Topproperty at the Liverpool Hope University housing fair

Simon and Jon from Topproperty spent today at the Liverpool Students Homes housing day at Hope University.

Building on the success of the fair last year, there were more representatives from the major agencies and student accommodation providers as well as Merseyside Police, the NHS, Gas Safe.

Jon booked in a large number of viewings for our properties - the volume of inquiries, both at the fair and generally through our agency office, has been staggering.  Website traffic has quadrupled and we are nearly booked on viewings for the next three weeks.

If you are a tenant looking for property please give the office a call on 0151 733 2200.  Our larger homes are going quickly - we booked in around 8 groups on our new 10 bed on Windsor Street, so if you are interested in a student home please call us asap.

If you missed us at the fair we will be at the next one tomorrow, Wednesday 7th, at Mountford Hall in the Students Guild off Mount Pleasant.

Student property list launched!

Topproperty Services are currently dealing with a high level of interest with Student Property in Liverpool for 2012.  Typically we handle about 1 or 2 inquries in November and around 5-10 in December.

Since launching the Student Property List in mid November we have dealt with well over 100 inquires and are starting to book viewings in.  It is expected that demand will continue to be strong into the new year.

If you are a student looking for quality accommodation give us a call on 0151 733 200.  Our full property list is here: Please be patient - it is a large PDF (about 32mb!) but contains internal images, external images and a map image as well as a brief description of each property.

If you are a landlord with a student property in Liverpool please give us a call - we can help maximise your returns and minimise your voids with a professional management service that covers all aspects of renting out your property.  We can also offer advice on the best areas in Liverpool to invest - yields of 10 - 12% are readily achievable for 2/3/4 bed properties and higher for larger shared houses.

If you area  current student of ours - contact us to reserve your house as viewings are starting to get booked in!

Current student homes (to let immediately!)

We are due to launch our student list for 2012 to our website on the 21st November 2011.  However, we do have a few rooms available if you are looking for a property immediately.

• Empress Road:  58 pp pw, inclusive.  Two rooms available
• Romer Road: 58 pp pw, inclusive.  One room available
• Jubilee Drive: 68 pp pw, inclusive.  One room available.
• Lidderdale Road: 70 pp pw, inclusive.  One room available.

We also have a FANTASTIC, FULLY REFURBISHED house on Saxony Road coming up (details not fully on our website yet as the refurbishment is in the final stages.  This will be 68 per person per week, negotiable and will be available for letting from early December 2011 and available for occupation until 30th June 2012.

We also have a four bed on Kensington, which is a superb flat which has been extended to reduce the number of bedrooms and increase the living accommodation on offer.  This will be available in Jan 2012.

Student list 2012

Topproperty Services will be releasing their 2012 student property list on 15th November 2011.  We are getting requests already for viewings and have already started a number of signups.

A quick nugget:

• We have one 10 bed (4 bathrooms, 2 kitchens, 2 lounges!) still available.  Superb city centre location
• We have around twelve fantastic five beds in L7
• We have twenty six four 4 beds in L6, L7 and L15
• We have around sixty 3 beds in L6, L7 and L15
• We have a limited number of two beds in the L15 area.
• We have properties to suit any budget and requirement.

We also have new availability coming up all the time - we have just aided a landlord in the purchase and rental of a number of properties on Saxony Road - the first of these rented yesterday and two more are expected to be online by the end of this month.

Please give our dedicated team a call and arrange a viewing - most properties will have full internal pictures, as well as google maps and streetview so you can see what the area is like before arranging a view (note google streetview may be out of date!).

Topproperty Services are recruiting!

Topproperty Lettings Ltd are looking for a conscientious and hardworking person to join their team.

Must be confident and have a good telephone manner and be personable and outgoing. Must be able to work on own initiative and be able to work as a team.Duties will include answering the telephone, booking in viewings, managing the diary, customer service and other general office duties. Training will be given however, experience in the property industry would be beneficial.

Driving Licence and own car is beneficial but not essential.Salary is national minimum wage for full time 36 hours a week - must be able to start immediately.

 

You can apply for this job by sending a CV/written application to Dixie Mays at Topproperty Sales and Lettings, 153 Picton Road, Wavertree, LIVERPOOL, L15 4L.

 

Full details are on the Job Centre website - reference ALK/13725.

Last few homes remaining

Topproperty Services has had superb success in renting the student homes this year however we do have a few homes left to rent.

Please call us urgently if you are looking for a student home - the following are the properties we have available.

• 3/4 bed on Cardigan Street, L15.  Refurbished this year to a good standard.
• 3 bed on Dial Street, L7.  Fully refurbished to a very high spec.
• 3/4 on Romer Road, L6.  Currently being redecorated, available within one week
• 5/6 bed on Granville Road, L15.  Superb house, very large with superb facilities.

If you are looking please contact us ASAP - 0151 733 2200.

Rental Insurance - why chose it?

Renting property can be a stressful business.  From the uncertainties about the direction the property market is taking, to the spectre of rising interest rates and concerns about rising unemployment, there is plenty to keep landlords concerned.

