Redhouse park, quite a new development, 6% yield on this smart 2 bed apartment

Redhouse Park is a fairly new development running along the north side of Wolverton Road, between the fishing lakes and the M1 just before the underpass to Newport Pagnell.

This 2 bed apartment is very tidy and modern, with a huge kitchen and 2 good sized bedrooms. At £165k with Carters in Stony Stratford, this would rent out today for £825 at least, possibly £875 if fully furnished, giving you a minimum gross return of 6%, and being in such a new & desirable area there is plenty of scope for capital growth in coming years. Have a look for yourself....

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/34159366

Middleton 2 bed flat offering 6% return, no work required

As we already manage another apartment in this block, we already know the neighbours and the prices around here. Presented as it is, with no work required, this would achieve £900 unfurnished and as high as £950 PCM fully furnished, and we already have a list of applicants who missed out on the other unit! Speak to Brown & Merry to learn more about why this would be a good place to invest your cash, and have a look at the condition of the inside...

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/34154735

The postcode lottery (no not that one!)

This week let's have a look at one popular postcode area on the West of Milton Keynes, MK4.

 

This postcode incorporates approximately 6 estates currently, with development land for at least 1 or 2 more in the future, so there is scope for growth and new facilities in years to come. The oldest residential part is to the east, just off Watling Street V4, called Furzton. This was built in the early 1980s, and development came to an end around 20 years later. The further west you move, the newer the area, the newest area currently inhabited is Oxley Park which was started in 2007 and is still being built as we speak. On the extreme west of MK4 there is the brand new estate called Tattenhoe Park - building in this area stalled during the credit crunch years, with the main infrastructure and even a school in place but standing in isolation, and building of residential properties came to a halt for almost 7 years, until now.

So let's look at some historical and current residential sale prices to give you an idea of how this one postcode area can differ so spectacularly by focussing on specific, middle-of-the-road (excuse the pun) streets on 3 estates.

1) Braybrooke Drive, Furzton:

2014 average house price = £161,250

2007 (pre credit crunch) average price = £160,250

2000 average price = £85,500

From the above, you can see that current prices are now back to their peak, and will now only rise slowly from here as they are currently on parity with the market for this area which is established and maturing nicely, as you can see from the 88.59% growth since 2000. The current average rental price for a 3 bed semi with garage on this road is around £850.

2) Mavoncliff Drive, Tattenhoe

 

 

2014 average house price = £233,000

2007 (pre credit crunch) average price = £230,500

2000 average price = £154,750

This is now a virtually fully developed area, with the odd sporadic development plot left over, and prices are still on the up as it offers pleasant surroundings, nicely presented properties and is on the edge of the city with great road links. Prices are now increasing from their pre-credit crunch peak, and are a good 50.56% up since 2000, with plenty of room to move upwards further. The current average rental price for a 3 bed semi with garage on this road is around £900.

3) Oberon Way, Oxley Park

 

 

2014 average house price = £257,500

2007 (pre credit crunch) average price = £281,800

Wow - on paper this looks like a bad area that is making a loss, but that's completely wrong, and a case of statistics not telling the whole truth. This area was only started in 2007, so the prices listed above are the NEW prices paid by eager, keen homemakers, many of whom would have bought off plan and paid a premium for this. Today, there is a small local centre with a range of shops, and an excellent school on the estate with an ever diminishing catchment area, and as such families literally fight to be as near as possible to try and guarantee a place there. The current average rental price for a 3 bed semi with garage on this road is around £1100.

This is most definitely a developing area, with many building sites on the fringes and a lot of new play parks and other community facilities coming online, and prices will continue to rise for the next decade at least as the 'West Flank' of Milton Keynes continues to grow and becomes a great place to live, with high demand from owner occupiers and tenants alike. In fact, just last week we were reviewing potential investment properties on this road with an investor, and they have subsequently had there offer accepted for a lovely 3 floor 3 bed semi that we mentioned on 28 July, which is exactly the sort of property which is in high demand locally at this time.

