I've seen inside this Ryhope first floor flat as the landlords were considering doing it up themselves prior to letting it out - they've clearly decided to sell it on and let someone else do the work!
It's best to work on a 'worst case' basis, so prior to full redecoration & new flooring I would factor in a rewire, boiler & central heating installation, fitting a new bathroom and fitting a kitchen (as there isn't one currently)
All in I'd estimate around £20k to get it to a lettable standard that will attract a Good Tenant
That said, given the bargain £40k asking price, it will still return 8% Gross Yield based on £400pcm rent
Click here for details http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35248407?tmad=c&tmcampid=35&utm_campaign=buy-alert&utm_content=contact-type-listing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert#tcc78BRw57gIuyXI.97
Call us on 0191 567 8577 or email neil.whitfield@belvoirlettings.com for more information
In the last few months, a number of politicians in Westminster have decided to pay particularly close attention to the Private Rented Sector
One of the recent suggestions, unveiled by Ed Milliband as a key Labour Party manifesto pledge, is rent controls
Under the current legislation, tenants are already in a position to challenge rent increases that are deemed unreasonable and they have the advantage of giving a months notice to the landlord (when the tenancy is a rolling Periodic Tenancy) should they wish to end the tenancy for any reason (including 'excessive' rent increases)
Anyone who rented property in the 1970's and 1980's will know the difficulties of tenancy agreements from that era which allowed the tenant the right to stay in the property for life. In some cases, tenancies could be transferred to children, rents could not be increased and tenants could not be removed
In a damning report, the Institute of Economic Affairs says that Labour are going for completely the wrong solutions and accuses them of flawed thinking. Instead, the IEA says that solution would be to instead look at a radical liberalisation of the planning system to allow the private rented sector to grow
But do rents in Sunderland really need capping? Have Sunderland landlords really been exploiting their tenants with unjustifiable rent increases?
In Sunderland, there are 13,077 privately rented properties (making up 28% of all rented accommodation in Sunderland) and the average rent of a Sunderland property is currently £591pcm
The average rent in 2008 was £524pcm, so if Sunderland landlords had raised the rents in line with inflation (which sounds fair enough), as total inflation has been around 19% since 2008, the average rent in Sunderland should today be £625pcm
Given the average rent in Sunderland is around 5% lower than this at £591pcm, it suggests that rent caps are wholly unnecessary in the City as market forces alone have kept rent increases to below inflationary levels
Restricting rent rises in the future could put more properties back on the market for sale as it would destroy the confidence in the private rented sector
In turn, this would reduce property prices
With less property available to rent, and a lack of interest from potential investors (due to poor yields) this policy would end up creating a shortage of affordable housing
The vast increase in private renting in Sunderland over the last ten years, with 12% of property being privately rented in 2001 compared to 28% in 2011, was enabled due to the changes to the law of tenancy agreement made in the 1988 Housing Act which resulted in benefits to both landlords and tenants
The law has made it easier to rent out a property and at the same time, the Assured Shorthold Tenancy gives the tenants a right to quiet enjoyment of the property for a period of time
The total rent paid by Sunderland tenants is an awful lot of money, £92,742,084 a year in fact, but lets not forget that under the current system rents are free to move up, but they are just as free to move down
The IEA’s report also says that rent controls in Britain between 1915 and 1989 were associated with the collapse of the private rental sector, from close to 9/10ths of the housing stock at the start of the 20th century to close to 1/10th by the late 1980's
It's telling that Swedish economist Assar Lindbeck once wrote: "Rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city – except for bombing"
And he's a socialist!
In addition to the plans to introduce rent controls, politicians do seem to have turned their attention to the Private Rented Sector in other ways and as a result further far-reaching policies are grabbing the headlines and may well gather political momentum
Such policies include limiting landlords powers to undertake 'Revenge Evictions' following an official complaint about the condition of a property, an idea the Residential Landlords Association has branded 'a charter for antisocial tenants'
This isn't an election pledge - it's actually being debated in a Private Members Bill on November 28th
A similarly ill-conceived idea being mooted would be to insist on longer, 3 year tenancies - the fact that many current Buy to Let mortgages would not allow anything longer than a 12 month Fixed Term seems to have been somewhat overlooked!
