As is the case with the rest of the UK at the moment, Birminghams property market has been leaning more towards the rental side of things for a fair while. A lot of people are still struggling to get mortgages and afford their repayments and, as such, the rental market has boomed and landlords are finding themselves able to charge more than ever each month for rent. It’s now not unusual to be able to charge over £1,000 per month rent for a house in some areas of Birmingham and this sits even below the average for places such as London.
As such, we thought we’d have a chat with one of Birmingham’s leading letting agents, Belvoir Lettings, about the way in which the market has gone and how landlords can ensure their property is never vacant! Mark Roberts, branch manager, stated to us in a conversation this week, “in line with the rest of the country, Birmingham’s rental market has boomed in recent years. Rent is up month on month and the number of people after rental property in the city is phenomenal. Many properties are never empty for long at all, however we’ve been finding recently that adding a few luxuries into a rental property can ensure you can command an almost premium level of rent and ensure your property is never empty.”
Roberts continued, “we’ve seen landlords fitting luxury items into their properties to enable them to ask for more rent and such items we’ve seen recently have included full luxury kitchen ranges and stoves, 50″ LED tvs, hot tubs from Vita Spa, and even luxury whirlpool baths! You name it; we’ve probably seen it in one of our houses we let out!”
Above all; the rental market is strong in Birmingham at the moment and, the way things are going, this trend looks set to continue for the foreseeable future.
With such a wealth of tradesmen ranging from electricians and plumbers to builders and decorators in the Birmingham area, it can be a difficult task to choose a reliable and trusted tradesman in the area. Of course, in an ideal world, you’d ask friends and family who they’d suggest for a particular task; but what about if you’ve not lived in the area long and don’t have the luxury of friends and family nearby who can offer recommendations? In this instance, we’d suggest that you turn to a resource such as RatedPeople.com which will outline local traders and give them a rating and recommendation…it’s perfect for ensuring you’re dealing with an honest and genuine tradesman and gives you the peace of mind that you’re not being ripped off.
On the other hand, however, there’s always the option of ditching a tradesman all together and going DIY! Whether it’s a case of not being able to find a trusted tradesman, one not being available or you simply wanting to save money, deciding to carry out home improvements work yourself can both offer a fantastic sense of achievement and offer a substancial financial saving. It doesn’t have to be an impossible task and many people are much better at home improvements work and DIY than they first think.
Whether you’re simply needing to screw some drywall screws into plasterboard as an urgent repair or are looking to completely re-decorate and modernise your house; it doesn’t take too long to learn DIY and, one you have done, it’s a skill you can use for life. Many people simply prefer to do jobs themselves than get a tradesman in and if you’re struggling to find a tradesman you both feel you can trust or afford; then DIY is, without a doubt, the way forwards.
When it comes to finding suitable accommodation in Birmingham, you can often be met with a number of possible opportunities. Dependent on your reason for need of accommodation in the city, you’re likely to be met with different options, however whether you’re looking for a room to rent in Birmingham whilst you study at university or are looking for a short term let whilst you’re in the city on business; there’s a number of options which should all be explored to a certain degree.
First things first; you need to decide on how long you’re wanting to stay in the city for. If you’re wanting to stay only 4 weeks, it’s likely that you’ll want a much different type of accommodation to if you’re wanting to stay 4 months. For short term stays, we’d suggest trying to find a suitable hotel or guesthouse who’ll offer you a decent rate for a longer period, or alternatively, try and find a month long holiday let which will see you through your stay.
For those wanting to stay that bit longer, however, perhaps whilst on a university internship or international placement, your best bet is to look for suitable rooms to rent. There’s hundreds of homeowners in the city who have a spare room and, quite simply, could do with the money from letting it out. As such, you’ll often find rooms available which don’t have to be signed for on a 6 or 12 month period and you’ll often find that you’re paying a very competitive level of rent.
Renting a room as opposed to a full apartment makes absolute sense if you’re not exactly sure how long you’ll be staying and want the flexibility but stableness which many require. By using resources such as www.roombuddies.com, you can easily and quickly find a room to rent and could be moved in and settled within absolutely no time at all.
A Digbeth diamond, the Irish Centre Birmingham has been relaunched following an extensive refurbishment project under the new owners Westbourne Leisure. Phases one and two are now complete with The Connaught Bar as the most notable addition, a pub that provides for all in a stylish, friendly and vibrant atmosphere.
The Connaught Bar is a superb venue for live music, sports, comedy, culture and socialising. Food is served each day from 9am to 8pm, and the bar is open until 2am at the weekend. All major sporting events are shown live on the bars 50 inch plasmas or Big Screen. Music takes the form of cover and tribute bands, across the weekend with traditional Irish sessions during the week, all musicians are welcome.
There will be a major launch party for the Irish Centre once complete, and it is anticipated to be towards the middle of October, please keep an eye out here for more news