Latest News

Make a House a Home!
Sunday 17th January 2021
Whether you’ve moved into a new property or are getting your property ready to let, there are many things you can do to improve the living space and appeal of your home for the property market. With the UK in another lockdown many of us are keen to make home improvements whilst we have the time. However, it doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune to carry out home improvements. Hitachi recently looked at the most effective home improvements when you’re on a budget.
Painting
A fresh lick of paint can transform any room and it can be done very easily and cheaply compared to hiring a professional decorator. As an estimate it will cost around £70 to paint a room and could add more than £1,400 to the value of your home when selling and make it much more appealing to any renter looking for a new home.
Kitchen
A new kitchen can be extremely costly but you can make some small changes that will make a big difference. You could replace your splashback for under £100, paint a tiled wall for under £50 or even re-tile your kitchen for around £35 per square metre.
Curtains and blinds
Freshen up your windows with new curtains or blinds. You can purchase ready-made curtains and blinds from around £50 up to £300 depending on the size and fabric chosen.
Decluttering
Decluttering your home can be done for free – what’s more you could even make money if you were to sell any unwanted items. When selling or letting your home it’s essential that you make the most of space available by removing any excess furniture and belongings so that potential renters can picture themselves living in the property.
Kerb appeal
First impressions last so take a look at the outside of your home and make sure your garden is presentable and your front door (and the path leading to it) is in good condition. Sanding down and repainting your front door can give it a fresh new look and will cost under £100 (more if you invest in new door furniture). You could also invest in some inexpensive plants and flowers to brighten up the outside of your house.
Talk to us at Newton Letting if you are looking to let your property and achieve the maximum rental value.
Whether you’ve moved into a new property or are getting your property ready to let, there are many things you can do to improve the living space and appeal of your home for the property market. With the UK in another lockdown many of us are keen to make home improvements whilst we have the time. However, it doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune to carry out home improvements. Hitachi recently looked at the most effective home improvements when you’re on a budget.
Painting
A fresh lick of paint can transform any room and it can be done very easily and cheaply compared to hiring a professional decorator. As an estimate it will cost around £70 to paint a room and could add more than £1,400 to the value of your home when selling and make it much more appealing to any renter looking for a new home.
Kitchen
A new kitchen can be extremely costly but you can make some small changes that will make a big difference. You could replace your splashback for under £100, paint a tiled wall for under £50 or even re-tile your kitchen for around £35 per square metre.
Curtains and blinds
Freshen up your windows with new curtains or blinds. You can purchase ready-made curtains and blinds from around £50 up to £300 depending on the size and fabric chosen.
Decluttering
Decluttering your home can be done for free – what’s more you could even make money if you were to sell any unwanted items. When selling or letting your home it’s essential that you make the most of space available by removing any excess furniture and belongings so that potential renters can picture themselves living in the property.
Kerb appeal
First impressions last so take a look at the outside of your home and make sure your garden is presentable and your front door (and the path leading to it) is in good condition. Sanding down and repainting your front door can give it a fresh new look and will cost under £100 (more if you invest in new door furniture). You could also invest in some inexpensive plants and flowers to brighten up the outside of your house.
Talk to us at Newton Letting if you are looking to let your property and achieve the maximum rental value.

