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2014 sees some special anniversaries here at The Letting People.

12 busy years –

Since the Letting People were first founded in March 2002, in a very small office (approx. 60 square feet of useable space) in Leamington Spa!  Weekly newspaper advertising was crucial, the cost of mobile phone calls were extortionate, and hardly any of our customers had access to email… today internet advertising is crucial, mobile phone calls are sensibly priced, and we expect everyone to have daily access to email (or even Smart phone or tablet communications!)

10 happy years –

Since Anthony & Caroline Kempster, the co-founders of The Letting People were married in May 2004, in Warwick Register Office, with the reception in The Restaurant in the Park, Jephson Gardens. Our photographer didn’t have a digital camera – so please excuse the blurry picture!  This year we celebrate our Tin Wedding Anniversary so we are off to visit a tin mine in Cornwall whilst on our second honeymoon!

10 ‘team’ years –

Since Christine Kelly and Michele Thomas came to join us in our second office premises in Leamington Spa in Holly Walk.  We’ve been through another two office moves together, and today are all incredibly proud of what we have achieved in the last decade.

2 growth years –

Since Ziaull Hussain came to join us – first on a year’s undergraduate work placement, and now as a full-time Lettings Co-ordinator who commutes daily, through all weathers, to Leamington from Birmingham.

1 franchise year –

Since Philip Rayner and Michael Lomax joined The Letting People as our first franchise branch in Milton Keynes.  With their combined experience gained in the construction industry, and marketing and design knowledge, their partnership is ideally suited to develop their lettings business in a thriving city.

Photo credit: Darwin Bell via Compfight cc

In this Landlord Spotlight, we are delighted to feature Jill Wall – our once first-time landlord now turned investment property developer.

The Letting People have been working with Jill since 2002, when she first contacted us to arrange for an appraisal of her house in Harbury. Jill was just preparing for her wedding and looking forward to moving into her new home with her husband-to-be.

Jill says “Becoming a first-time landlord gave me an insight into what prospective tenants wanted and needed to make a successful tenancy and I soon learned that having my property managed with The Letting People enabled me to get on with my new family life, and enjoy holidays to the full. I’ve also found that the best way to make any letting work is to be very flexible, build the tenant’s trust, and recognise the fact that the property is now the tenant’s home.”

Over 10 years and several tenancies later, the house is still let with The Letting People!

Little did we know that Jill was to catch the property investment bug. In 2009 she contacted us again to find another tenant for a stunning conversion she had quietly worked on for several months – turning a tired old bungalow into a spectacular, contemporary home with designer wallpapers and fittings, a superb high specification kitchen, and a beautiful extension.

Jill says “Buying and letting the bungalow was like turning an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan and this has now become my passion.” By talking through Jill’s aspirations for the refurbished bungalow, targeted advertising, and careful referencing through an insurance company, The Letting People were able to find Jill the ‘perfect’ tenants.

Four years’ later these tenants (a lovely professional couple) have become great friends with their landlord and they now often meet up with Jill and her family for events, parties and barbeques. The tenants love the bungalow so much they have continued to make improvements to it (with Jill’s permission) and really make it into their home.

In the future Jill dreams of finding another ‘ugly duckling’ in the form of a large period property she can wave her magic wand over, and restore to its former glory. This, she hopes, would become her primary residence as well as housing a tenant or two! The Letting People will be delighted to continue to work with her to support her to realise this dream and to meet all of her aspirations. We truly believe that Jill is the next Sarah Beeny!
 

We all know how important it is to make sure that your vehicle is prepared for winter, but what about your property? While we’re spending money on winter tyres, windscreen de-icer, and oil checks, who’s focusing on reducing condensation, insulation, or boiler maintenance?

For residents, the cold snap expected in the coming months can be problematic but for landlords who are not prepared, especially those with multiple properties, these glitches can be extremely costly; The Letting People is encouraging landlords to prepare their houses and flats as soon as possible.   

Every winter we see some landlords struggling with problems which could easily have been avoided if more thought was put into making their properties ‘winter-ready’.  It’s that old adage – prevention is better than cure.

Tenants too can often avoid problems of condensation by ensuring that wardrobes and other furnishings are kept away from cold walls, and windows are regularly opened and/or condensation is regularly wiped off surfaces or extracted.  This will ensure that all moisture is kept to a minimum inside the property from washing, cooking, and drying clothes, etc.

