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HOME INSURANCE – WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO REVIEW THIS REGULARLY, AND HOW YOUR MORTGAGE CLUB CAN HELP!

Lisha Moffat

Lisha Moffat

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Home Insurance provides us peace of mind that our home and contents are financially protected should anything happen to our property. Unfortunately, many people stick their policy in the drawer and forget about it, but there are many reasons why we shouldn’t and need to be reviewing it regularly.

Here are some main reasons why:
Premium- Have you noticed over the last few years that your premium has increased at renewal. Are you now concerned that you are paying too much?
Marital Status or Occupation- Did you know that incorrect information such as a change to your occupation or your martial status can potentially invalidate a claim if your insurer are not aware of the changes?
Home Improvements- It is important to let your insurer know of any major changes that could potentially increase the value of your home. This prevents you being under insured.
You have started working from home- If you have set up a small business from your home, it is vitally important to let your insurer know as most standard policies only cover a small amount for business equipment.

It is also crucial to have the correct cover in place, and not to leave yourself under insured. Did you know that if you are under insured then your insurer could reduce the amount of your claim? This is known as ‘the average clause’

Our Mortgage and Protection advisers are highly experienced and qualified in giving advise regarding Home Insurance. This is why we know how important it is to review cover regularly.

CALL US TO REVIEW YOUR POLICY TODAY. We will pay any cancellation fee charged by your current insurer for leaving them before your renewal is due.

Best Regards, Lisha Moffat.

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  |  08/04/2021

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Part Exchange

Part Exchange

The easy way to sell your home

This developer offers a Part Exchange service which means you can have an offer for your home in just a few days. All you have to do is provide us with details of your property and leave the rest to us. 

We’ll arrange valuations, provide you with a fair market price for your property and once you’ve accepted, we’ll liaise with solicitors to complete the purchase alongside the purchase of your new home. Getting you moving quickly. Your Next Home specialist advisor will be a consistent point of contact throughout the process. We’ll keep you well informed as well as continually offering any help and advice.

Contact our Mortgage Specialist, to discuss the best rates on the market today

Part Exchange is available on selected developments and selected homes only. Subject to status and availability, terms and conditions apply. Please ask us for full details.

Assured Sale

Assured Sale

You can relax knowing that if your current property hasn’t sold before the completion date on your new home, we’ll buy it at an agreed price.

It takes away the worry of selling your home by providing a safety net, saving you time, worry and the costs of bridging loans.

Contact our Mortgage Specialist, to discuss the best rates on the market today

Legal information: Assured Sale is available on selected developments and selected plots only. Subject to status and availability, terms and conditions apply. Please ask us for full details.

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LBTT Calculator

This gives you a quick guide as to the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) you would have to pay. For a more accurate quotation contact our Expert Selling Team.

Please note: This calculator is provided as a guide only on how much land and buildings transaction tax (LBTT) you will need to pay in Scotland. It assumes that the property is freehold and for residential purposes.

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Fill out the form below to arrange a viewing of this property.

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Occasionally we may tell you about other products or services being offered. If you would like to receive this information please tick this box.
Please confirm you have read the Terms and Conditions

Whenever you visit our website and/or use its features such as web forms, Next Home Estate Agency will use and store the information you’ve provided for the purpose of processing the requests that are sent to us, via the website. Such information constitutes “personal data”. For more information about how Next Home Estate Agents store and process your personal data and Next Home Estate Agency’s obligations in security personal data, your right of access and erasure, please consult our privacy policy.

FREE Valuations

Book a FREE property valuation

An expert from our local branch will provide you with the most accurate valuation

Whether you’re selling your property or looking to let, fill out the form below to book a FREE, no obligation valuation with one of our experts.

