What a life, one minute I am working on putting a few deals together, then I am stressing over Roydon Mill and bordella deal, then I am going to parenting classes and next minute my boss got me climbing up and over this wheely bin checking on our tenants who were late with the rent. Still at least I got rich’s ticket for the Spurs-Arsenal game tonight.

Directors Note to Emma : would be most convenient if the baby was coming on the 5th May or after.

Our resident stato ( Ben ) has just infomed me we are listing 49 out of 212 properties within a three mile radius of Hoddesdon, although I am no Carol Vorderman my basic maths tells me this is 23% property to let available with ADL.

Not bad - as we also rented 37 units in February we are very happy to still have 50 + properties to let.

NON SMOKING - 75 DAYS                               NON SWEARING - 0 DAYS

Our Saturday morning - one very long, very early morning inventory, one negotiator gone to the chelsea match, umpteen tenants in, queue for using the chip and pin machine, two new deals tied up, five completions, silly amount of phone calls, one speech for ladies night finished, one cup of tea, trip to robbing key cutters, …. now we have finished…..at last………..lucky we get on better than wayne bridge and john terry

Well, I have been working in Potters Bar for a month now, it is obviously early days but I am pleased with how things are going so far. At the moment I am learning the area, going back to basics, inspecting all the properties that came with the purchase of Alan Randle & Co, doing the viewings, making the tea, speaking to new and existing clients and generally getting a feel for things.

So Do you think its going to work over there ?

Without doubt, I am really pleased with the location of the new office, there is a lot of footfall, parking is excellent ( you get one hours free parking over here - take note Borough of Broxbourne ! ) There have been plenty of walk in enquiries -I have had offers on nearly all the properties we have listed so far so I am sure we will do well here. I have a lettings assistant, Caroline Ewins who used to work for Alan Randle working with me who is doing really well and who I am sure will be successful wih us, she is also very good at reminding me what needs doing and who to phone next, sort of like a talking diary.

What are the properties like ?

Maybe a little less well maintained than we are used to in our other offices but the rents are more expensive because of being closer to London and the schools are very good, management fees are higher because the rents are. It does make me think that Hoddesdon and Hertford are really undervalued in terms of rent achievable.

Did you rent the flat with the triangle shaped rooms ?

The one on Southgate Road with the Dairy Lea Bedrooms ? Well I have a really good offer and a second viewing tomorrow, as I tell the boys, there are positives with any property, even if you got to think a bit longer about what they are. Even triangular shaped bedooms must be useful to someone - maybe someone with a huge toblerone collection.

The Anthony Davies / Steven Oates office has been open since 4th January, these are the photos of the  finished shop which we are particularly pleased with.

Anyway now the hard work starts, we are already picking up new instructions and valuing properties, although there are excellent established letting agents in the town we are confident we will be able to find our space in the market.

We are finding that larger properties are in good demand at the moment and have recently let a six bedroom luxury house on Gilston Park at over £ 3000 per calendar month. If you have any type of property to let please contact Tony for a valuation on 01279 714970.

We have some limited offers on full management which include free gas safety, EPC, inventory and rent guarantee on January instructions.

Richard and Tony are pleased to report we have finalised our acquisition of established letting agents, Alan Randle & Co.

Alan Randle & Co. are the longest established agency in Potters Bar,  director Stan Stanbrook is taking retirement which is why we are involved in the acquisition. We will be taking over the lettings side of the business and relocating the new lettings branch in to 36 Darkes lane, Potters Bar, which will become a first class and prominent lettings office.

Alan Randle & Co will still be in existence as estate and commercial agents which will be run by Tony Stanbrook.

We are retaining one member of staff, Caroline to assist in the transfer of the business and the long term management of the existing portfolio which will commence from the 4th January 2010.

We look forward to bringing our brand of lettings and management to Potters Bar and further expansion of our business.

Richard

Work is well underway on the new shop in Bishops Stortford, Pizza Express were not too happy because of the noise but little anne did get served up some burnt pasta there the other night.

Anyway in case you thought we were a bit crazy taking on this new venture on our own, we are in fact launching as a joint venture with Hertford’s most prolific agents………………………………………………………………..Steven Oates.

