Self-managing a block of flats is in itself a hustle. Having self-control of the flats makes you solely responsible for all administration activities. Homeowners quickly find themselves swimming in deep unchartered waters and facing unknown dangers. The most common complaint by homeowners is that they tend to find themselves out of their depth. In addition to that, home owners lacking professional guidance run the risk of violating laws and regulations from legal to regulatory lock requirements. This is where flat managing agents come in. They save homeowners from these frustrations. Moreover, they come with their own added advantages.
Knowing and Trusting your Estate Agent
There are many homeowners out there who stick with their trusted estate agency when they want to put their property on the market, and you can be hit by severe costs if you choose an estate agency that’s unreliable or only out there to make a tidy profit.
There are certain things you’d expect of an estate agent; the main one being to get your property sold, but costs do vary so you should always question each and every fee. You have to know what you’re paying for, and you can decide whether it’s in your interest to go ahead and use their services but always make sure the pricing is fair.
There are some estate agents out there who will blur the cost of their services with jargon, but if you’re ever confused about their services then you should never go ahead with their services. We all know that estate agents are out there to make a profit, but the good ones will do so by helping you sell your property, putting in a great deal of effort. Make sure you know and trust your estate agent before you go ahead with their services.
Communication between Landlords and Tenants
A good landlord will always make themselves available for communication with their tenant or tenants, but both should respect each other’s privacy.
It’s a two way street when it comes to landlords and tenants, and while the Landlord doesn’t want to be harassed all the time and contacted neither does the tenant. It must be said that when repairs are needed, a landlord should be accessible, but the tenant should not overstep the boundaries on minor issues.
The contract should state when and how a landlord should be contacted, and if communication is clear then problems are likely to be dealt with quickly. This is why communication is the most important aspect in a tenant and landlord relationship, so make sure you‘re on the same lines.
Dealing With a Derelict Building
Derelict properties are a place which demand a lot of attention before they can be used. Sometimes, repairing a derelict building creates more problems and difficulties than is warranted, in which case, considering knocking the building down and starting from scratch could be the best option available to you. Doing so will allow you to have a more stable building project, as the difficulties facing you are largely accounted for. Fixing a derelict building will likely not be finished when you expect it to, as problems which were not immediately apparent will become more obvious as the building project progresses. Getting it into a safe and stable state could potentially cost as much money as replacing the whole building. In order to save money, you could recycle the material still fit for purpose into the new building, if that’s what you decide to do.