Featured Stories
Painting
A fresh lick of paint can transform any room and it can be done very easily and cheaply compared to hiring a professional decorator. As an estimate it will cost around £70 to paint a room and could add more than £1,400 to the value of your home when selling and make it much more appealing to any renter looking for a new home.Kitchen
A new kitchen can be extremely costly but you can make some small changes that will make a big difference. You could replace your splashback for under £100, paint a tiled wall for under £50 or even re-tile your kitchen for around £35 per square metre.Curtains and blinds
Freshen up your windows with new curtains or blinds. You can purchase ready-made curtains and blinds from around £50 up to £300 depending on the size and fabric chosen.Decluttering
Decluttering your home can be done for free – what’s more you could even make money if you were to sell any unwanted items. When selling or letting your home it’s essential that you make the most of space available by removing any excess furniture and belongings so that potential renters can picture themselves living in the property.Kerb appeal
First impressions last so take a look at the outside of your home and make sure your garden is presentable and your front door (and the path leading to it) is in good condition. Sanding down and repainting your front door can give it a fresh new look and will cost under £100 (more if you invest in new door furniture). You could also invest in some inexpensive plants and flowers to brighten up the outside of your house. Talk to us at Newton Letting if you are looking to let your property and achieve the maximum rental value.Due diligence
It’s important to do your due diligence when purchasing a rental property, but how do you do this effectively? You need to carry out thorough investment property analysis and calculate the capitalisation rate, cash-on-cash return and profit margins to understand your return on investment (ROI). You need to ensure your property is cash flow positive. Use an online ROI calculator to make sure you will earn the maximum amount from a chosen rental property and talk to a good lettings management company and financial advisor to get to grips with the numbers.Tenants
Regardless of the predicted ROI, this is moot unless you actually have a tenant who will pay the rent, on time, every month. The best thing to do is use a letting agent that will carry out all the necessary checks before offering a tenancy agreement, ensuring they are in a position now and in the future to pay their rent. Make sure you carefully consider your tenants to avoid any potential void periods.Positively geared property
A positively geared property (or positive cash flow property) is an investment property that makes more money in rental income than the outgoing costs put together. Talk to an advisor regarding the figures to ensure you are investing wisely.Understanding tax
When you invest in property you can take advantage of several tax benefits. Make sure you are aware of all tax deductions that apply to your property whether they are profitable or you experience losses. Talk to a good financial advisor to make sure you understand your rights and responsibilities.Don’t include utility costs
The rent you set should exclude all utility costs as this will help you to maximise your income and make as much money as possible through your investment.Insurance
Make sure you get a top-rated insurance policy when investing in rental property. This will give you a safety net should your property experience any damages. You could also consider cover for non-payment of rent and any associated legal costs – something that has been an issue during the pandemic. Talk to an independent broker who can find the best policy and who is aware of all the small print with exclusions. It’s important to equip yourself with the right knowledge and advice to make sure you can maximise your income. Talk to us at Newton Letting if you would like advice on your property portfolio.Location, location, location
It’s always going to be a safe bet investing in city centres and University towns. At present, houses are more in demand than apartments as people are looking for the option to work from home. According to recent research from Zoopla, five out of the top ten hotspots where landlords can find better rental returns are in Scotland. The property portal compared average rents across the UK for two-bedroom properties with how much they would typically cost for landlords to purchase and found that strong rental yields are clustered in Scotland and the north-east of England. Landlords in East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, Inverclyde and Middlesborough can typically generate rental yields of 7.7%. In Glasgow and Stirling, typical yields were calculated at 7.6% and 7.5%. Scotland has some of the UK’s most affordable buy-to-let property, although it does depend on how big a house you’re looking for. Zoopla found that out of the top 10 affordable cities in the UK, four of them were in Ayrshire.Diversify
It’s wise to spread your risk across different properties in order to offset any issues you may have with one of your rental properties. You could also diversify by looking at other asset classes within the property market such as HMO’s (which tend to offer very high rental yields) semi-commercial units which will help you to benefit from the stamp duty surcharge which is normally levied on investment properties. You can also consider diversify the geographical area – the location is vital and it’s worth looking at which cities and city regions are performing well.Mortgages
Major buy-to-let lenders have launched some new products over the last few months, and increased the loan to value of their mortgages with some 75% deals available. Getting advice from an independent mortgage broker is key.Investing through a Ltd. company
There is an increasing number of landlords who are choosing to register as a limited company to manage their portfolios. When the limited company owns the properties in a portfolio, the company also owns the profits – so as a landlord you may have to pay income tax on any money they’re paid by their limited company. Limited companies pay corporation tax, not income tax and these rates are lower. As a director of a limited company you must keep accounts detailing all income and expenditure, and all purchases using company money must have a demonstrable benefit to the business. Talk to us at Newton Letting about managing your property portfolio.What is the guidance for landlords, agents and tenants in Tier 4?
Lettings agents and landlords are able to access properties by appointment. All visits must follow guidance as set out by the Scottish Government with face coverings, social distancing, hand washing and additional cleaning. Agents and landlords are required to ask if any member of the household has either been asked by Track and Trace to isolate or are showing any symptoms including a new continuous cough, high temperature or loss of smell/taste. If they are isolating or have symptoms, then the appointment must be delayed for at least two weeks and they are no longer displaying symptoms. If a potential renter would like to view a property they can do so. However, virtual viewings should be carried out where possible and a physical viewing should only be undertaken if they are seriously interested in letting and they have been pre-vetted. When viewing a property, all parties must wash their hands thoroughly or use hand sanitiser as soon as they enter a property. Internal doors or cupboards must be left open, if there are several people in a room at one time, they must be two meters apart and face coverings must be worn at all times. Tenants are allowed to move into a property during Tier 4 restrictions and are permitted to move from outside their council district for the purposes of moving home. If you need to carry out repairs on a property this is permitted, and tradespeople are allowed to enter homes for purposes of repair or building/renovation works. Any visits must be carried out by appointment and with measures in place such as social distancing, face coverings, cleaning hand washing. In terms of inspections for gas, electrical and fire safety, these can go ahead as long as a tenant is not shielding, isolating or displaying symptoms. If your tenant is affected by their ability to pay, make sure you have an open communication with them to try and work out a solution. If they are in financial difficulty, they can claim Universal Credit which includes support for housing costs, and you may qualify for an interest free loan. No tenant should be evicted if they are suffering financial hardship from COVID-19. In addition, landlords can apply for a mortgage break of up to six months. Talk to your lender at the earliest convenience if you are in this position.What are the Tier 4 restrictions?