The office will be open start of January 2010 and we look forward to working with the guys at Steven Oates to build what I am sure will be a most successful sales and letting agency.

Boy have I had a couple of busy weeks dealing with tenants deposits on move outs and landlords claims upon them - since the deposit regulations came in to force a couple of years ago it seems that because tenants receive a deposit registration certificate they might think their deposit is guaranteed regardless of condition.

Couple this with a landlords call upon the deposit monies and what have you got if you sit in the middle like us - fireworks, boom. So we now spend a shed load of time having to conduct delicate negotiations between both parties, sometimes I feel like a full time keeper of the peace.

As management agents we sit in the middle and use our expertise and experience to guide both parties to a successful end of tenancy, a landlord might assume thay are the paying client and this is correct but without tenants we have no letting market and without rent payment there are no commissions and no mortgages paid, so I also view our tenants as clients.

So, what is the answer and where do we meet in the middle ?

TENANTS : Take note of your inventory and schedule of condition, do your utmost to prepare the property at end of tenancy, clean the oven, the floors, do not leave unwanted items, pay your final bills etc etc. As agents we want to return your deposit in full.If you have any doubt about any condition let us know, but once you have left it is more difficult for us to negotiate.

LANDLORDS : See the big picture, if you have had a tenant pay the rent on time for three years but the carpets need replacing this will assist in finding good new tenants, investment is required from time to time, granted  not every six months with a bad tenant but look at the overrall success of rent paid and term of tenancy. Plan adequate improvements in advance to stay ahead of the market.

FACT : We have returned 88% of tenants deposit in full so far this year but would love this to be nearer 100%. How are we going to achieve this ?

ANSWER ? Inventory, Inventory, Inventory - If you do not have a really, and I mean really accurate and signed inventory forget taking a deposit anyway. You will need this to contest any damages at end of term , we are now seeing the disputes escalate and are not in favour of landlord if there is no accurate inventory. We now prepare a far improved inventory / schedule of condition, together with up to 100 photos of property and video inventory. The downside is this takes longer to prepare and sign off with the tenants on move in. So my cost to prepare a brand new thorough inventory with photos and video and check in is 130 - 150 pounds plus vat, supplied to both landlord and tenant on their own USB memory stick. Worth the cost ?, definitely , the better the recorded condition on entry the better the property comes back.

ALSO NEW FOR NEXT YEAR - we will be directly employing our own cleaners to make sure properties are given to tenants in even better condition.

Richard and Tony are pleased to announce we have signed and completed on the lease at 27 North Street, Bishops Stortford, next door to Pizza Express in the heart of the Town Centre.

We have been looking to open our next branch in a major town for some time and are delighted this deal has now been concluded. We look forward to working in the area and confirm that director Anthony Cicchirillo will be relocating from Hoddesdon  to open the office.

We now undertake a three month renovation project on the historic building and will be opening at the start of January 2010.

Boy we had to work hard last month and the work of a letting agent is certainly varied, in this job anything can happen at any time !We did tie up 42 deals in June, 21 from Hertford and 21 from Hoddesdon so not bad and we are seeing very high levels of demand for property in all price ranges, our biggest rental being £ 2,750 for an executive Roydon property, stock levels are pretty good at the moment but we could always cope with more instructions ! Competition from other agents remains strong so I am pleased we are very much holding our own and producing our expected growth on turnover.

We are pretty close to having identified two new sites for expansion and I should be able to report completion on these deals with more information at the end of July.

The heatwave weather has been great and I have enjoyed my new weber barbeque. Although the bloke in the shop told me I only had to put the wheels on it it actually came in thirty two pieces !! Anyway I managed to put it together in three hours, Mrs D was impressed that there were no screws or bolts remaining ( I lobbed the remaining six or so and claimed hero status ) - lets hope it does not collapse on Chloes 12th birthday do next week.

July has already been very busy - I see no reason why the lettings market will not continue to do so and the rest of 2009 should certainly remain the same.

If you are off on your holidays have a great time and enjoy the weather.