Why Property Has Been the Best Investment of the Last Ten Years

Property has been named the best investment in the UK over the last ten years, delivering a significantly higher return than alternative options, such as the stock market and savings accounts.

A new study compared the return an investor would have received in each of the four markets, had they invested an initial £50,000 in 2006.

The research revealed that the buy-to-let market has generated a 175% return over the past decade, equating to a profit of £138,936. In comparison, gold has delivered a profit of £50,673, interest on savings accounts is worth £14,447, and a £50,000 investment in the FTSE 100 has yielded just £2,969 over the same period.

Buy-to-let performs significantly better than other investments in terms of an overall return. Research shows a buy-to-let investor in 2006 would be almost £90,000 better off today than somebody who invested in gold, and more than £135,000 up on somebody who bought stocks and shares.

Although property investment can be more time-consuming and hands-on, with such incredible results at the end, it’s certainly worth it.

Although gold, stocks and shares, and savings offer greater liquidity than property, which can take several weeks to buy or sell, this isn’t deterring astute investors, who value the dual benefits of a monthly rental income and capital appreciation over time.

Despite many changes over the last ten years to the housing market and wider economy, buy-to-let is still the clear winner. As well as the most rewarding, it is also the safest of all the investment options over the long-term. We have seen historically that, although cyclical, house prices always rise in the long run. With the acute shortage of housing across the UK, this is only likely to continue.

RENT SMART - Only 4 weeks left to register before the 23rd Nov deadline

Landlords are reminded that the time to register with Rent Smart Wales is running out.

The law in Wales now requires private landlords to register themselves and their properties with Rent Smart Wales. The Housing Act (Wales) 2014 requires landlords to register and self-managing landlords who let and manage properties and agents to also undertake training and apply for a licence. Rent Smart Wales aims to drive up standards in the private rented sector. A specialist team deals with queries and helps landlords and agents register and apply for a licence.

Rent Smart Wales is a landmark scheme that will drive up standards in the private rented sector by requiring managing landlords and agents to undertake training to ensure they understand their responsibilities.

It will help prevent the involvement of rogue, and even criminal, landlords and agents in the management and letting of properties. The scheme will help to protect tenants and will support good landlords and agents by helping them keep abreast of their responsibilities and legal obligations, raising the reputation of the sector.

The deadline for registration is now less than 4 weeks away and those who have not yet complied with the law are encouraged to discharge their legal responsibilities to register as soon as possible because registration when completed online, is a simple 15 minute process, but a licensing application can take up to 8 weeks to process. 

Landlords and Agents who fail to meet the deadline will be prosecuted under the new legislation and subject to hefty fines and potentially banning orders.

Your Agent Comment.

In my experience Rent Smart's time scales are grossly under estimated. It took over five months to get my licence and I submitted the application back in November 2015. If you've not submitted your landlord/agent licence application then chances are that you won't get it before the November 23rd Deadline.

Don't fall foul of the law and protect your income. YOUR AGENT lettings were amongst the first ten agents to be awarded an Agents Licence across the whole of Wales. So why not let YOUR AGENT be your agent? Call us on 03452 606 440 or email us at info@your-agent.co.uk

RENT SMART - Only 5 weeks to go until the 23 Nov deadline

Landlords are reminded that the time to register with Rent Smart Wales is running out.

The law in Wales now requires private landlords to register themselves and their properties with Rent Smart Wales. The Housing Act (Wales) 2014 requires landlords to register and self-managing landlords who let and manage properties and agents to also undertake training and apply for a licence. Rent Smart Wales aims to drive up standards in the private rented sector. A specialist team deals with queries and helps landlords and agents register and apply for a licence.

Rent Smart Wales is a landmark scheme that will drive up standards in the private rented sector by requiring managing landlords and agents to undertake training to ensure they understand their responsibilities.

It will help prevent the involvement of rogue, and even criminal, landlords and agents in the management and letting of properties. The scheme will help to protect tenants and will support good landlords and agents by helping them keep abreast of their responsibilities and legal obligations, raising the reputation of the sector.

The deadline for registration is now less than 5 weeks away and those who have not yet complied with the law are encouraged to discharge their legal responsibilities to register as soon as possible because registration when completed online, is a simple 15 minute process, but a licensing application can take up to 8 weeks to process. 

Landlords and Agents who fail to meet the deadline will be prosecuted under the new legislation and subject to hefty fines and potentially banning orders.

Your Agent Comment.

In my experience Rent Smart's time scales are grossly under estimated. It took over five months to get my licence and I submitted the application back in November 2015. If you've not submitted your landlord/agent licence application then chances are that you won't get it before the November 23rd Deadline.

Don't fall foul of the law and protect your income. YOUR AGENT lettings were amongst the first ten agents to be awarded an Agents Licence across the whole of Wales. So why not let YOUR AGENT be your agent? Call us on 03452 606 440 or email us at info@your-agent.co.uk

Rhentu Doeth Cymru / Rent Smart Wales

Are you a tenant in the private rental sector? All private sector landlords must be registered with Rent Smart Wales by the 23 November deadline. You can contact the Rent Smart team to find out if your landlord has registered yet. Click Here

YOUR AGENT lettings were amongst the first ten agents to be awarded an Agents Licence across the whole of Wales. So why not let YOUR AGENT be your agent? Call us on 03452 606 440 or email us at info@your-agent.co.uk

Your Agent Property Blog: Rent Smart Wales deadline just six week away.

Your Agent Property Blog: Rent Smart Wales deadline just six week away.:  RENT SMART WALES ONLY Landlords are reminded that the time to register with Rent Smart Wales is running out. The law in Wale...

Rent Smart Wales deadline just six week away.

