Independent Property and Financial Advisers
Independent Property and Financial Advisers
Independent Property and Financial Advisers
Why Should You Choose Us
We have been very lucky to have been operating in the beautiful Chiltern countryside for so many years, we are real supporters of local trade and charities. We value every client and with them supporting a local business like ours it enables us to support schools, charities and other businesses in the area.
We focus our marketing efforts on selling and letting homes, not bombarding and bamboozling clients to list with us. Our business has been built on the quality of our service and positive feedback through word of mouth – please take a look at our Google reviews, where people have kindly gone out of their way to thank us.
We have always found that considered, realistic valuations provide our clients with the best experience. We are confident in our advice so do not ask for a tie in period when you sign up with us. (Just a small notice period if you choose to change agents).
ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
The largest mailing list in the country is Rightmove’s, so it’s vital that your home is presented on there to the highest standard, we use their top level marketing package which enables us to showcase your property as a featured listing giving maximum exposure. We are on all the major portals and are constantly looking for other places to advertise.
We are increasing our presence on social media and have a dedicated team member working to get the most out of this useful marketing tool, it also provides a great place for us to help local schools and charities promote their events and raise money.
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY, MAST AND AERIAL
The use of high quality photographs is vitally important in order to ensure it appeals to as many viewers and also to make sure your property stands out from others on the market. We offer this service FREE of charge to all sellers and managed property clients.
We also offer mast and aerial photography to really get the best prospective of your home and plot, which creates a very eye catching online listing.
3D WALKTHROUGHS AND VIDEO CALL VIEWINGS
We can offer a range of additional marketing services, like 3D virtual Tours, to boost your properties exposure or enable viewings where people may struggle to get to a property.
OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PLEDGE
We are trying to do our bit for the environment and have committed to reduce our paper use by as much as possible, lettings contracts are now e-signed, many letters are now emailed and we have stopped blanket leaflet drops. Staff have been asked to walk to appointments within ½ a mile of the office and we have assessed our premises to see how we can improve energy efficiency. If we all do what we can, we can have an impact!
Our Guide To Letting Your Property
Potter and Ford are THE local specialists when it comes to Letting your property and have won the ‘BRITISH PROPERTY AWARDS GOLD’ in Chesham for the last 3 consecutive years.
We have won these prestigious awards for many reasons, including the following facts:
· You as landlords, your tenants and your property are looked after right here in our Chesham office by our specialist team. We don’t send you off to some remote office, where nobody knows you, your property, or your tenants, and you just become just a statistic and a number. With Potter and Ford, it’s personal.
· The success of your rental is important and personal to us, and we help our landlords achieve the best rental for their property at highly competitive rates.
· We always have a database of potential tenants looking for properties.
• We achieve a highly successful response from our multi-stream marketing. Uniquely using all major property portals including Rightmove, Zoopla, On the Market, Prime Location, etc. giving you the widest possible audience of potential tenants.
• We believe finding you the RIGHT tenant is vital to any successful Let and ensure that each applicant is comprehensively checked and referenced, including previous landlord references.
All our service options give landlords, an experienced and knowledgeable resource, and whichever option you prefer, our comprehensive service means that every landlord can receive:
• A personal expert Market Appraisal visit for each property
• Expert advice on the latest rental legislation and compliance
• Photographs of each property
• Marketing on all the major property web portal websites
• Accompanied applicant viewings
• Professional negotiation for the best rent for your property
• Preparation and completion of legal AST Tenancy Agreements
• Security deposit collection and registration
Sample of Service Options:
LET ONLY – FINDING YOU THE RIGHT TENANTS FOR YOU TO MANAGE …
For landlords who prefer their tenants to contact them direct, and who have the time to manage a property themselves but would like knowledgeable team and a multi-Stream marketing tool, to help to them find suitable tenants, Potter and Ford offer a Let Only / Tenant Find service to find you the right tenant for your property, quickly and professionally. We can carry out our structured referencing and background checks on all potential tenants, including a reference from previous landlords when available. Thereby minimising risks and helping to ensure your potential tenants are well placed to rent your property.