As ever, for further information, or to speak with us about what you should buy next (and where), call us on 01908 562582 for an informal chat, or come to our offices for a coffee if you are in the area.

 

Monkston - nice area, nice house, a good long term investment for capital growth offering 5.1% yield today

This area is VERY popular, and property prices have risen 86% in this street alone since 2002. The value here is in the long term capital appreciation, in an area that will always attract families due to good local schools and excellent shopping just over the road at Kingston. Alan Francis will sell you this for £190k (but do try to get this lower, £180-185k sounds fair to me), and it would rent today for £800 PCM, giving you an easy return of 5.1% as it stands, with all that potential for future growth as well.

 

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33954474

 

 

Average tenancy deposit soars by £300 in 7 years

The average tenant is having to find a deposit of £1,197.73, says Mydeposits. The scheme says the amount has gone up by over a third – or £303.91 – in the last seven years.

 

http://www.mydeposits.co.uk/

 

The average deposit size in London is £1,760.70, while the cheapest average deposits are in Yorkshire & the Humber at £592.75. In the second quarter of this year, deposit amounts rose by 4.12% (or £47.34) compared with the first quarter. Mydeposits has taken the data from its records of over 2.3m tenancies across England and Wales.

 

 

 

At Belvoir, we tend to take a deposit of 1.5 times the monthly rent (but slightly less on 1 bed properties), making the average deposit for a 2 bed property with us approximately £1125. Why 1.5 times the rent? If we took just 1 rental amount, the tenant could just stop paying the rent early, leaving you the landlord with no buffer or contingency to cover any damage or excessive wear & tear they might cause.

 

Here in this office we prefer to use TDS, The Dispute Service. This involves us holding the deposit in a bonded account for all our managed properties. For unmanaged tenancies or mid-term take overs, we tend to use DPS, the Deposit Protection Service, and they would hold the funds themselves, but for both cases we would be the office who issues the prescribed information to both landlord & tenant, and we must lodge & register the funds in each case within 14 days from receipt.

 

http://www.thedisputeservice.co.uk/

 

http://www.depositprotection.com/

 

 

Auction 3 bed terrace in Wolverton offering potential returns of around 8%

On 14th August there is a property auction at The Hilton Hotel in Milton Keynes, and lot 9 is a 3 bed terraced house in Wolverton:

http://auctionhousebb.co.uk/ 

Now it looks like it may need around £30k spending on it, but it would currently rent out in a renovated & modern style at around £900-925 PCM, so if your total spend was £130k it would yield 8.5%, a spend of £140k would yield 7.9%. For someone looking for a decent project, and with the skills or connections to do this for under £130k, it represents a great return on investment. Certainly worth a look and an afternoon out down at an auction I'd say.

Browns Wood 2 bed semi, a good little earner for you, 5.3% yield

Browns Wood is a lovely area on the fringes of Milton Keynes, popular with employees of Red Bull Racing and The Open University and offering quick & easy access to the M1 motorway for commuters. This 2 bed semi is up for sale with Michael Anthony for £180k (haggle a bit and get the price under £175k!), rented out it would command around £780 giving you a 5.3% yield.

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33949656

Monthly statistics for Milton Keynes in July 2014

 

 

Time now for a quick round-up of what has been happening in the sales & lettings market in the Milton Keynes area throughout the whole of July 2014 (figures obtained from Rightmove and do not include private lets):

 

 

 

 

 

You can see from the rental figures above, that it is 1, 2 & 3 beds that are most in demand, with 2 beds being the most popular by some margin. If you look at sales, it seems 2, 3 & 4 beds are what people want to buy, this time it is 3 beds that win the race.

 

So, as an investment, what should you buy?  

