For Sale By Owner site Relaunched

www.buymyvilla.com has just been relaunched due to a rising demand from individuals wishing to save money on selling fees and wishing to retain control of their own property sale. For Sale By Owner ( FSBO ), as it’s commonly termed, is not a new concept. As the use of web sites has rapidly progressed over the last few years, there have been a number of web sites claiming to be the ‘next big property site for properties for sale by owner’. In reality, very few are professionally run, by Realtors (Or estate Agents in European parlance). Professional agents provide one part of the insight required to make a property web site work. Understanding of buyer’s needs on a web site is the other main requirement.

BuyMyVilla.com, fulfills both of those requirements. The site owners have been selling property since 1986 and have run successful property web sites for 10 years. The site has been designed with simplicity of use as a paramount feature. Property owners can upload their own property details and up to 12 pictures. Once a modest advertising payment of just €149 has been received, the site administrators will feature the owner’s property on the web site.

How does this differ from some other For Sale By Owner sites? Well, once you’ve paid the advert fee, the property can remain on the site for a year and there are no other costs to pay when you sell the property. The buyers contact the property owner direct and the buyer and seller deal directly with each other. No middlemen. No extra cost. Thousands saved.

Of course the site has many other features including useful advice and contacts, together with an easily searchable database. The most useful feature from a prospective buyer’s point of view is the site’s regular updates of properties are specifically what the buyer has registered their interest in. All the buyer has to do is register as a member, fill in their requirements and they will be updated regularly with only the properties that suit the saved search. If the requirements alter, they can log-in and make a new search that can be saved.

This feature sells more properties and saves the buyer’s time searching.

To advertise on BuyMyVilla.com, payment can be made in a number of easy ways including credit and debit cards through PayPal.

Visit BuyMy Villa.com to register for property updates, or if you wish to sell and save thousands.

Finding a Good Letting Agent

Whether you are a professional landlord that owns several properties, or a newcomer to the ‘buy-to-let’ market, it is well worth investigating what makes a good letting agent, before you decide to use one.
Letting a property may seem like an easy way to make money, but being a landlord can be a complicated business. You might feel tempted to cut out the middleman and let the property out privately. Not having to pay letting agents’ fees will maximise profits, but unless you have a lot of experience in letting out properties, are willing to do some leg work, and are aware of the laws and regulations involved, it isn’t advisable to go it alone. Even if you are a landlord that owns a portfolio of properties, it’s often easier to use a professional letting agent
What to look out for, when looking for a letting agent.
A letting agent’s initial job is to find suitable tenants for a property, on behalf of its owner. The agents starts the process by generally providing a free rental valuation. In the case of Gatehouse Estates Property Management, this part of the process is free and includes advice on preparing the property in readiness for letting.

Once you have the advice, it’s up to you whether you accept the suggested rental value. Bear in mind that the letting valuer does this job daily and is probably in the best position to suggest the rent. However, it may be worth requesting that the agent tries your price. If they agree to try a higher rent, set yourself a short deadline before reverting to the agent’s advice otherwise you will likely lose more than you may have gained in the year by having an empty property for too long.

Once you have settled the rental figure, discuss how the agent will market your property. Most agents will place the property on their web site. They will probably take a picture for their availability list. They may even prepare some basic details.

What about the marketing? With web sites becoming the most effective marketing tool available today, it’s worth taking some time to investigate how good the agent’s site is and where else they will advertise your property on the internet.
The agent will usually show the property to prospective tenants and inform you of any interest shown or offers made on the property. They can act as a go-between during negotiations before a tenancy agreement is signed. The prospective tenant might offer a lower rent or ask for extra furniture to be provided.

Letting out. Once you have come to an agreement, the agent will provide a tenancy agreement, a legal contract, for both parties to sign. All of this can usually be done through the agent by phone or post, so there is no need to actually visit the property or meet the tenants.
 

What else can a letting agent provide? Many agents offer extra services, some of which might be included in their basic fees. Some agents offer a tenant vetting service, which could include taking up references or a credit check on prospective tenants, carried out in-house or by a sub-contracted company. Thorough tenant vetting is important – the last thing you want to worry about is whether the complete strangers you have rented to will be able to pay next month’s rent. Often, this service is either included in the basic letting fee or paid for by the prospective tenant. In the case of Gatehouse Estates Property management, the tenant vetting is included as part of the monthly fee.

