Investment opportunity with potential 11% yield in Burley

This 5 bed property on St Ann's Avenue in Burley has got fantastic potential to generate a very healthy return and if done right could easily be rented as a professional houseshare, but you'd need to check with the agents that it has existing HMO status.

It's located in the prime area for professionals in Burley which is close to local shops, bars & cafes and it's very close to Burley Park train station and main bus routes.

It's on with Castlehill for just under £165,000 and they've suggested that it could achieve a potential income of £16,000 (which suggests it does already have HMO status, because it wouldn't achieve that level of rent as a single let). On the face of it that's a good return but looking at the dimensions of the rooms on the floor plan you'll see that one of the rooms on the first floor is pretty small, massively reducing the chance of letting that room out. If you were to re-jig things around it's definitely got potential to make all the rooms lettable and to achieve an even better return.

I would suggest removing that small bedroom and making one big bathroom. You wouldn't need to lose a bedroom however, just utilise the large storage space and bathroom in the basement better and create another bedroom and give each of those basement bedrooms en suites (making them the most desirable in the house!). That way you've created 5 good size bedrooms maximising your chances of all the rooms being let.

I would finish it off by putting in a new kitchen, redecorating and re-carpeting and that way you'd be able to achieve a rent of £75pppw or £19,500 per annum. If you managed to get the house for around £155,000 and spent £20,000 on the refurb works you'd then be looking at a fantastic return of 11% plus with such a great property you wouldn't have to worry about void periods.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-35663442.html

Fantastic investment opportunity in Burley with a potential 10% yield

This 5 bed property on Haddon Avenue has fantastic potential as a professional houseshare. Located in Burley between Kirkstall Lane and Burley Road it is ideally positioned close to all main transport routes and Leeds City centre is less than 2 miles away. 

It's currently on with Castlehill for £139,950 (although I'm sure you wouldn't end up paying that!) with an advised potential rental income of £13,500 which if that was achieved would earn a 9% yield. 

On the face of it that sounds like a pretty good deal but looking more closely at the floor plan the bedrooms look fairly small and cramped. This would prove tricky to rent out so that 9% yield might be a struggle to achieve. 

There is massive potential, however, to reduce the number of bedrooms and utilise the space and create a three bed all en-suite property. If the whole house was refurbished to a high standard you should be able to achieve around £95pppw for each room, so that's £14,820 per annum and it would rent out all day long!

The work would likely cost around £15,000 so if bought for around £130,000 once the calculations are all done that would give you a yield of just over 10% and you're also safe in the knowledge that your property would let very easily indeed and likelihood of any void periods greatly reduced! 

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-50945386.html

If you're a landlord or a possible investor and would like any tips or advise on either this property or any others then by all means just give me a call on 0113 2304690 or 0113 2743488.

4 bed house in Hyde Park with great potential for over 10% return

This four bed house located on Thornville Road will appeal to both professional and student renters which would widen your potential market. Located in the heart of Hyde Park it's only a few short minutes walk away from all that Hyde Park has to offer and also has plenty of public transport systems that take you straight into Leeds City centre in less than 10 minutes. 

On the face of things, this house doesn't look like anything special but for the most part a lot of that it is purely cosmetic. In order to bring it up to spec you would need to redecorate, re-carpet and replace all the furniture. There's also no pictures of the kitchen but if the rest of the house is anything to go by it's likely to need a new kitchen. In addition to the cosmetic work I would also suggest making the small bedroom on the first floor larger by taking some of the space from the bathroom and creating a smaller shower room in it's place. There's also scope for creating a jack-and-jill bathroom on the top floor. 

By doing all of this you'll then be able to achieve an annual rent of around £16,640. You would probably need to spend around £20,000 to do all of this but if you managed to get the house for around £130,000 that would give you a very healthy return of 11%. 