 RENT SMART WALES

ONLY

Landlords are reminded that the time to register with Rent Smart Wales is running out.

The law in Wales now requires private landlords to register themselves and their properties with Rent Smart Wales. The Housing Act (Wales) 2014 requires landlords to register and self-managing landlords who let and manage properties and agents to also undertake training and apply for a licence. Rent Smart Wales aims to drive up standards in the private rented sector. A specialist team deals with queries and helps landlords and agents register and apply for a licence.

Rent Smart Wales is a landmark scheme that will drive up standards in the private rented sector by requiring managing landlords and agents to undertake training to ensure they understand their responsibilities.

It will help prevent the involvement of rogue, and even criminal, landlords and agents in the management and letting of properties. The scheme will help to protect tenants and will support good landlords and agents by helping them keep abreast of their responsibilities and legal obligations, raising the reputation of the sector.

The deadline for registration is now less than 6 weeks away and those who have not yet complied with the law are encouraged to discharge their legal responsibilities to register as soon as possible because registration when completed online, is a simple 15 minute process, but a licensing application can take up to 8 weeks to process. 

Landlords and Agents who fail to meet the deadline will be prosecuted under the new legislation and subject to hefty fines and potentially banning orders.

Avoid the hassle and protect your income. YOUR AGENT lettings were amongst the first ten agents to be awarded an Agents Licence across the whole of Wales. So why not let YOUR AGENT be your agent? Call us on 03452 606 440 or email us at info@your-agent.co.uk

"We need another 1.8m homes to rent by 2025" claims RICS

The government must urgently deliver 1.8m new rental homes as new figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors reveal a sharp drop in supply. 

RICS says the sale of buy to let properties dropped sharply when the additional homes stamp duty surcharge was imposed on April 1, on top of which 86 per cent of landlords say they have no plans to increase rental portfolio this year – and possibly for the next five years. 

RICS claims that by 2025 there will be 1.8m more households will be looking to rent. This follows more than a doubling in the number of UK households renting property from 2.3m in 2001 to 5.4m in 2014. 

“We urge the Prime Minister to abandon David Cameron’s previous home ownership focus and reverse April’s stamp duty measures in order to address short term rental supply issues” says a statement from RICS. 

The association says that in addition to those measures to help individual buy to let landlords, the government should encourage institutional build to rent too, with pension funds incentivised with tax breaks to build large scale rental properties with affordable elements. 

Additionally, local authorities holding brownfields sites should be encouraged to release land for such properties, RICS says.

“Our latest figures show that there has been a 15 per cent decline in house sales to first time buyers over recent months. That tells us that for all the rhetoric, David Cameron and George Osbourne’s Starter Homes Strategy failed to get off the ground” says Jeremy Blackburn, RICS’ UK head of policy.

“The private rented sector became a scapegoat under the previous Prime Minister, and because of that it suffered. Yet with increasingly unaffordable house prices, the majority of British households will be relying on the rental sector in the future. We must ensure that it is fit for purpose, and the government must put in place the measures that will allow the rental sector to thrive. Any restrictions on supply will push up rents, marginalising those members of society who are already struggling” he claims.

YOUR AGENT support mandatory Money Protection for letting agents

YOUR AGENT support mandatory Money Protection for letting agents in the wake of the launch of a government consultation on the subject.

"CMP is an entirely sensible measure that protects both the landlord and tenant in the unlikely event that an agent goes into administration or misappropriates a client’s funds" says YOUR AGENT director Rob Lock.

"Calls have been made for the launch of this review for some time so we are very pleased that it has now been announced. It provides an extra, but essential, degree of security for professionals in the industry as letting agents currently hold approximately £2.7 billion in client funds. It’s really important for members, and the wider industry, to come together as one clear, loud voice to call for full, mandatory CMP through this consultation."

The government launched a six week consultation period - closing on October 3 - with an open letter from housing minister Gavin Barwell saying letting agents currently hold approximately £2.7 billion in client funds “but if a letting agent is not covered by client money protection, both the landlord and tenant could stand to lose their money.”

It goes on to say that currently between 60 and 80 per cent of letting agents voluntarily pay a membership fee of £300 to £500 to join a client money protection scheme and this forms part of a central pot of money that can then be used to pay successful claims by landlords and tenants.

YOUR AGENT are member of Client Money Protect (CMP) make sure your agent is protecting your money the way that we protect our clients money.

Average tenant expects to rent for ten more years

The average UK tenant expects to remain part of the Private Rented Sector for a further decade, according to a new study.

Research carried out by AXA says that fewer tenants say they are renting because they can't afford to buy a property. 

In 2013, 67% of tenants surveyed said they rent because they can't buy. This year, the figure has fallen to 44%.

This could partly be due to a shift in attitudes towards renting. 

A third of those surveyed said their primary reason for renting is 'the freedom and lifestyle benefits' it brings.

AXA says that Britain's tenants are also experiencing a surge in financial confidence. 
In 2013, just 13% of those surveyed said they were saving for a deposit. This figure has almost doubled to 25% in 2016.

Tenants are also becoming increasingly prone to frequent relocation – stating they expect to stay in each rental property for an average of two years. 

Some 61% of 1,000 tenants surveyed said they favour short-term contracts of six months to a year, while only 18% said they would benefit from five or ten year leases.

Within the next five years, two thirds of those surveyed said they plan to relocate to another part of the UK, while 10% said they plan to emigrate.

London, Bristol and Edinburgh top the list of ‘stepping stone towns’, where tenants tend to stay the shortest length of time. 

A third of the tenants taking part in the study said they feel 'stigmatised' for not owning a property and 64% said they worry about being forced out of their rental property at short notice.