The Clapham Property Blog

This superb ideal investment property should fetch between £400-£420 per week producing a mouth-watering yield of 8% if purchased for the asking price of £267,500! This flat is perfect placed for those professionals that would like to be close to a train station with Queenstown Road and Battersea Park Stations both within 0.3 miles away. The split level apartment offers 3 double bedrooms which is almost a pre-requisite for sharers so that’s another major box ticked. It can only be purchased by a cash buyer so is ideal for an investor with liquid asset available and looking for a good long term return. Of course there is the multibillion pound investment programme of nearby Nine Elms into homes as well as the £1 billion connecting Underground line which will naturally increase the value of properties in the area. As always if you want to talk property call the office on 020 3397 2099 or pop in and see us on Clapham Park Road. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sal

It’s rare to have a rental property with such a good yield in a period building. Period properties have always been favoured for capital gains reasons – they are simply easier on the eye and retain good value in the peaks and troughs of the m arket. I found this one for sale – a 3 double bedroom hall floor flat on Grosvenor Terrace, SE5. A superb buy to let investment! I envisage it would let for £480pw giving a return of 5.5%! This is bound to prove be popular with many investors. The location is on the way up. Situated within close proximity of Walworth Road and Elephant & Castle Tube the location is favourable for zone 1 commuters. Furthermore the development of the Heygate estate and soon the Aylesbury estate will transform the area overnight. Better quality homes and a wide new range of facilities to attract new people to the area. Where there’s an increase in population numbers the property prices will follow suit! Long-term growth is guaranteed for the area, watch this s

It’s not often that larger properties are on the market with such good return. Historically larger properties have been slow to be snapped up because they were perceived as, well, outside the norm. Most people rented a 1 or 2bed flat. So as a consequence buy to let in the 90s and 00s meant that everyone bought a 2bed flat. The more equal the double bedrooms the more valuable. But currently 2beds represent about 40% of the lettings stock. As a consequence investors are finding yields spiralling downwards. Larger properties have bucked this trend. With renters renting until their late 20s or even mid 30s the need for larger accommodation has risen over the past 2 decades. The price per bedroom is lower and generally this is what attracts the bigger groups. As they are always out, working or playing, the need for living space, large kitchens and so forth has decreased. Enter the savvy landlord with bigger properties. Higher demand, less voids and the price per bedroom to buy is cheap

Pension rules are changing this April. It certainly ruffled some feathers and caused a flurry of enquiries to my inbox with people asking questions about it. This week, I want to look a little deeper into the subject of your pension and the Clapham property market. George Osbourne, in last years’ Budget, announced pension reforms that come into effect this April, which will give people with pensions unprecedented access to their pension pot and the freedom to look for alternatives. In a nutshell, after the 6th of April, anyone aged over 55 will be allowed to withdraw all or part of their pension pot and spend it as they wish. Until now, you were allowed to take out a quarter of it and were forced to buy an annuity policy with the rest. However, my readers always know that I like to tell it ‘as it is’. There are always two sides to a story, good and bad. Let me tell you the bad news first. There are some hefty tax implications by taking money from your pension pot. As before, as p

Three bedroom leasehold flat in Tulse Hill. You may think “nah, too far away from the tube;” but think again! A property further from the tube represents good value as a purchase and potentially offers better uplift in value due to people looking slightly further out (affordability reasons). I predict that this property will rise in value more than one next to a tube, as a property like this (three relatively equal sized bedrooms) is in constant demand on the rental market making. It would be a great long-term investment because although it’s not currently in a sought after location, anything within 2 or 3 bus stops from the tube or train from a currently “desirable” area (on top of a tube) will soon become the same. This particular property is on the market for £320,000 and with a predicted rental income of £380pw it represents a yield of 6.2%. A great yield and a great chance of capital gain over the long term. For full property details click here: http://www.rightmove

This was precisely the question I was asked whilst having a catching up with an old friend earlier this week, and an excellent question which is well worth addressing. So let’s first state the obvious. Being close to transport is good. Typically, buyers like properties that are close to transport and properties that are located within a 7-8 minute walk from a station also tend to hold their value. Hence investors and developers tend to be a lot more cautious when it comes to putting their money into properties further out than this. However, I told my friend that a big factor which has contributed to the rapidly increasing prices of the last few years here in London is the shortage of supply. And what do people do when there is not much on the market? Look further out. When in the position of buying and faced with the option of a cramped property relatively close to a transport hub, or a much larger place that is further away from a station, buyers compromise. Suddenly, that 15 mi

