tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2009-11-08:/LetaLife - Where landlords, tenants and agents have been finding each other since September 2000.MokoFeed2009-11-08T04:48:03+01:00tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2009-01-27:/2009/01/27/estate-agents-offered-leta-lifeline-5458069/LetaLife2009-01-27T18:53:54+01:002009-01-27T19:02:27+01:00 <p>Some lucky agents are already reaping the benefits of LetaLife's <strong>free</strong> advertising by getting their agency onto our established UK Letting Agent Directory Pages and feeding ALL their adverts to LetaLife automatically.</p> <p>LetaLife is committed to helping as many Letting and Estate Agents cling on and even turn the situation around into business succcess.</p> <p>LetaLife is actually seeing an upturn in visitor numbers in defiance of the 'depression'.</p> <p>This is why LetaLife pledges that the basic listing and display of feeds will <strong>always</strong> be a free service. </p> <p>However agents will not get their free agency directory listed if they do not feed to us.</p> <p>We have quite a queue of interested agents and we have already added many to our site. </p> <p>But some agents will not be so lucky as the rest.</p> <p>Because of the IT 'support' some agents have unfortunately contracted to, they are being prevented from taking up this offer from LetaLife and one would presume similar offers from other portals.</p> <p>However we are finding that certain IT companies are proposing to charge agents fees to set up feeds to our website - despite the fact they are already feeding in exactly the same format to other portals. Some others ask us to pay them a large set up fee, despite the fact they are already feeding in the same format to others. One company even wanted to charge both us AND their client!!!</p> <p>It seems amazing that given the economic climate that IT companies would not realise that if their clients go to the wall because of one last straw that breaks the camel's back, then they will go down the plughole too.</p> <p>Luckily these IT companies are very definitely in the minority. On the other side of the coin are some very efficient and far sighted IT professionals who realise that this is not the time to be grasping at every last penny piece.</p> <p>I will be listing the companies we have had good experiences with. </p> <p>We do not get any commission from these companies to recommend them.<br> The benefit we get by recommending them is that if you find a company that is happy to provide you with a superior service at a fraction of the cost (and in some cases no cost at all), then you will remember we helped you and you will use our website in the future.</p> <p>Because it does the job for you and helps support you through a tricky time.</p> <p>Without you we are nothing.</p> <p>We will never be too big for our boots to remember that.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2009/01/27/estate-agents-offered-leta-lifeline-5458069/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-12-19:/2008/12/19/uk-letting-agents-can-now-list-their-agency-and-properties-free-on-letalife-com-5247579/LetaLife2008-12-19T21:33:27+01:002008-12-19T21:38:15+01:00 <p>As LetaLife's contribution to helping Letting Agents beat the credit crunch we have developed this exciting new system.  Letting agents who feed their list of rental vacancies to us automatically can not only benefit from having their properties advertised on the most consistently popular UK rental property website, but they can also list their agency on our letting agency directory.</p> <p>The feed submission and agency listing will always be free as a basic package.  This is not an introductory offer, it is a permanent state of affairs.</p> <p>So save your typing hands and get in touch so that from now on ALL your adverts can be seen on LetaLife.</p> <p>For more details visit the<a href="http://www.letalife.com/agents.htm"> Letting Agents Information Page on LetaLife.com</a></p> <p>Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - Let LetaLife help you to make it a more prosperous one!!</p> <p></p> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/19/uk-letting-agents-can-now-list-their-agency-and-properties-free-on-letalife-com-5247579/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-10-24:/2008/10/24/what-to-do-if-you-have-a-problem-withletalifecom-4922909/LetaLife2008-10-24T09:35:36+02:002008-10-24T09:39:39+02:00 <p>It is always useful to get feedback from the lovely people who use Letalife.com</p> <p>Given how busy our site is, we get a lot of emails to keep us up to date on how our visitors are getting along with us.  It isn't always entirely complimentary, (although it is mostly) but I have always felt that when a person has an issue with our website (thankfully that seems to be fairly rare) it is a good thing for them to let us know all about it.</p> <p>If a person has a difficulty then it is our chance to learn from that experience and hopefully improve our service so that we can do a better job for everyone.