How not to advertise....

Be careful how you advertise your property.... As this excellent YouTube clip shows !



Enjoy !

Mr Jackson.

The Wormwood Scrubs Look.....

GWYNETH PALTROW and CHRIS MARTIN have sparked complaints from neighbours over plans to put up a metal wall around their London home, so reports Entertainment Daily !

The stars are seeking planning permission to replace a wooden fence with a 10-foot (3-metre) barrier to separate their garden from those of their neighbours.

Paltrow and Martin allege they need to erect the wall for security reasons - but their neighbours in the capital’s Belsize Park area have complained about the plans.

One unidentified resident tells The Sunday Telegraph, “It’s rather over the top. Who cares who he (Martin) is. You can’t get round the sides of the houses and into the gardens anyway. Other houses in the street are as much at risk of opportunist burglaries. We don’t ask for huge fences between our homes....

10ft metal barriers - Perhaps they like the industrial prison look..... Though anyone who has been to an English public school will always feel comparatively at home in prison

Sleep easy,

Govenor Jackson

Complaints Up in 2009.

The Property Ombudsman Scheme (POS) received over 10,000 complaints last year against estate agents, lettings companies, developers and surveyors.

According to the Ombudsman, complaints about letting agents alone saw an increase, while the number of buyers and sellers complaining about Home Infomation Packs also rose.

However, The POS can only rule on complaints made against agents which are registered with the scheme and those which fall within the precisely defined scope of the scheme.

So while it received 3,430 complaints in the third quarter of last year and 3,204 in the second quarter, the Ombudsman is only actively investigating 249 and 221 of the complaints respectively.

One property buyer from Peterborough found 114 faults in the new home she purchased, 86 of which were upheld by the Ombudsman. And a Northamptonshire homeowner complained after a wall in his home collapsed shortly after being given the thumbs up by a surveyor.

Keep complaining folks - sometimes it's the only way you'll get anywhere....

Until next time,

Mr J

Estate Agents - In's & Out's.....

A recent Office of Fair Trading enquiry found that 78 per cent of us feel estate agents offer poor value for money. It hardly made the news.

In comparison with the legal and removals costs, estate agents' fees can seem excessive, particularly at a time when many people are financially stretched to breaking point anyway.

How much you pay for an agent's service will depend largely on whether you choose to entrust your sale to one agent (sole agency) or spread it among several (multiple agency).

Appointing one agent is the usual, and cheaper, option. The vast majority of estate agents charge a percentage of the sale price, currently somewhere between one per cent and two per cent.


Multiple estate agency agreements will typically charge from 2-3.5 per cent (paid to the agent who achieves the sale). It's more expensive,but a good option if you need a quick sale.

Percentage or Fixed Fee ?
The beauty of the percentage fee, as far as estate agents are concerned, is that selling an expensive house means a lot more money for the same work as selling a cheap property.

Sellers of 'standard properties', however, may suspect that they're not receiving quite the same attentive service as the owners of the mansion down the road.

Choose Well !
Choose an estate agency that is a member of the Ombudsman for Estate Agents (OEA) Scheme - if things go wrong they can help you pursue your agent for compensation.

Ensure your agent is qualified - It's all well and good having experience, but you need a qualified agent to advise you. I have experience with aeroplanes, when I did my national service - But I'm not qualified to service one of the Tornado's at Losiemouth am I ?

Some agents charge additional fees for accompanied viewings (Hopefully not many do this anymore !) advertising and 'For Sale' boards. If yours does this, make sure that you have in writing exactly how much your 'extras' will cost you.

If your house doesn't sell quickly, use it to your advantage. The end of your contractual period (usually 12 weeks, plus two weeks' notice) is a good opportunity to renegotiate a poor rate. If your agent refuses, look around for someone that will give you a better deal.

But never change to another agent while you are still contracted to the first. Both agents could charge you commission if your property is sold.

Above all, shop around and find estate agents who can offer you the best marketing, the best price and that you like (There's not many that will tick all the boxes, but it's certainly worth visiting them all in your area).

Happy Hunting,

Mr Jackson.

Mr J's Q&A....

I've received many e-mails and letters lately, asking for advice on the property market, also tenant queries, landlord queries etc.... I do my best to answer each one personally, however I have had quite a few of late and my typing is still quite slow since I broke my wrist.