It’s bad enough for home-owners who experience trouble with their boiler, or find damp patches in the corners of their rooms; but for tenants, maintenance issues can take much longer as the landlord must be involved in the decision before any necessary repairs can be made.

The Letting People in Leamington Spa and in Milton Keynes works with reliable local contractors such as gas engineers, plumbers, electricians, and roofers, to help each landlord to be prepared for the winter, and to prevent future costly problems.

Putting the needed provisions in place may seem like an unnecessary expense at this time of year but when you’re trying to relax over the festive break, you’ll be pleased that you took precautions.

Many landlords will have met Beverley Jeavons, our viewings advisor, as she whizzes from viewing to viewing sourcing the best tenants for each landlord’s property. However, few people will know of her hidden talents and qualifications as an interior designer…. and master furniture re-arranger!

Nonetheless, Beverley has been known to go ‘beyond the call of duty’ with furniture re-arrangements, dead plant removals, and carefully placed bowls of fruit and fluffy towels.

We recently heard that she not only moved all the sitting room furniture around, but also found some designer carrier bags (all empty unfortunately) at the back of a wardrobe and decided to re-arrange them in strategic points throughout a house we were trying to let – a creative ploy to help find a tenant that would aspire to the Christian Dior, Gucci and Harrods lifestyle.

And it worked because the next viewing through the front door was suitably impressed, and decided to apply for the property straight away!

Since then, the tenants have continued to improve the property, liaising with the landlord to supply and wallpaper all the hall, stairs and landing, and painting upmarket colours throughout.

Looks like Beverley’s designer touch is infectious!
 

With the landlord’s permission and the help of our local trade contractors we carry out many property Makeover services – including sourcing great bargains on fixtures, fittings, and furnishings. The Makeover service may include:

• Updating decorating with modern paint colours and with feature wallpapers
•  New flooring with carpets, linos, and wood laminates
•  New plumbing – replacing showers, taps and kitchen and bathroom fittings
•  New electrical fittings to ensure the sub-tenant’s safety
• Replacing curtains/curtain poles, and light fittings and shades with contemporary colours and fittings
• Replacing furnishings with good quality new or ‘pre-loved’ items
• Sourcing upmarket lamps, cushions, throws, prints, pictures, and mirrors to complement different property styles and to encourage the sub-tenant to feel at home
• Replacing or removing old fences, greenhouses and sheds and tidying up neglected gardens
• Cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning!

To complement the Makeover, we introduced our unique ‘Fee Free’ service in 2011.

It means The Letting People agree to become the tenant of a property (and thereby take on all of the responsibilities of the tenancy) on a 2-3 year tenancy agreement with the landlord’s permission to sub-let*.

The ‘Fee Free’ service is proving to be very popular and the benefits to the landlord are:

• An agreed start date and guaranteed rent paid on the 1st day of every month for a 2 or 3 year term – thus avoiding void periods over the agreed fixed term
• No letting fees as The Letting People are the tenant
• No deposit claims to worry about – The Letting People arrange inventories and check-outs at their expense, and make deposit claims with the sub-tenant as necessary
• The property is returned to the landlord in a re-lettable, and usually an improved condition (thanks to a makeover) at the end of the 2-3 year term, or an agreement to renew the tenancy is made

To find out more about the ‘Fee Free’ or Makeover services please contact us to make appointment for us to assess your property.

                     Before   ……………….. and ……………………..  After

*Currently available on most local properties with a rental value assessed at less than £700pcm.
 

Exciting News! New franchise branch opening shortly. The Letting People are delighted to be working on a new franchise branch opening,  which is expected to be in June 2013. Further details will be announced soon……..

The Letting People was delighted to receive an invitation to join a delegation of construction-related firms to raise current issues at The Houses of Parliament.

Caroline Kempster, co-owner and Marketing Director joined delegates from across the county, with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, as they visited Westminster.  They raised key issues with Nuneaton MP Marcus Jones, the Prime Ministers' small business ambassador for the Midlands; Stratford MP Nadhm Zahawi, a member of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills select committee; and Sajid Javid, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.

Caroline was also delighted to have the opportunity to sit in the House of Lords and hear the 2nd reading of the Immigration Bill where she heard the live debate.  This was of particular interest as Lord Best spoke of the  "daunting" and "adverse" effects this Bill could have on the private rented sector. He highlighted some of the logistics of the Bill and particularly the effects in regard to the onerous immigration checks that landlords, and their agents, might have to carry out on their tenants and their families, if the Bill became law.  Lord Best recommended that a pilot scheme would be the best way forward to test the possible effects of the Bill.