</p> <p>Sometimes people have concerns about how we manage data, or how the LAPS (LetaLife Advertiser Privacy System)  operates or other difficulties. </p> <p>If you have a concern or issue about us first read the relevant pages on the website</p> <p><a href="http://www.letalife.com/faq.htm">LetaLife.com Help Page</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.letalife.com/info.htm">LetaLife.com About Us page - which includes information on how to get the best from the site</a></p> <p>Then if that doesn't help please do email me, or comment via the blog.</p> <p>We are not faceless 'suits' and we are genuinely concerned that LetaLife gives a good service and that no one should ever feel anxious or concerned about  using our website or services.</p> <p>Every so often I do a trawl on the 'interweb' to check what is going on with our image online.  All good businesses should do that every so often, or they should have someone who does the job for them.  I do it myself because I am terminally curious (OK nosy) and a bit of a control freak like lots of Geeks.  Plus, how cool is it to be sitting browsing the web for a couple of hours and being able to call it work?</p> <p>Now and again I find that someone has had some worry about our website and instead of <a href="mailto:michele@letalife.com">emailing us/me </a>, they have posted on a forum or in their blog.</p> <p>That is my chance to settle their concerns.  But, it would be nicer for everyone (especially if the person is really worried about something) if they contacted LetaLife directly and gave us a chance in the first instance to calm their fears.</p> <p>More seriously, if I find inaccurate or misleading stuff about my business then I need to contact those people to try and get that sorted.  I don't find everything though, so if you find anything online that worries you about LetaLife I would ask you kindly to please do ask us first before making your mind up.</p> <p>Just to be very clear, LetaLife is an ethical, family run business.  We comply with OFCOM and ICSTIS regulations and all data Protection Regulations.  In fact we have our own strict set of moral and ethical guidelines which go far and beyond what is legally required.  It is important to us to be able to go to sleep at night knowing we have completely clear consciences.</p> <p>So - no spam</p> <p>         no divulging of personal data (other than stuff specifically given for the purposes of publishing online in your adverts)</p> <p>         no phone scams</p> <p>And just to make things clear for those of you who may be in any doubt</p> <p>WE ARE NOT LETTING / ESTATE AGENTS</p> <p>We just publish property rental adverts online for tenants, landlords and letting agents - like a classified section of a newspaper, but online.</p> <p>If anyone claims to be a letting agent employed by LetaLife they are telling fibs, please let us know if this happens.</p> <p>So again, many thanks to those of you who take the time to let us know how we can improve.  Many more thanks to those of you who do that politely <img src="/img/smilies/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" class="middle" border="0"></p> <p>Take care,</p> <p>Michele<br> <a href="http://www.letalife.com">LetaLife.com</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/10/24/what-to-do-if-you-have-a-problem-withletalifecom-4922909/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-10-22:/2008/10/22/getting-a-listing-on-letalife-sletting-agent-directory-4912994/LetaLife2008-10-22T15:10:04+02:002008-12-22T12:13:19+01:00 <a title="Post detail page of "UK Letting Agents can now list their agency and properties free on LetaLife.com"" href="http://letalife.blog.co.uk/2008/12/19/uk-letting-agents-can-now-list-their-agency-and-properties-free-on-letalife-com-5247579"> <span class="inner"> <span class="name">UK Letting Agents can now list their agency and properties free on LetaLife.com</span> </span> </a> <p></p> <p class="post-info"><small> <span class="post-author"> <span></span></span><span class="post-time"><span class="time">Added to update original post.  Update added on Monday December 22nd 2008 - click on link above to find out about new system.  Post below no longer applies.<br>_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________<br></span> </span> </small></p> <p>It costs <span>£</span>50 per annum per town - to list a UK Letting Agent on the LetaLife Letting Agents Directory pages.  There are no longer any free listings being added.</p> <p>If you want to list your agency on our site you need to first decide on which pages you want your agency to appear<em><strong><span>.</span></strong></em></p> <p>Look at our <a href="http://www.letalife.com/letting_agent_search.asp">Letting Agent Directory</a> and choose from one or more of over 1,760 places our covers across the UK.</p> <p>If you already have a 'free listing' and you wish to upgrade in order to improve your page position and take advantage of other benefits - please <a href="mailto:upgrade@letalife.com"><span>email us</span></a> directly.