Then it occurred to me, why not post my response on the blog ? That way if anyone else had the same question I could simply refer them to each article.

If you have a property query that you need help or advice with please drop me an e-mail at MRJACKSONS@LIVE.CO.UK

Here goes with an initial broad selection.

I live in a cottage flat and the flat above has been empty for almost five years after the owner died. I was told there is trouble dividing his estate but can't trace the executors. I have to maintain his side of the garden and pay for joint repairs.

Last year, I was unable to sell my property when people realised the flat above had been unoccupied for so long. I have been in touch with Registers of Scotland, The Law Society of Scotland, Environmental Health and the Council Tax Office but none can help.

This style of property is common in inter-war social housing in Scottish cities but is little-known in England. You effectively have a shared freehold with the upstairs property. In the absence of the owner, the law allows you to undertake vital maintenance, though not improvements, and reclaim half the cost. There are private companies that will trace executors, though I haven't tested their services. Make your claim for maintenance costs clear by posting a dated invoice through the letterbox.


I live in an apartment, one of a block of 12, and as a leaseholder I can't find anyone who will give me buildings insurance. Now, I have had a leak behind my shower and the freeholder won't claim on his insurance, saying it is my problem.

Leasehold law does have provisions for leaseholders to vary the terms of their leases, even against the will of the freeholder, in cases where the leases make inadequate arrangements for insuring the building. You will, however, have to pay your freeholder's reasonable costs.


When my husband died last year, my bank passed the deeds for my house to my solicitor. It turns out that the bank did not register the property with the Land Registry.

The bank says I have to fill in a DS1 form but my solicitor tells me it will cost £125 plus VAT and a fee of £30. This seems a bit of a rip-off. Can I do some of the paperwork myself?

The purpose of a DS1 is to cancel a 'registered charge' - ie a mortgage lender's interest - on a registered property. But you suggest the property is not, in fact, registered. If you bought it before 1975, there is no reason why the property should ever have been so. There is no compulsion on you to register your property - this will be necessary only when the property is next sold. Just make sure that the deeds are kept safe in your solicitor's strongroom.

I hope to be of assistance to more of you soon.

Until the next one.

Mr Jackson.

Upside Down Surprise.

Just a personal note of thanks to blog reader Pauline Masson, who after reading about my love of all things sweet, sent me a fantastic home made pineapple upside down cake.

Having just sampled it I think it would be prudent for her to go into the cake making business, as well as a having a property portfolio.

If any of you other readers would like to do the same, I'm quite happy to sample and comment upon your creations !

Thanks again Pauline and also for your kind words about the blog.

Mr Jackson

Until death do you part.....

A quarter of couples who have split up are being forced to continue living together because of the high cost of housing, research has showed.

The figure's 28%, and the research was by EasyRoomMate. Two-thirds of those enduring a colder atmosphere inside the house than outside (that's saying something with the recent cold-snap), they admit it's because of the high cost of living. One in forty are stuck with a joint property because of negative equity.

Three-quarters of separated couples who continued to live together said they found the experience stressful, and 65% would have preferred it if they or their partner had been able to move out sooner.

Research by housing charity Shelter also found that one in four people were either part of a couple that had separated but continued to share the same home because they could not afford a place of their own, or they knew someone in this situation.

It said the current high cost of housing and the shortage of affordable homes was forcing increasing numbers of people to continue to share a property after they had separated.

My advice is simple enough, be certain you have a strong relationship, before purchasing a property together. Otherwise you could be stuck with them for longer than you think.

I have been married now for nearly 60 years, the only time I lived apart from Mrs J was when I did my National Service. Plus one night when I came home worse for wear and she made me sleep outside in the shed until I had sobered up.....

Choose carefully people....

Yours,

Mr Jackson.

How to clean up....!

Thinking of selling your flat or house in the near future? Cleanliness adds up to £5,000 to the value.

We all know that selling your house in today's market can be a tricky business. That's why it's more important than ever to make sure your home is in tip-top condition.

Recent research carried out on behalf of Domestos UK by ICM has shown that a clean house is a more profitable house. The research comprises 2000 UK adults and 200 UK estate agents.