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Your details
Occasionally we may tell you about other products or services being offered. If you would like to receive this information please tick this box.
Please confirm you have read the Terms and Conditions

Whenever you visit our website and/or use its features such as web forms, Next Home Estate Agency will use and store the information you’ve provided for the purpose of processing the requests that are sent to us, via the website. Such information constitutes “personal data”. For more information about how Next Home Estate Agents store and process your personal data and Next Home Estate Agency’s obligations in security personal data, your right of access and erasure, please consult our privacy policy.

Re-Mortgage & Discharge of Mortgage

If you are completing a re-mortgage of your existing property, we will be able to handle the necessary conveyancing for you and provide a comprehensive quote for the costs which might be incurred and explain the procedures involved.

Once the time comes for you to repay your mortgage in full, we can give you advice and assist with the discharge of your mortgage.

Property Sales

Let Next Law guide you through the legal process of selling your home. Whether you have agreed a private sale, marketing your property through your Estate Agent, or are simply contemplating a sale, our experienced solicitors can give you independent advice from the outset.

Next Law have an exclusive association with Next Home Estate Agents, the market leaders in the Perthshire property market.  When you choose Next Law and Next Home, you have an experienced, powerful team working closely and efficiently for you.  We are experts in our respective property fields.  Let us both take the stress out of the sale of your home.

Next Law Solicitors

Purchase

For most people, buying a house or flat is their biggest financial transaction. Our experienced solicitors will help guide you through the process. 

Next Law work closely with Next Mortgages, the biggest financial services team in Perthshire. They are experienced independent mortgage advisors who have access to some of the best mortgage deals available. They can also advise on Help to Buy, Shared Equity, the Lift Scheme and seek the necessary agreement in principal from the mortgage lender to allow you to then proceed to make an offer for a property.  Many of our clients highlight the benefit to them of their mortgage advisor and solicitor working closely together.  If you would like to be put in touch with an independent mortgage advisor at Next Mortgages, please contact us and we can arrange for a member of their experienced team to provide you with no obligation information and advice in relation to the mortgage process.

Our highly experienced solicitors also have expertise in dealing with the Government funded Lift Scheme and Help to Buy Scheme.

Let Only Basic
Let Only Plus
Managed Plus

What services will Next Home provide? What’s the difference between the various options? How much will it cost?

Find out what’s included at every service level with our at a glance comparison chart.

There are no hidden costs. No sneaky extras. Everything marked with a tick is included in the stated fee.
No let, no fee.* No time to lose.

What’s Included:

LO
LO+
M+

As a landlord you will have one point of local contact. No passing you from pillar to post, no time wasted talking to people in the wrong department. A real person to deal with; someone who understands your business. You will benefit from your local agent’s experience and expertise. Your local agent will provide you with accurate rental valuations rather than false promises, and will help you to rent your property fast and maximise your rental income.

Your Next Home local agent will meet with you in your property, provide you with a free, no obligation rental assessment and give you advice on how to let the property.

Next Home will erect and remove a To Let board at your property, should it be beneficial to the letting process. Sometimes a board is not required.

Next Home will ensure that you are fully protected with the correct lease documents for your property. We are fully compliant with Scottish and English requirements. Next Home will also offer advice regarding the legal requirements of property letting and assist you with compliance.

When you register your property to let with Next Home, you will be advertising with: Herald Scotland, Zoopla, Right Move, Globrix, Sunday Herald, Homes on View, Find a Property.com, Homes for Sale, The Guardian, Evening Times, Google, s1Homes.com, Homes 24, Prime Location, Perthshire Advertiser, Digital Property Group, House Ladder, Welcome Home, The Times, The Sun, The Sunday Times, The Independent, The Telegraph, Aol, MSN, This Is, Talk Talk, London Evening Standard, Homes & Property & Daily Mail.

As soon as your property is registered with Next Home, your property details will be forwarded to our regularly updated tenant database, giving you instant exposure to tenants who are actively seeking property to rent.

Next Home will deal with all tenant enquiries at the pre-letting stage, handle applications and arrange viewings.