At Topproperty Services we understand that there is enough uncertainty regarding the market without adding to it with rent problems.  Because of this, Topproprty Services are now offering on all new professional tenancies 6 months free rental insurance.  This insurance offers the following benefits:

*  The ability to claim immediately rent arrears accrue (eg no minimum period of arrears)
*  No Excess
*  Rent payments up until you get possession.  Most policies cover up to the date of Possession order, or for a maximum period.
*  Rent coverage up to £2500 per month.

At the moment this offer is for residential tenancies only and is subject to credit checks by a Credit Reference Agency and suitable references being obtained.  In some cases a guarantor will be required.  These services are included in the Free Rental Insurance offer.

We can also offer Rental insurance for student properties at £60 per tenant - this offers superb value for money.  Reference checked guarantors are required for this service.

If you would like more information about these services please contact us on 0151 733 2200.  Topproperty Services are the first choice for student and family homes in Liverool and Merseyside.  For property to rent in Liverpool and for Property Management in Liverpool look no further than Topproperty Services at http://www.topproperty-lettings.com/home.

Property Management - why use an agent

One question we are often asked by landlords is what service do we offer and why they should not do it themselves.  There are a number of reasons to go it alone, and some very compelling reasons to use a managing agent.
 
A good Property Manager can do a number of tasks, and are essential for people who have a large portfolio.  Property managers will handle the every day tasks so that your life doesn’t resolve around your portfolio.  These people can provide you with a layer between you and your tenants.

Here are just four of the reasons to use a Property Manager such as Topproperty Services in Liverpool.

Reason 1 – No Emergency/ middle of the night phone calls

To start with, a good property management company will save you from having to share your home, mobile or work numbers with your tenants. Those of you who manage your own properties know that tenants can and will call you at any time (day or night!) when there is a problem, often minor. However, your property manager will take care of these types of calls, which allows you to sleep all night. This is a stress saver when you have a lot of rental properties.  After several late night emergency calls, you’d be pulling out your hair and getting out of the rental property business.

Reason 2 – Maintenance Staff

Your property manager can always locate contractors who can handle repairs.  This is a blessing for you. Why? You don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to find a plumber during those cold months. It’s also good that someone else will be dealing with the negative aspects of your rental properties.  Property Management agencies such as Topproperty Services will take the stress out of managing the relationship with the contractors and will ensure that they are insured and suitably qualified (and accredited).

Reason 3 – Legal Issues

A professional Property Manager will handle the legal aspects dealing with your tenants. For instance, in a case where a tenant is failing to make the monthly rent. The Property Manager can handle the eviction process and eventually get a judgment against them for the rent arrears.  This unpleasant task is better left to someone else.  Remember, your rental properties are your business and you need the money, even if you can understand their plight.  A good property manager knows the importance of getting the paperwork right, from making sure the Guarantee agreements are executed as a deed to serving the correct notices (such as Section 8, Section 21(4)(a) and Section 21(1)(b)).

Reason 4 – Advertisements, Cleanups and Touchups

Your property management service can do all the advertising, cleanups and touching up that is necessary after a tenant moves out and before a new tenant moves in. If you plan to invest in rental properties, using a property management service is the best worry-free way you can deal with them. If you’ve got lots of properties, going this route is the best way of ensuring you are focusing on the bigger picture and not bogged down with looking after every single detail - let the property manager do that!

Topproperty Services are the first choice for Student and Family homes in Liverpool.  Call us now on 0151 733 2200 for a free, no obligation valuation of your rental property or portfolio.  Discounts apply for management of 5 or more houses so call now!

New decision on deposit protection

There is an excellent article at the LandlordLaw Blog, covering the latest decision affecting how deposits are protected.  The link is at:
http://www.landlordlawblog.co.uk/2010/02/13/tenancy-deposits-schemes-high-court-

I have already heard from some quarters that this decision is being interpreted as a way of avoiding having to protect deposits, at least initially.  The logic goes that as long as you eventually comply with the requirements of the deposit schemes you can avoid any action against you being successful. 

All landlords and agents should comply with the spirit as well as the letter of the law.  It may take a few years for the wrinkles to be ironed out of the poorly drafted deposit legislation however there is no excuse for not protecting the deposit within 14 days of receiving it, nor giving the tenants the prescribed information within the required timescales.

New Student Landlords wanted!

Thanks to all our staff for our success with the current academic year.  Due to high demand we have taken on more student properties this year and are looking to have our best year yet.

The demand for high quality student homes is very high so if you have good quality properties, especially in the Kensington Fields areas please give us a call on 0151 733 2200.

Welcome to the Topproperty Blog!

Welcome all - this is the first blog post from Simon @ Topproperty Services.  Topproperty are the first choice for student and family homes in Liverpool.

I will be updating this blog with the latest developments in our business, as well as changes to housing and tenancy law.  I will also be covering what is happening in the Liverpool rental market - especially with the ever changing student market - and giving a good idea to visitors what is going on!