterall, you don't want to fall into arrears on your mortgage just because your tenant has let you down. There are two important points each should consider here 1. what's the likely risk i.e. what's the impact of the tenant defaulting and the chance of this occurring? 2. what level of risk am I comfortable with? If you're comfortable with risk a rent guarantee may not be for you, but if the risk and impact are high and you're uncomfortable with your level of risk, it's worth considering a policy.

Last, but not least, beware of exclusions and read the small print. Insurers can be strict when it comes to following procedure, particularly with regard to how tenants have been referenced.
Speak to Bergason about their rent warranty, which also provides £25,000 of legal cover and has no access, this policy can be added to most tenancies, whether fully managed or just tenant find only.

House Prices Climb £1,355 In February

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

The average house price in England & Wales is now only 1% off its previous peak in February 2008

Sales soar 15% in February as mortgage availability rises and bank funding conditions improve

Richard Sexton, director of e.surv comments:

`February's figures paint a much warmer picture for the housing market. Values have climbed £8,154 in the past twelve months and the 0.6% monthly increase in February is one of the biggest monthly increases seen in the past fifteen months.

The housing market is beginning to change gears and pick up some momentum. February sales leapt up by 15%: that's five times the usual seasonal rise thanks to improved mortgage availability and cheaper funding. The Funding for Lending scheme is allowing lenders to reduce mortgage rates and this has led to a mini-revival in the first time buyer market. High LTV lending is forming a bigger overall share of lending and credit scoring is easing.

On a regional level, disparities are growing and London remains in a different league to the rest of the country. On the opposite side of the spectrum Wales experienced the largest fall in annual house prices of -0.6%. And there is a word of warning. Despite gradually improving mortgage availability, cash buyers are accounting for around a third of all house sales illustrating the market is still depending on them to help sustain activity, with high value property in London seen as shielded against the difficult economic conditions in Europe.

And despite the improvements in the mortgage market, funding conditions are still tight for lenders and they are under extreme pressure to increase the mortgage funding on offer. It is also unclear what impact the weak sterling may have on the economy over the next few months.

There are hopes the government will announce a new mortgage indemnity scheme to encourage higher loan to value lending in this month's budget. If funding conditions remain favourable for banks and if rates remain low, there is good reason to believe the housing market will kick on and see a strong spring growth spurt`.

`Guaranteed Rent`, If It Sounds Too Good.....

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

A growing number of Landlords are falling for a `Guaranteed Rent` scam operated by letting agents and even some other landlords.

This is how it works:-

1) Landlords see or hear an advert offering guaranteed rent whether the property is let or not and whether or not a tenant pays on the due date. Seems like a compelling offer doesn`t it?

2) The person selling the contract explains that they will need up to a month to let the property and as soon as the first tenant moves in the landlord will be paid his rent on the same day of the month for at least 12 months whether the tenant pays or not and even if they move out.

3) The landlord is asked to sign an agreement allowing the property to be sublet.

4) The rent offered to the landlord is below the normal market rental value, which under the circumstances might appear to be reasonable. After all, everybody needs to make a profit somewhere don`t they?

5) What the landlord does not usually realise is that their property could be rented to asylum seekers, large families claiming benefits or even sharers. At the end of the contract landlords are responsible for putting right any damage and we have seen examples of where this has been more than they have received in rent! Furthermore, subletting to such groups of people may well be in breach of buy to let mortgage conditions and could result in mortgage companies insisting that loans are repaid.

6) In the case of landlords offering this scheme there is of course zero protection, particularly if they are operating as a limited company. If they get into difficulty they simply stop paying the landlord who is then left to pick up the pieces. There is no point liquidating the company as it will never have any assets. Even Nationally franchised letting agents operating Guaranteed Rent schemes seem to offer little more protection. The franchisor rarely carries any responsibility for the actions of it`s franchisees who sign landlords up on Guaranteed Rent. The only real risk to the franchisors in the event of a franchisee failing is that of a tarnished reputation.

The Guaranteed Rent scheme is fraught with risks which all point back to landlords, hence our words of caution if you are looking into them. Bergason only place A grade tenants in your property and can offer Rent warranty policies that are backed by vigorous underwriting to cover you for non payment or rent and £25,000 of legal cover usually free of charge. Call today to find out more on 0121 384 1333

Talk Of A Housing Bubble Is `Hysteria`, Says Think Tank

Wed, 09 Oct 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Fears of a housing market bubble stoked by the Help to Buy scheme are pure `hysteria`, says a leading think-tank.

