Making the move from DIY

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A Belvoir landlord explains why the pandemic prompted him to move his properties to fully managed.

“I have five rental properties, all based in the Basingstoke area,” says Ahmed Bashir*. “I used to manage them all myself, but now they are all fully managed by Belvoir Basingstoke. I made this decision mainly because of all the regulations and documentation that landlords now have to deal with. There are so many issues, and certificates that need to be obtained, plus checks that have to be made for every tenancy, and it’s important to be really careful, as one little mistake could result in all kinds of problems.

“I have known Mike Jones, the owner of Belvoir Basingstoke for about ten years and during this time he has always been very helpful, and very straight with me, which I appreciate. I like the fact that Belvoir Basingstoke has the back-up of Belvoir’s Central Office so that Mike and his team are always aware of any changes to laws and regulation as soon as they occur and can deal with them for me. The team at Belvoir Basingstoke have been doing their job for a very long time, and I am confident that they know what they are doing. I also appreciate the fact that I can always get hold of someone to chat with if needed, and I know that they will be able to answer my questions and help me out.

“I am a member of the NRLA and I’m very aware of how thorough you have to be with everything related to property management and tenant safety. I think this was really brought home to me when the Covid-19 pandemic appeared, and the country went into lockdown. I became even more aware of how important it was to know exactly what to do to keep everyone safe. Two of my overseas tenants ended their tenancies to return home, and I decided to make those last two properties fully managed. In my opinion it was money well spent, as Mike and his team were able to conduct the necessary Covid-safe viewings, using specialist software for remote viewings and referencing etc. Gone are the days when you could advertise a property on social media and do your own inventories and referencing – now you need to get things done professionally by an agent who knows exactly what they are doing.

“Even when every care is taken, it is inevitable that there are likely to be some problems with a property at some point. People may become ill, split up with their partner, or lose their job etc. You have to recognise that these things happen and are all part of life, but it’s really helpful to know that Belvoir Basingstoke is able to liaise between me and the tenant when any problems occur. It’s reassuring to know that they are able to speak to tenants in a professional manner, and between us we are able to work out solutions, and a way forward that is best for everyone.

“Throughout any tenancy someone from Belvoir Basingstoke will visit the property every six months and then send me a full report to explain if there are issues and if any maintenance needs doing. If necessary, I can talk to the team about this and I’m always given the option to decide whether I want to make any of the repairs myself or whether I want them to get them done by a professional contractor. I’m very happy with this arrangement, knowing that I have peace of mind and my property is being well taken care of.

“Finally, I had to accept that I’m getting older! Whereas in years gone by, I might have been happy to do plumbing jobs etc, it’s now definitely more of a challenge, and it’s so much easier for me to ask Belvoir Basingstoke to get the work done for me. I have absolutely no regrets about having all of my properties fully managed – I think it’s money well spent, as Belvoir does so much work on my behalf.”

To find your local Belvoir office visit: www.belvoir.co.uk

Ahmed Bashir* – name has been changed at landlord’s request.

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