Furthermore, evidence from a similar scheme in Ireland shows it has actually resulted in less certainty for tenants, given many landlords have sought to change tenants after the allowed 6 month 'probation period', rather than being committed to a 3 year tenancy if the 6 month point is passed
I'm pleased to say I've recently had a 'straight-talking but constructive' initial meeting with our local Labour MP, Julie Elliott who has agreed to share my concerns with the Shadow Housing Minister - I'll keep you posted...
If you would like to discuss anything further about the private rented sector in Sunderland or wish me to pass on your comments on this matter to our local MP then please pop in and see me, send me an email or call me directly on 0191 567 8577
Three bedroom properties in Redhouse are always popular with local family tenants so this mid-terrace will be popular
The kitchen and bathroom look just about passable but it definitely needs full redecoration and new flooring so I'd budget on a minimum of £5k for improvements
It's being advertised at OIRO £75,000 so based on a total spend of £80,000 it will return 7.4% Gross Yield
Click here for details http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35214275?tmad=c&tmcampid=35&utm_campaign=buy-alert&utm_content=contact-type-listing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert#UwotkowBEYQPCCGl.97
Call us on 0191 567 8577 or email neil.whitfield@belvoirlettings.com for more information
We highlighted a similar flat in this block a couple of months ago & now this 2 bedroom flat has come onto the market - it will appeal to both working or student tenants and the location close to the City Centre & St Peters Metro will be a plus
It's got electric storage heating which may not be to all tastes, it looks to need full redecoration throughout and worryingly there's no kitchen photo (so it may be best to assume the worst case scenario that this needs replacing) - even so once the work is complete it should achieve £450pcm rent
Based on the £47,500 asking price and a further £10,000 for improvements it will deliver a healthy 9.4% Gross Yield - being a flat there will be a service charge but this is relatively low compared to newer, larger developments
Click here for more info http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35223367?tmad=c&tmcampid=35&utm_campaign=buy-alert&utm_content=contact-type-listing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert#vLZCS7k2mrZTHQjD.97
Call us on 0191 567 8577 or email neil.whitfield@belvoirlettings.com for more information
This 3 bedroom end terrace has been rental property for some time and given it's also periodically appeared on For Sale in recent years, when combined with the bargain price all the evidence suggests it's owned by a 'Reluctant Landlord' looking to finally sell-up
Instead of selling, if they're in a position to do so, the owners should hold onto it, as it's exactly the sort of property that will generate good yields and attract no shortage of Good Tenants for years to come
Having 3 bedrooms it will be popular and should attract long term tenants (it takes longer to outgrow a 3 bedroom property than a 2 bedroom!)
It's pretty much 'Ready to Let', admittedly to a basic standard & it will return 7.9% Gross Yield based on paying the £74,950 asking price and getting a very achievable £495pcm rent
Click here for details http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35208983?tmad=c&tmcampid=35&utm_campaign=buy-alert&utm_content=contact-type-listing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert#RCBw88sa8Qy1R8Ti.97
Call us on 0191 567 8577 or email neil.whitfield@belvoirlettings.com for more information
This 2 bedroom mid terrace is in a popular location close to the Venerable Bede C of E Academy
It's pretty much in a 'Ready to Let' condition needing only a lick of paint (perhaps removing the textured wallpaper first) to attract Good Tenants
Based on a realistic £450pcm rent and paying the £70,000 asking price it will return 7.7% Gross Yield
Click here for details http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35213347?tmad=c&tmcampid=35&utm_campaign=buy-alert&utm_content=contact-type-listing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert#8AzZtCgIO2S63yiq.97
Call us on 0191 567 8577 or email neil.whitfield@belvoirlettings.com for more information
An interesting (and often overlooked) indicator into the health of a property market is the amount of times that properties change hands
There are 119,758 properties in Sunderland and 11,031 have changed hands in the last 7 years
Newcastle may have a slightly lower 117,153 properties, but of these 27,650 properties were sold within the last 7 years
This works out as 23.6% of the Newcastle property market changing hands, which is more than double our 9.2% in Sunderland
There will be a number of factors influencing these trends and it's difficult to discern whether when viewed in isolation, significantly fewer transactions taking place in Sunderland is a good or a bad thing for an Investor
You should consider every small detail about the property, the local area and also find out as much about the state of the market as a whole before making a decision to buy, be it for yourself or as a Buy to Let investment
It's only by getting a broad understanding of the market, assimilating all manner of facts & figures like these, that will allow you to make an informed long-term decision
We constantly advise investors to consider their exit strategy before purchasing a property and whilst the above only gives one small historic insight into the relative performance of two property markets it's worth considering in this context as you need to know about the immediate chance of letting to Good Tenants but equally need to know how easy it will be to sell when you choose to cash in your investment
If you would like to talk to us about Sunderland property market, call into our Frederick Street office, call us on 0191 567 8577 or email
This 2 bedroom, first floor Moorside flat looks to have been recently refurbished to a good modern standard, so it will be popular with a range of tenants, given it's location close to Doxford International
It's on the market for a reduced price of £80,000 and based on £450pcm rent will return 6.75% Gross Yield
It's worth considering that in my opinion the achievable rent is limited to £450pcm as it appears to just have the original electric heating
Investors planning for the long term would be advised to consider installing Gas Central Heating - we know from experience of managing several similar properties in the area that this will significantly increase interest and also the achievable rent, so may well be worth the additional expense
Given the good condition of the flat, with GCH it's likely that it could achieve £475 or even £495pcm
Click here for details http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35146571?tmad=c&tmcampid=35&utm_campaign=buy-alert&utm_content=contact-type-listing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert#MApyohQoMfAUDXPQ.97
You'll see it's being sold by the vendor using an online agent...make of that what you will...
