FIFE PROPERTIES - Helpful guides for buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants

FP TV (EP 49) PRETTY VACANT: How To Style Your Buy-To-Let Without Using Furniture Empty rooms can look a bit sad, and there are plenty of uninviting photographs out there of vacant buy-to-lets. It's a constant challenge for landlords and letting agents when the demand from tenants is for unfurnished property, but when homes never look their best when they're empty. With no comfy couches or well-dr...

t’s the best sellers’ market for your home in a decade, but you can also use the moment to your advantage as a buyer. If ever there was a time for getting a premium price for your home, that time is most definitely now. Record buyer numbers mean more homes than ever are getting multiple offers, so you can sell your home to the cream of the crop. Not only do record low interest rates mean more buye...

Building a successful lettings portfolio is an exciting route to financial freedom, and picking a direction for your buy-to-let business ultimately comes down to two choices: capital growth or rental yield. When it comes to choosing between them, you'll find strong proponents of both whenever you ask the question. For some, capital growth is the be-all and end-all of being a landlord, while others...

Weekly round up on what's driving the Fife Property market including a look at the properties sold and coming to market. Also, I’ll cover:  FP TV (EP 46) Is Fife Heading Towards a House Price Crash? Fife house prices dropped by 1.8% last month, according to the Land Registry. This means the annual rate of house price growth in Fife has eased to 8.7%, a little way off the 10.8% yearly rate exp...

Fife house prices dropped by 1.8% last month, according to the Land Registry. This means the annual rate of house price growth in Fife has eased to 8.7%, a little way off the 10.8% yearly rate experienced only a few months ago. Don't get me wrong, this is still decent growth in local house prices in anyone's eyes, yet the 'pedal to the metal' growth rates seen only a few months ago do appear to be...

Whenever you ask someone if they know a good contractor, you’ll never be far from a tale of woe: the plumber who never turned up; the electrician who bodged the job; the builder who overcharged and left a huge mess. It’s taken us many years to build a circle of reliable contractors, and we’ve had plenty of upsets along the way. Unfortunately, even the good ones go bad, get too busy, or simply disa...

There is no getting away from the fact that the rise in the number of buy-to-let properties in Fife has been nothing short of astonishing over the last twenty years. As a result, many in the press have said Britain is a broken nation, with many twenty and thirty-somethings unable to buy their first home. The press has named this group ‘Generation Rent.’ Who’s to blame!    Join seasoned L...

"I don't want to give my home away" is a thought on the minds of many people when they first put their home up for sale. In fact, it's one of the main concerns we address when recommending a marketing plan and setting an asking price that gives you comfort and confidence. So, what do we do?    Join two of the UK’s most successful Estate Agents, Jim Parker and Jimmy Mullen (who will more...

Specialise or diversify? That's a big question for many landlords when it comes to expanding their portfolios, and if you look around Google long enough, you'll find arguments for both. You don't have to have a niche. You could choose a wide spread of property types across multiple locations, but you'll undoubtedly become more knowledgeable with some sort of specialty, and you'll find it easier to...

FP TV (EP 41) HIDDEN POTENTIAL: Using the Untapped Value of Your Home for Selling Points in Fife   Potential is a magic word in property, and no wonder. As our home lives continue to evolve, we're examining every corner for how it can offer us more. Could the layout be more sociable? Can we create a workspace? Is there scope to add more bedrooms? How can we increase the levels of luxury and l...

As a fast and chain-free way to start or add to your lettings portfolio, buying a tenanted property can be an attractive proposition. Usually, when you buy a property to rent out, you’ll need to have it cleaned, fix any repairs, get it on the market, show people around, take up references and create a tenancy agreement before seeing any income. But that’s all taken care of when the property you bu...

Demand for property is soaring, so there are sure to be plenty of motivated buyers, therefore now is an ideal time to prepare your property for that quick sale at the best price. So, here’s my 5 Top Tips to sell quickly but more importantly for the right price. Watch/read/listen: https://www.fifeproperties.co.uk/blog/5-top-tips-to-sell-quickly-this-summer-in-fife/ #Summertime #FifeHomeowners #Movi...

