Frequently Asked Questions

Are my ducks in a row?

Whether making your first investment purchase or adding to your portfolio there are many considerations you should make. There is no such thing as too much advice. Cullen have a strong network of non-affiliated businesses which we will always advise you to take advice from ahead of any major decision. The small number of hours this will take can have a huge effect on your investment purchase. As we always say, you don’t know what you don’t know – we want you to have the same advice we seek for ourselves.

Why Edinburgh

Scotland’s Capital City, Edinburgh, is regularly recognised as a top property investment location in the UK based on potential rental yields, returns and capital growth. Edinburgh is also regularly recognised as one of the best places to live in the UK. There are many accolade’s for Edinburgh including Scotland’s world-leading Universities and the diverse and educated student population they attract.

Edinburgh is also an economically strong city; it is vibrant, cosmopolitan and highly educated. Edinburgh boasts more green space than any other city in the UK as well as a beautiful coastline. The population has increased by over 10% since 2017, and forecasts predict this will continue. Put simply, there are many reasons to choose Edinburgh as a place to invest, live, work and study.

Edinburgh is our passion and our specialty – this is the only city we work in and advise on, so you can be sure that the advice we give is based on years of local knowledge, experience and expertise.

Why Cullen Property

There are many reasons to invest with us. In a nutshell, we:

• Are specialists in Edinburgh buy-to-let
• Are student market experts
• Search the Edinburgh market for suitable properties
• liaise with lawyers, vendors and mortgage brokers
• Fully manage your investment

Why use an investment & sourcing service?

In short, Cullen Property can make property investment so easy for you that you don’t even need to be in the Country! We provide services to cover sourcing, property management and everything in between:

We look at numerous factors when considering any potential property as an investment including local market knowledge, property values, probable rent values, potential tenant demographics (who might want to rent it) and tenant demand in the area etc. We also assess whether it can meet the ‘Repairing Standard’ (minimum level of quality in a rental property) and, if applicable, whether it can meet the House of Multiple Occupancy regulations in terms of sizing and fire safety provisions.

We can also look at the property’s potential by considering the floorplan for reconfiguring and therefore adding value. Apart from the property-related benefits we bring, we can also provide ready access to the best legal, tax and funding advice for you!

Finally, we regularly have access to high-quality off-market property investment opportunities too, which investor clients tend to prefer due to them being a known fixed price.

What are the benefits of using a letting agency over managing my own portfolio?

Put simply, convenience, compliance and returns!

As local market experts, we regularly re-appraise our clients’ rental performances at least once a year to ensure market rents are being received. Oftentimes we hear from private landlords with rental figures that have become static over many years. In fact, using a recent example, one landlord’s portfolio rents were £10,850, but should have been receiving £12,250 – a 13% increase!

Compliance with all regulations is a constant challenge for private landlords who may not always have the time or knowledge to keep up to date with the latest legislative changes. For example, the new PRT regime is still causing confusion for many private landlords, with a number still issuing leases which are no longer legally compliant. Unfortunately for them, ignorance of the law is no defence.

Having minimal involvement with the property and tenants through a trustworthy agent, coupled with the administrative ease which a good agent can provide e.g. annual summary for tax returns and the many other convenience aspects, landlords who are distant or have busy family/working lives find our management services make for a stress-free experience for both them and their tenants.

Finally, using an Agent gives access to all the main property portals and a professional vetting and referencing services whenever the property needs to be re-marketed to new tenants. With the new Private Residential Tenancy, it is not uncommon for tenants to submit their 28 days’ notice to terminate their tenancy. Therefore, quickly finding replacement tenants through proactive property marketing through a skilled Agency can minimise these ‘void periods’ and the stress that comes along with them.

We’ve recently helped several portfolio landlords make the switch to our management following dissatisfaction with competing Agents. In each case they’ve seen the rise in rental income more than compensate for the management fees, whilst improving the properties where required and removing all the stress and hassle for them at the same time.

So, click here for a free and instant rental valuation and a friendly member of the Cullen Property team will be in touch to hear about your unique situation and experience to offer some free, expert advice.

What are the risks in letting my property?

Firstly, it’s important to recognise that there is always some level of ‘risk’ in owning and letting property. However, one of the biggest risks is owning the property with no tenants inhabiting it – commonly referred to as a ‘void period’. These can be minimised if the property is well presented, sensibly priced, and advertised properly to the right people with descriptive information.

The new Private Residential Tenancy rules, which allow tenants to give 28 days’ notice to leave at any time, do limit forward planning (student properties and festival lets!) 28 days is not long to market, let, reference, prepare/sign a lease and check-in new tenants, so it’s certainly a bonus to have us do this hard work for you.

The other main risk is unpaid rent and tenants unwilling to engage, which may ultimately lead to obtaining an order to evict. However, this is now easier under PRT and via the First tier Tribunal.
Contrary to popular belief, tenants ‘trashing’ properties before they leave is extremely rare, but some are cleaner than others! As a rule of thumb, landlords or their agents should have good check-in and check-out information so that they can claim against the deposit funds (which must be held in a Tenancy deposit Scheme). If the information is poor, then there is a risk that the claim would be dismissed, and the landlord loses out – this is why we are proud that 99.6% of decisions we made regarding return of deposits were completely undisputed.

Furthermore, non-compliance with regulations (such as Repairing Standard) can lead to tenants taking action via the FTT. Again, this system is new and still bedding in, but tenants are now much more aware of their rights and it is relatively simple to raise an action.

How could I improve my portfolio?

The best way is to regularly appraise rents at least once a year. It is often wise to consider alteration to the existing floorplan in order to reconfigure rooms and add value. The following could also be strategies to improve your portfolio. Please remember though, each investor is unique, so it’s best to discuss your requirements with a member of the Cullen Property team!

• Obtain a HMO license to allow for group letting
• Reconsider the market at which the property seeks to gather interest
• Consider whether the property should be offered furnished or unfurnished
• Revaluing and refinancing could provide funds to make improvements to the property and add value, or even to buy another property!

How is Brexit affecting property investment?

The property market in Edinburgh remains robust. However, European Citizens will now need to show work/study visas as part of the application process, although this is the same as the current arrangements for non-EU nationals at present so is not an issue.