Love them or hate them, from an investment point of view they are proving very popular with our clients. More and more renters are priced out of period conversions and with the growing trend of flat-sharing longer and longer (it is taking longer of course for people to settle down with Mr/Mrs right in their own place) the demand for bigger units is only going to rise. We estimate a rental return of £450pw in average condition, but with no internal photos on show this one may need some TLC. Nonetheless nearly 6.2% @ asking price, so I trust this flat will be popular. Check out the full details here This estate is close to Clapham South tube so offers excellent links to the underground (zone 2/3 border), Balham High Road and Clapham High Street for local bars and restaurants as well as Clapham Common itself for recreational use. Ideal for renters in their 20s. Drop me a line if you are looking at an investment and you need another pair of eyes or by all means call the office on 02

I’ll kick off this week with a lovely flat just around the corner from Clapham North Tube. Having let one of the first flats in my career here some 10 years ago this estate retains some nostalgic value for me. Rents have risen substantially over the years (from £240pw 10 years ago) and the buyer of this lovely 3 bedroom flat can expect a rental of around £450pw. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-46735202.html Another excellent “ready-made” investment I dare say it’s one for the BTL shortlist. Three bedders are always in good demand and with Clapham High Street nearby sharers will love the local amenities. 5.9% gross return I make that at asking price. Do your sums, do your viewings and make your offer! Remember I'm always on hand to numbercrunch any potential investment you've got your eye on so please email me or give me a ring in the office on 020 3397 2099. Jeroen Hoppe Director

Sometimes it pays dividends to purchase something run down and throw the builders and some pound notes at a property in order to come up with something lettable. In this case however I can't fault the refurbishment done by the current owner. Judging by the floor plan's layout and square footage this property was probably a 3 bedroom flat in it's former life, now revamped as a 4 double bedroom apartment boasting a modern open-plan kitchen and wooden flooring throughout. It looks beautiful. Click here to see the full property details For an easy investment this is certainly worth a look. Points to note are that it is further from a tube and closer to rail transport. This may put some tenants off, so the choice of tenant will be more limited and hence it may prove slightly more difficult to let. However in a busy market like London voids are minimal if any, and the purchase price is very keen considering the immaculate condition. We estimate a rental income of betw

This beautifully well-kept 3 bed flat in a low rise block situated in the up and coming area of Loughborough junction is deliciously priced at £329,950. This flat can rent up to £400 per week which represents a yield of 6.3% which ticks all the buy to let boxes. It is also only 0.2 miles to Loughborough Junction Station and 0.7 miles away from Brixton Station providing easy access to the city and centre of town. It comes with a private garden plot giving it a unique selling point and could make the difference for potential tenants too. Nearby Brixton has a flurry of excitement with the likes of the soulful Brixton Village, the dazzling Ritzy Cinema and the Brixton academy as well as the many new lively places to eat. Growth in Loughborough Junction will continue to rise just as its neighbour Brixton has done over the past 5 years, so capital growth is assured also. Click here for full details and please do get in touch if you are the lucky purchaser as three bedroom flats are a

What would you choose? A beautiful period property situated in a desirable location, or an ex-local authority in a block? A good question for those new to investment and seasoned investors alike. Most investors prefer one or the other, for different reasons. One may prefer ex-local authority for its better rental yield, and others capital gains from period property. Historically there has always been a trade-off. Is that still true today? Having taken a sample of data from the Oaklands Estate and Abbeville road for comparison: Flat 4 Selby House Oaklands Estate, SW4 8AN was sold in 2000 for 118,000 and then again in 2007 for £279,950. This represents an annual capital growth of 13.18%. (It had been sold prior to 2000 but this figure is likely to include the right to buy discount, so was ignored). Our comparison property: 16a Abbeville Road SW4 9NJ was sold in 2000 for 285000 and then resold in 2007 for 555,000, representing a capital gain of 9.99% annually. Both properties are

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-48669697.html Look no further than this property if you are looking for a buy-to-let investment that looks decidedly cheap. With a approximate rental income of £1350pcm, this flat would provide any investor with an excellent yield of nearly 6.5%. Also to be taken into consideration is the fact that several 2 bedroom properties have recently sold in this block for over £350k. As a general rule of thumb, you can allow a £50k - £75k difference between a one bedroom flat and a 2 bedroom in this part of London. It is often said that money is made by the professionals when a property is bought, not when sold – and in this instance whoever buys this flat has a very good chance of locking themselves into a tidy profit, and a property with every chance of capital appreciation. Richard T Sales Manager XanderMatthew