Frequently Asked Questions
You can find frequently asked questions for our RICS expert services here. Find out more about property asset management, home valuation for divorce or commercial development.
Property Asset Management is a specialist topic which requires in-depth knowledge. Though there are experienced, professional asset managers such as Kent Property Witness to work on your behalf, it's still important to gain some basic knowledge of the process and how things work.
We have put together a small list of common questions we are often asked to hopefully help with your query, but if you have any further questions, please simply contact us via 01732 313 076 and one of our friendly team will be more than happy to help.
A property asset manager is there to manage your assets and give you the best financial advice. They can help with the following:
Residential Properties
Business Growth
Hiring Property Managers
Contract Negotiations
Commercial Properties
Asset Protection
Communication with clients, estate agents & other investors
Managing Income
Read more about property asset management.
Investors: They would need to know the property's value to work out ways to increase the value.
Potential Buyers: They would need to know the value of their property to work out if the price is acceptable.
People Looking to Sell their Property: The people looking to sell their property need to know how much to value it. Having your property valued also gives you insurance on your assets.
Read more about commercial property valuations in Kent.
Investors buy investment properties for financial gain. The investors will upgrade the value of the property and then earn a profit from the income. To purchase the property outright, investors will sometimes take out a loan.
Types of investment properties include:
Residential Investment Property
Industrial Investment Property
Are you looking for an investment property valuation?
If you are a leaseholder, you own the property, but you don't own the land that the property is built on; however, you own the property if you are a freeholder.
Find out more about our leasehold advice services.
Rent: For example, if the landlord is increasing the rent or the tenant isn't paying the rent
Breaching the tenancy agreement: Breaching the tenancy agreement could cause a dispute between the landlord and the tenant.
Condition of the property: For example, if there is any damage to the property caused by the tenants, or that has happened before the tenants move in, any repairs and ensuring the property is well maintained.
Read more about how we can help with landlord and tenant disputes in Kent.
The location that you would like to build your property
The height of the building; this is for the Right to Light law and the privacy of other homes
The environmental factors your land development plans could affect
Are you looking for land and development advice in Kent?
It is important to have your property valued following a divorce so that you will be able to choose an option that is best for your both. After your property has been valued, you can choose to either:
Sell your property
Buy out your partner
Buy out mortgage
Do you need advice about property valuation following a divorce?
Alternative dispute resolution (ABR) is used to avoid the other party using the litigation method, which is expensive and extremely time-consuming. There are many different types of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including:
Facilitation
Mediation
Arbitration
Expert Witness
Land Registry
Find out more about our boundary disputes surveyors.
Positive Covenants
This is a binding contract that must be agreed upon by the original landowners. This contract will state an action that you must take to do with the house or a land. This could include:
Maintaining the house or the garden
Building an extension
Paying for the maintenance and repair costs
When future landowners take over, if the actions stated in the covenant aren't completed, then the covenant can be reinforced back onto the original landowners.
Restrictive Covenants
These are rules regarding a specific plot of land, a house or a commercial property. Future landowners must accept these rules. The rules usually state that if the future landowners want to change the land or the property, they must consent from the original landowners. Restrictive covenants are usually put on places where the characteristics need to be preserved.
Do you want to find out more about covenants on a property?
The Comparison Method
Used to value the most common property types (warehouses, shops, houses and offices)
The Profits Method
Used when there are no comparable sale or rental transactions available
The Residual Method
Used to value a property that has potential for development or can be changed to make it a more profitable venture
The Contractor's Method
Usually used when you can't use comparative, profits or investment methods.
The Investment Method
Used to ascertain the market value of a freehold or leasehold interest of a property from its potential, which will generate future income
Read more about how a commercial property valuation is done.
It is essential to calculate your rental yield if you are looking to invest in a property. The easiest way to calculate the rental yield is to find out the yearly rental income. Once you have done this, you need to divide it by purchasing prices and costs. The figure that you get from this calculation, you need to multiply by 100, which will give you the rental yield percentage.
Find out more here about rental yield for an investment property.
An expert witness can be extremely beneficial for selling a house after a divorce, but it isn't essential. This is because expert witnesses can assist the judge with evidence, and they have all the necessary knowledge, experience and expertise of the rules and regulations.
Read more about how to value a house in a divorce.
It is so important to start planning for the future as soon as you can, as if you don't, your assets could become exposed to financial predators, commercial creditor, bankruptcy, divorce or the taxman. Asset protection is basically the planning stage to protect your assets.
Find out more information about asset protection for commercial property.
Commercial land is worth more than residential land because commercial lands have a higher potential income and are usually larger in size. The worth of the commercial land will depend on the following factors:
Location
Age
Condition
Demand
Potential Income
Read our full article answering: why does commercial land cost more?
In court proceedings, an expert witness is the one who will give the evidence. The court will trust the opinions, evidence, and facts from the expert witness as they will have the expertise, experience, and knowledge of that particular field.
If an expert witness has been accredited by RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors), then surveyors may ask them for independent information or advice regarding the cases involving land, properties, buildings, developments or leases.
Follow this link to find more details answering: what is a expert witness surveyor?
If you are looking for an RICS expert witness surveyor for Tonbridge And Kent get in contact today. Call 01732 313 076 or complete our contact form to forward an email enquiry.