Next Home will deal with all tenant applications. We may accept applications from tenants in receipt of Housing Benefit, but only subject to your prior approval, suitable credit referencing and usually with a guarantor for the tenancy.

Next Home will make arrangements for the prospective tenant to view your property with your Next Home local agent.

Collection of Security Deposit.

Next Home will conduct a basic credit check on your potential tenant and obtain a scoring to give you an indication of the level of risk that the tenant may pose. This process will enable you to identify undesirable, high risk, or fraudulent prospective tenants.

Next Home will conduct a basic credit check (as above) and also carry out a full referencing service, checking that the references as supplied by the tenant are bona fide.

  • All the necessary lease and tenancy paperwork is completed in line with current legislation.
  • The direct debit mandate for payment of rent is completed.
  • Gas and electrical meter readings are taken, then our team will write to the current suppliers to make sure that the billing for the property is accurate.
  • The inventory and condition report are agreed.
  • The tenant receives copies of the current Gas (if supplied to the property), Electrical and Portable Appliance Test (PAT) Certificates as well as a copy of the HMO License (where required).
  • The council is notified of incoming tenants for the purposes of council tax.

You will receive a detailed property statement by e-mail from Next Home every time rent is paid into your account, which will show all income and expenditure on your property. You will receive these reports on a per property basis and also, on request, in a consolidated format.

Next Home will prepare a basic inventory and condition report. For unfurnished properties, this will be a condition of fabric report, supported by photos. In the case of furnished properties, the report will also include large items such as beds, sofas, white goods etc., but will not include small electrical appliances, crockery and cutlery etc. The inventory will not extend to the contents of non-residential basements, attics or outhouses. Should you require a more detailed inventory, you can opt for our Premium Inventory Service – details are in the list of optional add-on services.

The security deposit will be transferred from Next Home to the landlord at the start of the tenancy.

The tenant receives the Next Home tenant handbook detailing the main workings of the flat, e.g. heating, appliances, electrical and gas meters etc. and useful local information, such as the addresses and telephone numbers for the Doctor’s Surgery, Police Station, Schools etc.

Next Home will deal with all routine tenant enquiries during the tenancy. We will provide all tenants with a tenant hotline number and also a tenant maintenance hotline number. These numbers are answered 24/7. Your Next Home local agent will be your tenant’s first point of contact.

  • Write to the tenant a minimum of 2 month’s prior to the lease end to find out whether or not they wish to retain the lease or, in situations where the landlord wishes to take back the property, give the tenant notice to quit and serve an AT6 (for Scottish properties). Note: should the landlord and tenant wish to renew the lease, a fixed lease renewal fee of £50 is payable to Next Home.
  • Fourteen days prior to lease end, send the tenant a checklist together with a copy of the inventory to prepare in advance (allowing them to make repairs, replacements etc).
  • Wherever possible, provide the tenant’s forwarding address to the Council and utilities suppliers to allow them to collect any outstanding amounts due from the tenant.
  • Notify the council that the tenant is moving out.
  • Go through the inventory with the tenant on the day of check out and agree any variance and any damages to the condition of the property or to fixtures and fittings. We will take meter readings, check utility supplier details and write to the suppliers with the final readings.
  • If you have ever had the pleasure of dealing with utility suppliers and with your local authority, you will appreciate how much work is involved! Next Home will deal with utility companies and the council tax while your properties are under our management. We are also able to offer your tenants great deals on energy packages, which can also benefit the landlord. For example, one of our suppliers will not charge when a property is empty. This takes away the irritation of being chased for payment of a few pounds here and there – and maximises your revenue.

Your Next Home local agent will carry out an annual rent assessment of your property. The rental market can improve or decline but, as the expert with local knowledge, your agent is best placed to advise you about the best strategy for renting your property. Remember that an empty property is a bad investment; our aim is to let your property with as few voids as possible.