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-50513512.html

Perfect for young professional - 1 Bed house with 10% yield

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-50728738.html

Positioned right between Kirkstall Road and Burley Road is this one bedroomed house in Woodside View. It's not far away from the leisure park complex and it's just a couple of miles into the city centre, with frequent buses and is close to Burley Park train station so is ideally located for professional tenants. 

It needs a little TLC (well quite a lot actually!) but nothing structural from the look of it. A new bathroom, kitchen, new carpet throughout and redecoration will bring this property up to a good spec. 

As the advert states, you should be able to rent it out for between £550 and £600pcm once done up, so you're looking at about 10% return, and in the position it's in, it should never be empty.

Will more bedrooms mean more rent in your Headingley Buy To Let?

Last week, a landlord from Headingley emailed me to ask, after reading this blog, if he should extend his terraced house making an extra bedroom in the loft. He had a builder friend who owed him a favour, and thought a good way would be get an ‘inexpensive’ extension.

Having more useable space is generally thought to be consistent with better quality accommodation and homeowners and tenants are prepared to pay for it. If you added a bedroom to a two bed terraced to make a three bed terraced, it will add 10% to the value of the property.  Turn a three bed terraced into a four bed terraced and 9% will be added to the value. Looking at semi detached properties, and turn a two into a three bed and 12% will be added to the value, whilst making a three bed semi into four bed will add 9% in value.

However, before you rush off to the planning department there are some important considerations, whether you are a homeowner or landlord.  What would be the cost of making that extra bedroom? The average value of a terraced house in Headingley is currently £207,400 whilst the average value of a semi detached house is £201,000, meaning to make money the cost of the extension would need to be less than £19,703 on the terraced property and £21,105 on the semi detached house. Talking to a number of trades people in the City, most are booking up into the New Year. Also, no matter how good a friend he was, I know of no builders that would charge as little as that. Maybe the builder was just thinking of a bit of pointing work on the chimney!

Well, that got me thinking about how bedrooms affected rental prices and rent-ability as well.   Interestingly below, you will see that whilst bedrooms do have an effect on the rent that can be achieved and the rent-ability of the property – the difference does not warrant the expense, hassle and trouble of extending.

·         21.05% of the one bed properties on the market to rent in Headingley have a tenant with an average rent of £480 per month

·         20% of the two bed properties on the market to rent in Headingley have a tenant with an average rent of £651 per month

·         17.6% of the three bed properties on the market to rent in Headingley have a tenant with an average rent of £915 per month

·         9.2% of the four bed properties on the market to rent in Headingley have a tenant with an average rent of £1,198 per month

No, if you want to increase the value of your property, be you a Headingley landlord or homeowner, there are things that cost a lot less than building extra bedrooms. Spruce up the exterior, emulsion all the rooms, install fresh carpets and curtains. For homeowners, a matter of a few hundred pounds will add thousands whilst for landlords, these things can add an extra 10% to the rent that you can achieve.

Fantastic 2 bed in Meanwood with over 9% return

This fantastic 2 bed flat is located on Meanwood Road and is in the ideal spot for professional renters. It's just a stone's throw away from all the shops, restaurants and bars near Meanwood traffic lights so right in the middle of everything. As you'll know, Meanwood Road is a main road into Leeds city centre and with a bus stop right outside the property, it couldn't be better located. 

Inside it's been finished to a good standard so it wouldn't need any extra work to get it rented out. With 2 good size double bedrooms and spacious open plan living room and kitchen this property would easily rent out all day long for around £750-£800pcm. 

It's on with Alan Cooke for £105,000 so if you got it for £100k you'd be looking at a return of over 9%. 

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-49150507.html

Headingley Property Market – Post Election Blues?

With the election now over and the stability of Downing Street secure, with David Cameron’s Tories the largest party in Westminster, in Headingley (as in the rest of the UK) average wages are beginning to grow faster than inflation. This is good news for the Headingley housing market, as some buyers may be willing or able to pay higher prices given the more certain political outlook and attractive inexpensive mortgage rates. However, sellers who think they have the upper hand due to the lack of property for sale should be aware that we should start to see an increase in the number of people putting their properties on to the market in Headingley giving buyers some extra negotiating power.

