Posts Tagged ‘renting’

You Want Your Own Property: Do You Own Or Rent?

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

Almost every child dreams about growing up, having a successful job, buying a great house and having an amazing family. Many of us dreamed of having our own home, sadly that dream may not be as achievable as it once was. Even if you want your own house, there are different choices achievable such as renting. Looking at the long term, owning is always going to make more financial sense than renting a property. Whether buying your home or renting, they have their own its plus points as well as downsides.

Renting a Home

This is the uncomplicated way. It is quite easy to rent once you have seen the house you like, just a matter of signing contracts with the landlord. You can move in and the place is now your home for a period of time. A security deposit is usually payable, but after that you pay the rent decided upon. Most tenancies stipulate the landlord is liable for repairs, so you don’t even have to concern yourself about them. You do not need to pay for improvements, the landlord deals with these. You can only lodge there as long as agreed in your tenancy contract and if it is not renewed you will have to move out, so that’s a big downside. Apart from the notice you both have to give to leave the space, you don’t have a choice about it. Individuals do get attached to their space, so this could be quite hard, especially if you don’t want to leave. This may attract to some individuals who enjoy moving around. You are also not tied down once your contract has ended, you are under no obligation to sign another and stay there. If you want to make some home improvements, often you have to get permission, if this is not granted then you are stuck.

Owning a Property

The first thing you need to remember, is investing in a property can be very hard to start off with. The majority of people will have had to take out a loan which takes years to pay off. Most homes are not decorated to your exact requirements, therefore you will have the extra cost of redecorating. Insurance, refurbishment bills, repair bills and mortgage related fees are all items you are going to need to budget for. Nevertheless at the end of the day you are the title owner. The house is your own and if you want to improve it or change it, you just do. You decide yourself, there is no need to ask other people (but of course, in some specific cases, neighbours have to be notified). A word of caution though, what seems like a minor repair or redecorating task can turn out to be rather expensive. Unluckily if you want to move it is going to be very problematic when you compare how easy it is with rented lodgings. A big drawback is you are going to need to sell the property or rent it if you decide you want to move elsewhere. If the housing market is poor then you could be waiting a while before it sells or even before it’s financially suitable to list it. However, as somebody, who specializes in one of the most beautiful zones in Toronto – Bridle Path – I believe with home ownership comes an exclusive taste!

If you do not wish to settle down for years and plan to move away in the near future, property renting is better than buying, especially if the rent is not very much. The economical outlay of buying a home takes at best a couple of years to start paying off. In the beginning, it seems like you only have to pay with no perks.

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Renting out a Fully Furnished Property? It’s Not As Simple As It May Look

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Renting out a fully furnished property is a great idea, especially if you have a small apartment or condo. This kind of rent is convenient for people who, regarding their predominant lifestyle, mostly need a home ready to be occupied, so that they don’t have to purchase any house equipment. Nevertheless, first there are a lot of things to think about and decide, before you will be able to earn some extra money by renting your place.

How much will it cost you?

The first step is to find out all the expenses involved in setting everything up beforehand. Check the listings of other fully furnished properties available in your region. The properties should be as close to yours as possible in size, location and furnishing. As soon as you get a more precise idea of the usual rent for a fully furnished property such as yours, prepare a list of all items you would have to purchase so that your apartment will really be able to be called “fully furnished”. These days, a fully furnished place means you will offer not only all the common furniture, but also all of the utilities such as gas, electricity, water, phone, cable, wireless Internet, security, all the kitchen ware, appliances, towels, bed linen and cleaning supplies.

The next step is to make up your mind if you can afford to fully furnish your place to the extent described above. Make a list of all the items you will have to purchase so that your place is fully furnished. Also consider the possibility that there may be multiple tenants over a number of years, with periods of unoccupation between them. If you decide that making your flat fully furnished would be too complicated for you now, there is a possibility to list it as “part-furnished”. That would mean a bit less attractive possibility than fully furnished, but at the same time less effort and an easier life for you.

Next step – equipment documentation, deposit set-up

In case you have lived in the flat for some time, start with removing all your personal private belongings, such as photographs. Then make a list of every single item present in the property. You should go from room to room with the tenant and agree on everything that is offered by you. That should include counting individual items such as the number of spoons, forks, knives towels or linen. It is seen as good practice to have the inventory done in the presence of your rental agent and once agreed, the inventory should be signed by all parties. As soon as the contract expires, you will need to go through the flat again and make a note of everything that is there. Anything that has been damaged or lost will have to be substituted and paid for from the deposit which was agreed at the beginning of the contract.

As the winter Olympics are coming soon, more and more Vancouver citizens are thinking about renting out their fully furnished flats to take advantage of this unique event. While this might be the case if you already have a convenient unit, it could become a nightmare if you have to start from scratch. Try not to think of renting out your properties only as a quick way to get rich, but consider the investment over the long term.

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Renting out a Fully Furnished Flat – Not That Easily Earned Money

Friday, November 6th, 2009

Renting out a fully furnished property is a perfect idea, mainly if you own a small apartment or condo. People who mostly rent such places mostly need a home ready to be moved into, without the need to buy anything – depending on their lifestyle. But before you will earn any extra cash from renting your fully furnished place, first you will have to make a lot of decisions and think about many details.

How much will it cost you?

First of all you’ve got to find out how much you will have to pay up beforehand to set it all up. Go through the offers of available fully furnished properties in your area. The places should be as similar to yours as possible in size, location and furnishing. As soon as you get a more exact idea of the usual rent for a fully furnished property such as yours, prepare a list of all items you would have to buy so that your apartment will really be able to be called “fully furnished”. Nowadays, offering a fully furnished flat means that not only all the necessary furniture is provided, but also all utilities (gas, electricity, water, phone, cable, wireless Internet connection or security services), and also all kitchen ware and appliances, towels, bed linen or cleaning supplies.

Then think about the problem whether fully furnishing your place as described above is possible for you financially. Make a list of all the items you will have to buy so that your place is fully furnished. Also think about the fact that you may have multiple tenants over a number of years, so there will undoubtedly be periods of unoccupation between some tenants. If you decide that making your property fully furnished would be too difficult for you now, there is a possibility to list it as “part-furnished”. It may be less lucrative than a fully furnished place, but it is anyway easier for you.

Listing the provided equipment and setting up a deposit

If you have before lived in the property, it is necessary to remove all of your private belongings such as photographs and everything else that you consider to be yours. Then make a list of every single object present in the flat. You should go from room to room with the tenant and agree on everything that is provided by you. Also don’t forget to count things such as spoons, forks, knives, towels or linen and other individual items. It is considered good practice to have the inventory prepared in the presence of your rental agent and once agreed, the inventory should be signed by all parties. When the contract expires, it is time to go through the flat with the inventory again, noting down all facilities. All items that the tenant has destroyed or lost will have to be replaced and paid for from the deposit that you agreed on at the beginning.

With the winter Olympic games closing in, more and more people in Vancouver are thinking about renting out a fully furnished property to take advantage of this year’s oncoming gold mine. If you already own a suitable place, it might be a great idea, otherwise it might become a nightmare, if you have to start from the very beginning. It is always better to consider the return on investment for rental properties over the long period and not only as a quick way to get rich.

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