Currently we have a three bedroom end terrace property in Pipers Lane, Godmanchester that has just been reduced to £144,500. In fairness it needs double glazing and a new bathroom suite but we could let it once done for around £700pcm.

If the thought of having this work done worries you or puts you off, we can take care of it for you. We have just project managed a complete renovation for an overseas landlord. The project came in under budget and we actually let the proeprty for £25pcm more than we had forecast.

Pipers Lane is a popular location in the heart of ‘old’ Godmanchester. Having just let a three bedroom semi in New Street for £795pcm with 24 hours or it coming to the market we are even more than confident of the location. Godmanchester has proven a very sucessful place to ‘buy to let’ with high demand and an eclectic range of properties.

Even if you had to pay the full asking price the net return would be over 6%.

For details of the property in Pipers Lane - click here.

To discuss other Buy to Let opportunities in Godmanchester, Huntingdon, St. Neots, St. Ives and all surrounding villages please call us on 01480 434290.

Buy to Let is popular with investors because the returns can be much higher than having cash sat in the bank so don’t assume just because we call them investors they won’t pay the full market value for your house or flat. Often buy to let buyers are great to sell to because they are chain free, less mortgage dependent than first time buyers and not as naive to the house buying and selling process and not emotionally attached to the property.

If you are thinking of selling a small house or flat in the general Cambridgeshire area then we will almost certainly have buy to let investors that will be interested. Call us to discuss further on 01480 434290.

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As one of the areas largest Property Management Agents we have a lots of clients looking to expand their Buy to Let portfolios and are actively searching for one bedroom houses or flats.

If you would like us to offer your one bedroom house or flat for sale to our investors please call us on 01480 434290 or e-mail: phillip@gatehouseestates.co.uk

The moment we say investor people assume they won’t achieve full market value and this is simply not the case. Buy to Let investors are looking at a long time return from you one bedroom house or flat by letting it to tenants for a monthly income.

If you imagine the value of a one bedroom house to be £100,000 for argument’s sake and a buy to let investor lets to tenants who pay £500 per month the return on their investment could be as high as 6%. When you compare the low interest paid on savings in the bank then you can see why their is a strong demand for your one bedroom house or flat.

Using Gatehouse Estates is ideal for seller and buy to let buyer because we have the contacts selling is often straight forward, secure and chain free. From a buyers point of view we have tenants searching daily for property so can have it let sooner.

For any advice of selling, buying, buy to let or letting your one bedrooms house or flat and buying somewhere else please contact us on 01480 434290.

For local information on what’s happening in or around Godmanchester – click here.

We offer a selection of family housing that we believe will be suitable for service personnel looking to live off base, but close to JAC Molesworth and RAF Alconbury in the UK. There aren’t any estate agents in Molesworth or Alconbury, but we are close by. Our offices are in a small town called Godmanchester and we have another in Bedford.

Our staff are very used to helping USAF Personnel, and civilians, to find accommodation. Our rental contracts will have your required “Military clause” inserted.

If you are looking for housing availability for several months ahead, please view our alternative selection of properties to rent near JAC Molesworth and RAF Alconbury where you will be able to choose from a list of homes that should be available in time for your posting. Be sure to use the form and let us know when you’re coming so we can note your interest in a particular property.

I hope that we can help you to find a home for your stay in England. Helen Powell, General manager, Gatehouse Estates Property management

For a full availability, please visit our main website, email us for details or telephone 00 44 (0)1480 433933.

**** PLEASE NOTE****

Residential housing of good quality, close to Molesworth and Alconbury, generally lets very quickly. If a particular property is of interest, please let us know as soon as possible.

This is due to the fact that often problem tenants do not pay their rent & usually damage your property. Then follows the long drawn out process of the legal proceedings in order to gain possession of the property back from the problem tenant.

At Gatehouse Estates all of the tenants are fully referenced and in the event that you are unlucky enough to have a problem tenant they offer a rent guarantee & legal expenses policy which gives all landlords total peace of mind knowing a dedicated legal team are working to obtain vacant possession back from the problem tenant and handle the entire process. Plus the rent guarantee payment takes away the pressure of trying to fund the money to cover the mortgage payment supporting the investment.

For more information please visit www.gatehouserental.co.uk or call (01480) 433933/(01234) 345353.

If you rent out a property that does not have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) you could receive a £200 fine.

We can arrange for you to have a Energy Performance Certificate on your rented property by a fully accredited Domestic Energy Assessors.

Our EPC for rental properties prices remain the same regardless of location, size of the property or number of bedrooms your rented property has.