</p> <p>It costs <strong>£50 </strong>per annum to be listed on each town/city/village page. Please Note: We no longer add free listings to our pages.</p> <p>Your £50 per annum pays for an enhanced listing on the next available position on your chosen page and also includes an enhanced listing on the appropriate county page.  So that means TWO directory pages where you are listed and where you get a link to your own website from LetaLife.  From each of those pages we link to your own LetaLife Registered Letting Agent page.  This is your showcase on LetaLife, allowing you to sell your services and your company in your own words and allows you to help prospective clients make an informed choice, by displaying images of your office or your company logo.  This page will also link to your website and carries direct contact information and details of any your membership professional organisations such as ARLA etc.</p> <p>So you get a total of THREE pages on which you can be found by searches on Google and which link back to your own website, helping to optimise your own website's search engine ranking.</p> </p> <p>Listing positions are allocated on a 1st come 1st served basis.</p> <p> </p> </p> <p>Only 5 agents will be listed per page.</p> <p> </p> Your listing fee of £50 per annum per place will secure the next available position on each place page (towns, villages, cities) - this includes inclusion on next available space on the relevant county page.</p> <p>Enhanced listings appear above 'old' free listings, which will move down the pages as paid listings are added.</p> <p> </p> <p>Here's the link to the form where you can apply to list your agency on LetaLife.com</p> <span><strong><a href="http://www.letalife.com/agt_register_n.asp">Register your letting agency on LetaLife - the Number 1 UK Property Letting Site</a></strong></span><span> <br></span> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/10/22/getting-a-listing-on-letalife-sletting-agent-directory-4912994/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-10-13:/2008/10/13/estate-agents-learning-the-best-things-in-life-are-free-4864878/LetaLife2008-10-13T16:07:18+02:002008-10-25T14:49:52+02:00 <p><span>This </span><span>article about <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/city-news/2008/10/11/wrongmove-for-estate-agents-115875-20794171/">UK estate agents  and Rightmove</a>  using a weakly amusing pun (Wrongmove) to make a serious point</span><span> caught my eye today when browsing through the Daily Mirror.  </p> <p>According to the article it appears that estate agents are leaving the Rightmove property website having come to the conclusion that their fees are an expense too many in the current financial climate.</p> <p>It is at times like these that websites such as LetaLife shine out as a beacon of hope to struggling estate and letting agents with minimal budget for advertising and a need to reach the maximum audience of tenants and landlords.</p> <p>LetaLife has consistently for a large number of years put its advertisers inventory in front of the right people at the right time and usually for no expenditure on the agent's part other than the time taken to submit the advert.  If the agent writes a good advert (and we even take time out to give a bit of advice on that if asked nicely) they can be fairly certain that the tenant or property they are seeking will get in touch  if they have placed their advert on LetaLife.</p> <p>This is because we have taken time to ensure that our website is Google friendly and so adverts are found by tenants and landlords from the outset, even if they are amongst the very few people who don't go straight to us as a matter of course when looking for rental property or tenants in the UK.</p> <p>Savvy letting agents have always known that LetaLife gets them results.  Now that we have images enabled for paid adverts, the really clued up agents place their properties as a paid advert and chose to keep the top spot in their town and county for SIX weeks.  Ensuring maximum response for their adverts.</p> <p>So a SIX WEEK top placement advert on the most consistently popular UK property website - that's got to be pricey yes?  </p> <p>Well actually it will cost the agent a maximum of £30.</p> <p>This is an advert that will carry the agent's email address (if wanted) and send prospects straight to them via the phone as well - for SIX weeks.</p> <p>That advert can also be amended so that if the property advertised is rented in that time, the agent can change the details for another property - AT NO EXTRA COST.</p> <p>You have to give us credit for doing our best to help struggling agents achieve their targets.</p> <p>Visit <a href="http://www.letalife.com/"><strong>LetaLife's website</strong> </a>and see for yourself.<br></span></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/10/13/estate-agents-learning-the-best-things-in-life-are-free-4864878/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-09-13:/2008/09/13/xl-goes-bust-who-will-be-next-4721172/LetaLife2008-09-13T10:03:27+02:002008-10-24T09:05:07+02:00 <p>It is horribly sad when a company like  <a href="http://www.xl.com/">XL holiday company goes under</a>.  