Nottingham Letting Agent Property Blog

The government recently launched its Green Deal which is designed to encourage homeowners and landlords to invest in energy saving improvements in their properties. These include double glazing, cavity insulation and energy efficient boilers. There are loans and cash back incentives available to those wishing to become greener. However the scheme has come under criticism, as apparently the cost of having an inspector assess a home can be pretty expensive, and work can only be done by authorized firms as opposed to local tradesmen he may be a little cheaper. At the moment just 40 firms have received authorization, and these...

According to recent research from the Association of Residential Letting Agents, more landlords are ensuring their properties are energy efficient, and are becoming more aware of the energy performance ratings. In December of last year 61% reported they didn't have any properties with an energy efficiency rating of F or G which is an 11% increase compared to 2011. This may be due to landlords selling less energy efficient properties, or investing in upgrades to older properties. The number of landlords who are unaware of the energy efficiency of properties in their portfolio has also fallen by 12% year on year.Perhaps...

The new government scheme to help homeowners become more energy-efficient was launched this week. The aim is to reduce the country's carbon footprint by giving people access to cheap loans so they can upgrade their homes to become more environmentally friendly. A key part of the initiative is the fact that homeowners will be able to pay back the cost of the improvements through savings made on their energy bill. According to Nick Clegg the Green Deal should help thousands of families stay warm for less money.The green energy sector in the UK is the sixth largest in the world, and...

The governments Green Deal was recently launched and is being billed as the largest improvement programme since the Second World War. It's designed to encourage people to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, and £200 million will be invested in the scheme by 2020. This is estimated to be sufficient to insulate 14 million homes, and should give energy savings worth an around £1.3 billion. However there are concerns that the public may be confused about the savings on offer.One sticking point is likely to be the cost of a 20 year loan as there are concerns that the installation...

Apparently most landlords are at least considering taking advantage of the new energy efficiency measures that become available next month. A survey found 63% are well aware of the Green Deal, and 56% are thinking of using this energy initiative to make improvements. The Green Deal is a government initiative designed to make rental properties more energy efficient. It's pretty vital to take advantage of this initiative, as any rental properties that have an Energy Performance Rating of F or G will not be able to be legally rented out after 2018 due to new legislation coming into effect.The Green Deal...

According to a survey from the National Landlords Association, landlords within the private rental sector are busy improving the energy efficiency of their properties. Their survey found 51% of landlords have made improvements to two of their rental properties, improving energy efficiency, while another 12% have made improvements to five or more properties.At the moment the government is offering grants to landlords in order to encourage them to make energy-saving renovations. Energy-saving grants available at the moment include the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, the Community Energy Saving Programme, and Warm Front. These grants are only available until the end of the...

The Office of Fair Trading has called for greater consumer protection within the home insulation market as it is concerned over the number of complaints received. The watchdog launched an investigation into this sector in April after receiving complaints that traders weren't always recommending the most appropriate type of insulation for homes affected by damp. Other complaints were that customers were finding it hard to have any subsequent problems resolved. With the Green Deal due to start in October, it's important to boost confidence in this sector. The deal will allow homeowners to into late their properties and to pay for...

Just a couple of weeks ago it was announced the government would try to force homeowners to spend money improving the energy efficiency of their home whenever they wanted to complete other home improvements such as fitting a new conservatory or boiler. Now it appears these plans have been completely scrapped, as they are seen as being an attack on people's aspirations to do better. Apparently the plan was extremely unpopular with Tory MPs, even though loans to pay for the energy measures will be available under the government's Green Deal scheme. Ministers were worried it would deter families from carrying...

New rules currently under consultation could mean home improvements trigger an extra charge, as anyone wanting to install new windows, build a conservatory or even just replace a boiler could be forced to spend hundreds of pounds on ‘green’ improvements. Unless they agree to carry out improvements designed to reduce their homes carbon footprint, such as wall insulation or loft insulation, permission to improve their home might not be granted. It's anticipated this could add as much as 10% to the cost of any home improvement project. Although officials acknowledge it would be extremely inconvenient for homeowners, they think it's necessary...

Many homes in the UK suffer from being badly insulated, especially older terraced properties which are often ideal as rental homes, and this is once again drawing the attention of the Friends of the Earth and the Citizens Advice Bureau. They estimate some 680,000 tenants are living in poorly insulated homes and are being forced to either shiver through the winter, or to spend hundreds of pounds on heating. According to them, tenants living in homes which have an energy performance certificate of F or G are spending an average of £488 a year on extra fuel, with many unable to...

The government released its consultation on its Green Deal last week and announced an additional £200 million worth of funding including a special introductory offer which it is hoped will boost early uptake of the scheme. It's important for landlords because after 2018, rental properties must have a low EPC rating otherwise they will be banned from the market.Energy secretary Chris Huhne expects the initiative to decrease household fuel bills by up to 7% by 2020, but this will be partially offset by the £8 billion annual bill taxpayers which will fund new nuclear power stations, wind farms and a new...

According to a survey by the Association of Residential Letting Agents, only 35% of landlords in the UK know the energy performance of their properties, and around 17% think their property falls into the minimum category of energy efficiency performance, which is the F or G band of the Energy Performance Certificate. If this is true then they need to make plans to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, as from 2018 onwards, under the terms of the governments Green Deal, any rental properties performing at this level will be banned through the minimum efficiency standard.ARLA thinks that landlords should...

Anyone looking to purchase an investment property might be well advised to choose one with energy efficient essentials already in place, or they should be prepared to spend a bit of money making it more eco-friendly. Apparently tenants are becoming more concerned about keeping their household bills low, and are likely to be more interested in renting quality homes available from letting agents in Nottingham, which already have simple energy efficient upgrades. Energy efficiency is going to become more important in the near future, especially with the governments up-and-coming Green Deal policy which aims to upgrade the country's housing over the...

According to a survey by the National Landlords Association, two thirds of private landlords in the UK are thinking about taking advantage of the Green Deal scheme to improve their properties. The deal enables landlords to obtain loans to make improvements to their properties energy efficiency, and includes improvements such as loft and wall insulation. The loans are repaid through utility bills, and should result in lower energy bills. According to the survey nearly a quarter of landlords intend to take advantage of the Green Deal, while another 38% are considering it. However 21% are unsure about its effectiveness, and another...