 

 

 

 

Well demand is there to rent anything up to 3 bedrooms, but there are already a high number of potential private purchasers chasing those same properties, so this will inevitably increase pressure on availability and start to drive prices up, whereas 1 beds are in a lot less demand by purchasers, yet these are often prized by renters. Our experience here tells us that 1 & 2 beds will always find a rental market, they will always rent out quickly but there will be more churn (turnover of tenants), and these will command a slightly higher yield than 3 beds. However, for families wishing to rent, 3 beds are a must, and in the catchment area of great schools (particularly secondary) they will always be in high demand and with less churn, and it is these properties that tend to offer better scope for capital growth in the long term whilst providing a steady yield of around 5-5.3% yield today.

 

If you would like some advice about buying to let, whether you are a landlord with an existing portfolio or someone thinking of investing in the Milton Keynes rental market for the first time, please email me on stephen.tunney@belvoirlettings.com  or pop into our office on London Road in Stony Stratford.

 

Bletchley 2 bed semi + garage + conservatory, 5.3% return easy

A decent little 2 bed semi now with a garage and a usable conservatory, not far from the centre of Bletchley, and I'm sure there is a bit of wriggle room on the price of this one. It is already in fairly good condition, neutral colours with a decent kitchen & modern bathroom, and could rent today for around £775, giving you a return of 5.3%. Taylors in Bletchley have all the details for you, but here is a taster....

 

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33952305

 

 

 

Monkston 2 bed apartment was a sound investment for someone...

Following  on from my post on 8 July here:

 

http://mkpropertyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/monkston-park-2-bed-apartment-56-yield.html 

 

you can see just how attractive this apartment was - so much so, it is now on the rental market at £775 just as predicted!

 

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-47289788.html

 

 

Beautiful 3 bed on Tattenhoe, 5.1% return but what a great opportunity for future capital appreciation

This house is presented in immaculate condition and could go straight on the rental market today at £975. Whilst the return today would only be 5.1%, this has got to be a winner for a long term investor who wants their capital investment to grow, and this house in this area certainly offers that. Elevation have it for sale at £230k right now, but this won't hang around for long.....

 

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33838877?search_identifier=1b693e35856d215feacfae5385a5710d

 

 

Oxley Park 3 bed semi offering yield of 5.1% but with excellent scope for capital growth

This is a lovely 3 bed semi with garage AND decent off road parking (unusual for this area), up for sale with Under1Roof at £235k. This might only offer 5.1 yield today with a rental value of £1000 PCM , but with this area you will get great capital appreciation over the coming years. A great school catchment and good local shops all make this a top location, this must be a safe place to put your investment, so pop and have a look....

 

 

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33518894?search_identifier=1b693e35856d215feacfae5385a5710d

Just who exactly ARE your tenants?

A cautionary tale to all landlords...

Do you REALLY know who you are renting out your property to? How do you know that the person you meet is the person they say they are, and not an illegal sub letter? Would you knowingly want to be involved with shady tenants, or would you rather be protected from them?

What if your tenant trashes the place, rips off doors and radiators, kicks holes in the walls or runs a cannabis factory from home? Where do you stand – probably not where you want to be, that’s for sure. We have reports of these horror stories (and worse!) from even some of our seasoned landlords, who all had enough experience to cope with such matters – or so they thought. Can you imagine the stress and financial burden this would put on a novice at the start of their investing career?

 

The common denominator here is people – well, specifically tenants. Property investors often forget this is a PEOPLE business, it’s all about how you deal with them and how they interact with you, how you pick the good from the bad in the first place, and how do you know who to trust? Well if you don’t do thorough due diligence on your new tenants then the truth is you don’t. Would you honestly spend, for example, a quarter of a million pounds on a nice 3 bed semi and then effectively hand it over to strangers? Some landlords, and even agents, state that they want (and will get) a tenant living in an empty property before the week is out. Hmm, OK, let’s think about this – I don’t know you, you want to potentially be entrusted with what is in effect a LOT OF MY MONEY tied up in the value of my property, not to mention that I will effectively be offering you credit to the value of 6 months’ rent – well I certainly want to know all I can about you my friend! First I want to take up references from your current and previous addresses, I also want to contact your employer to confirm not just your salary but also that you DO HAVE a permanent position there for a period covering your initial tenancy. Got any CCJs or financial defaults? If so then I want to know, because as I don’t know you, it tells me you are a financial risk that I could do without.