Next Home will fully manage any required repairs on your behalf – from a broken handle to a full refurbishment – saving you time and energy. We will always send out quotes for any works over £150 (or higher fixed amount if previously agreed with the landlord). Any repairs costing less than this maximum agreed amount will be carried out automatically by Next Home and billed to the landlord, in accordance with the agreed terms & conditions. We are confident that you’ll appreciate our levels of service and benefit from the competitive rates that we negotiate with our team of highly skilled approved tradesmen. For emergency repairs, Next Home will proceed with the repair if we are unable to contact the landlord for 24 hours. The necessary repairs will of course be carried out as cost-effectively as possible for the landlord.

The security deposit will be held by Next Home on behalf of the landlord. In the event of a dispute between the landlord and tenant regarding final deductions from the deposit, Next Home will act as arbitrator. In England, to meet legal requirements, the deposit will be placed in a Deposit Protection scheme, or Next Home will hold the deposit with the appropriate professional insurance in place.

When Next Home checks the tenant out of the property, we will make deductions from the security deposit to pay for any tenant repairs or cleaning required as a consequence of tenant damage to the flat. If the landlord is responsible for handling repairs, this money will be passed to the landlord. The balance of the security deposit will be returned to the tenant one month after the end of the lease when proof has been received that all bills have been paid. Next Home will, wherever possible, provide the tenant’s forwarding address to the Council and utilities suppliers to allow them to collect any outstanding amounts due from the tenant.

Next Home will collect all rent due on your property from the tenant. Rent is paid by the tenant by Direct Debit or Standing Order. We will provide receipts to the tenant and keep a rental account for each tenancy. Next Home will transfer all rental monies, less deducted fees, to the landlord promptly – within 5 business days of receiving the rent.

In the event of rental arrears occurring, Next Home will notify the tenant immediately by email, text message or letter that they are behind with the rent. Next Home will also inform the landlord, by e-mail, of the situation. Next Home will then liaise directly with the tenant to remedy the situation as soon as possible whilst also informing the landlord of progress. If the tenant is still in arrears after two months, Next Home will contact them and any guarantor in writing to advise that if they do not pay by an agreed date, eviction proceedings will commence. Next Home do not manage the eviction process, we will however recommend a suitable lawyer who can manage the process on your behalf. Please note: good management is about the avoidance of arrears and this is done through good tenant selection, credit checking and referencing. Rent guarantee insurance is also a good means of protection against non-payment and should be considered by the landlord.

Next Home offers free advice about property upgrading to landlords on our Managed Plus package. We have an experienced team of letting professionals who can help you get the most out of your property.

We will conduct an inspection of your property every three months during the tenancy and provide you with a report detailing any areas in which your property is in need of attention.

If you are an overseas landlord, Next Home will assist you in registering as an NRL with HMRC. On receipt of your NRL number, Next Home will transfer your rental income to you gross. If you choose not to register as an NRL with HMRC, Next Home will deduct the tax from your rental income on your behalf and transfer your rental income to you net of tax (at the current rate, which can be checked on www.hmrc.gov.uk).

Help to Buy

Help to buy with your new home

WITH ONLY 5% DEPOSIT

The Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme means people can purchase a new-build home without the need for a large deposit.

 If you want to buy a new build home but can’t afford the total cost, you might be able to get help through the Help to Buy (Scotland) Affordable New Build scheme. The scheme is open to first time buyers and existing homeowners and helps you with up to 15% of the purchase price of a new build home.