The ripples are far reaching and are not just restricted to the people who have had their much longed for holiday snatched away from them at the last minute and leaving them with very little chance of rearranging their plans.</p> <p>Luckily there are <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7611849.stm">many ways for most people to get their money back </a> - especially if they purchased their holiday or tickets using credit cards and spent more than £100 in a transaction - as they are then protected under the consumer credit act (Section 75) which is legislation regarding credit card purchases between £100 and £3000 to protect people from not getting the services or goods for which they have paid.</p> <p>But how can people be more confident in future when booking holidays?</p> <p>Also if you are a holiday villa or flat owner and have previously 'sold on' your vacancies via a large holiday company like XL you may have been badly hit by this sort of collapse.  There are many small holiday accommodation owners who have done this and now found that they may have lost an entire year's income as it has been swallowed up in the big company's demise.  This can hit small local economies quite badly and cause little mini economic depressions in already struggling areas.</p> <p>One of the reasons that we are very keen to get our Letalife Holiday website up and running is exactly this.  We have always arranged our own personal holidays directly with accommodation owners and bought flights directly online.  Although the purchasers of XL flights who bought directly online from XL.com are not covered by ATOL, they are covered if they bought tickets for more than £100 and bought using a credit card.</p> <p>We have always found that by buying accommodation and flight seperately it means that we spread the risk of potential difficulties.  If there is a problem with the accommodation (and we insure separately for this and/or pay by credit card where possible) and not the flight then we can always find alternative accommodation and if the flight goes wrong then we still have accommodation and can arrange alternative travel - or rely on insurance to cover the costs.</p> <p>If you are an accommodation owner then it makes more sense to deal directly with holiday makers if you can.  That way you are also spreading the risk.  If one person's holiday fall through, it is a loss but it won't break you.  If you have booked all your availability out via one big company, you are then in a strangle hold.  Not only at risk of financial disaster should they fail like XL, but also at their mercy when they decide what percentage of the cost they have charged the holiday maker they will pass across to you.</p> <p>Cutting out the middle man, can cut risks to both parties if done sensibly and with precautions, and can also mean that the holiday maker can get a cheaper holiday while the accommodation owner makes more money from the rental.  A complete Win-Win situation.</p> <p>Just as LetaLife came out of our own personal experiences as tenants and landlords, so we hope that Holiday LetaLife will turn out to be just as useful a resource for holiday makers having come from our own experiences as holiday makers ourselves.</p> <p>All best wishes from Michele at LetaLife.com </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/09/13/xl-goes-bust-who-will-be-next-4721172/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-08-04:/2008/08/04/negative-equity-can-it-be-a-positive-thi-4542527/LetaLife2008-08-04T18:35:57+02:002008-08-04T18:35:57+02:00 <p>As negative equity rears its ugly head again in the UK property market I feel it is time to tell my story and my experience of this rather interesting phenomena.</p> <p>I have been unlucky enough to watch my property value drop on no less than three different occassions.</p> <p>Once in the early 80's I bought a house for the princely sum of £26,000 and then sold it a few years later for £23,000 - which at the time seemed an enormous financial disaster.</p> <p>Then in the early 90's a house I had been living in for a number of years saw its value drop from £38,000 to £32,000, the lower price being the one operational when I had to sell it in order to move for work purposes.</p> <p>By the mid 90's I was actually trapped by negative equity as the property in question was valued at more than £10,000 less than the mortgage we owed on it and at the time we were not in a position to take that loss on the chin.</p> <p>You would think that anyone who found themselves in this sort of position more than twice would be destined to a life of poverty and failure.</p> <p>But that has been far from the truth.</p> <p>If anything those experiences  taught me a lot and the last episode of negative equity actually was the key to the independent lifestyle I now enjoy.