 

 

Obviously, anyone’s situation can change, so I’d like to pop around in 4 weeks to make sure you have settled in OK and got to grips with everything at the property – oh did I mention, I’ll be back in 3 months as well, and every 3 months after that, just to keep an eye on my property. Sorry what’s that, you don’t think that’s fair? Well there are currently 97 other agents listed locally on Rightmove, perhaps they could accommodate you.

You see at Belvoir, our landlords get the protection from all of the above in the detailed level of service and tenant referencing we offer. What we want our landlords to understand is that we DO know our applicants even before they become our tenants, and that’s one of the things you pay your monthly fee towards. Come on, would you really gamble £250k for a saving of around £16 per month on your fee? If so, there are 97 phone calls you could be making. If not, just the 1 call to us on 01908 562582 is all you need to make.

Campbell Park 2 bed apartment offering 6.2% yield

Have a look at this tidy 2 bed apartment in Campbell Park, offered for sale through Elevation for £140k and would easily rent for £725 to £750 PCM at this time. It doesn't appear to need any work doing to it, and this would appeal to young professionals working in CMK who don't particularly want to live down at the busy end of the city above The Hub and can't afford to live in Vizion. A nice 6.2% minimum can be earned from this, so go and have a look.....

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33934681

Downs Barn 3 bed terrace, £190k investment gets this nice, easy property for the new investor

This is a decent property in Downs Barn, for sale for £190k through Haart, offering contemporary living and decent quality in a reasonably central area, this will rent out for around £850 PCM giving a yield of 5.3%, but with no modernisation or big expenditure required on your part. Might be worth a look for an easy option to start with....

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33918022

 

 

Netherfield potential high reward 7.5% yield

Following on from my post on 11 July (see older posts), here is an example of just what I was illustrating back then:

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33901525

 

 

 

Here we have an absolutely typical 3 bed terrace in the inimitable style of this area, complete with off road parking, downstairs WC and a converted garage. Wilson Peacock have this up for £120k, haggle a few pounds off for a bit of redecorating and possible tidying up internally (there are no photos, so best to go and see what it is like before doing all the sums), but if it is generally OK it would go back on the rental market at £750 today - and you would get that no problem. Based on these figures, it could yield 7.5% for you.

 

So you get a decent immediate return, but you would be unlikely to see a highly appreciating asset over time, and structurally it may need more work doing to it in the future as well (flat roof, external corrugated cladding). It is not in the most desirable of areas yet will always find a market, and for someone with the  gumption to take this on, it could offer a good income.

Oxley Park, stunning apartment offering a potential 6.2% return

Here we have a lovely 1 bedroom apartment in a very desirable and up-and-coming area, Oxley Park. Rhyen Jordan have this stunning apartment on the market for a tad under £140k, haggle hard for a few pounds off if you can! Offering 2 parking spaces and a totally up to date interior, this would rent to a young professional for £725, offering you a potential return of 6.2%. Pop along for yourself to see just how nice the area is, and why it is worth the money.

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/32022952

How can you find a good property deal in MK?

The subject of a lack of Milton Keynes property bargains over the last couple of years has always been near the top of most local landlord’s thoughts. I have built up an extensive database of property sales in the area since the late 1990s, so I am able to give an objective and unbiased opinion on what does (and what doesn't) make a good property deal/investment. Knowing what is currently happening and what has happened previously to the property market in Milton Keynes enables me to spot any trends or opportunities for buy to let landlords.

