Beware of hidden regulations

Landlords are being urged to swot up before bidding on properties with regulated tenancies. These give a tenant the right to be in a property for life, often at 50 to 70 per cent of market rent. Chris Baguley, director at Auction Finance, says a property with a regulated tenancy can still be a great investment. “You get a fixed rent and when the tenant leaves, you get normal rights of ownership. I’ve seen an investor buy properties for £20,000 less than other houses on the same street. However, the tenants were in their 50s with a rent fixed at £50 a week.

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Feel at home in Israel

Buying a holiday flat or house in Israel is exciting, but turning it into a dream home takes effort. New owners need expert know-how and local guidance. That’s where Ligia Garfinkel, an architect and designer and Chagit Gaon, a home stylist, come in. This professional Israeli duo can integrate everything from planning and design, supervising workmen and accompanying the owners on shopping expeditions for furnishings, appliances and fittings.

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A classy address

Estate agent Savills has published research showing that access to a good school has an important effect on local house prices. Homes in the vicinity of the top-performing 25 per cent of secondary schools now cost 16 per cent more than their county average, up from 13 per cent in 2007. Homes in areas with a combination of good state and independent schools can be worth two or three times their county average. During the recent downturn, property prices around the top 25 per cent of schools fell by just under 16 per cent, suggesting that good schools can help recession-proof a home.

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Agent's 20th anniversary

Estate agent David Harris & Co is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The firm, in Finchley, north London, opened on August 1, 1989.

David Harris, principal of the firm, recalls that because of the terrible economic conditions in the late ’80s, the timing could not have been worse.

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Retiring to rural life - in London

Tony Locke, 63, was concerned about his move from the rural idyll of Epping Forest to London, but it turned out to be full of a pleasant surprises. Mr Locke, a project manager for a construction company, says: “Work commitments made it impossible for me to stay in Epping Forest, but when I decided to move from my secluded house to London, I was prepared for a big change!

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