Description
Whether you are renting out part of your home, or investing in a property, this guide to the constantly changing market and its laws will prove to be invaluable. Whether you've inherited a home you now need to rent or you're aiming to become a property tycoon, this friendly guide is your road map to success.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Book I: Housebuying Basics and the Law 7
Chapter 1: Step One: Getting the Most from Viewings 9
Chapter 2: Making an Offer 19
Chapter 3: Going, Going, Gone: Buying Property at Auction 37
Chapter 4: Conveyancing for Buyers and Sellers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland 49
Chapter 5: Buying a House in Scotland 69
Chapter 6: Researching European Markets 81
Book II: Finance, Tax, and How to Organise Them 97
Chapter 1: Getting a Mortgage 99
Chapter 2: Financing with a Buy-to-Let Mortgage 129
Chapter 3: Saving Tax on Your Bricks-and-Mortar 139
Chapter 4: Using a Company to Hold Your Property 151
Chapter 5: Recordkeeping and Financial Management 157
Chapter 6: Financing Abroad 165
Book III: Renovating a Property 175
Chapter 1: Renovating Wrecks: Property In Need of Work 177
Chapter 2: Dealing with Damp 189
Chapter 3: Installing Kitchen Cabinets 195
Chapter 4: Installing Worktops and Sinks 209
Chapter 5: Out on the Tiles: Tiling in Kitchens and Bathrooms 231
Chapter 6: Heating, Ventilating, and Insulating Your Property 237
Chapter 7: Flooring: Keeping a Leg Up on Foot Traffic 245
Chapter 8: Painting and Finishing 269
Book IV: Becoming a Buy-to-Let Landlord 287
Chapter 1: Decision Time: Managing Yourself or Hiring an Agent? 289
Chapter 2: Preparing a Property for Tenants 301
Chapter 3: The Big Three: Rent, Deposits, and Tenancy Agreements 315
Chapter 4: Advertising and Showing Your Property 333
Chapter 5: Safety, Security, and Insurance 369
Book V: Managing a Tenancy 387
Chapter 1: Selecting and Screening Your Tenants 389
Chapter 2: Moving in Your Tenant 415
Chapter 3: Collecting and Increasing Rent 441
Chapter 4: Sweet and Sour: Keeping Good Tenants and Dealing with Problem Ones 453
Chapter 5: Moving Out Tenants 467
Book VI: Selling Up at a Profit 483
Chapter 1: Selling with a Pro: Getting the Most from Estate Agents 485
Chapter 2: Going It Alone: Selling Your Property Privately 495
Chapter 3: Creating the Right Impression 515
Chapter 4: Negotiating a Successful Sale 523
Chapter 5: Selling in Scotland 535
Index 545
