Falkirk Property - Do you know the Facts and Figures?

Here at The Key Place, we can guide you to the right places to identify property values and yields in Falkirk and, as well as that, we can provide you with other useful property related information so you can make sure you know all you need to know before making your future investments.

I was reminded of this the other day when I was chatting to a landlord of mine and he said that I was a font of useful information about the Falkirk property market ..... at least I think he said useful! 

This got me thinking that others may be interested in some ‘useful’ property facts about our town of Falkirk ....

There are 1197 streets Falkirk with 16,819 households, and just over a quarter those houses (4,512 to be precise) have changed hands in the last 10 years.

Compared to the national average, Falkirk has 45% less detached houses, 7% less semi detached houses, 20% less terraced houses and 24% more flats. This ties in with Falkirk having significantly more single person property occupancy compared to the national average (39% vs 35%) and correspondingly more 2 person + households.

Falkirk has less owned properties than the national average (57% vs 62%) and less Council/social renting than nationally (31% vs 25%).  Overall this means that only 12% of properties in Falkirk are privately rented which is slightly lower than the national average of 13%. Given that there is a shift towards people renting rather than buying their own home, this means that there is slightly more to ‘go after’ in Falkirk.

We also have information at our fingertips on seemingly daft things which can turn out to be quite important.  For example, 80% of properties in Falkirk have gas central heating which is much higher than the national average of 74%.  This is really useful to know when refurbishing a flat and considering whether you can ‘get away’ with electrical heating ..... it is less likely that you can in Falkirk.

I could go on but I better not!

If you would like more useful facts and figures pop in to see us at our offices (6 Vicar Street, Falkirk), call us (01324 469840) or email either of us (news@thekeyplace.co.uk).

www.thekeyplace.co.uk

#falkirk #property #buytolet #realestate #ownermanagedbusiness #retirement #retirementplanning

Paws for Thought… Should Falkirk Landlords Accept Pets?

Tenants with pets are often dismissed out of hand by landlords who are worried about potential damage to their property.

This is very understandable.

However, opening up your property to tenants with pets may help maximise its rental potential and, by excluding pet owners, you may be missing out on a huge part of the rental market.

In some circumstances it’s a definite ‘No’!  Your title deeds may state that pets are not allowed – more likely in blocks of flats. Also, consideration should also be given to the type of property in question.  Does its age and size accommodate pets properly – a large dog in a brand new, fully furnished property is probably not a good idea.

Almost half of the UK population owns a pet and accepting pets into your property may well be advantageous.

Advantages

Increase demand for your property. With so few pet friendly properties out there, they are much sought after and may command higher than usual rents.

Encourage tenants to stay longer. Pet owners know how difficult it can be to find pet friendly rental properties and are more likely to have a longer tenancy.

Attract responsible tenants. Pet owners often take much more care of their home so not to jeopardise their tenancy making them ideal tenants!

So why is it that many landlords instinctively say they do not want pets due to the possibility of damage or noise? Landlords instantly reject tenants with pets when they apply for property. Is it really a sensible approach?

Steps To Take

If you do wish to accept pets into your property, there are a number of things you can do to further increase your protection:

• Insert a Pet Clause into the Tenancy Agreement setting out the responsibilities of the pet owner ie the tenant.
• Take a higher deposit to allow for any additional work that may be required at the end of the tenancy.
• Insist that the tenants pay for a professional clean at the end of the tenancy.

A landlord can look at each case on its own merits. You may accept a small Terrier but not accept a large Alsatian. Every application can be treated individually.

www.thekeyplace.co.uk

#falkirk #property #buytolet #realestate #ownermanagedbusiness #retirement #retirementplanning