At the last election in May 2010, there were 265 properties for sale in Headingley and by October 2010, this had risen to 310, an impressive rise of 17% in five months. An increase in the supply of properties coming on to the market could tip the balance in the demand and supply economics seesaw, thus potentially denting prices. However, as most sellers are buyers and confidence is high, this means there will be good levels of property and buyers, well into the summer, as demand will continue to slightly outstrip supply.

Just before we leave the run up to the election, it is important to consider what the uncertainty in April did to the Headingley property market. I mentioned a few weeks ago that property values (ie what properties were actually selling for) had remained static in March 2015. Now new data has been released from Rightmove about April’s asking prices of property in Headingley. It shows that pre-election nerves finally came home to roost in the final weeks of electioneering, with the average price of property coming to market decreasing by 0.1% (April is normally one of the best months of the year for house price growth).

I am sure our local MP, Greg Mulholland, would agree that the biggest issue is the lack of new properties being built in Headingley. The Conservative manifesto pledged to build 200,000 discounted starter homes for first-time buyers in the next five years. For Headingley to gets its share, that would mean only 11 such properties being built in Headingley each year for the next five years, not much when you consider there are 6,238 properties in Headingley.

Housing is not a big issue for Conservative voters and because London is an increasingly Labour city where the biggest housing issues are found by a country mile, so will it remain on the ‘to do list’ but won’t get recognition it deserves. Until another political party gets back into power, nothing will seismically change in the property market, thus demand for housing will continue to outstrip supply, meaning property values will increase (good news for landlords). However, as rents tend to go up and down with tenant wages, in the long term, rents are still only 3.07% higher than they were in 2008 (good news for tenants)... with renting everyone wins!

Fantastic house in Burley with potential for 10% yield

This four bed house on Beechwood Avenue is located in a prime location for professional renters. Its located just a short walk away from Burley train station. A trip to Leeds city centre takes less than 10 minutes and it's also a short walk away from local shops, cinema complex, gym, bars and restaurants.

Whilst in a great location this is a typical example of one too many rooms being squeezed into the space. Whilst it's understandable to want to fit in lots of bedrooms to try to maximise your rental income, in reality it's no big surprise that small bedrooms struggle to let. If you were to utilise the space in the attic better and remove the small bedroom you could create one big bedroom with an en-suite. As the property already has two other bathrooms located next to the other current bedrooms you would be able to create an all en-suite property without spending a great deal.

This would then create a fantastic property and as it's in a great location there would be no problem in getting it fully let and you're likely to achieve an annual rent of £14,040. Now, whilst the advert suggests it's already achieving an annual rent of £16,120 this also includes the tenants bills so in reality you'd be looking at an annual rent of somewhere in the region of £12,376 without bills.

As the rest of the property is already in pretty good condition I'd imagine you'll probably have to spend between £8-10k to do it all up. If you managed to get the property for around £130,000 and then factored in the refurb costs you'd then be looking at a return of around 10%.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-50854540.html

What will General Election result do to the Headingley Property Market?

After the shock of the Conservatives returning to power with a majority at Westminster, all the potential issues and possible uncertainties of a hung parliament has lifted the cloud from the Headingley property market.  Talking to other Headingley agents, surveyors and solicitors in the area over the last few days, there are signs this has started a new impetus in the Headingley property market after a subdued six months, when an amalgamation of tougher lending conditions, a natural correction after the strong recovery in Headingley property prices in 2014, and political uncertainty ahead of the General Election slowed demand.

Against the back drop of Labour’s election promises of rent controls and three year tenancies, many buy to let landlords were waiting to see how these new policies would be implemented before they committed themselves to buying more property for their buy to let portfolio. Now that uncertainty has been removed, the long term picture is very positive.

