Company News and Blog Updates from Harris Real Estate Services
2021 Paint Trends: Why Magnolia is Out, and Dead Salmon is in!
For millions of Brits, getting through this pandemic has been a case of “Keep Calm and Carry On with DIY”.
To stop themselves from climbing the walls from boredom and frustration, they’ve turned to painting them.
As a result, DIY chains such as B&Q have recorded surging sales, while paint company Dulux had to ration the sale of paint pots and testing kits last year to cope with rising demand.
As so many people are giving
Landlord in Leeds? Here’s How You Can Benefit from Technology
From smart TVs to one-click shopping, technology makes life a whole lot easier than it was 20 years ago for the average person.
It also has many benefits for private landlords and their tenants.
Here are our top tech tips.
Energy efficiency
Being green has been all the rage for years, and prospective tenants will be impressed if their new home has a good EPC rating. You could possibly
The Five Most Common Renovation Blunders
If there’s a chance you could sell your Leeds home in the next few years, think before you rush into making any major home renovations.
While you might read about celebrities investing in fancy wine cellars (David Beckham’s building one for his 7,000 bottles of plonk) or bespoke nature ponds (Ed Sheeran’s has a jetty), the reality is that pet projects rarely pay off.
What one enthusiastic home renovator sees as original and bold, could seem dated in
Seven Ways to Make a Tenant Feel at Home
What’s the secret to a successful tenant/landlord relationship? It’s a question that has vexed property gurus through the ages, but now the University of Stirling thinks it has the answer.
A new report from the university, Making a Home in the Private Rented Sector, says the key to a long and happy property partnership is to make a tenant feel at home.
After all, if a tenant feels safe and settled, they’ll be happier and healthier, and
Three Stories to Make Your Heart Sing This Friday
Lockdown celebrations
One thing star-crossed lovers in Leeds don’t have to worry about this Valentine’s Day is bagging a reservation at a candle-lit restaurant.
In “normal times”, even the most mediocre eatery is booked solid on 14 February, but – alas – thanks to lockdown that won’t be the case this year.
So how can couples celebrate the Feast of St Valentine in style? Diana Wiley, a “marriage therapist and board-certified sex therapist” urges those in relationships
Loving or Loathing your Leeds Home?
Top five things people love about their homes
1. A room with a view
Beautiful views are calming, provide distraction, and reduce claustrophobia. Lucky homeowners who look out upon an unspoilt view are also less likely to be overlooked by their neighbours. So, they needn’t worry about Owen from over the road seeing them in their PJs.
2. Period charm
For some, it’s the character of an inglenook fireplace, a warm and comforting A
How to Protect Yourself from Bogus Landlords
Renters in Leeds should be on their guard against fraudsters using Covid-19 as a cover to swindle people out of their hard-earned cash.
Rental fraud is not a new scam – Action Fraud, the UK’s reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, has been warning about it for years.
However, we’re concerned that the increase in property activity being carried out online due to the pandemic could leave renters more vulnerable to this kind of ruse.
Just last
What Home-schooling Can Teach You About Selling a Property
If you’re a parent working from home and managing childcare commitments, we salute you. It’s not easy dashing from one task to the next in what feels like a never-ending lockdown juggling act – but there is a bright side.
Some of the lessons you’re learning right now will come in handy should you plan to sell your Leeds home.
The power of patience
The secret to staying sane while home-schooling is patience. Losing your temper when your little darling
How to Advise Tenants Who Won't Be Told about Mould
Let's unpack what Leeds landlords can learn from the findings of the memorably titled Mouldy Nation Report.
Firstly, before you ask, yes there really is a document called the Mouldy Nation Report (we're not making it up).
Uswitch, an energy and finance comparison website, produced the report after surveying 2,000 people from across the UK about mould in their homes. It found that:
62% of people have an issue with mould in their home.
Of
Seven Reasons Why People in Leeds Are Moving This Year
Over the years, we’ve helped hundreds (NOTE: IF IT’S THOUSANDS, ADD THAT) of people across Leeds move home successfully.
The reasons why people move are varied, but in our experience, they tend to be one of the seven ‘L’s.
What are the seven ‘L’s? Fear not, dear reader, because we’re about to reveal them below.