Call us on 0191 567 8577 or email neil.whitfield@belvoirlettings.com for more information
This 2 bedroom ground floor flat in Farringdon is an absolute steal at £40,000!
We manage a number of similar flats in nearby blocks so know this one will be popular with a range of tenants and will deliver a great return
It needs a little work to freshen up the decoration and sort out the kitchen and flooring (click the link below to see the lounge...I'd be keen to hear your thoughts on what's going on with the tiles in the middle of the laminate flooring!?) but overall £5k should be enough for all of this
Based on £400pcm rent and a total investment of £45,000 it will return 10.6% Gross Yield
Click here for details http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35135962?tmad=c&tmcampid=35&utm_campaign=buy-alert&utm_content=contact-type-listing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert#YsiK8wqrUzVJGJxV.97
Call us on 0191 567 8577 or email neil.whitfield@belvoirlettings.com for more information
This two bedroom top floor apartment is in the popular Riverview development and at £65,000 looks to be the bargain of the week!
We manage a number of apartments in Riverview and have consistently found them easy to let, appealing to both students and professional working tenants (typically young couples or sharers)
When bought as new in 2005 this apartment cost a staggering £145,350 so this suggests over time there's room for plenty of capital growth...it also may explain why the current owner may be keen to sell at such a bargain price (if the rent is not covering the far-too-high mortgage payments based on the inflated purchase price)
As for rent, we find these apartments rent out easily at £495pcm so that will return 9.1% Gross Yield
Click here for details http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35149503?tmad=c&tmcampid=35&utm_campaign=buy-alert&utm_content=contact-type-listing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert#jjXPV5b1oRrqrW5Z.97
Given the price I'd suggest this will be snapped up soon so don't hang around!
Call us on 0191 567 8577 or email neil.whitfield@belvoirlettings for more information
This 3 bedroom Millfield terrace is very close to the University and therefore could appeal to both family tenants & also students
Either way it needs work, with full redecoration & flooring, a new kitchen and bathroom required. In addition to this the internal photos suggest historic issues with water ingress so it would be worth checking the roof, pointing & guttering
Based on adding a worst-case £20k budget to the £70,000 asking price it will still return 7.3% Gross Yield based on £550pcm rent (renting to a family)
Students will pay significantly more for a Furnished and 'Bills Included' property (so double digit yields are theoretically possible) but I'd suggest if this was the preferred route it would be worth having a more detailed chat about the student market in Sunderland as it is not necessarily going to be best for all Landlords
Click here for details http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35122412?tmad=c&tmcampid=35&utm_campaign=buy-alert&utm_content=contact-type-listing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert#YvrJ7wzTj4vwp2pQ.97
Call us on 0191 567 8577 or email neil.whitfield@belvoirlettings.com for more information
The SR6 postcode covering the area north of the River Wear is often thought to be one of the most sought after areas to live in Sunderland - but do properties here also stack up as good investments?