- Restrictions on socialising will remain the same as in level 3 areas but with the advice to stay at home as much as possible.
- Non-essential shops and hospitality establishments will be closed without exception.
- Hairdressers and other close contact services will be closed.
- Homeworking is the preferred option for all sectors with the exception of essential work, outdoor work, construction and manufacturing jobs.
- Non-essential travel into or out of level 4 areas is prohibited and public transport should only be used when essential.
- Indoor gyms will be closed and outdoor sports will be restricted to non-contact games.
- Informal childcare is permitted.
- All aspects of selling, buying, letting and renting homes is permitted.
Capital growth
This is also known as capital appreciation and refers to the increase or decrease in the value of your property or property portfolio over time. If you purchased a property four years ago for £200,000 and the current value is £250,000 then your capital growth is £50,000. There are lots of factors that can affect your capital growth such as the economy, local regeneration, new transport links, low mortgage rates boosting demand in new homes and lack of supply. It’s important to invest somewhere that property looks set to increase in value and you can usually get this information from property experts and literature surrounding what’s happening in the general property market and also within each region.Rental yield
Rental yield is the return you make or expect to make from your property. To work out the rental yield for a particular property, you will need to know the purchase price of the property, or a current market value, and the annual rental income that you expect to receive. Take the annual rental income amount and divide it by the property value or purchase price. To convert this figure to a percentage, you will need to multiply this by 100. This percentage is your rental yield. For example, your new property purchase would give the following rental yield: Annual rental income: £10,000 Purchase price: £200,000 Rental yield: 5% A gross yield is when you take the example above and work out your rental yield. If you are trying to work out your net yield, you will need to take into account other costs such as your insurance, mortgage repayments, letting management fee and maintenance costs.Location
Each city and region across the UK differs in terms of rental yield as average rents vary. Recent research has shown that rental yields in Glasgow in particular are higher than in other regions. If you are looking to invest in a rental property, talk to us at Newton Lettings as we can advise you on the rental value of property across Central Scotland.Buy to Let
If you are going to let your property – either privately or via a letting agent, you need a buy to let mortgage on your property. If you have a residential mortgage, you’ll need to talk to your lender about your plans. As a landlord with a buy to let property, you have several legal obligations and responsibilities that you need to be aware of.Finance
You will need to ensure your finances are in good order and in place before buying an investment property. Talk to a mortgage broker about your plans and find out how much you will need to invest and whether you will be eligible for a buy to let mortgage. They will also set out any additional costs and fees.Time
Do you have time to be a landlord? If not, can you outsource the management of your property to a letting agent? It’s important to be realistic about not only the time you have to spare, but whether you have the experience and knowledge to undertake the running of your investment property.Location
When buying a property to let out, it’s important to do your homework and find the right area. Are you going to buy a property where you live or are you going to buy it in a city centre, close to a university or in an area popular with young professionals. The type of property you buy has to marry with the location – there’s no point in purchasing a luxury flat in a student area nor a family home where there are no good schools. You’ll also need to decide on the type of property within that location – new build, off-plan or resale. You may even decide to visit the local auctions – but we strongly advise only doing this if you have had sound advice first. Talk to your local estate agent about rental values, the types of renters in the area, transport links, schooling and amenities. Get the advice from several agents.Your return on investment
Rental yield and capital growth are the two ways that you can increase your return on investment. Take a look at the differences here. (link to existing blog) If you are a first-time investor, we hope you’ve found this information helpful. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to talk to us.The property market here in Scotland will officially open back up for business on 29th June as we move to phase two of our roadmap out of lockdown.
This means that home moves will surge ahead with stringent safety measures in place. Here at Newton Letting we believe that June 29th can’t come quick enough - we have many tenants waiting to get the keys to their new home and many more seeking suitable accommodation.