Love
A new romantic relationship is a beautiful time in people’s lives. And when things
Advice for First-Time Landlords in Leeds
Deciding to become a landlord is a big step.
It can be both exciting and daunting.
Here at Harris Real Estates, we’ve got some tips on what you need to think about when renting out a property so you can make your first venture a smooth one.
Do some market research
To work out how much rent you could be expecting, have a look at similar properties in Leeds. If you’re not
Leasehold Reforms: What You Should Know about the Government’s Changes
What will the new leasehold reforms, announced last week, deliver for leasehold property owners in Leeds? Here’s what we know so far.
Now, ‘leasehold reform’ may not be the sexiest of subject matters, but if you are one of the 4.3 million people in England who owns a leasehold property, don’t doze off as these changes could significantly impact you.
Background
England’s medieval leasehold laws are loathed by leaseholders who have dubbed them ‘fleecehold’ laws. Key gripes include:
- The
What Do Leeds Tenants Think of Landlords and Does It Matter?
Type' landlords are' into Google, and the words that come up next are pretty unflattering.
According to the global digital giant, the most commonly searched phrases are 'landlords are parasites' and 'landlords are leeches'.
A few other choice terms – that we're too polite to use here – come up as well, but you get the drift.
There is a common public perception that all landlords are modern-day Fagins, renting out flea-ridden hovels at rip-off prices.
This raises two questions:
Reasons to be cheerful in Leeds this Feelgood Friday
With high Covid-19 rates reported in the UK, more lockdowns being announced across the globe and America in chaos you'd be forgiven for wanting to pull the duvet over your head and stay in bed.
But because we're eternal optimists at Harris Real Estates, we know better times are coming for Leeds and we've rounded up three feelgood stories to give us all a little hit of hope.
Walking Down Memory Lane.
A website is offering a lifeline to the millions
How to Avoid Falling Prey to Fraudsters When Buying a Home
Even though we’re in lockdown, criminals are still out there trying to swindle people, so if you plan to buy a new home in Leeds in 2021, please heed UK Finance’s latest warning about an email scam that is on the rise.
Here’s how it works. Fraudsters hack into the system of a conveyancing firm and monitor their emails. When a deal nears completion, they send the buyer an email that looks like it has come from the conveyancing solicitor. There
How People in Leeds Can Keep Their Home Heating Bills Down
Here’s a question for you.
What happens when you have a national lockdown in winter?
Well, there a few things but one that’s guaranteed to happen is heating bills rocket.
More people are at home whether to work, learn or stay safe, which means the thermostat gets turned up to keep everyone warm for longer than usual.
The good news is the National Energy Foundation charity has shared eight tips to keep the costs down and cut the amount of
Top Tip for Leeds Landlords Who Want to Relax This Christmas
Picture this: It’s 4pm on Christmas Day, and you’ve just snuggled down on the sofa to watch a bit of telly. Your belly is full, and your lids are heavy after a Mistletoe Margarita or two (or three, but who’s counting?). Then your phone rings. It’s your tenant – and there’s a problem.
A pipe has burst in the flat that they rent from you and there is water everywhere. You need to get a plumber on it straight
The Biggest Property Trends of 2020
2020 is the year things went nuts in the property sector, with activity in Leeds and the rest of the country screeching to an abrupt halt for several weeks, before blasting back into action as buyers emerged from lockdown with a new set of priorities.
Here are four talking points from the year.
- Race for space
Lockdown 1 served as a turning point for many people who, after spending months cooped up with their nearest and dearest,
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions – What Leeds Landlords Must Know
Life is a daily merry-go-round of decision making.
What to eat for breakfast?
Which coat to put on?
Which queue to stand in at the supermarket (socially distanced, of course)?
Some decisions are a lot more impactful than others.
Especially when you are a landlord with a rental property.
The two biggest choices for you as a landlord, which we are about to reveal, can have substantial knock-on effects on your health, wealth, and happiness.
The choice is yours
Five Super Tips to Make Renting Simpler in Leeds
One thing that seems almost Covid-19 proof is the desire for people in Leeds to move home. The local rental property market has proven resilient this year, with people looking to rent new places to call home.
Below are five tips that’ll come in handy if you’re looking to rent.
- Prepare Properly
Consider when you want to move and where you want to rent. Research the areas and the properties in your price range. Create a clear budget and include moving