 

 

 

Here is one the bargains that I spotted last year. A three bed mid town house on Downdean in Eaglestone. It came on the market in the Spring of 2013 at £148,000 and sold in the Summer for £143,000. The owner gave the 947 sq ft house a lick of paint and some TLC (no more than a few hundred pounds looking at both sets of pictures), and it sold again 6 months later at Christmas for £156,000..... a 9% increase in value in 6 months (interestingly, the MK average over those same 6 months was only 2.4%).

 

 

Whether you are a landlord of ours or not, or someone thinking of investing in the rental market for the first time, pop into our offices for advice and opinion on where the bargains are in the area or follow our ‘Milton Keynes Property Blog’ which is updated daily. You see, as I don’t sell property, I can look at the whole of the market. Please email me on stephen.tunney@belvoirlettings.com or pop into my offices on London Road in Stony Stratford for my opinion on the Milton Keynes property market.

Walnut Tree beautiful 2 bed + garage, rent at £795 PCM for a 5.6% yield

How nice is this! A very tidy, modern 2 bed semi with a garage - our waiting list of tenants could accommodate 20 or more of these right now, you will not go wrong with this house in this area - great schools nearby, a range of local shops, nice views across to Woburn Sands, and close to the M1 for commuters. Inspired Sales & lettings have all the details, so be inspired and talk to them before someone else does

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/30188576

The basics on buy-to-let

Size is not always the main consideration, quality and location are more important. Investing in new-build flats, old houses or typical suburban terraces all have merit in different ways, it depends on your investment objectives, timeframes and budget. Before investing there are numerous things you need to research including – but not limited to – cash amounts, mortgages and rates, fixed costs (such as service charges in flats), potential repairs and improvements, furnishings, gross and net yields, plus likely returns on capital employed. 

Houses seem to be more popular than flats, larger bedrooms are better than singles, good nearby transport links are also useful and double-glazing is becoming a requirement for most tenants. Location of the property is also vitally important - the main drivers are access to train stations, good shops and restaurants and in the case of growing families, good schools.

The condition of property should also be considered. Tenants want dry, structurally sound properties in good condition (cracked fittings, marked walls, damaged appliances, grubby kitchens and bathrooms are all a turn off). Think carefully about the size and layout of the accommodation too. Most tenants will dislike small living spaces, odd shaped rooms and bathrooms without natural light. And remember, tenants have a strong sense of rental values so the days of landlords setting the rent to cover their mortgage are gone and they must therefore buy wisely.

A BTL property should look good from the outside (kerb appeal). If the inside is immaculate but the outside isn’t, you will struggle to get people through the door. Ideally the property should be semi-detached and have gas central heating and a shower. Double-glazing is another benefit.

Think about the age of the property. The younger the property, the less maintenance you will have. If you purchase a Victorian property it is likely you will have to rewire the property, therefore I would strongly suggest that BTL landlords have the gas and electric checks done on the property before Exchange of Contracts. If problems are found the cost of rectifying the issues could potentially come off the agreed sale price.

2 and 3 beds are the most popular (with 2 beds usually giving a better return on an investment), but it is essential that you understand the BTL market and complete all your homework before purchase. I would urge all BTL landlords to carry out a cost analysis before committing and have sufficient funds set aside for potential void periods and major repairs (a new boiler could cost around £1500, if you cannot afford to replace it then don’t buy the property).

If you would like some advice about buying to let, whether you are a landlord with an existing portfolio or someone thinking of investing in the Milton Keynes rental market for the first time, please email me on stephen.tunney@belvoirlettings.com  or pop into our office on London Road in Stony Stratford.

A tidy starter flat for the novice investor, above shops in Heelands & offering a 7.2% yield

This one is nothing special, but at £90k for a fairly tidy 1 bed flat, how much cheaper can you get? It really doesn't need much doing to it either, perhaps a quick update in the kitchen & bathroom and put it straight onto the market again for at least £540, giving you a 7.2% return or down to 6.5% if you spent 10k on modernisation. Haart in Milton Keynes have all the details of this, so what's stopping you?