All the signs are that the Fife housing market is sat on good foundations, yet one key hazard could still scupper the market.  ‘UK Property Prices Rising at Record Levels’ is the headline of many newspapers. In the last few weeks, the Halifax reported they had grown by 6.5% in the last 12 months, whilst the Nationwide said 7.1% and not to be outdone, the Government’s own Land Registry said 8....

Not everyone sets out to be a landlord, and becoming an accidental one is more common than you might think.  An accidental landlord is someone who becomes a landlord by circumstance rather than by plan, and it can happen for several reasons. You could be relocating for work, moving in with your partner, or having trouble finding a buyer for your current home. Or you might have inherited a pro...

“Is the Fife buy-to-let property market going into crisis? With Fife first-time buyers now only needing a 5% deposit for a mortgage, will there be a large exodus of tenants from the Fife rental market? What will this mean for the Fife property market as whole? Watch/listen/read if you are a Fife buy-to-let landlord, a potential Fife first-time buyer or a Fife Homeowner. https://www.fifeproperties....

People always ask us how their home should look on viewings or whether they can improve presentation. This can often lead to an increased offer. While no one expects you to live in a perfect show home, buyers do react well to a bit of pizzazz and polish. They're looking to be seduced, and the way you present your home can shorten the time it takes to agree a sale, which means less tidying up in th...

There are many benefits to being online and using email, social media etc and while technology has accelerated our performance and given us instant access to information we are sometimes bombarded everyday with attempts by fraudsters, scams, and phishing (people impersonating someone to get information) to steal from us. So, with the help of www.garyvaynerchuk.com I put together my spin on his 10...

FP TV (EP 36) LETTING AGENTS: How To Pick The Best One Whether you've been a landlord for years or you're just starting out, finding a letting agent you can trust and build a long-lasting relationship with is a big deal. Renting out your property is about so much more than just money and business. As well as wanting an agent who can find you the perfect tenant, you're sure to have feelings around...

“Will Fife house prices fall next year? In this show, I discuss the three reasons why house prices in Fife may fall in 2022 and the three reasons why they may not. If you are a Fife homeowner, Fife first-time buyer or Fife landlord and thinking of buying or selling a Fife property in the next few years, then this show will be of interest. ” Watch/read/listen: https://www.fifeproperties.co.uk/blog/...

Being an estate agent is a bit like running a dating agency: playing Cupid every day, cultivating commitment and building long-term relationships that lead to living together. It's more than marketing; it's matchmaking! Marketing is an essential first step, but there's more than that to estate agency; it's about listening to people's stories, forming connections and building trust.  It all co...

The rental market has grown up. Higher occupancy rates, longer tenancies, higher expectations from tenants. This spells good news for landlords because those higher expectations come with a willingness to pay a higher rent. More than that, the right improvements will also increase the value of your property, giving you precious equity to finance and expand your portfolio. But what improvements pro...

“Around 1 in 15 Fife properties are currently being sold with no-chain.  Why are so many Fife property owners selling without a chain? Is it a good idea to rent in between moving home and what will this mean for the Fife property market?"  Read the 3 minute article to find out: https://www.fifeproperties.co.uk/blog/around-1-in-15-fife-properties-being-sold-with-no-chain/   #Fif...

Although rent arrears have been a hot topic during the pandemic, it’s far from being a new subject. That said, if the discussion has taught us anything in the last year, it’s that anyone can be affected by economic events: no-one is immune, however high their income.    Join one of the UK’s most successful investor landlords, Jim Parker (who will more than likely share some of his secret...

Can you influence whether your home feels like “the one” for potential buyers?  Of course, you can!  But it’s a skill that very few people understand and takes years of training to acquire. This is what drives the price and the end results to exceptional levels and we’re about to reveal our secrets.    Join one of the UK’s most successful Estate Agents, Jim Parker (who will mor...

I've got to say I'm really looking forward to chatting with Ross about his battle with depression which has seen him set up this fantastic Facebook page and website which has seen one of his vlogs hit over 200,000 views, appearing on the BBC Scotland's The Social and become a great advocate for mental health, hiking, Scotland and the Kingdom of Fife itself. Come along and join us live.  &nbsp...