March Round Up!

With all the bad weather we've been experiencing recently, we have to admit, we were happy to see the back of March! Weather woes aside though, it's actually been quite a productive month for Applegate Lettings! 

The weather has been terrible for everyone, however, we managed to visit all of the properties that we were scheduled to during this time and did not cancel one single appointment. There were certainly several applicants who were unable to reach us because of the snow but we're pleased to confirm that from our end, all viewings, valuations and check ins went ahead as planned. 

We made some changes within our team with Sarah Farnell, our most recent recruit, being appointed as Applegate's Maintenance Manager - she will be dealing with all maintenance issues going forward. Our Senior Lettings Administrator, Laura Everitt, attended a training seminar in Manchester in the first week of March. We had some fantastic feedback from MyDeposits who were running the course - they said that our check in procedures, inventories and check out procedures seemed very thorough and other than a few additional suggestions, nothing needed to be changed. Laura is now looking into becoming a qualified inventory clerk for Applegate over the next 12 months as she clearly has the skills required for the job!

Although perhaps more of a 'behind the scenes' update, we are now officially working on brand new software at Applegate Lettings. As the company has grown so rapidly, we have now invested in state of the art technology to manage properties, works, updates, advertising etc. Although the changeover has been extremely difficult, over the next few weeks it will gradually free up more time for us to be picking up the phone and speaking to landlords and tenants by increasing the manual administration. We are constantly aware that we must not slip with the high levels of customer service that we provide and this is the main reason for investing in this software. Our entire team are undertaking additional training on Friday to ensure that we are working as effectively as possible and we're all very excited about it!

Here at Applegate Lettings we're more than aware of the importance of using social media for your business - that is why we now have another new avenue for keeping people updated with what is going on with Applegate Lettings, our very own Company Page on Linked In! If you're a member of Linked In and would like to follow Applegate Lettings, you can find our profile with this link. You can also connect with our Managing Director Amy Wray with this one! If you're not on Linked In, there are still so many other ways to keep up with our news and updates, either by subscribing to our blog, following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook. And not forgetting our website, where all our updates can be found in our News section! 

With all sorts going on this month, the event we were most excited about from March was the launching of our new testimonials page on the Applegate website. We've been talking about it a lot over the last couple of months but we're pleased to announce that the page has now officially gone live! After constantly receiving positive feedback from landlords and tenants for the past two and a half years we suddenly realised that we should be publishing this for all to read on our website. All comments listed are true and from genuine clients and permission is sought from all parties before publicising. Some wording is just a snippet from part of an email or a verbal comment but we're proud to say that all are true. If you have some feedback on our services here at Applegate Lettings that you'd be happy to see published on our website, please feel free to send us your comments!

The statistics show that 100% of new business in March came from referrals from current landlords and once again we've had 0 withdrawals so we've managed to maintain our high standards of service for yet another month!

Image: Vinz89/Shutterstock

2 bed in Crosland Moor

House to let – Hawthorne Terrace, Crosland Moor

Property type: 2 bed rear terrace
Location: Crosland Moor, Huddersfield
Rental: £375 pcm
Min term: 6 months

Recently re-furbished to a high standard is this lovely two bedroom rear terrace property with keeping cellar and good size patio/yard.

Set back from the road is this recently renovated terrace property briefly comprising; entrance hallway with staircase rising to first floor. From the hallway a door leads to the dining/kitchen/living room. This room has wooden flooring, sandblasted feature fireplace and brand new contemporary kitchen units, and a doorway leads down to the cellar where there is adequate storage space. To the first floor there is a double bedroom, single bedroom (see floor plan) and fully tiled, contemporary house bathroom with shower over bath. Externally the property has a good sized yard area and is accessed from a passage to the side of the property. There is on street parking to the front of the property.
 
Rent – £375 pcm
Bond – £475 pcm
No DSS, ideally no pets
 
Please note the administration fees involved in applying for any property with Applegate Lettings are as below;
 
First applicant application fee – £100 + VAT
Additional applicants including guarantors – £65 + VAT
Fees will not be taken until we are in receipt of completed application forms
Check in fee (payable only once tenancy approved) – £55 + VAT

• Lovely well presented rear terrace home
• 2 bedrooms (1 double, 1 single)
• Recently refurbished with modern kitchen and bathroom
• Useful keeping cellar
• Good size rear yard area
• DG + GFCH
• Available now

To enquire about this property, please contact us on 01484 682999, or for further images please click here. 

