The Clapham Property Blog

I have purchased rather a few properties in the last few years, all of which I have added substantial value to. Naturally it's key to refinance in order to take some of that newly created equity out. I thought I'd share 7 Top Tips with you, so here we go! Remember - if you're looking to acquire an investment property and you need help, drop me a line  and let's start the conversation. Whether you would like to have me help you acquire your next property or whether you would like a more hands-off investment, there's never been a better time than now to enter the market. I am currently fundraising for further projects so if you have savings in the bank that are not earning enough get in touch to see how you can earn 10x returns.

Well another successful refurbishment has been completed, and it's about time I tell you a bit more about it. This particular property was much unloved, as you probably noticed in the previous video I did  when I acquired it. Good news, the refurb is complete and went without any hitches; completed largely on time and no snags worth mentioning at all! Best yet, I had a group of tenants waiting to move in as the builders removed their tools on their last day because they had missed out on the last refurbishment project I did in Peckham . So here are a few before and after pictures to wet your appetite.  Look at the complete video here . I am currently raising further funds for my next project in the pipeline. Are you looking to increase returns on your savings through passive investment in one of my projects? Perhaps you are looking to learn how to invest for yourself? Get in touch: jeroen@claphampropertyblog.com !

There is no escaping the fact that over the last couple of decades, the rise in the number buy to let properties in Clapham has been nothing short of extraordinary. Many in the “left leaning” press have spoken of a broken nation, the fact many youngsters are unable to buy their first home with the rise of a new cohort of younger renters, whom have been daubed ‘Generation Rent’ as landlords hoover up all the properties for their buy to let property empires. Government has been blamed in the past for giving landlords an unfair advantage with the tax system. It is also true many of my fellow professionals have done nothing to avail themselves in glory, with some suspect, if not on some rare occasions, downright dubious practices. Yet has the denigration and unfair criticism of some Clapham landlords gone too far? It was only a few weeks ago, I read an article in a newspaper of one landlord who had decided to sell their modest buy to let portfolio for a combination of reaso

The number of residential property transactions in Lambeth will be 2.6 per cent lower in 2018, compared to 2017. According to my research, the seasonally adjusted statistics for our local authority area suggest with the number of properties already sold in 2018, and the number of properties currently under offer or sold subject to contract (allowing for property sales to fall through before exchange of contracts) we, as an area, will end the year 2.57 per cent lower compared to 2017. So why are transaction numbers so important to Clapham homeowners, Clapham landlords and potential first-time buyers? Many economists and property market commentators believe transaction numbers give a more precise and truthful indicator of the health of the property market than just house values. In the six years before the Credit Crunch in 2007/8, the average number of completed property transactions in the local area (the local authority covered by Lambeth) stood at 5,896 per year ..

Whether you are a Clapham landlord looking to liquidate your buy to let investment or a homeowner looking to sell your home, finding a buyer and selling your property can take an annoyingly long time. It is a step-by-step process that can take months and months. In fact, one of the worst parts of the house selling process is the not knowing how long you might be stuck at each step. At the moment, looking at every estate agent in Clapham, independent research shows it is taking on average 76 days from the property coming on the market for it to be sold subject to contract. But trust me ... that is just the start of a long journey on the house selling/buying process. The journey is a long one and therefore, in this article, I want to take you through the standard itinerary for each step of the house selling procedure in Clapham. Step 1 – Find a Buyer You need to instruct an estate agent (of course we can help you with that) who will talk through a marketing strategy and

The combined value of Clapham’s housing market has fallen by £29,400,762 in the last 6 months, meaning the average value of a Clapham property has decreased in value by an average of £7,222. This is great news for Clapham first time buyers and Clapham buy to let landlords, as there is a slight hesitation in the market because of the uncertainty over Brexit. As I have always said, investing in Clapham property, be it for you to live in or as a buy to let investment, is a long-term game. In the grand scheme of things, this minor change over the last 5 or 10 years is nothing. The RICS’s latest survey of its Chartered Surveyor members showed that nationally the number of properties actually selling has dropped for the 16th month in a row. Locally in Clapham, certain sectors of the market are matching that trend, yet others aren’t. It really depends which price band and type of property you are looking for, as to whether it’s a buyers or sellers market. The RICS also sa

Living in our own homes or owning buy to let property in Clapham and the surrounding areas, it’s often easy to ignore the regional and national picture when it comes to property. As a homeowner or landlord in Clapham, consideration must be given to these markets, as directly and indirectly, they do have a bearing on us in Clapham. Locally, the value of property in Clapham and the number of people moving remain largely steady overall, although looking across at the different regions, there are certainly regional variations. Talking to fellow property professionals in the posh upmarket central London areas of Mayfair and Kensington, the number of people looking to buy and registering interest with agents is continuing to climb after 18 months in the doldrums, whilst in other parts of the UK, there is restraint amongst both buyers and sellers in some locations. The things that affect the national property market are the big economic numbers. Nationally, over the last few mont

Over the last twenty years, there has been a shift in the way the Clapham (and the UK’s) property market works. In the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, a large majority of twenty somethings saved up their 5% deposit, went without life’s luxuries of going out and holidays etc., for a couple of years and then bought their first home with their hard earned savings. By 2000, 29.3% of Clapham 25 to 29 years owned their own home (compared to 46% Nationally (and 40.9% of Clapham 30 to 34 year olds in 2000 owned their own home – again compared to 64.2% nationally) whilst the remaining youngsters mostly rented from the Council and in some rare cases, privately rented. Now it’s 2018, and those levels of homeownership have slipped dramatically and now only 15.6% of Clapham 25 to 29 year olds own their own home and 27.5% of Clapham 30 to 34 year olds own their own home. There was concern in Government since the late Noughties that this shift from homeownership to private renting wa