</p> <p>Because of that negative equity, my family was forced to start renting as tenants in the new area in which my husband had found work, and we were forced into the position of reluctant landlords in order to keep up the mortgage on the property we were stuck with in our original home area.</p> <p>The difficulties in finding suitable letting agents both as landlord and as tenants, and the difficulties of managing to find and rent property out of area, and manage a tenancy many miles away from where we lived were many and complicated.</p> <p>But out of that struggle the idea for LetaLife was born.  Out that idea, came the reality.  By the time Letalife went online we had been able to pay off the negative equity on the old property and sell it on.  But by then we had plenty of experience as tenants and landlords and that meant we knew what we would have wanted in a property rental website.</p> <p>It meant that we understood the stresses and strains involved and had a genuine impulse to alleviate at least a few of them where we could.</p> <p>Not everyone will be able to get quite as much from a negative situation as we were able to get out of ours.  But to all of you out there with this sort of problem I would say please don't let it depress you too much.  It is understandable to feel down and frightened and anxious about all the financial implications, but read it up on the internet, find some good advice from somewhere and keep believing in yourself.</p> <p>There is always a future and no matter how bleak things seem, they can always get better.  It sounds glib and trivialising but money isn't everything and try to focus on the things you do have going for you at times of financial hardship.  Relationships, friends,humour etc  Look for something every day to make you laugh or smile.  </p> <p>Keep open to new ideas and maybe what seems like your very worst moment could just be the impetus to propel you into your very best of times.</p> <p>Take it from someone who has been there, done that, and got the t-shirt - 3 times <img class="smiley" src="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/tinymce/jss/plugins/blogdeemotions/smilies/13confused.gif" border="0" alt=""> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/08/04/negative-equity-can-it-be-a-positive-thi-4542527/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-08-03:/2008/08/03/what-do-you-want-from-a-holiday-accomoda-4535734/LetaLife2008-08-03T09:04:54+02:002008-08-03T09:04:54+02:00 <p><strong>Holiday LetaLife </strong>is progressing well. The techies are now busy coding up the various facilities to make it easily usable and able to carry as much information as possible without getting so complicated to use that advertisers will be put off.</p> <p>If you are a holiday accommodation owner looking for a cost effective and efficient way to both find holiday makers to fill your holiday property and also manage your vacancy inventory online - are there certain facilities that you would like to see incorporated into Holiday LetaLife?</p> <p>If so now is the time to tell us so we can consider your requirements.</p> <p>Similarly if you are a person who likes to look for foreign holidays or holidays in the UK online - what would you find helpful in a holiday accommodation website?</p> <p>LetaLife always has the needs and requirements of the landlord, tenant and agent at the forefront of our motivation - so if you have any suggestions - just tell us on the comments section of the blog.</p> <p><strong>Update on Server Move</strong><br> LetaLife is back online following a sucessful server move. We are grateful that nothing 'unforeseen' happened and the planned move was smooth and professional.</p> <p>So all is back to normal and full steam ahead. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/08/03/what-do-you-want-from-a-holiday-accomoda-4535734/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-08-02:/2008/08/02/letalife-will-soon-be-back-online-4533834/LetaLife2008-08-02T17:35:23+02:002008-08-02T17:35:23+02:00 <p>LetaLife's planned server move is taking place this weekend. The website will be down until mid morning tomorrow.</p> <p>Emails will not get through on the usual address during that time.</p> <p>If you have an urgent need to contact us you can get in touch using</p> <p><a href="mailto:Letalife@live.co.uk">Letalife@live.co.uk</a></p> <p>Have a lovely weekend </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/08/02/letalife-will-soon-be-back-online-4533834/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-27:/2008/07/27/a-taste-of-things-to-come-4505570/LetaLife2008-07-27T12:31:41+02:002008-07-27T12:36:52+02:00 <p><img src="http://data5.blog.de/media/250/2690250_447455d9f3_m.png" alt="shoreline 3" hspace="5" vspace="5"></p> <p>Here's the first draft of the Holiday LetaLife Logo.</p> <p>I think there are too many greens going on here and so we will have to tone it down a bit, but I like the Sun set aspect a lot.  The energy and 'Zap' is there but it may be a little bit too garish for now.</p> <p>But it's certainly bright and cheerful and I like the LetaLife Holiday Hut.