FULL TENANCY AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT – TAKING GREAT CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY AND TENANTS …
Today’s tenants can be demanding and with letting’s compliances rules and Lettings legislation constantly changing, looking after your own property and tenants can prove to be exhausting for you.
Which is why the majority of landlords prefer that their tenants didn’t have their private phone number, email, or home address. They would rather employ and have the support of a professional, knowledgeable, and experienced middleman, to manage all tenant contact and property maintenance requirements, on their behalf. We handle all continuous day-to-day elements of running and managing your rental property, managing the landlord / tenant relationship, and ultimately making the letting of your property run smoothly and successfully for you.
Including all aspects of our Let Only tenant find, and Rent Collection services, our FULL MANAGEMENT service also gives you:
A LOCAL POINT OF CONTACT FOR YOU AND YOUR TENANTS …
Rather than your tenants having your personal phone number, email address and home address, which is the case with Let Only property Landlords, al communication between the tenant and landlord goes through Potter and Ford. We are their contact.
Unlike some other agents, we don’t after the Let has been agreed, sent everything over to some remote office somewhere, where no one knows you your tenants or your property. We deal with everything from the start of the marketing to the end of the tenancy, right here in our Chesham office.
Meaning should you or your tenants want to speak to us, we are right here to help, and we know your property and we know all contractors who may at some point need to visit the property.
RENT COLLECTION AND PAYMENT PROCESS MANAGEMENT …
As part of our comprehensive Rent Collection and Payment Process Management, and via our partnership with PayProp and NatWest which incorporates the latest payment technology, tenants receive a reminder the day before their rent is due, a receipt of payment when the rent comes in or a second reminder the day after if not received. This technology enables us to monitor rents due and received on a daily basis and allows us to contact tenants should the rent not arrive on the scheduled day. Which means we stay in full control of your rents.
Along side this, Landlords receive notification of all rents received on the day they are received, alongside a full monthly statement, showing all payment received and paid, including management and any maintenance payments made.
COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT OF PROPERTY MAINTENANCE …
Along with everything else, all the Maintenance management of your property, is handled right here from our Chesham offices. We use the latest Property maintenance technology to record and monitor the progress of any reported maintenance issue.
All contractors used by Potter and Ford, are known by us and are regular visitors to our offices. This means we don’t just send some random electrician/plumber/handyman into your property. We know them, have copies of their insurance documents and any trade certifications. This means you know we only send the right people and trusted people to carry out maintenance works.
ANNUAL MID-TERM PROPERTY INSPECTIONS
Each year, we will visit your property to see how well it is being looked after by your tenants. We will initially aim to visit once the tenants have been there for 6 months and then, if we are happy that they are looking after your property well, we will go back after 12 months. If for any reason we have any concerns, we will address those concern with the tenant and arrange to re-visit them after a further 3 months to ensure those concerns have been correctly addresses. Whether that be a concern over tidiness, cleanliness, general clutter, or anything else.
DRAWING UP TENANCY RENEWAL AGREEMENTS
At the end of the initial fixed term period of the tenancy, many tenants (and landlords) are happy for the agreement to continue on a Periodic (monthly rolling) basis. However, some would prefer to renew the tenancy. This may give opportunity to increase the monthly rental.
If a renewal is requested by the landlord, we offer this as part of our full managements service at no additional cost.
HANDLING OF EVICTION PROCESS IF NECESSARY
Should a landlord require their property back or wish to serve the tenants a notice to quit for another reason, Potter and Ford will handle this on your behalf by serving the tenants with a Section 21 / no fault eviction notice.
HANDLING OF END OF TENANCY DEPOSIT DISPERSMENTS
As part of our Full Management package, we will handle any end of tenancy disputes, on the understanding the landlord has commissioned us to carry out a full property inventory prior to the start of the tenancy.