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33695060

Westcroft 1 bed flat giving a 6.1% return

This is not a bad area at all, with lots of great local shopping and on the fringes of Milton Keynes and close to open countryside. Connells want £110k for this, and in it's current state you would easily get £560-£575 PCM for it, giving a decent return of at least 6.1%, and with a 999 year lease you don't need to worry about being stuck with this in years to come.

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33782212

Netherfield property market outperforms Woughton on the Green by 72%!

Last week, a landlord who lives in Woughton on the Green in one of those nice executive properties, popped into see me whilst his wife was shopping in the town. He wanted to discuss what was happening in the Milton Keynes property market, especially what was happening to returns and the property values in the town, as he owned various properties around Milton Keynes.

 

We got talking about the different areas, such as Fishermead, Monkston and Old Farm Park but it was Netherfield that created the most interesting result during our conversation. It was a surprise to find that the property market in Netherfield has outperformed Woughton on the Green property market. I know it sounds unlikely, but let me explain.

 

Typical Netherfeild terraced property

 

This is because an average three bed three storey town house in Netherfield is worth £109,400 and the average rent for that type of property, depending on condition, is £694 per month. This means the yield (or annual return) which could be achieved is around 7.6% per year. When we compare this to property in Woughton on the Green, those large 4 or 5 bed executive houses, they are currently selling in the £450,000 region, they rent for £1600 to £1700 per calendar month, (depending on what the property offers), this would give any investor buying such a property, a yield of only 4.4% per year, thus making the Netherfield yield of 7.6%, proportionally 72% higher than the yield of Woughton on the Green.

 

Typical Woughton on the Green detached property 

 

However, we must remember that yield is not the sole consideration when investing in Buy To Let properties. Since 2002, Netherfield property values have increased by an impressive 75.4%. However, more impressive are the value increases in Woughton on the Green, as their property values have had a much higher rate of growth than Netherfield, rising by an impressive 101.6% in those same years. I appreciate these are the two extremes of the Milton Keynes market, it just goes to show you need to do your homework, because as a landlord, it’s not all about capital growth or yield, as it is very rare to get both. You must also consider protecting your investment by selecting the right area and the right tenant.

 

If you would like some advice about buying to let, whether you are a landlord with an existing portfolio or someone thinking of investing in the Milton Keynes rental market for the first time, please email me on stephen.tunney@belvoirlettings.com  or pop into our office on London Road in Stony Stratford.

Landlords, have you fully declared all your rental income?

Our sources tell us that HMRC has sent out a second batch of letters to 40,000 landlords whom it suspects have either not declared or under-declared rental incomes. Part of the Let Property Campaign, landlords who have already received letters and who have not made a voluntary disclosure could face severe penalties and the possibility of criminal prosecution.
 

https://www.gov.uk/let-property-campaign

Although HMRC generally goes back six years, the law allows it to go back up to 20, warns chartered accountancy firm Jeffreys Henry http://www.jeffreyshenry.com/. The firm says that any landlord with undeclared rental income, or who has been under-declaring it, should come forward to make a voluntary disclosure before they receive a letter. Anyone making an unprompted voluntary disclosure will be able to negotiate lower penalties and affordable payment plans.
 

For the thousands of landlords who have already received letters, it is too late. Any disclosure they make now will be regarded as “prompted”. Interest will also be charged from the date the tax is due until the date it is actually paid.

 

HMRC is using a wealth of information to identify landlords who have not declared their rental income. These include records from other government agencies and local authorities, and also the tenancy deposit schemes and Land Registry.

Monkston Park 2 bed apartment, 5.6% yield

Now here is a lovely 2 bed apartment in the ever popular Monkston Park - this area is towards the top end of locations in MK right now, with a new Waitrose on it's doorstep, a fantastic secondary school very close by, and a lot of new developments planned in the neighbouring areas. On the market for £165k with Connells, it would rent to a professional couple in todays market for £775, providing a return of 5.6%.

