Letting Agent, are there letting agents that only give advice and help when needed?

McKechnieGray

I live in Cornwall.
I have planning permission to restore a barn so that I can rent it to tenants.
I will be new to being a landlord and don't have much of a clue about contracts, finding a suitable tenant, electricity, water, 'phone etc.,
I have contacted an Estate Agent to use to manage the rental but I think I can do what they offer after it has been set up and save on the commission.
One estate agent, I asked as a prospective agent, candidly said that he thought that I could do it myself.
I did see an agent on the net who offered specialist knowledge about letting only "as and when" it was needed by the landlord but I lost the site.
Does anyone know of agents who would do this and is it a good idea to do it yourself?
Thanks

grumiofoundation

I will be new to being a landlord and don't have much of a clue about contracts, finding a suitable tenant, electricity, water, 'phone etc.

One estate agent, I asked as a prospective agent, candidly said that he thought that I could do it myself.

These two statements don't really go together. The former suggests you should get an agent to manage it. 

LegallyLandlord

It’s actually really easy to manage your own property. Particularly if it’s in good repair, which it will be if you’ve just converted it. You just need to learn about the various legal responsibilities of landlords, and the processes to follow. It’s not rocket science, but you have to be methodical and follow the rules. 

You can either do the whole thing yourself, by using Openrent, use a letting agent to find a tenant and you manage, or hand the whole thing over to a letting agent.

it might make sense to use an agent to find your first tenant, with you managing it yourself afterwards. It’s what I did, and I later took over the whole thing, including finding tenants. 

Firstly I’d recommend joining the NRLA as they have excellent resources, and a helpline for landlords: https://www.nrla.org.uk/ you can also benefit from discounts eg 15% for Carpetright and 10% for B&Q and special deals at AO.com. They will be handy for when you’re converting the barn. 

Secondly, here’s a new landlords guide: https://theindependentlandlord.com/new-landlords-guide/

Thirdly, here’s a guide to self-managing https://theindependentlandlord.com/self-managing-rental-properties/

I hope that helps. If you have any questions, my DMs are open. Or you can reply here, and tag me (otherwise I’ll miss it). 

Thanks 

macman

Why do you think restoring it to rent is preferable to restoring it for sale?

theartfullodger

To be a lettings agent in England requires no qualifications, no training, no criminal records check.  The whole office could literally be staffed by ex-cons from Wandsworth prison where they were serving time for fraud and GBH.

I wouldn't rely on their opinions.  Many - MANY - haven't a clue.  

propertyrental

Read

Post 7: New landlords (1):advice & information :see links in next post

Post 8: New landlords (2): Essential links for further information

Post 9: Letting agents: how should a landlord select or sack?

and then

Post 2: Repairing Obligations: the law, common misconceptions, reporting/enforcing, retaliatory eviction & the new tenant protection (2015) plus the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018

Post 3: Deposits: Payment, Protection and Return.

Post 4: Ending/renewing an AST: what happens when a fixed term ends? How can a LL or tenant end a tenancy? What is a periodic tenancy?

Post 5: Rent increases: when & how can rent be increased?

If you are going to self-manage (and yes, you can) you need to educate yourself on the legal and practical aspects involved.

Making a mistake early on can bite you badly in the b*m later on!

_Penny_Dreadful

McKechnieGray said:

I live in Cornwall.
I have planning permission to restore a barn so that I can rent it to tenants.
I will be new to being a landlord and don't have much of a clue about contracts, finding a suitable tenant, electricity, water, 'phone etc.,
I have contacted an Estate Agent to use to manage the rental but I think I can do what they offer after it has been set up and save on the commission.
One estate agent, I asked as a prospective agent, candidly said that he thought that I could do it myself.
I did see an agent on the net who offered specialist knowledge about letting only "as and when" it was needed by the landlord but I lost the site.
Does anyone know of agents who would do this and is it a good idea to do it yourself?
Thanks

If I wanted specialised knowledge or advice the last place I’d go is to a letting agent. Then again I would do a lot more research into what being a landlord entails before deciding to become one. 

Join an organisation such as NRLA and at least take the foundation course. 

dimbo61

So is this going to be a Holiday let or Let to a family on a long term tenancy ?
Airbnb or Openrent ?
Cornwall Tourist Board or Sykes  Cottages
What are your plans for the Barn ?
So many questions before you think about renting or selling !
EICR,  Gas ? Solar panels, heat pumps ? 
Energy efficiency,  type of build 
Location Cornwall so tourist hotspot