With the sea, sunshine, and happy holiday memories just around the corner, it’s time to prepare your property with a pillow of protection for when it stands empty. As a landlord, your property can sometimes be empty, leaving it exposed to more danger and the possibility of a break-in. For landlords, it’s important to keep the property looking alive in between tenants. So, here’s some advice on how to keep the property looking alive when you’re on holiday or when it’s standing empty.

Postal deliveries 

When your property is standing empty or you’re on holiday, it is common that post and parcels can pile up outside, creating the impression of an empty property. To prevent this appearance, it’s important to ensure your post is either redirected to your neighbours or that a close friend or relative collects your post regularly. Leaving post and parcels to pile up can give burglars a clear target.

Social media

We get it. When you’re having a blast while away from home, it’s easy to share all your fun on social media. But by posting pictures and updates on social media, you can inform burglars that you aren’t on the property. This can make your home an easy target, so it is best to delay your social media posts until you return to the safety of your home. It is common for thieves to use social media as a tool to help them decide when to target properties, so try not to make this mistake.

Home security

By increasing your home security, you'll be able to keep track of your home 24/7 when you're away. By having security cameras, or even a live-monitoring doorbell, you can know if any movement is happening in or near your property. Through having a home alarm inside your property, you can allow the alarm company to register any movement, and then they can inform the police if there is no answer to alert them that it was you. There are also apps that allow you to monitor your property through cameras and turn your lights on and off.

Minimise valuables in sight

When you're away from your property, you want to make sure it looks alive and liveable. This can be done by placing timers on lights and lampshades or by having someone live on the property (house sit) while you’re away.  However, be careful you don’t accidentally advertise your belongings in the windows, as this can encourage burglars and make your property a potential target. Don’t give burglars motivation; move your valuables out of sight before leaving your property.

Emergency contacts

When you are not always going to be around to protect your property, it is important to ensure your neighbours have your back. By getting to know your community, they can easily spot strangers wandering and identify burglars ahead of time. Having an emergency contact in place with a spare key allows the police to know who to contact if there are any issues when you aren’t near. Additionally, knowing you have a trustworthy emergency contact in place allows you to relax when you are away from your property.

Summer is the peak time for crime rates in the UK, with an increase occurring each year. Just implementing one of these suggestions could potentially deter burglars, reducing the chances of your property becoming a target. Ensure you have protected your property as a landlord or tenant, so you can feel relaxed when leaving your property behind.

Moving home is about getting the numbers right and, of course, finding the right property. The good news is that on both counts, things are getting better, with home moving numbers on the up. But this is only part of the story of moving. As estate agents compete for your business, their levels of expertise and service improve, which is more good news for you.

Prop-Tech

Like most industries, the benefits of rapidly improving technology makes it easier to connect people to your property. Thanks to improved property technology or ‘prop-tech’, agents can present your home to a vastly higher number of buyers in more efficient ways. You are constantly informed about the latest market updates or potential homes through emails, e-zines, 3D tours, hosted videos, social media, and live chats to answer your burning questions day or night, not to mention automated searches and instant valuations. These tools all help in showcasing properties to a wider audience.  

Attention to detail

Through utilising your estate agents’ expertise, such as their experience, market knowledge and property intellect, you can rest assured knowing the utmost attention to detail is being paid. Place your mind at ease knowing your property is being positioned in the market relative to local activity and using market insights. Furthermore, your estate agent will endeavour to add a human touch and use their in-depth knowledge to aid with face-to-face valuations and accompanied viewings in order to find you the home which you truly connect with.

Placing the right value on your home

While today’s market is looking good with buyer and seller activity improving, it’s never been more important to place the right value on your home. It’s tempting to go with the agent who places the highest value on your property. Some homemovers will accept the first-highest valuation from an agent, only to sell later with another agent for a more realistic price. Today, good agents can place the correct valuation on your home derived from a combination of solid data, experience and their understanding of the market. The UK property market is more complex and differs from one region to another, making the insight of a good local agent imperative. 