Please call (01480) 456520 now to find out our fantastic rates in order to get your Energy Performance certificate (EPC) in place before 1st October 2008.

Landlords could be eligible for a maximum tax break of £1,500 per property against the cost of installing draught proofing, loft insulation, or insulation for hot water systems. The Government are keen to encourage all home owners, including landlords, to improve the energy rating of their properties.

Most landlords are unaware that they can make this tax deductable improvement to their rented property. Furthermore, it will improve the property’s energy rating when they have to conform to the new EPC ( Energy Performance Certificate ) scheme that comes into force in October 2008. By improving the energy performance rating, the landlord is simply improving their chances of letting sooner, and for more rent. Savvy tenants will want to see the energy rating of the property to rent, before they agree to let. With the cost of energy rising seemingly weekly, this will become a major decision maker.

This tax break is called LESA, Landlord’s Energy Saving Allowance. Talk to your financial advisor for more information, or if you are local to our offices in Godmanchester, or Bedford, call in. Contact us

More articles on letting property and EPC’s……

The RICS has just released news that new instructions to let property has increased significantly in the first quarter of this year. The combination of property owners experiencing difficulty in selling their properties, and the lower purchase prices, has created the perfect platform for property investors to re-join the market in order to capture the increased rental yields.

The RICS report that a rise in new landlords increased to 29%, compared to 2% in the previous quarter. It would seem that many new landlords are in fact Let-to-Buy homeowners who have decided to sit out the credit cruch cash crisis. They have taken advantage of the 700, or so, loan schemes available and have rented their own home out, so that they can make their new purchase elsewhere. Ironically, the Let to Buy landlord is, in fact, taking full advantage of the new lower property prices, by buying their new home now, and selling their existing home later when the property prices inevitably recover.
Reaping the benefits

The net balance of surveyors reporting a rise in gross yields is at the highest level in the survey’s history. Landlords are reaping the benefits of a collapse in demand in the housing market. 23 percent more Chartered Surveyors reported a rise in Gross yields up from 5 percent.

28 percent more Chartered Surveyors reported a rise than a fall in tenant lettings, up from 17 percent in the last quarter. Significantly, demand for both family homes and flats increased as many would-be buyers found themselves unable to step onto the property ladder.

“Rising yields may have stopped the recent retreat of landlords from the market. The percentage of landlords selling their properties when tenant leases expire fell from 4.6% to 4.2%.

Surveyors report that rents are still rising and rental expectations remain at more than double the survey’s long run average. Key areas enjoying rental growth are the South East and South West while London is the weakest area for rental growth.

For more information on Buy to Let, or Let to Buy, mortgage, call Vikkii on 01480 433933.

More articles on letting UK property…

There are many reasons to take up the option of ‘Let to Buy’. You may have to move with your job, you may need to move to a larger home because of a growing family, you may have specific requirements like the need for a garage to house your car. Whatever the reason, ‘Let to Buy’ could be the answer. One big advantage of ‘letting to buy’ is the possibility of getting a bargain on your purchase while riding out the current slow market on your sale until the market strengthens again.

Before we create a rush to our door, there are some factors to consider.
- If your property is leasehold, you will need to ensure you are allowed to rent out your existing property.
- You will need to have permission from your existing lender to rent the property out.
- You will have to inform your insurers for buildings and contents insurance.
The first step should be to have a rental assessment done. If your property rental value doesn’t match the amount required to make the move, it’s not worth going to the next step. Additionally, take advice from the rental agent about the ‘rentability’ of your property. Will it rent out consistently? Will the property rent for more with modest changes like re-decoration?

Having got a rental assessment, your next step is to get some professional advice from a qualified mortgage broker. Eligibility is dependent upon the proposed rental income on your current property being sufficient to cover the cost of your existing mortgage. Lenders offering this type of loan will usually exclude the existing mortgage from their calculations and offer you a mortgage for a new property based on normal income multiples. This means you can have two mortgages at normal residential rates, thereby avoiding ‘buy to let’ deals which often involve slightly higher rates.

Apart from getting you the home that you want, there are ways of reducing your tax bill. Think about using an agent to find and manage tenants. The fee will be between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of your rent, but the cost will be tax-deductible. Also, ask an accountant how to minimise CGT if you let your property for three years or more.

Professional, free, rental assessments are available at Gatehouse Estates Property Management in Godmanchester for ‘Huntingdonshire’ and Cambridgeshire.

01480 433933.  www.gatehouserental.co.uk