Pent up demand
According to latest reports from Citylets, letting agents have already experienced a huge spike in new tenant enquiries property, with transactions that were put on hold due to the pandemic, finally able to complete. We believe that there will be a big surge in demand as soon as the market opens and that the backlog of tenants that have been unable to move over the last 3 months will no doubt cause a ‘ripple’ effect with people looking to move over the peak summer months.
The importance of finding the right tenant for your property
We are yet to see the full effects of the pandemic on the economy, but with the Job Retention Scheme soon to be phased out, we do have some concerns that some tenants will not be able to meet their financial obligations. Therefore, securing the best possible tenant has never been more important going forward. It’s imperative that tenants stay as long as possible to minimise any void periods and that they are in a secure position to ensure that they can pay their rent month to month.
Keeping clients safe
The Scottish Government has issued new home moving guidance and virtual viewings should take place wherever possible and if viewing in person, virtual tours should be used prior to visiting the property to minimise the time spent at the property. In addition, it’s important to develop effective contactless tenancy moves and to keep any measures in place until the risks are negligible.
Could the market have opened sooner?
Whilst we are all relieved that the market will re open in less than a week, we also question whether the market could have opened sooner, in line with England. We believe that with the correct procedures in place to protect everyone from the risks, the market could have already reopened.
Maintenance
Your repair obligations have not changed – as long as you practice social distancing works can still be carried out. You may have difficulty in finding contractors to do the work required, which could make it difficult to ensure your property meets the legal requirements. If you can’t resolve any issues due to the pandemic keep a record of the issue and what you have tried to do to solve it. Government advice states that you should take a pragmatic approach to any non-urgent issues and if you have taken appropriate steps, you won’t be in breach of your duties.Rental payments
Tenants have been informed that they should continue to pay rent and abide by all other terms in the agreement if possible. If they have lost their job, there are support systems available such as Universal Credit and help for the self-employed. Benefits payments may not be enough and so property owners could take a mortgage payment holiday and agree a schedule for the repayment of rent that has been suspended.Eviction
The Government has said that tenants can still be evicted but the notice period has been extended. The courts have also suspended hearing repossession cases for 90 days.Help for landlords
Landlords do not count as ‘self-employed’ and cannot get help from the government rescue package for the self-employed. Landlords can make use of an interest-free loan from the Government if they struggle to bring in rent during the pandemic and to be classified as self-employed would depend on the involvement they have with the management of their properties. A self-employed landlord would need to be operating multiple properties and generating enough income from this for it to be considered a business.Financial support
If you are a landlord and struggling financially you can defer the payment for your self-assessment tax return from July to January 2021. In addition, you can look to take a mortgage holiday – this shouldn’t hurt your credit score, but mortgage companies may look at this when you take out another mortgage in the future, and they could consider this in any offer they make.Landlord insurance
Some landlord insurance policies will cover any rental payment defaults, but your policy may only pay out once they have been in arrears for a certain period of time and notice has been served. Tenants failing to pay their rent during this time cannot be evicted for at least three months and you could be faced with delays on your claim.Finding tenants
If you have an empty property it can still be marketed to let, and it can be viewed via video call. If a lease has been signed your tenant may choose to delay the move in date so talk to prospective tenants to come to a solution. If the property is empty you will still need to pay council tax. If you would like further advice on your obligations as a landlord throughout this pandemic, talk to Newton Letting today.Eviction during COVID-19
Updated guidance on evictions during the pandemic has been issued by the Scottish Government. This includes an extension of the notice period for evictions of 6 months. A new law has made all grounds for eviction discretionary, allowing any tribunals to consider the impact of coronavirus before issuing an eviction order or not. If you require any further help as a private tenant, or you're looking for a property to let, talk to our friendly, professional team today.- A cap in Scotland on rent increases for Private Residential Tenancies (PRT) at no more than the annual Consumer Prices Index ("CPI") plus 1 %.
- Tenants will have a PRT with the right to apply for a fair rent to be determined once in any 12 month period.
- Private landlords are required to disclose the rents they charge for each property when they register or renew their registration on the Scottish Landlord Register.
- Scottish Ministers must publish a statement on the impact of the Bill within three years from the commencement of the proposed legislation.
- Scottish Ministers will be able to vary the additional percentage to be applied to CPI in the fair rent CPI cap either upwards or downwards, including a negative percentage.
- Fair rent determination by a rent officer of the First Tier Tribunal cannot be increased from the proposed rent figure that is being appealed against.
- The rents registered in the Landlord Register will be in the public domain.