So, with all that uncertainty now removed, where next for the Headingley property market?  Well with inflation at zero and with the Money markets happy David Cameron is still at No.10, the Bank of England have no reason to raise interest rates until 2016 at the earliest. As mortgage rates are at their lowest levels since 2010, landlords with large deposits will now be wooed by the mortgage companies in the coming months with low rates.

You see over the past couple of years, Headingley landlords have benefitted from a booming Headingley job market. Unemployment in Headingley area has dropped to 2.3%, as a year ago, 1,369 people were claiming unemployment benefit compared to today’s 969. With more jobs and better pay, as the level of rents is directly linked to tenant’s wages, there has been an increase in the rental prices tenants are willing to pay for good quality Headingley properties.

Some landlords might be nervous about Tory’s plans for the housing market over the next five years in terms of tenant demand for their rental properties. One plan is for Housing Association tenants to have the right to buy their property. These kind of tenants were never in the private rented sector and will actually increase the supply of properties in the housing stock in decades to come. The Government ‘Help to Buy Scheme’ has only helped to buy 32 (yes only thirty two) Headingley properties since April 2013. Considering 1,216 properties have changed hands in the last year alone in Headingley area (Headingley plus one mile which is the area the Help to Buy scheme is based on), I don’t think it has made a huge difference to our local property market.

The biggest issue, when it comes to tenant demand of rental property going forward, comes from the shift in the mindset and attitudes towards renting itself. Twenty years ago you were seen as a second class citizen if you rented a property. In Headingley, as in the rest of the UK (apart from Central London), renting continues to offer good value for money for tenants.  If you are an existing landlord in Headingley or thinking of becoming one, then I must suggest you seek out specialist advice and opinion.

 Like many agents in Headingley, we will happily give you our opinion on the current state of the market and the advantages/disadvantages to investing in the Headingley property market if you pop into our offices.

Great looking 3 bed in Burley with en-suite potential

This great 3 bed house in Burley on Lumley Road is ideal for professional renters and would make a great investment property. Located just a stones throw away from Burley Park train station, it's close to all the necessary commuter routes and Leeds city centre is less than 10 minutes away.

The property has just recently been refurbished so is already in a good condition and as it is would likely rent out for around £117,000 per annum which would generate a yield of just over 7%.

If however, you really wanted your property to stand out from the crowd and limit any potential void periods then it's looks as though there is plenty of space in the bedrooms to create three en-suite bathrooms. From looking at it you would probably need to spend around £15k to do the necessary work. You would then be able to achieve a rent of £90ppw (£14,040 per annum) so if you bought the house for around £140,000 you would then be looking at a yield of 9%.

From my experience there is a real shortage of high end, en-suite properties in the Burley area so by carrying out this work you be able to make this house one of the more desirable, and as it's a three bed you'd be likely to achieve permanent occupancy.

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/37490325

4 bed house in fantastic location in Meanwood with potential 10% return

This great 4 bed house located on Monkbridge Grove in Meanwood is in a fantastic spot and ideal for young professionals. It's located minutes away from all the shops, bars and restaurants and is right in the centre of everything so it's in a highly sought after area. 

This property is for sale by auction so the very attractive low guide price of £110,000 is likely there just to gain interest. The reserve price will no doubt be a little higher but if you managed to get it for around £140,000 you'd still be looking at a very healthy return. 

There's no floor plan provided with the advert so obviously a viewing is vital but from looking at the advert there looks to be 4 good size bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. With a little bit of cosmetic work done to the house to smarten it up it could easily let for around £300/month per person (£14,400 per annum) which if bought for around £140,000 would give you a great 10% return.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-33688359.html

Ground floor 1 bed apartment in Burley with 9% return

This attractive 1 bed flat located in Burley Wood Court is in a prime location for professionals. Located on Kirstall Road it's just set back off the main road with a bus stop straight outside making it ideal for commuters with Leeds City Centre less than 10 minutes away. It's also just a stones throw away from Cardigan Fields which is home to a cinema complex, gym, bowling alley & bars and restaurants so location wise this property has fantastic appeal and would easily rent out.