Some agents also offer an inventory check service. This is a full list of the condition and contents of the property drawn up during an inspection at the beginning and end of the tenancy, in the presence of the tenant. This should help solve any disputes if you find the tenant has made material changes to your property such as simple things like carpet stains or worse, made holes in a door! Some agents will offer this service for free, others ask the tenant and landlord to share the cost. This service is also included at Gatehouse Estates Property Management when you use their normal letting service.

Most agents also offer to collect the rent and deposit on behalf of the landlord and arrange to renew a tenancy when the original period expires. It’s worth noting, however, that Landlords (or their letting agents) MUST now place deposits in a recognised deposit account that is part of a Tenancy Deposit Scheme, by law. You are no longer allowed to simply hold a deposit from a tenant without a legally recognised scheme to cover it.
They can also arrange for the property to be cleaned before the tenant moves in and at the end of the tenancy. Many offer a management service, which involves general maintenance and organising necessary repairs over the period of the tenancy. This is useful if you live away from the property or don’t have the time or inclination to deal with plumbers, electricians and other trades people. All of this also included in the standard service at Gatehouse Estates Property Management.

Gatehouse Estates Property Management rent properties in Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire and includes the towns of St Neots, Huntingdon, Godmanchester, St Ives, Bedford and Kempston. Additionally, they offer properties to rent in the countryside in between those towns.

To arrange for a representative of Gatehouse Estates Property Management to assess the rental value of your property, either fill in this form and mail it , or call the following numbers if your property is in the local area.
Bedford and Kempston properties to let: 01234 345353
To let out in St Neots, Eaton Ford & Socon, Eynesbury: 01480 471444
To let in Huntingdon, St Ives and Godmanchester areas: 01480 433933

Property in the Alpujarra, Spain

Alpujarra Valley in Granada Province.

The Alpujarra mountain range, is about thirty miles from Granada city and 25 miles from the coast. It is as much part of Granada as it is of Almeria province. It is well known for the great views and the white towns; its mountain landscapes, the house balconies full of flowers; its friendly people and the atmosphere they create – and most importantly – the spectacular backdrop of the Sierra Nevada. All of these attributes led to it being designated a Global Reserve by UNESCO, as well as a national park and a nature reserve, especially for its native flowers and distinctive ecosystems.

The history of Alpujarra is just as important because it was the last refuge of the Arabs in Andalucia. It was here that Boabdil, the last Moorish king, lived for some months after the Christians captured Granada. And, it was to the Alpujarra that the Moors, who refused to convert to Christianity, fled and found refuge during almost a century before they were finally expelled.

The Alpujarra also still has many features of Berber culture, particularly in everyday houses and in their unique irrigation aqueducts that farmers are still using.

The Alpujarra valley gained modest notoriety in more recent times from people like Chris Stewart, who wrote ‘Driving over Lemons’, which captures the unique charm of the area. Many have followed his example and have sought to buy a small farm, or cortijo in the Alpujarra valley.

Properties there are still great value and the ellusive ‘real Spain’ can still be bought with a modest budget.
Properties in the Alpujarra.

Granada Property, The New Hot Spot?

Property for sale in the Granada region of Spain is fast becoming the new area to buy.

Granada – The Spanish Province of Granada is one of great importance in the cultural and religious history of Southern Spain, and many great authors have capitalised on it’s flavour in books that will overwhelmingly outdo this writers notes on the area.

With historical centres like the captivating Alhambra Palace and the highest mountain range on the Iberian Peninsular, how could one overlook Granada when planning a potential overseas property purchase. While new developments are available for you to buy off plan, there are plenty of good value resale properties for sale in the Granada area.

Granada too also has it’s share of pretty unspoilt coastal towns and villages, and the coastline from Castell de Ferro to Nerja is some of the most beautiful and dramatic in Andalusia. This coastline is sometimes known as the Costa Tropical, mostly on account of the ambient temperature there. It takes about an hour to travel from the beaches in Costa del sol to Granada city and just 30 more minutes North will take you straight to the Ski slopes!

Its easy to understand why so many people are searching for property for sale in Almeria, Granada and Andalusia.

 For properties for sale in the Granada region, visit this site.

Or for a selection of properties in the Alpujarra valley, go to this site.