Part of consumer giant Unilver brands stable since 1961, Domestos has teamed up with Britain’s self-acclaimed 'most honest estate agent', Julian Bending, who has put together five top tips to help add up to £5,000 to the price of your house.

1 First Impressions count

Buyers form their first impressions in the first 30 seconds. So take time to trim bushes or plant flowers to make sure they're smiling before they've even knocked on the door.

2 Fix it

Even just a broken tap or cracked tile could mean the make or break of a deal. So try and get any problems fixed before putting your house on the market.

3 Eliminate clutter

Clutter doesn't sell homes as it makes them seem smaller and disorganized. Make some space and buyers will find it easier to make themselves at home.

4 Keep it neutral

One person's colourful taste might not be someone else's. Neutral colours sell. Fact.

5 Spring clean

Never underestimate the power of cleaning. Use products such as Domestos ;-) to make sure rooms like the bathroom and kitchen are looking clean and smelling fresh.

A they say cleanliness is next to Godliness. Must find my Hoover...

Until next time,

Mr Jackson.

Buying To Let - Top 10 Tips....

Don't worry, Jimmy Saville is not featured anywhere below....

1) Carry out thorough research. Check local rental conditions, analyse rental demand and determine the types of renting in your area.

Look for obvious clues such as a large company relocation, the opening of trendy bars and shops, or the existence of good schools nearby and choose a property with features that will appeal to your market.

2) An appealing property rental is one that is close to transport links and/or has off street parking.

3) If you plan to rent your property to professionals, all of the bedrooms should ideally be doubles.

4) Think low maintenance. You want a property that will run itself as smoothly as possible

5) If you are managing the property yourself, be prepared to do some hard work. A buy to let property is far from being a hassle free income.

6) If not choosing to have your property managed by an agent, choose a property close to home, which will enable you to pop over and sort out any problems easily.

7) Bear in mind that family rental homes require plenty of space and storage

8) If you are the sole freeholder of the property, you will need to ensure that the common parts and the exterior of the property are well maintained. You may wish to spend a couple of hours a week vacuuming and polishing or employ a professional cleaning company to keep these areas up to scratch. If your buy to let is leasehold, however, the responsibility for the maintenance of the exterior and interior communal areas will rest with the freeholder unless your lease specifically states otherwise.

9) Steer clear of large gardens, especially in a town property, unless you intend adding the cost of a gardener to the weekly rental and you are aiming to market your property as a family home. As any keen gardener knows it doesn't take long for a little neglect to show.

10) Consider whether you want to let furnished or unfurnished. Sometimes there is little difference between the rents commanded by unfurnished compared with part or fully furnished properties to let. It all depends on your market and the demand in your area. Before you go looking for furniture, do your research and find the best option for you. In the Moray area there is a an 80/20 split in favour of un-furnished, though supplying white goods is almost obligatory for the professional landlord.

Happy investing....

Mr Jackson.

Happy New Year...!

Well to some anyway......As the temporary stamp duty holiday on properties worth between £125,000 and £175,000 ended on 1 January 2010.

It means buyers will again have to pay 1% tax on the value of homes worth more than £125,000.

The tax was lifted temporarily in September 2008, and the concession later extended, to help stem the rapid slump in the property market.

In the past year, sales and prices have started to rise again, although the market is still relatively subdued.

When the temporary tax break was first announced, the government estimated that it would forgo £615m in tax from stamp duty.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) estimates that even though the suspension was extended by a further three months to the end of this year, the cost to the government will still eventually be only about £500m, as the number of home sales has been far lower than the government was expecting.

Last month, the CML calculated that 132,500 house sales, funded with a mortgage, had escaped stamp duty in the past year.

That meant 27% of all the house purchases agreed since the policy began had escaped the 1% tax that would otherwise have been paid.

That, in turn, means that just over half of all sales have gone through without stamp duty being levied.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is likely to raise about £3bn from stamp duty on residential and commercial property sales in the current tax year, compared with £4.8bn in the last tax year and just over £10bn in 2007-08.

That downward trend directly reflects the slump in home sales.

In the first 11 months of 2009, 761,000 residential properties were sold in the UK, compared with 900,000 in the whole of 2008 and 1,614,000 the year before

Looks like I may not be the only one losing a few pounds this year....

Lets hope 2010 is a good one for you all.

Until next time,

Mr Jackson.