Looking for a rental property, need to know from Austin Property Management Services LTD

Looking for a rental property, need to know

When you decide to start looking for a new property whether you are just starting out or if you are a seasoned renter there are several things you need to consider which can make things a lot more straightforward for you. 

Area

You need to really think about where you want to be, this is not necessarily just an area, whilst this is also important, this could be flexible, if for instance you want to be within a 5 mile radius of work, the train station, link roads, airports, within a schools catchment area etc. 

Affordability

Can you afford to rent a property within this ‘area’ for the specification of property you would like?  For example you may want a 4 bedroomed property in a village location with a budget of £1000.00 per month, but have you considered that the council tax band may be high, how much the property will cost to heat, does it have mains gas, oil or electric heating, etc?  The additional things often don’t get taken into consideration of affordability.  As a rule, times the monthly rental amount by 30, this will then give you an estimate of how much you would need to earn as a household in order to be able to afford the property (this does not take into account your personal circumstances). 

Outside

Outside space, do you want a garden?  Do you have time to look after it, a lawn needs mowing at least every fortnight, Spring through to Autumn, and if not, are you prepared to pay someone else to mow it for you?

Compromise

With most things in life there are certain things that we need to be prepared to compromise on.  Finding the right rental property is the same.  We would recommend making a list of things that are a must have and a list of desired but not essential. For example: need off road parking and a garage would be a bonus.

Be Prepared

You are going to be asked a lot of questions and asked to provide documentation during the process of renting a property and knowing the answers could mean that you are able to secure your ideal property quickly.  Things like employment contact details, do you have the first month’s rent and deposit, do you have any adverse credit (CCJ’s, Bankruptcy, IVA’s etc), will you need a Guarantor, etc. The more open and honest you are, the better your chances of a successful application and a better rapport with your Agent/Landlord.   

Flexible

Be as flexible as possible regarding when you are able to view a property, Agents will often have several properties available at any one time, which makes organising the diary quite a challenge.  The likelihood is that if you can’t be flexible, you may end up missing out on the property. 

Communicate

If you have arranged to view a property, please turn up or let the Agent know with adequate notice that you are unable to make the appointment.  As an Agent we appreciate that things do genuinely crop up that cannot be helped, but please make every effort to let us know as soon as possible, as we can often fill the space or re-arrange viewings accordingly. 

When you start to think about moving, we would recommend you register with as many agents in the area/s that you are looking to rent, this will usually mean that you will be the first to know about a property prior to it hitting the market, which will give you a better chance of finding the right property for you!

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