We will instruct the TDS deposit scheme how much to release to the tenants and how much to issue to the landlord for any dilapidations.
Preparing Your Home For Sale And To Let
When buyers and tenants are looking for a new home, you want to do everything you can to show it at its best. Helping viewers to picture themselves living in your property not only means you receive better offers, you will sell or let the property much quicker too. Here we share our top tips to prepare your property for the sales or lettings market.
Please remember to contact us (01494 778844) if you need any local contacts for any maintenance jobs, cleaning etc as we have lots of local contacts due our lettings management service being inhouse. Here we share our top tips to prepare your home for sale and to let:
DECLUTTER
Buyers can often struggle to see past furniture and personal items, and these things can make rooms feel small. Consider renting some external storage space to house items until you move, but try to strike a balance – remember, people often buy into a lifestyle. Try and show them your home life at its best.
A FRESH LICK OF PAINT
Creating the right first impression is very important when selling your property. Giving your walls a fresh lick of paint is all it takes to brighten up your room and can make all the difference when it comes to creating the right first impression.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT
Buyers will often drive past a property to rate its kerb appeal before they express any interest. Tidy up the garden or driveway, clean the windows, and give the front door a spruce with some fresh paint.
FIX FIX FIX
Small outstanding repairs can be easy to ignore when you see them every day, but when a buyer comes to look around your property they can make the place look quite tired. Look around every room in your home, make a list of quick-fixes and get them sorted.
Don’t Forget To Clean
Many people get so intimidated when it comes to cleaning when preparing to sell a home. You want everything squeaky clean. Here, we will help you remember what to clean, including places that are so easy to overlook because buyers will look everywhere.
Don’t forget to make sure you have all the supplies you need. You’ll quickly lose motivation if you have to stop to find
supplies or go out and buy them.
RECEPTION AREA
· Make sure the door and all hardware are sparkling clean.
· Wipe off any fingerprints, which are quite common in this area.
· Check for scuff marks along the walls or the bottom of the door. If there is too much dirt and too many marks, you may need to repaint the door or walls.
· Clean your welcome mat or get a new one.
· Make sure lighting fixtures and light bulbs are all in working condition and that you clean and dust them.
· Pack away unused items so there is extra room, making it look spacious.
BEDROOM
· Buy new sheets, blankets and comforters, or wash your existing ones.
· Wash or dry-clean curtains and rugs.
· Remove any stains on any fabrics.
· Wipe down all furniture.
· Clean the Walls and Floors.
BATHROOM
· Common missed areas include behind the toilet and underneath the sink. Make sure that any pipes and fittings are cleaned thoroughly.
· De-cluttering your bathroom is essential. You should only have absolute necessities on display.
· Clean out under the vanity and make sure that it is organised and that you removed any unnecessary items when de-cluttering so that it appears spacious.
· Scrub the floors and clean the grout lines.
· After de-cluttering, you should have removed all personal items, but make sure that any that remain are neatly stored or organised. You might want to invest in a shower caddy to keep everything in one place.
· Make sure that there are fresh, or ideally new towels on display, neatly folded.
· Clean the fan and ensure that it is functioning.
KITCHEN
· Wipe down all the cabinets. You will be amazed just how much food splatter and grease can get on the doors and hardware.
· Clean all appliances, inside and out. This includes the entire interior of the refrigerator, dishwasher, and oven/stove.
· Don’t forget to clean the cooker hood, both on top and underneath. Make sure that the grill is clean and the light bulb is working.
· Pull out the refrigerator and clean behind it and remember to clean underneath it too.
· Don’t forget to clean underneath the sink. Take out everything and wipe down the entire inside, including any pipes.
· Wipe down any blinds or shades and wash any curtains or throw rugs.
· Find somewhere to temporarily store any pet food, dishes and other supplies.