Contact our Mortgage Specialist, to discuss the best rates on the market today

The scheme is not available to assist buy-to-let investors. You may not part-exchange your existing home with a home builder and buy a new home from them. The scheme is not available to assist with the purchase of self-build homes. You cannot purchase a property that is not a new build property. If you or your partner already owns a home i.e. where either of you are named on the title deeds of a domestic property, you cannot conclude your Help to Buy (Scotland) Affordable New Build Scheme transaction until your other home has been sold. You cannot buy a home from a home builder who is not registered to participate in the scheme. You must reserve a property and obtain a full Reservation Agreement before applying to the scheme. You cannot buy a home for more than the threshold prices for the scheme which apply for the financial year in which you complete the purchase. You must take out a repayment mortgage with a participating lender , unless you are aged 60 or over. Missives for the purchase of your home must be concluded on your behalf no later than 3 months after the date that you are issued with an Authority to Proceed Letter. The purchase of your home (i.e. when you pay the purchase price to the home builder and receive the keys to your new home) must complete within 9 months of the date of the issue of your Authority to Proceed Letter, otherwise you will cease to be eligible to receive financial assistance under the scheme towards the purchase of your home.

Lift Scheme

Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT)

There are two LIFT schemes available that we can assist you with:

1. The Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) Scheme aims to help first time buyers onto the property ladder with the minimum capital outlays and is a fantastic way of getting on the property ladder for many people who thought it wasn’t possible. There is now NO RESTRICTION to the size of the home you can purchase based on your family size, only the Threshold Prices in your area set out by the Scottish Government. 

2. The New Supply Shared Equity scheme (NSSE), which helps people buy a new-build home from a council or housing association. This scheme can also be applicable to those who have previously own a home but has had a significant change in circumstances e.g. a martial breakdown.

How does the LIFT scheme work? First time buyers can literally purchase any property on the market with either no deposit or as low as 5% deposit of your share, the only other outlays being the legal fees. The LIFT scheme would provide up to 40% deposit for their purchase. The Scottish Government have set different purchase limits in different council areas.

The schemes are aimed at households with low to medium incomes, we can assess your circumstances for your area to see if you qualify and help you with your application process.

EXAMPLES

Mr & Miss Smith LIFT Scheme purchase:
Couple looking to buy their forever home in Perth & Kinross. They purchased a 4 bedroomed house at £205,000
40% LIFT Deposit£82,000
Mr & Miss Smith mortgage£123,000
Monthly mortgage payments*£373
You could buy any property on the market with no deposit!

The Wilson Family LIFT Scheme purchase:
This couple looking to buy their first three bedroom house in Dundee for £100,000.
40% LIFT Deposit£40,000
The Wilson Family mortgage£60,000
Monthly mortgage payments*£182

These schemes have limited funding – contact our Mortgage Specialists today

Terms and conditions apply. Examples provided are for illustration purposes only and does not represent a real occurrence. Mortgage example is based on an initial monthly rate on a rate of 3%.

First Home Fund

Scotland’s First Home Fund For First Time Buyers

Buy your first home with a £25,000 interest free equity loan.

If you want to buy your first home but can’t afford the total cost, you might be able to get help through Scotland’s First Home Fund.

The scheme is open to first-time buyers only and helps you with up to £25,000 of the purchase price of your property’s value. You will be required to provide a minimum deposit of around 5% and your mortgage must be at least 25% of the purchase price. Although the Scottish Government will have an equity share in the property, you will own the property outright. There are no monthly payments to be made towards the Scottish Government and no interest will be charged.

Contact our Mortgage Specialist, to discuss the best rates on the market today

Terms and conditions apply, the scheme is open to all first-time buyers in Scotland who are taking out a mortgage. You will not be able to apply to the scheme if you are a cash buyer or if you have previously owned a property in the UK or abroad at any time (as either a sole or a joint owner). The maximum contribution from the Scottish Government is £25,000 or up to 49% of the property valuation figure or the purchase price (whichever is lower). If you purchase a property for less than the valuation figure then the maximum Scottish Government contribution is £25,000 or 49% of the purchase price. There is a limit of one application per property. You can submit a joint application however you will be limited to one award of £25,000. Your mortgage must be at least 25% of the purchase price. Your mortgage must be capital repayment. The property must be the sole residence of all applicants. The scheme is not available for buy-to-let properties. You cannot apply to other Scottish Government shared equity schemes. Part exchange is not allowed.