Are We Building Enough Affordable Homes in Walsall?

Are We Building Enough Affordable Homes in Walsall?
Are We Building Enough Affordable Homes in Walsall?

Before we begin… no, that’s not a location picture of Walsall-on-Sea!!

Within my blog about the Walsall Property Market I mostly only talk about two of the three main sectors of the local property market, the ‘private rented sector’ and the ‘owner occupier sector’. However, as I often stress when talking to my clients, one cannot forget the third sector, that being the ‘social housing sector’ (or council housing as some people call it).

In previous articles, I have spoken at length about the crisis in supply of property in Walsall (i.e. not enough property is being built), but in this article I want to talk about the other crisis – that of affordability. It is not just about the pure number of houses being built but also the balance of tenure (ownership vs rented) and therein, the affordability of housing, which needs to be considered carefully for an efficient and effectual housing market.

An efficient and effectual housing market is in everyone’s interests, including Walsall homeowners and Walsall landlords, so let me explain ..

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My BTL Deal Of The Day 2 Bed Semi Walsall WS2 Yields 5.31%

A good looking 2 bed semi on Darlaston Road, Walsall, WS2. It has a decent sized rear garden with an overlooking sun room. It’s a pretty good spec and  by the looks of the photos, doesn’t need anything doing to it, but as I always say, “that is what viewings are for”. There are two double bedrooms, a Modern style bathroom, but unfortunately there is no picture of the kitchen. There is a Veranda, which looks like it is being used as a utility room. Parking is off-road. Located on the main Darlaston Road it is not far from Walsall, Darlaston and Wednesbury town centres.

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My BTL Deal Of The Day Is A 3 Bed Semi In Rushall, Walsall, WS4 Yielding 5.57%.

This 3 bed semi detached home is situated on Burton Avenue, Rushall, Walsall, WS4.  On the market with Express Estate Agency (0161 300 3987) and marketed at £140k. The full details can be found here.

If you would like an instant online appraisal as to the rental value of your property, please click here.

From the outset I have to admit that the kerb appeal of this property isn’t that great, however, open the front door and it’s like you have entered through the tradesmans’ entrance to the secret world of Narnia. It’s large, open, full of light and neutrally decorated.

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£90,348 spent in Rent by Walsall Millennials Age 35

Walsall Rent Inreases Outstrips Inflation Since 2005
Walsall Rent Inreases Outstrips Inflation Since 2005

Millennials were born between the mid 1980’s and late 1990’s making them between the age of around 22 to late 30’s. They are the imaginative, artistic youngsters who grew up with the newest tech and computers and who are huge enthusiasts of music festivals, gourmet pizzas, emoji’s, selfies and old school nostalgia AKA…generation rent.

Countless Millennials have discovered that renting is a good choice for their shelter and accommodation needs without the hassle that comes from buying a home. Nonetheless, that is not the only reason they don’t buy property. When they should be concentrating on their profession, putting down roots and starting a family, Millennials are still going through the pressures and constraints on their finances of student loan liabilities whilst, at the same time, finding it hard-hitting to pay rent.

The hot topic at the moment is the cost of renting, as both our main political parties have seen mileage in wooing these Millennial Generation Renters. The average rent in Walsall is currently £618 per month making this a big-ticket item on the monthly budget. I was inquisitive to find out exactly how much Walsall Millennials will spend on rent by the time they reach their mid 30’s. The average age people leave home in the UK is 22; so looking at a Walsall 22-year-old (or Millennial) who left home in 2005 then between 2005 and today that Walsall Millennial will have shelled out £90,348 in rent.

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My BTL Deal Of The Day, 3 Bed Semi House, Larchwood Road, Walsall, WS5 With Yields Of 5.57%.

A very nicely presented three bedroom semi detached house on Larchwood Road, Tamebridge, Walsall, WS5. The asking price is £140k with Yopa (01322 584475), you can find the full property details here.