This ground floor flat is on for just under £80,000 and from the looks of things, doesn't need much if any work doing for it to be rented out. We've rented out a similar flat in the same block for £565pcm. If you managed to get it for around £75,000 that would then give you a 9% return.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-51824906.html

Average Property Values in Headingley and Burley since 1995

The graph below shows what has happened to average property values in both Headingley and Burley since 1995.  The graph is interactive, so as you hover over the lines, it will show the £ amount as well .. enjoy!

Property values in Headingley remain static pre-election

Property values in Headingley remained static in March, with neither a rise nor fall, as Headingley people held their breath as to whether the Tory’s would return or we would have a Labour/SNP coalition. This followed several months of sluggish activity in the Headingley property market in the run up to the Election, leaving the average price of a property in Headingley at £227,900, still 4.1% higher than in March 2014. Despite the lack of change, the figures showed property values in Headingley were still higher in the first quarter of 2015 than in the last quarter of 2014. 

Interestingly, the Council of Mortgage Lenders and Estate Agent trade bodies over the last few months have reported seeing a fall in mortgage lending and enquiries from prospective homebuyers. This is important because it comes amid an overall fall in housing market activity in Headingley. Data from the Land Registry said completed house sales in the Headingley and Leeds area in the three months to January 2015, (the most up-to-date figures available) fell by 14.8% compared to the same three month period up to January 2014.

However, I believe that the slowdown in property sales in Headingley is supporting Headingley property values, as there is a shortage of houses coming onto the market. Even though in the whole of the first Quarter of 2015, Headingley property value increases may seem subdued when compared to 2014, let us remember, property values are still rising well above the level of inflation. 

As I have said many times before, the population in Headingley is growing at a much higher rate than the number of properties being built. This increasing demand for a roof over people’s head, which is outpacing the supply of new houses being built in Headingley, is creating a severe imbalance in the Headingley (in fact the whole of UK’s) housing market, thus making homeownership an ever increasingly distant dream for many of Headingley’s potential first time buyers.

In fact, I still maintain the view that house prices are likely to rise by around 3 to 5% in Headingley in 2015, even after taking into account this blip at start of the year. The reason being is that the rise reflects both strong economic conditions and steady market conditions with (and this is the most important factor) very low numbers of properties on the market. 

Many Buy to Let landlords know that investing in the Headingley property market is a long-term strategy of 10, 20 even 30 years. Governments come and go, but unless Leeds City Council start to build thousands of new properties a year to make up for the shocking lack of supply, Headingley people will always want a roof over their head, and irrespective of which party is in power, if there aren’t any council houses and they can’t (or are unable to buy), a demand for rental properties will always remain.

2 bed flat in Headingley with 8% yield

The mornings browse through Zoopla has uncovered another possible gem in Headingley. It's on the market at £118K in Grosvenor Park Gardens with Cornerstone Estate Agents. Therefore, great property in great location, which will be a great rental = RESULT!

These properties are in good demand by tenants and we recently rented another 2 bed flat in the same development for £740 per month.

If you managed to get a little off the asking price and got it for £110,000, and then rented it out for the same that we got for ours, this would give you a yield of 8% so it would definitely make a good property for your portfolio.

I can't see this property staying on the market for long so check out the details at: 

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/36440321

Garden Flat in Headingley - 8% yield!

Our friends at Mannings have just brought this little beauty to market.

Great sized rooms and just converted so plenty of modern living space.  It should rent very quickly and at around £550pcm so just over 8% yield.

Would suit students or professionals - just off Cardigan Road and all its bus routes and just round the corner from Burley Park train station - perfect for the daily commute into Leeds.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-34064955.html

2 bed Headingley Apartment for £110,000 - nice BTL deal

Our friends at Preston Baker have just put this well looked after, top floor apartment, located in the very popular area of Headingley. Within walking distance of all the shops, bars and amenities. This apartment comes complete with a garage and communal gardens. Perfect for investors. They sell well and let well. Ok, not a pretty apartment, but tenants love them as they are a  decent size - 538 sq ft in fact!