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33802578

 

New build apartment in the centre of Bletchley, offering modern living and a 5.9% yield

How about this great 2 bed apartment, complete with all white goods (including washer/dryer and microwave), with en-suite to master bedroom. Put it straight onto the market for at least £795 and take a return of 5.9% on this one, without having to do anything to it yourself. London commuters can walk to Bletchley railway station in 5 minutes, so why don't you walk along to Taylors in Bletchley for more details?

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/new-homes/details/33737792

Belvoir scoops Lettings Franchise of the Year – for a record fourth time

Belvoir has once again scooped Gold at the prestigious Lettings Agency of the Year Awards, winning the title of Best Lettings Franchise 2014 – for a record fourth time. Belvoir also won the Bronze Award for Best Customer Service Agency (Large) in recognition of the outstanding service that franchise owners across the country provide to their clients.

 

The Lettings Agency of the Year Awards, in association with The Sunday Times & The Times, and sponsored by Zoopla, were held at the opulent Lancaster London Hotel. Dorian Gonsalves, Belvoir’s Director of Commercial and Franchising, accepted the award from inspirational businesswoman Katie Piper and paid tribute to the hard work of all franchise owners in the Belvoir network and their determination to consistently provide outstanding levels of customer service.

 

 

 

“As a network we have worked tremendously hard to become the agent of choice for landlords and tenants,” said Dorian. “To receive the Gold Award again for Lettings Franchise of the Year at such a high profile event makes me extremely proud."

 

“This award is always one of the most competitive categories at the event and winning Gold for the fourth time is fantastic recognition of Belvoir’s ability to meet and exceed the expectations of our clients. This is what sets us apart from the competition and has enabled Belvoir to grow into a nationwide force to be reckoned with. Belvoir’s core principles are specialism, professionalism and customer service and our franchise owners remain totally committed to improving the services that they deliver year after year. For this reason I am also delighted that Belvoir won the Bronze Award for Best Customer Service Agency (Large) as we continuously strive to be the best in the industry."

 

The judging of the Lettings Agent of the Year Awards is chaired by The Property Ombudsman and has the backing of ARLA and NFOPP. Judges comprise highly experienced property professionals including leading agents together with other industry experts and specialists.

 

"The panel found Belvoir to be one of the most responsible, ethical and well-positioned franchise businesses in the industry with a 19-year track record to prove it; and we are pleased to award it the gold for the third year running. In short, Belvoir is an outstanding franchise operation.”

High risk = higher reward, 7.3% yield on The Lakes Estate

Hmmm, now this isn't an area we would normally advise a novice investor to buy into, but for the seasoned landlord or the brave hearted, this one offers great potential returns. The downside is that it is not the most desirable area by far, the upside being that if you could get the price any lower than £120K, with a rental of £775 PCM this would return 7.7%. Even at £127.5K, it will earn you 7.3%. Taylors in Bletchley have all the details for you, including (hopefully) some internal photos.....

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33662554

Great school catchment in Shenley Church End, this will return an easy 5% yield today

"Make me an offer" it says - so do that! £225k or less would see this great family home with a garage and conservatory yield 5% for you today, but better than that, it is in the catchment of one of THE best secondary schools in Milton Keynes, so this beauty will rent out year after year after year without any difficulty. Even better, they just built a brand new Sainsbury's on this road - what's not to like? Speak to Wilson Peacock and get that offer in before someone else does.

 
EDIT - you were too late!
 

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33662567

 

 

Woburn Sands 1 bed, £90k, potential yield of 7%

A nice little 1 bed apartment, close to the M1 for commuters or MK for local workers. Make a small investment in a shower for the bathroom and this could be back on the market and earning you £525 PCM. We ALWAYS have high demand for 1 bed properties to let, so this would be a relatively cost effective way for a new investor to get into the market. For further details, contact Christopher Francis in Woburn Sands....

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-43927688.html