Historically the SR6 postcode has been perceived to be an 'Owner-Occupier' area, and it must be said the statistics do bear this out somewhat. Owned Homes (both owned outright and with a mortgage) in the Fulwell and St Peters Wards that make up most of the SR6 postcode represent 77% of the total housing stock
Interestingly, and fitting with the perception that the area may have a more older occupants than most, 40% of all properties are owned outright
Overall this means that there are fewer properties available to be rented privately - this fits with our experience in that private rented properties are relatively scarce in this area, which is good news for Landlords with decent rented properties to supply the evident demand
Only 6.9% of properties in the Fulwell Ward are privately rented (compare that to Sunderland as a whole where 10.9% of all homes are privately rented) but interestingly a much higher percentage (20%) of all homes in the St Peters Ward are privately rented - likely to correspond to the relative lack of social rented accommodation in the Ward (making up only 8.4% of the housing stock compared to 27% in Sunderland as a whole)
It's likely that the above figures are heavily skewed by accommodation rented to students wishing to be near the Sunderland University St Peters campus
Looking at property types, semi-detached homes are most common in the area with 45% of all properties being this type. By far the least common are detached homes representing only 4% of the total housing stock. Flats represent only 5% of all housing stock in Fulwell and 29% in St Peters
House prices in the SR6 area are significantly higher than in Sunderland as a whole - for example the average price of a 2 bedroom property is £126,600 compared to an average of £86,600 in Sunderland as a whole, similarly at £162,800 3 bedroom properties in SR6 are 45% higher than the Sunderland average
This is to be expected, given average earnings in the SR6 area are £23,674 which is 27% higher than the Sunderland average earnings. A useful tool for comparing one area against another is the house price/earnings ratio which shows at 6.87 SR6 properties are less affordable than in Sunderland as a whole (which has a price/earnings ratio of 6.19) but still relatively affordable compared to the 10.2 national average
Looking at market trends, house prices in the SR6 area have risen by 6.48% in the last 12 months, which is close to the national average growth rate, however over the past 5 years values in SR6 are still 7.6% down vs. a national 5 year increase of 6.84%
The positive to take out of this is that there's clearly still room for capital growth in the area
So, what should landlords look for if they are considering investing in SR6?
There are a few obvious choices, however given the above, investors looking to SR6 must do so in the knowledge that due to the higher-than-average prices they're unlikely to achieve the same yields as in other parts of Sunderland
That said, for those looking to balance yield with capital growth potential or for those who are more concerned with renting the sort of property 'they would live in', SR6 does offer a number of options
Tenant demand from the student market (and in particular the International Student market) is currently strong due to the wish to be close to the St Peters Campus
Students are increasingly favouring small, self contained units or flats (rather than the traditional large shared houses) so a couple of options in SR6 close to the St Peters Campus would be to consider the 1960's flats in Howick Park or the modern Bonners Raff development built in 2004
A one bedroom ground floor flat in Howick Park is currently for sale priced at £55,000. It will return 8.6% Gross Yield based on £395pcm rent (but you'd need to factor in service charges, it being Leasehold)
Alternatively, there are bargains to be had in the nearby Bonners Raff development. Just as with other apartment blocks built in the 2000's, many were bought at hugely inflated prices and there is often the chance to pick up a bargain if the owner is forced into a distressed sale.