Celebration of The Property Woman Award 2012 Nomination

The Letting People are delighted to announce that their Marketing Director, Caroline Kempster, has been nominated for the National Landlords Association Letting Agent Property Woman Award 2012.  This award is for an inspirational woman operating within a lettings agency.  

Since becoming a landlord herself, and setting up the business in 2002, Caroline has been at the forefront of creating a marketing-led business and a strong brand that has always recognised that a letting agency is definitely a ‘people’ business – and hence the name, 'The Letting People'. 

Caroline says: 
“I am very proud to have been nominated for this award by a long term landlord, and I hope that these awards will encourage more women into a very interesting, rewarding and professional career.  The Letting People has gone from strength to strength because of the support and encouragement of our long term staff and landlords, and of our freelance colleagues.

We started The Letting People as an alternative to the traditional estate agency as we wanted to provide a specialised, professional, and local service to our clients.  From the beginning I believed in building up long term relationships with our landlords over many years, rather than just being in the business of selling a property and then moving on to the next one.  

I am very concerned that in recent years lettings has become seen as just an add-on business to most estate agencies.  It seems that very few of these businesses are investing their time and effort to understand all the legalities of lettings, or to addressing the real concerns of their landlords and tenants.”

Caroline enjoys creating new marketing ideas for individual properties and for the business (including radio commercials, videos, and social media) and has also enjoyed creating a joint promotion with the local hospice where she works voluntarily.

Last year The Letting People became a franchise business, and Caroline now looks forward to  working with inspirational franchise partners throughout England.  In future years she is optimistic about helping them to breathe new and professional life into the private-rental sector.
 

The Letting People, Milton Keynes celebrated its opening with a successful launch attended by a host of well-known local business professionals including Milton Keynes Council Leader, Andrew Geary. 

Attended by more than 50 invited guests, the launch of The Letting People, held at the agency’s High Street premises in Stony Stratford, introduced the new organisation to potential landlords, tenants and a range of local faces. 

The evening also saw Council Leader Andrew Greary, and David Morris of NatWest Business Banking and Stony Stratford Business Association, deliver speeches on small businesses and the importance of supporting those working in the local community.

Operated by local businessmen Michael Lomax and Philip Rayner, The Letting People specialises in residential lettings and property management. 

Michael said: “We’re extremely pleased with how successful the launch event proved to be; it was great to see so many people turn up to hear more about what we have to offer.  

“Philip and I come from very different backgrounds and were looking for a business venture which would suit both of our skill sets. Philip had a long career in the construction industry, while my experience lies in marketing and design. We researched The Letting People and agreed that it was a perfect fit.”

Established in Leamington Spa in 2002, The Letting People has recently franchised the business which focuses on helping landlords find the perfect tenant, and tenants find the right property – without the hassle.

Caroline Kempster, founder of The Letting People, added: “We’re an agency with a difference because we’re passionate about keeping our systems as uncomplicated as possible while still providing a professional, personal and trustworthy service.

“Michael and Philip have a great deal of experience in their relevant fields and I’m sure they will be the perfect people to introduce The Letting People to Milton Keynes.” 

The Letting People has also shown its support for other organisations in the area, auctioning a bottle of House of Commons wine signed by Prime Minister David Cameron to raise money for local charity, Willen Hospice. The prize, donated by MP for South Milton Keynes Iain Stewart, combined with raffle prizes donated by other local businesses, raised more than £200.

For more information, please call 01908 713 000 or visit Telegraph House, 54 High Street, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes MK19 1AQ.

Following the very successful launch of the new offices in Milton Keynes, The Letting People are delighted to invite current and prospective landlords to join the VIP Founder Landlords’ Group.

In addition to the professional, specialised lettings services, this group of landlords, limited to a maximum of 20 members, will be entitled to receive a range of free benefits. Please review the branch information page for more details https://www.thelettingpeople.co.uk/portfolio/our-milton-keynes-office 

The VIP Founder Landlords’ Group will be accepting new members up to 31st August 2013, and to be eligible you should have a property to let in Milton Keynes.  (If the property is currently tenanted, you will be eligible to register with your agreement to let your property at a future date with The Letting People, Milton Keynes.)

 To find out if your property is eligible, and to register your interest, please contact The Letting People, Milton Keynes:  01908 713000 or email miltonkeynes@thelettingpeople.co.uk