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/36192796

This wont take long to sell .. pics below (more on the link)

Beautiful 3 bed house in Headingley/Kirkstall

If you're looking for a property to buy without the worry or hassle of doing any refurbishment work then this gorgeous 3 bed semi is for you!

Refurbished and finished to a really high standard you wouldn't have any problems in finding tenants for this property located on Kirkstall Lane (just on the border of Headingley & Kirsktall).

Not only is the inside beautifully done out you also get a fab garden and decking area and also a driveway.

For such a fantastic property you'd be looking at a rent of around £900pcm giving you a 6% yield.

If you click the link below you can find more images & specifics for this little gem which I imagine won't stay on the market for long!

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/36142137

Fantastic investment in Headingley/Hyde Park with 8.9% yield!

This house located on the Headingley/Hyde Park border has some fantastic potential to make an investor some great money!

It's currently a 2 bed house but already has a converted basement that is being used as storage. Now, if you spent around 10k doing it up and converting that basement into another bedroom then you'd be able to let this out as a 3 bed at around £936pcm so you would be looking at a potential yield of 8.9%!

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/36148800

This area of Leeds is always highly in demand so if you're looking to make a good investment or would just like some info then by all means, just give me a call on 0113 2304690 or 0113 2743488.

Headingley one bed flat with 7% return

Located on the fringes of Headingley, Moores Estate Agents have this huge one bed ground floor flat is for sale for £110k. It's perfectly located for those wishing to be close to all the excitement of Headingley and Hyde Park but tucked away nicely for when you need some peace and quiet!

A flat of this size will let all day long in the region of £650pcm so when you do the sums that's a yield of 7% so it's definitely worth looking in to!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-48571540.html 

If you'd like any advice on this property or any other that you're thinking of investing in then by all means just give me a call on 0113 2304690 or 0113 2743488.

Burley 3 bed house with 7% return

I spotted this little number, which I think should be right up any buy to let investors street. A modern 3 bed house in Burley which is close to Headingley, the city centre and the train station, perfect for the commuting tenant.  Other 3 bed properties in this area are renting in region of £950pcm at the moment and this house offers great size rooms and a driveway.

Manning Stainton have an asking price on this property of £149,995, so if you do your calculations on these figures, you are looking at a potential annual return of 7%, much better than what you are getting in the banks at the moment!

If you would like any advice on buying a property to let, feel free to give me a call on 0113 2304690 or 0113 2743488. 

Large 2/3 bed house in Burley - 6% yield

   

Doing the sums on this spacious house in Burley on Beechwood Mount you could be looking at an annual yield of 6%. This is based on an asking price of £140,000 and an achievable asking rent of £650 pcm. The market for this type of property is incredibly hot at the moment.

This particular example looks lovely, nice and modern, with an additional study room (if rented to two people). Probably not much you would need to do to it to get it 'Letting Ready', although make sure that when you view it, you double check the nitty gritty of the condition, photos don't always tell the whole story. 

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-33665895.html

If you would like any further information on buying to let in Headingley & Burley, come on in for a chat. My office is on Burley Road.

Very large 2 bed house in Burley - great BTL deal!

This huge 2 bed end terraced house on Beechwood Street in Burley is available with Moores Estate Agents for £152,000. 

From looking at the photos it doesn't look like a whole lot needs doing to it to get it rented but my advice is to always arrange an inspection to check all the nitty gritty. 

Two bed properties, especially as spacious as this house are always popular and could achieve a rent of £735pcm so when you do the sums that's a yield of 6%. 

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-50548277.html

If you are out viewing property and want an idea of the 'realistic' rental price for it, just give a call, or email me the link over. My advice will always be honest and hopefully will enable you to make an informed decision of what is right for you. chess@springwelleasylet.co.uk