Bonners Raff will appeal to both students and professionals and in our opinion this development is a cut above other similar blocks in terms of design, accommodation size, with a range of accommodation types to suit all budgets from quirky studios to stylish 2 and 3 bed duplex apartments - in our experience they are a joy to let
There's a 1 bedroom apartment currently for sale at OIRO £75,000 which will return 7.9% Gross Yield based on £495pcm rent or a number of 2 bedroom apartments from £110,000 which will all return in excess of 6% Gross Yield
For those wishing to rent to families, given the scarcity of good quality private rented family homes in the SR6 area we'd recommend they looked at a two or three bedroom terrace or semi
This 3 bedroom semi on Fulwell road is 'Ready to Let' and at £119,950 (reduced from £124,950) will return 5.9% Gross Yield based on £595pcm rent
Alternatively, this traditional 2 bedroom semi in a quiet & sought after Fulwell street is on the market for £125,000 - it needs work but having improved the property (working on a budget of around £20k to do so) it will return 5.4% Gross Yield
There are good long term investments to be made in the SR6 area but in our experience, given the above it may not be for all Landlords and we'd be happy to have a more detailed discussion about your investment needs to work out what area & property type is right for you
We'd always recommend getting objective, impartial advice before making any investment decisions so if you'd like to discuss the Sunderland property market in more depth feel free to call into our Frederick Street office, give us a call on 0191 567 8577 or email neil.whitfield@belvoirlettings.com
Another inexpensive property that needs a full renovation throughout but it will be popular once the work is completed, given the scarcity of good 3 bedroom properties to rent in Sunderland
It's in Londonderry Street, Silksworth
Silksworth has some good streets and some not very good streets - in our experience of managing tenancies nearby, Londonderry Street will be fine and with the property renovated to a good standard we'll be able to attract Good Tenants
It's priced at £60,000 and working on a £20k improvement budget will still return 7.4% Gross Yield based on a very achievable £495pcm rent
Click here for details http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35083967?tmad=c&tmcampid=35&utm_campaign=buy-alert&utm_content=contact-type-listing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert#WtwXCURARgXRqG8z.97
Call us on 0191 567 8577 or email neil.whitfield@belvoirlettings.com for more information
This large double fronted cottage is in need of full renovation throughout but once completed will be popular with a range of tenants and offers the chance for decent yields and following the improvements, capital appreciation
It's in Southwick but don't let that put you off - it's in the 'better end' near the A1231 rather than the Thompson Road / Carley Road end
It has a large open plan lounge/dining room meaning the front room with bay window can be used as a double bedroom, in addition to the 3 bedrooms upstairs in the dormer
It needs a new kitchen and bathroom, full decoration and flooring throughout
With a £57,500 asking price plus a £20,000 improvement budget it will still return 7.6% Gross Yield based on £495pcm rent
Click here for details http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35074979?tmad=c&tmcampid=35&utm_campaign=buy-alert&utm_content=contact-type-listing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert#5goQmXC1Mfheg7K3.97
Call us on 0191567 8577 or email neil.whitfield@belvoirlettings.com for more information
With the media giving mixed messages on what is exactly happening to the UK property market, let's have a look at what has happened over the last 12 months in Sunderland
In the year to October 2014, 1,699 of the 119,758 properties in Sunderland were sold
The best performing type of property was the semi-detached house. With an average sale price of £122,000; over 728 of them sold, representing 42.8% of the property sold in Sunderland within the year (and when you consider 44% of Sunderland property is semi-detached, these sale figures very much meet expectations)
In second place are terraced houses. They represented 33.9% of the sales but terraces only make up 30.9% of the total property stock...so they have ever so slightly over-performed in terms of the number of sales vs. the number of properties
Of the 13,749 detached houses in Sunderland, 277 changed hands in the year, showing that whilst only 11.4% of properties in Sunderland are detached, they represented a respectable 16.3% of the sales last year
However, it is the flats/apartments that seem to have performed the worst.
Whilst there are 15,986 flats/apartments in Sunderland (representing 13.3% of the housing stock), only 165 changed hands in the year, representing only 9.8% of the sales
What does this all mean for the property owners of Sunderland?
Most Sunderland homeowners start with a terraced property such as a 'cottage', aspire to move to semi detached house, then if finances allow, they move to a detached property. With the house sale percentages closely matching the proportion of available stock, this suggests the market for owner-occupiers is relatively healthy with no major bottlenecks (although there are still key shortages in Sunderland, such as a lack of affordable 3 or 4 bedroom family homes)
The majority of apartments, especially in the City Centre, were purchased by investors to rent out to tenants, so they have no need to trade up on the property ladder
Many owners are still in negative equity, and in some cases, the value of some Sunderland apartments bought at the height of the boom are 50% lower than what was paid for them between 2005 - 2007
Faced with this situation, most flat/apartment owners are holding onto their properties in the hope that they can keep them rented and that prices eventually rise back to nearer what they paid before they would considering selling
When advising investors on what to buy or where to buy we do tend to steer clear of such apartments due to the ongoing market conditions and such factors as a more transient tenant population (increasing the amount of tenant churn and the risk of the dreaded void period), only advising landlords to proceed with caution if there is a real 'distressed sale' bargain to be had
Interestingly, taking flats/apartments aside, on average, Sunderland property values are actually 0.7% up on the 2007 property boom. We are seeing signs of positivity in the market and there are plenty of decent long term investment opportunities offering healthy yields if you know where to look
If you would like to have a free, objective chat about the Sunderland property market, pop in and see me at our Frederick Street office, send me an email or call me on 0191 567 8577