NOW REDUCED

307 Radcliffe Road, Slaithwaite - Now reduced

House to let – Radcliffe Road, Slaithwaite

Property type: 3/4 bed semi-detached
Location: Slaithwaite
Rental: £625 pcm
Min term: 6 months

A beautiful three/four bedroom home with lower ground floor annex, gardens and bags of character.
This lovely home is set in the popular village of Slaithwaite not far from the rural walks along the canal. Briefly comprising; breakfast kitchen with terrazzo stone flooring and granite working surfaces, family dining room with stone floors, beams and feature fireplace with stove effect stove and lounge again with raised stone fireplace. From the lounge a staircase rises to the first floor where there are two good sized double bedrooms one with dressing room, a further single bedroom and house bathroom with three piece suite. A staircase leads down from the ground floor hallway to the lower ground floor which could be used as a complete annexe or individual rooms. There is a large utility room, shower room, large bedroom/study/living area and sun room leading out into garden. The property also has the benefit of various dry cellars/stores internally and two external stores. The property has gas fired central heating, partial double glazing and gardens with two patios.

• Character home
• 3/4 bedrooms
• 3 double rooms
• Popular area
• Gas central heating
• Log fires
• Great views
• Available now

To enquire about this property, please contact us on 01484 682999

Impressive start for Green Deal

More than 1,800 property assessments have been carried out in the first month of the government’s Green Deal scheme.

Figures released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change show that 1,803 people have had their home assessed for funding since the initiative was launched in England and Wales on January 28th.

The Green Deal is a government scheme that allows homeowners to make improvements that will increase the energy efficiency of their property. They can then pay off the cost of the work in instalments through their electricity bills.

This is of particular interest to letting agents and landlords, as it allows them to improve the Energy Performance Certificate rating of the homes in their portfolio.

The Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said the scheme had got off to “an excellent start”.

He commented: “We’re seeing clear signs of a promising new market gathering momentum.

“In little more than a month, there have been 1,803 Green Deal assessments and that shows genuine interest from consumers.”

Article courtesy of www.rman.co.uk/

Image: Design36/Shutterstock

Clock starts ticking for landlords to declare tax gains

Here is another warning about buy-to-let investors who have sold up and not told the taxman about their profits. They can expect to receive penalty letters from HMRC.

Accountants James Cowper says the crackdown, part of HMRC’s Property Sales Campaign, will affect landlords and second-home owners who have sold properties in both the UK and abroad.

Stephen Barratt, private client tax director at James Cowper, said: “Capital Gains Tax is applicable when a property, which is not a main home, is sold at a profit that tops the annual CGT allowance, which is currently £10,600.

“HMRC may dig back into the records and many ordinary people who were unaware of the rules could be in for an unpleasant surprise. There are reliefs available to reduce the tax on second homes, but specific planning in advance is required.”

Owners have until August 9 to tell HMRC about any unpaid tax on property sales, and a further four weeks until September 6 to pay the tax owed. Those who disclose voluntarily will pay lower penalties.

Barratt said: “It is important that those affected seek professional advice because it is important that those preparing the calculations fully understand the complex rules and so ensure that the tax, and therefore any penalty and interest, are kept to a minimum.

“For instance, the tax bill might be considerably lower if the property has been let out as holiday accommodation as a means of funding its upkeep. HMRC will not fulfill this advisory role.

“It is equally important that those who have recently acquired a second home or are contemplating a sale of one take advice. Simple, early planning can often help minimise future tax bills.”

Article courtesy of Letting Agent Today

60% of renters expect to never buy a home

Six out of ten tenants do not think they will ever own a home, according to a report by Castle Trust.

The housing investment and mortgage provider found that three million social renters and 1.5 million private tenants do not expect to buy a property.

Meanwhile, of the three million people who do envisage themselves owning a home, half think it will be at least five years before they look to buy.

Earlier this year, Castle Trust carried out research that showed the number of renters in the private sector grown substantially. There were 3.8 million private tenants in 2012, which is an increase of 23 per cent on the 3.1 million figure for 2008.

Sean Oldfield, chief executive officer at Castle Trust, said: “Many people are either unable to get on the property ladder or stuck in their current home, despite interest rates still being at an all-time low."

Article taken from www.rman.co.uk

Crosland Hill Road

New on the market - One bedroom cottage - £450 pcm

House to let – Crosland Hill Road, Huddersfield

Property type: 1 bedroom cottage
Location: Crosland Hill Road
Rental: £450 pcm
Min term: 6 months

A very pretty, well maintained country cottage with one large bedroom, lovely garden and modern interior throughout.

This super home would suit professional couple or single person requiring quality accommodation with low maintenance. Briefly comprising; Good size lounge with feature fireplace, modern galley kitchen (with integrated fridge) with views overlooking the garden. A staircase leads from the lobby to the first floor where there is a large bedroom and contemporary house bathroom with shower over bath. There is a cellar which is currently home to the washing machine and additional fridge and freezer. Externally the property has low maintenance garden with the added bonus of an existing storage shed. The property is complete with double glazing, gas fired central heating and has been kept to a high standard. Set in the popular location of Crosland Hill, early inspections are advised to avoid disappointment. No DSS, Bond £500

• Modern throughout
• 1 largedouble bedroom
• Modern galley kitchen
• Dining/lounge
• Garden with storage shed
• Utility cellar with appliances
• Bond £500

To enquire about this property, please contact us on 01484 682999