Communication and support 

Agents have learnt, as perhaps we all have, that communication is key to making most things in life go smoothly. You do not want to be left wondering about how your sale is progressing. Often, agents get blamed for a slow solicitor or a break further down in the chain. A good agent will constantly update you, keeping you firmly in control of your move. As you move through the property-buying or selling process, your mind can be full of what-ifs and worries. Modern estate agents have the right people in the right places so that you get the best and latest advice to keep you from feeling anxious. Teams made up of valuation experts and seasoned mortgage advisors are complemented by recommended  conveyancers who will not want to keep clients waiting around where possible. 

Final thoughts  

Ultimately, you want to ensure that the right value is placed on your home, with an attention to detail paid and experience expert communication throughout your journey. Thankfully, estate agents today have the skills and tools necessary to ensure this is possible like never before. 

Applying for a mortgage can be a daunting and scary experience, especially if it’s your first time. We are here for you throughout your application process, ensuring that you are fully prepared. We’ve created a simple checklist to ensure you have the best chance at securing a good mortgage offer.

Register to vote

Any lender is likely to turn you away immediately if you haven't registered to vote. Now this may seem confusing at first, as what does voting have to do with buying a home? If you have registered to vote, it provides the lender with background information and allows for a trusted confirmation of your current address and grants the lender access to your credit history. 

Prepare proof of your income and deposit

Providing proof of income is important to lenders as it allows them to see your reliability with past repayments. The lender may want you to supply evidence of your payslips for the past three months to prove your income and that you can afford the mortgage you are applying for. They will also want to receive evidence of your deposit and that it is easily disposable to the bank after the mortgage approval. By having these documents prepared, you can show that you are organised and reliable, placing confidence in the lender.

Double-check your credit history

When applying for a mortgage, it is imperative to check your credit history. A bad credit score is one of the largest factors that will influence a lender to reject you onto a mortgage programme. It is essential to double-check your credit history to ensure that it is all correct, as if not, you allow yourself sufficient time to dispute this prior to the lender checking your credit history.

Furthermore, it is important to improve your credit score as much as possible in the six months leading up to your application. This will aid in you showing the lender that you are reliable with repayments since lenders will be evaluating your repayment reliability and overall credit responsibility. 

Pay your bills on time

When possible, you should strive to pay bills in a timely manner. Overdue payments can tarnish your credit score, however like all credit issues lose impact the older they get. In most cases, lenders will primarily focus on the six months leading up to your application. Due to this, it is important to be cautious of your repayments, especially in the build-up of a mortgage application.

Reduce your debt-to-income ratio

Your debt-to-income ratio is the proportion of debt you have, in your name, compared to the amount of income you are earning. The higher this number, the more debt you have in proportion to your income. Lenders favour applicants with a lower ratio, as this provides lender confidence in your ability to reliably pay timely mortgage repayments.

Joint mortgage?

If you are applying for a joint mortgage, then it's vital that you also check this list with all applying, as if one of you doesn’t match the lenders criterion, you will be turned away. Don’t let this be you and get ahead of the mortgage game by getting prepared; you’ve got this!

Buying a first home is no easy feat, which is why many first-time buyers turn to the Bank of Mum and Dad for that extra bit of help. If you’re eager to help get your adult children on the property ladder, let’s take a look at ways you can help them take their first step.

How can I help my child buy a home?

The term ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ refers to parents who offer financial support for their children’s major life expenses, such as buying a house. This is usually through a gifted deposit or a loan, but if you can’t afford to gift a large sum of money, there are mortgage options available to help them buy their first home:

• Retirement interest-only mortgages
• Guarantor mortgages
• Family offset mortgages
• Joint mortgages
• Joint Borrower, Sole Proprietor mortgages

• Your photo ID and proof of address
• How much you’re gifting
• Your relation to the mortgage applicant
• Where the funds are currently
• Confirmation that it is a gift and that you won’t have any financial or commercial stake in the property (usually a written statement)
• Proof that you are in a financial position to gift a deposit.