Located in the highly popular and very desirable Tamebridge estate, speaks volumes as to the location and therefore the potential for long term letting.

There are two double bedrooms and a single bedroom. There is a conservatory extension to the rear.

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“Will the Walsall Property Market Crash…?”

Will the Walsall Property Market Crash
Will the Walsall Property Market Crash…?

A question posed by a local portfolio landlord of mine last week.  Who would be the gainers and losers…?

Those Walsall people wanting property values to drop would be those 30 or 40 something’s, sitting on a sizeable amount of equity and hoping to trade up (because the percentage drop of your current ‘cheaper’ property will be much less than the same percentage drop of the more expensive property– and trading up is all about the difference). If you have children planning to buy their first home or you are a 20 something wanting to buy your first home – you want them to drop.  Also, Walsall landlords looking to add to their portfolio will want to bag a bargain (or two) and they would love a drop!

Yet, if you have recently bought a Walsall property with a gigantic mortgage, you’ll want property values to rise. If you are retired and are preparing to downsize, you will also want Walsall property values to rise (because you will have more cash left over after the move).  Also, if you, a landlord looking to sell your portfolio or a Walsall home owner, who has remortgaged to raise money for other projects (meaning you have very little equity), you will want property values to rise to enable you to put a bigger deposit down on the next purchase.

So, before I discuss my thoughts on the future, it’s important to look at the past…

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My BTL Deal Of The Day Is A 3 Bed Semi In Shelfield, WS4 Yielding 7.50%.

This 3 bed semi detached home is situated on Woodbridge Close, Shelfield, Walsall, WS4.  On the market with Bairstow Eves (01922 312791).  Priced at £100k, but asking for offers over that amount. The full details can be found here.

If you would like an instant online appraisal as to the rental value of your property, please click here.

The property looks well maintained and in good decorative order, but without an internal viewing it is difficult to assess what improvements are required, if any.

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Today’s Buy To Let Deal 2 Bed Terraced House, Penmire Grove, Walsall, WS4. With Yields Of 4.93%.

An immaculately presented 2 bedroom terraced house on Penmire Grove a new build housing estate about half a mile south of Rushall, Walsall, WS4. The property is being marketed by Bairstow eves (01922 321791) and added today!

I cannot say anymore about the spec other than can be seen on the photos. Needless to say go and have a look for yourselves, it will be worth it. Marketed at offers of over £140k, notwithstanding the spec, I think that the asking price is a little over what you should expect to pay.

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GDPR & Walsall Landlords

GDPR and Walsall Landlords
GDPR and Walsall Landlords

Don’t know about you but I had heard so much about the new GDPR laws which came into force towards the end of May 2018 that I thought many of my Blog reading friends wouldn’t wish to hear another word on the matter!!  On the contrary…I’ve received several requests to clear matters up for you guys especially, around your personal responsibility when it came to staying on the right side of the law.

If you are letting a property in Walsall or indeed the UK for that matter, GDPR for landlords certainly affects you in a few key ways.  Before I address these major changes, let’s take a quick look at how we got to this point.

A brief history of UK data protection

In essence, data protection regulation has been enforced in the UK as a way to ensure that businesses and business owners do not abuse or misuse the data of their customers.  The purpose is to ensure it is not just used correctly but also stored safely.  In the UK, the first Data Protection Act was introduced in 1984.

It has been subsequently revised over the years and in 1993, a famous case was brought forward which saw PC Brown being prosecuted for mishandling data.  Though the ruling was eventually overturned, it was a landmark case and UK businesses seemed to start taking data protection more seriously.

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Today’s BTL Deal 3 Bed Semi, New Forest Road, Walsall, WS3 Yields Of 5.21%.

A three bedroom semi detached house on a prestigious and popular estate in the Coalpool area in Walsall. Since major redevelopment in the area, the area’s profile has now been raised substantially making it a popular choice for rental.

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