Surprisingly Useful Blog...

Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) are becoming increasingly popular for property investors. According to Zoopla, the average gross yield is 5.2%, but when renting rooms individually as opposed to letting the whole property as a single unit, you ca...

There have been lots of predictions over the last few months about the housing market ‘crashing’, ‘falling off a cliff’ and ‘bubbles bursting’, driven by media headlines of double-digit property price growth.

But just because house prices have risen r...

Insurance and tax aren’t the most exciting topics, but they are two of the most important to understand. These are some of the top questions we get asked by landlords.

Do I need landlord insurance?

Insurers consider a tenanted property to be higher ris...

The August Bank Holiday weekend is fast approaching, and while for many it signals adventuring to events and such, for many, it’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy some time at home.

Here are a range of great ideas to help you make the most of the Au...

 If there’s one thing us Brits never talk about, it’s the weather. Ok, that’s in no way true. Still, with this summer’s sweltering temperatures reaching record-breaking heights, it’s only natural for it to be the talk of the country - as much as we l...

Amidst the cacophony of low-inventory concerns, soaring property values, and the cost of living crisis, the London property market is surprisingly robust. The capital is waking up from its Covid slumber and welcoming city dwellers back in their drove...

Probate properties often represent excellent value for money, but the process of buying one is a little unique. As a result, there can be some added risks and delays, and it can help to better understand the nature of probate sales to best handle the...

Figures for the second quarter of 2022 are in, and the results are as expected: the London lettings market is red hot, quite possibly the most competitive market on record. At the same time, mortgage rates continue to track at low rates, property sup...

The Government has signed up the UK to reduce carbon emissions by more than any other similarly developed country by 2050. This target will undoubtedly impact the property market, given that “around 22% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from our home...

There are a variety of checks that a landlord or letting agent will work through when assessing your rental application. Some checks are legal requirements, while others may be conducted at the landlord's or agent's discretion, although most follow t...

Can you sell a house with tenants in it? It is certainly possible to sell your property with current tenants in situ; the real question is whether or not it is preferable to do so. There are certainly upsides, but it can also complicate matters; ulti...

The Crossrail opening has finally come, and with it, buyer competition continues to surge around many stops along the line.

With interest rates on the up and the cost of living crisis not yet behind us, many Londonders are taking advantage of the new...

Property prices have done well in most parts of the UK over the last couple of years, with some areas seeing double-digit percentage rises. That’s great news for landlords, especially since the media in 2020 was flooded with predictions that lockdown...

Throughout the pandemic, there were many reports of both homeowners and renters moving out of cities to smaller towns and villages, to take advantage of the extra space and easy access to countryside that comes with more rural locations.

A year ago, a...

In a bid to bring London's iconic docklands site back to life, the government has pledged £233m of infrastructure funding, backing one of the UK's most significant regeneration projects.

Government public body, Homes England, will provide the £233m in...

Once you reach the contract signing stage of the property buying process, you're on the home straight, and that's an exciting time. However, while most of the hard work has been done, there is still a little more to the exchange of contracts process ...

The conditions of the pandemic brought about so many unexpected changes as we contemplated our way of living and resigned ourselves to being at home more.

It was tough, yet being confined to our home environments also created some healthy changes for ...

Properties for sale on short-term lease arrangements are becoming increasingly rare. Consequently, many buyers do not understand the implications of buying a short-lease property, sometimes not even being fully aware of it until far into the purchasi...

A Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor Mortgage (otherwise referred to as a JBSP mortgage) is a mortgage product that enables a family member (usually a parent) to contribute financially to a mortgage without assuming any ownership of the property.

Primari...

With the UK now into the warm summer months, people are on the move, looking for more space, better commute times, gardens, and more.

Experts often discuss which London boroughs are ideal for commuters and investors, but many pockets throughout the c...

Getting a standard mortgage as a full-time employee can be daunting enough if you're new to the process. If you are self-employed, you may be even more concerned about securing the mortgage you need.

