After one of the most unusual years on record for the housing industry, the latest market predictions from a major property chain make for interesting reading.

Think back to March, when the housing industry screeched to a halt for more than seven weeks during what is typically a busy time of year for property sales.

Then jump ahead to May and June when the UK’s market re-opened – and demand rocketed. A month later, the Stamp Duty holiday was

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced yesterday afternoon that he would make the dream of buying a first home a more achievable reality for first-time buyers.

The news came in a speech to the virtual Conservative conference.

The PM claimed his Government would introduce fixed-rate long term mortgages which would see as many as 2 million first time buyers being able to borrow 95% of the value of the property they want to buy.

The move is intended to help

 Seven Ways to Deal with Nightmare Tenants

Let’s start with the good news: the vast majority of tenants pay their rent on time and cause their landlords very little, if any, grief.

Now for the not so good news: a small percentage of tenants wreak havoc. They infuriate the neighbours, damage property and behave in a violent and aggressive way.

Legal Issues

From a legal perspective, it’s difficult to hold a landlord responsible for the behaviour of a tenant

When selling or letting a property, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of getting the imagery right.

As most buyers and renters spend hours scrolling through property portals before arranging viewings, first impressions are crucial.

So why then do so many people get it wrong? Such is the volume of bad estate agency photos out there, that there are entire websites dedicated to mocking dodgy property pics (check out Terrible Estate Agency Photos).

To avoid becoming an object of

End-of-tenancy checks can spring all manner of surprises on landlords. Take, for example, the landlord in north-west London who discovered an abandoned kitten when taking possession of a property back in August.

The tenants had shot through and left the black and white fluff ball behind. Thankfully, our hero landlord rang the local rescue centre, The Mayhew, and raised the alarm.

An animal welfare officer was quickly on the scene and the feline fella, believed to be about

The legendary American author Mark Twain famously said this about procrastination: ‘Never put off till tomorrow which may be done the day after tomorrow.’

And while it might be a useful mantra when doing something mundane like mowing the lawn or some home DIY, it doesn’t apply to the housing market in Leeds right now.

The national lockdown and subsequent localised ones are causing delays in the home moving process.

If you are thinking of moving and cashing in and making

If you’re contemplating becoming a landlord, here’s a helpful checklist explaining what it takes to let a property.

You may wonder why a checklist is necessary. After all, how hard can it be? You buy a property, find a tenant, and boom, you’ve got the whole landlord game figured out. Wrong! 

The private rental sector is subject to so many rules and regulations that even experienced landlords get caught out and make costly mistakes. 

Here’s what you

Monday 14th September saw the tenth annual Gas Safety Week begin.

The awareness campaign is timed to get people thinking about and checking their gas appliances as the autumn starts to take hold.

Gas Safety Week’s goal is to raise awareness among homeowners about the crucial importance of having their gas appliances serviced every year.

Here’s a question for you – When was the last time you had yours checked?

If it’s been over 12 months, you need to act now

When officials announced on 12 August that the UK had entered recession, lots of economic experts came out of the woodwork.

Some predicted things would get much worse; others suggested the downturn may be less severe than first predicted.

The truth is this year has been so unprecedented, it’s difficult to forecast the road ahead precisely.

With so much uncertainty landlords in Leeds may feel a little wobbly, but the good news is that there are steps you can

 If you’re planning on putting your property on the market, there’s one key piece of advice to remember.

It’s not a slick statement from a TED Talk or the title of a trendy self-help book. It’s an age-old saying that your Nana probably used: “If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.”

Vendors should keep this in mind when looking for an agent to sell their property in Leeds because there are unscrupulous players out there

If you have a nice property in a respectable street in Leeds, you probably would never imagine that criminal gangs would ever target you. Well, think again.

Cannabis farms are a widespread and persistent issue; as soon as the police crackdown in one location, the problem springs up elsewhere.

And the scale of the crime is staggering. In June, 5,000 plants valued at £3.5 million were seized from Leicestershire properties. In Nottinghamshire, police captured £4 million worth of cannabis

Yesterday the Government made changes to the six-month eviction notice periods law which were introduced in a bid to stop people being evicted from their homes due to the impact Covid-19 is having on their finances.

This means the new, longer notice periods will run from today, 29th August until 31st March.

However, there are several instances where shorter notice periods can be given.

These include:

Domestic violence – two weeks’ notice.

Obtaining a tenancy through fraud – two

Yesterday the Government made changes to the six-month eviction notice periods law which were introduced in a bid to stop people being evicted from their homes due to the impact Covid-19 is having on their finances.

This means the new, longer notice periods will run from today, 29th August until 31st March.

However, there are several instances where shorter notice periods can be given.

These include:

Domestic violence – two weeks’ notice.

Obtaining a tenancy through fraud – two

On Friday it was announced by the Government there is now an extension on the ban on landlords evicting tenants in England and Wales.

The new ruling means landlords will have to legally wait until 20 September to begin proceedings using the eviction process.

Landlords will now have to give tenants six months’ notice of eviction, before the pandemic struck it was usually two months.

It was a last-minute measure by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as

The Ultimate Guide to Leeds and its Surrounding Areas

Nestled in the great county of Yorkshire, the city of Leeds has in recent years become quite the hub thanks to further investment and is now popular among people looking to relocate out of London that don’t fancy living in Manchester or Liverpool.

From a wide variety of swanky bars and restaurants to amazing things to see and do, all set across the backdrop of the rolling hills of the Yorkshire

Looking To Rent In Leeds And Its Surrounding Areas?

At Harris Real Estate, we take pride in making sure tenants find their dream property in Leeds, Pudsey and the surrounding areas. As local experts, we have a wealth of tenancy information and understand that there are lots of things to consider when looking for your new rental property. 

Everyone has different wants and needs. Whether it's looking for a new house to rent that has a big enough living

Sell Your Home From £499 + VAT - Why Harris Real Estate Are Your Number One Estate Agent In Pudsey And Leeds

Are you looking to sell your property in Leeds, Pudsey and the surrounding areas? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here at Harris Real Estate, we’re a modern and online estate agent based in Pudsey and serving home sellers in Leeds and the surrounding West Yorkshire area and beyond. With over 30 years of local experience under

Why You Should Choose Harris Real Estate

When it comes to moving house, there’s a lot to consider. In fact, it can very quickly and very easily become quite overwhelming. A lot of people get stressed and frustrated when trying to buy, sell, or rent a new property. You need as much support as possible, but most of the time traditional high street estate agents don’t quite deliver what you need.

While moving, letting or renting, you need to be