The stance taken by economic group the EY Item Club is, howevr, sharply at odds with Lloys which this morning warned of a dangerous bubble in house prices unless steps are taken to lift the supply of new homes.

Meanwhile RBS revealed that as soon as the Help to Buy mortgage indemnity scheme went live, demand shot up: RBS reported booking 5,000 mortgage appointments within the first three hours.

Item has shrugged off housing market speculation, but is forecasting that the economy will grow by 1.4% this year, 2.4% next and 2.6% in 2015.

It says the economy will be helped by the housing market recovery, which will boost spending on household items and professional services such as conveyancing, and drive GDP growth.

The group, formerly the Ernst & Young Item Club, believes that the housing market will enjoy a bounce, rather than undergo a boom.

`Buy-to-let and other cash-rich buyers have had the market to themselves until this year, but Help to Buy will help level the playing field for first-time buyers and low-equity households,` Item said.

It predicts there will be over one million housing transactions this year, with house prices up 3.5% on last year. It forecasts house prices to rise 6.5% in 2014.

The group does not believe the Help to Buy mortgage scheme will fuel a housing bubble. Instead, it calls it `well-timed and targeted`.

Peter Spencer, chief economic adviser to the group, said: `Despite recent criticism of these initiatives, the chances of seeing another housing market bubble are extremely slim.

`House prices and transactions are only just recovering from the credit crunch and will be paltry in comparison to those of a decade ago.`

Possibly Large Fines For Not Protecting Tenants Deposits And Not Chance Of Possession!

Fri, 14 Feb 2014 12:00:00 GMT

There has been some discussion on different websites that some landlords are being ordered to pay 3x the amount of deposit if they fail to protect it within 30 days of receipt.

The law is quite clear and is set out in the Housing Act. It states that a tenant can bring a claim against the landlord if the landlord has not protected the deposit within 30 days of receipt.

The Judge has no discretion in this area and must order that the landlord either protect the deposit or return it. He must also order that the landlord pay the tenant compensation.

What the Judge does have discretion over is how much compensation the landlord must pay - the minimum is an amount equivalent to 1 x the amount of the deposit, the maximum is 3 x the amount of the deposit.

What the Judge awards will depend on what the Judge`s view of the specific case before him. If the landlord is a professional landlord and has ignored the law it is likely that he will be ordered to pay 3 x, if the landlord is a first time landlord with one property, or it was a genuine mistake, it is likely he will be ordered to pay 1 x deposit - however this is not set in stone. The Judge will order what he considers just on the day.

The best thing to do is to make sure you protect the deposit within 30 days of receipt. This applies to situations when you have only received part of the deposit - it is still a deposit and must be protected.
If you receive another installment at a later date you can then protect that.

If you require any legal assistance regarding tenancy deposits or any other tenancy issues please email me at cjeavons@bergason.co.uk

Know The Plan

Thu, 01 Jan 2015 12:00:00 GMT

Do your tenants know the plan if a fire were to break out at your property!

A number of fire services are currently running campaigns to help improve awareness of fire safety for both residents and landlords of flats, high rise buildings and houses of multiple occupation (HMOs).

They are highlighting the necessity of having a fire escape plan – that they will help landlords create – and ensuring that people know what to do if there is a fire inside their home or elsewhere in the building and who to ask for advice.

Last year, London Fire Brigade launched Know The Plan, a 12-month campaign aimed at making sure landlords and housing providers adhere to fire safety regulations and ensuring that people living flats and maisonettes in purpose-built blocks have a clear understanding of what to do in the case of a fire.

To get the message across, the informative website LINK www.knowtheplan.co.uk contains information, safety videos and downloads for tenants and landlords.

London fire commissioner Ron Dobson said, `Living in a flat is no more dangerous than living in a house, but it`s important to know that your fire plan should be different.`

The chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority James Cleverly said: "Landlords and housing providers with legal responsibilities for flats and maisonettes in purpose-built blocks need to act to ensure their residents are safe and understand what to do in a fire."

What will happen next!!!

Sat, 24 Oct 2015 12:00:00 GMT

With a lack of properties now coming on to the market, most areas of the Country are seeing a risee in house prices, especially in London, where prices are rising above their pre 2007 high.

But does this equate to selling your property. Just becuase there isnt a lot of stock on the market, doesnt mean to say that, espicially in the areas further away from the London "hotspots", that the buyers will pay these increased prices and the properties still have to survey at the asking price or you may find alot more sales falling through at survey, due to buyers having to find more deposit to put down on top of the usual amoounts.