Win some cash for home repairs at cheeky bingo

Some home repairs are easy and inexpensive to fix, such as chipped paint or a loose floorboard. However, some can be an absolute nightmare to deal with, causing you no end of stress, hassle and of course, money.

It is always a good idea to have some cash saved somewhere for home emergencies, whether it’s in your own home or a property you let to tenants. This way, you are never caught out if the plumbing breaks, the boiler needs replacing or you need new double-glazing.

One way to raise the extra cash you need for your emergency home repairs fund is to play online bingo. It can be surprisingly profitable, and a lot of people who play it find themselves winning cash almost every day.

Online bingo is fun and social too, although the games, prizes and offers vary from site to site. If you check out the cheeky bingo reviews available to read online, you’ll find that this online bingo website is one of the best out there. Due to its easy-to-use format and its generous welcome offers, cheeky bingo is especially good for new players.

Try it for yourself – you’ll be amazed at how much you could win.

Don’t take advantage of good tenants when it comes to deposits

When it comes to rented property, the tenant always feels as though they need to prove themselves all of the time; prove themselves to be good tenants who will pay the rent and look after the place.

But the landlord needs to return the favour and make the tenant’s stay in the property as pleasant as possible. After all, word gets around and if you make life difficult, you might find yourself struggling to find replacement tenants in the future.

So be reasonable when you’re letting your property out. If your tenant is no trouble, pays rent on time and looks after the place then don’t try and take deposit money from them for a few marks on the wall. There is always bound to be wear and tear but don’t take advantage of your good tenants because you mind find that what goes around, comes around.

Choosing a letting agent

Having a property to rent out doesn’t necessarily mean that you have the time to rent it out. This is a very complicated job that requires a lot of organisation.

So what a lot of landlords choose to do is to employ letting agents to do it for them. But be careful when you’re choosing your letting agent. You don’t want just anyone taking control of your beloved property.

Firstly, look at how the letting agents present themselves. Image isn’t everything, but it gives you a good idea of how professional they are.

Look at the services offered by the letting agent. There are lots of different packages to choose from so choose the right one for you.

Also research their reputation. The best way to find the best letting agent, is by looking at what others think.

By choosing the right letting agent, you will have a much more pleasant experience when it comes to renting out your property.

Your responsibilities as a landlord

If you let out your property, you are responsible for certain things. Of course, the tenants have a responsibility to look after the property and pay the rent as well as bills and council tax but here is a list of your responsibilities:

• You are responsible for the repairs to the structure and exterior of the property.
• You are responsible for the repairs to the heating and hot water.
• You are responsible for the safety of gas, electrical appliances, as well as fire safety.
• You are responsible for protecting the tenant’s deposit.

These are the main things that you need to take responsibility for and if you do, you should enjoy a pleasant tenancy agreement with your tenant.

Don’t be frightened of letting out your property

Some people are put off from the idea of letting their property because they don’t like to think of strangers coming into the building and taking over. Some property owners are worried that their property may get damaged and made to look scruffy after all the hard work they’ve put into it.

But the truth is that if you approach it in the right way, this will not happen. You could approach a letting agent to let your property through. By doing this, you can ensure that they carry out the relevant checks on any potential tenants and they will also deal with the deposit so that the costs of repairing any damage can be covered.

New flooring can really make a difference

An area that people forget about can be the thing that really spruces up the house, the flooring. If you’re tired of the carpeted floors or due for new flooring as the carpet is worn away then why not consider hard-wearing solid wood flooring? Having solid wood flooring, particularly in the main room of the house means that you can worry less about stains from spilt drinks and food and dirt from muddy shoes. So instead of having to hoover up, clean and scrub the carpets with stain removing carpet cleaner, all it takes is a wipe. Before spending money on new wooden flooring, peel away your carpet and you may surprise yourself by finding a perfectly preserved wooden floor!

Why an extension should add more value than increase in price

One great way of sprucing the house up through development is to add extra space via an extension, a conversion or by knocking a wall down to create extra space. The belief is that it is cheaper to create space than to buy space so why not make the most of what we already have? Adding extra space can provide a much needed extra bedroom, a larger kitchen, a utility room or a personal home office. Not only would this extra space be beneficial for the house, but should really bring enjoyment to the family which is the real added value.

Create your house into something enjoyable, says Phil

There’s a multitude of ways to further increase the asking price of your house. Long gone are the days of ‘cleaning up the house’ before viewings. Phil Spencer from Channel 4 program Location, Location, Location says it’s now about creating your house into somewhere enjoyable by further enhancing it and not just simply chucking some money into the property and creating an addition for the sake of it. Another thing he points out is not to make any conversions right before selling; why not get it done earlier and enjoy the benefits of your creation than for the purpose of selling the property?

Thinking of adding a conversion?

If you have a garage that’s not in use at home, why not convert this to an extra room? Many people are converting their old, unused garages into additional living space whilst removing clutter and having a good spring clean. Not only is this a great way of making room but can also increase the price of your property in the long run. Some planning will have to be made however, as it’s not a simple, straightforward task as it sounds. Also, a lump sum investment is required before any return is made when selling the property. This would be an ideal project for newly retired couples, or people with spare cash lying around.

Garden as a way of expressing yourself

These days after chasing for fame (or infame in some cases), money and luxury, we have recently reached the stage where we need some comfort and peace of mind too. Here is where our creativity is starting to mess around. Your home is your keep, so radical disturbances are rather scarce and can lead to your loved ones becoming very frustrated. But what if you had a garden? A few square meters of green pitch that you could use, adapt and transform to your requirements? That would be really helpful!

Today you can be almost 100 per cent sure that your house will come with a back-garden. Even some apartments have a separate patches of green for their owners, so try and look for one, cause there is nothing better than an afternoon spend in your comfy chair with your favorite book, having a nice breeze on your face and your kids playing around in a pond. Just watch for the pond pumps and make sure you have a filtering system in place, so the water will be clear and nicely looking.

Garden equipment is something very vital to your leisure, so choose carefully. You can buy some cheap furnishings for less than a £100, including your barbecue grill, but to be honest they are not worth your time and money. It’s better to put some more cash upfront and enjoy a peace of mind with your family.