There's actually no such thing as a 'self-employed...

In a bid to bring inflation down, the Bank of England has made the anticipated decision to further increase interest rates by 0.25%, bringing the overall rate to 1.25%.

Interest rates are now at a 13-year high, with the increase from 1% to 1.25% has ...

The Government have finally published the Renters’ Reform white paper. The initial proposals have shifted from five main changes to a 12 point plan.

The Government has stated in the white paper there are some key objectives they would like to achieve ...

If you haven’t increased your tenant’s rent recently, it might be worth considering. Some landlords choose not to increase their rents for existing tenants, even if they stay for some years. Oddly, this can actually cause problems for both the tenant...

The concept of paying any rent on an owned property is unfamiliar to many homeowners. Yet, England and Wales are the last developed countries in which you can buy a home, but not essentially 'own' it.

Typically, homeownership falls under a freehold s...

After years of controversy and delays, the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) is officially set to open on 24th May. This rail route will pass through some of the Capital's most popular areas, such as Bond Street, Paddington, Tottenham Court Road, and Liverp...

Portico is proud to announce that we are now producing all sales and lettings boards on fully recycled correx sheets.

Kiersty Sims, Group Marketing Director at Portico says, “Most of us are fully aware of the devastating effects that both climate chan...

For many years, buy-to-let was widely seen as a great (and pretty easy) way to make money, while providing a much-needed roof over tenants’ heads.

However, the Government have made it clear they want to reduce the number of people renting, in favour o...

Over the last decade or so, landlords have got very used to the Government announcing tax changes each year. Due to the general increase in rents, landlords are still seeing their investments perform well and thankfully the last two budget announceme...

There can be times when a rental property is vacant. Whether this is short term between tenancies, or longer term such as planned renovations that are easier without a tenant in situ, the downside is that when a property is vacant it becomes a lot mo...

Deciding to sell up and move is exciting. Once you’ve decided to sell, you probably just want to get on with it. But to be truly “sale ready” and avoid delays further down the line, you need to have your paperwork ready. So we’ve asked the property e...

It's fair to say that the London property market is overheated. Pandemic conditions sent the supply and demand divide even further out of whack. In addition, mass migrations caused tremendous turbulence and upward pressure on house prices as Brits sc...

Over the last 15 years, there’s been a huge increase in the amount of legislation landlords have to comply with in order to let and manage a property legally. And with that, the number and level of different penalties that can be imposed on those who...

Did you know the United Kingdom is the third-largest consumer of tea in the world, behind Ireland and Turkey and more than 165,000,000 cups of tea are drunk in the UK every day? To celebrate our quintessential British tradition of drinking tea, Natio...

When buying a house with a mortgage, you'll need to put down some money upfront as a deposit. This lump sum is then subtracted from the total borrowing figure required to make the purchase - in other words, the bigger the deposit, the less you will n...

As we make our way out of winter hibernation, so too do our houses, and nothing feels quite so refreshing as a spring clean after the cold months have passed.

As winter fades and the flowers begin to blossom, it's a great time to carry out some home ...

Family homes come in all shapes and sizes and, whether you are buying or renting is irrelevant to your list of wants and needs. As your family grows, your needs and priorities change meaning it’s hard to pin point exactly what you will want in years ...

“Do I need to put my house on the market before I start looking for a new one?” is something we get asked a lot. Like the chicken and egg situation, it can be difficult knowing where to begin when selling a property, so here are some tips to help thi...

If you’re in the process of buying a new property, it's probably been recommended that you organise a survey for your new home. If you've not bought a property for a while (or ever!), this can be confusing as there are several survey options to choos...

Through the second half of 2020 and the first half of 2021, average property prices have been rising. Some indices, including Nationwide, are quoting double-digit increases, while others (e.g Hometrack) suggest a more muted rise of 5%.

It’s important ...