</p> <p>I am torn between using this as our Holiday logo and using the usual Letalife house but wearing sunglasses <img class="smiley" src="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/tinymce/jss/plugins/blogdeemotions/smilies/smiley-cool2.gif" border="0" alt=""> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/27/a-taste-of-things-to-come-4505570/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-27:/2008/07/27/letalife-looks-ahead-4505503/LetaLife2008-07-27T12:17:07+02:002008-07-27T12:17:07+02:00 <p>Now that the main LetaLife site has property rental adverts with pictures working we are able to turn our focus to new avenues.</p> <p>As with the picture adverts the 'new' avenues are services and facilities for property owners and potential renters that I have been longing to implement for years and years but until now simply haven't had the resource to be able to make them a reality.</p> <p>While other women dream of losing weight (although honestly that would be nice too), goin gon an exotic holiday, meeting that special man, getting the promotion they've been working for or achieving fame and fortune - my dreams are a bit sad and nerdy though I say so myself.</p> <p>I have long dreamed of a LetaLife Internet Empire.</p> <p>A cohort of LetaLife websites integrating with each other and yet individually discrete and distinctive.  The first two of those new sites are currently in production as this post is being written and I am very very excited about it.</p> <p>The sexiest of the two is the LetaLife Holiday Website.  While the main LetaLife is a solid and useful website that does a great job and helps put landlords, tenants and letting agents in touch in their thousands every month, it isn't particularly glamorous.  When people ask me about my business I can sometimes feel myself nodding off as I try to explain it to them.  Day to day there are fun aspects of course, but you have to be there to appreciate it.</p> <p>If someone isn't actively looking for the best UK Property Rental Portal because they are actively looking for somewhere to call home or they are trying to fill their property with tenants or find a lodger or house/flat mate - there isn't much to grab the attention or fire the imagination.  By the time I've finished explaining that no I'm not an estate agent and no I don't own rental property myself, their eyes are glazing over and its time to insert some sort of totally unrelated joke into the conversation before they doze off completely.</p> <p>But LetaLife Holiday Website...  I have high hopes for that as a conversation piece.  I dream of the luxury apartments in exotic and far flung places with full colour pictures and exciting descriptions which will populate our holiday accommodation website.</p> <p>I will have to do a bit of research into the various places and that will no doubt improve my geography and expand my general knowledge about the world.  I might even go and visit some of these places.</p> <p>Hopefully the Letalife Holiday Website will be the sort of place where people can go and browse amongst the gorgeous expensive holiday offerings and if they are lucky enough to be able to afford them, contact the owners or agents and book the holiday of a lifetime.</p> <p>Alternatively there will be many many more affordable but no less life affirming destinations and accommodations to suit every pocket and budget.</p> <p>Holiday LetaLife will be a place on the internet where not only my dream but the dreams of many people will be able to be made into reality - and I can't think of a more exciting prospect than that!!! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/27/letalife-looks-ahead-4505503/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-26:/2008/07/26/the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men-4502373/LetaLife2008-07-26T16:41:37+02:002008-07-26T16:41:37+02:00 <p>LetaLife's planned server move has been postponed until NEXT weekend !!</p> <p>So we will be online as usual after all - for the weekend of 26th and 27th July will be business as usual.</p> <p>But NEXT weekend 2nd and 3rd of August we will be having the server move.</p> <p>Isn't technology wonderful ? <img src="/img/smilies/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" class="middle" border="0"> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/26/the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men-4502373/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-26:/2008/07/26/missing-letalife-4500307/LetaLife2008-07-26T08:10:38+02:002008-07-26T08:10:38+02:00 <p>Letalife's servers are being moved today on Saturday 26th July 2008. We shouldn't be offline for more than 16 hours over the UK late afternoon/evening time period.</p> <p>If you can wait and come back later - great. In fact if you are placing a paid advert, this may give you a bit of a breathing space to read the post about how to place images on LetaLife photo adverts.</p> <p>Please take note of the SIZE images we request you link to from TinyPic - the Website/Email (320x240) choice - this will ensure that you get the very best result on your dedicated picture advert page, with optimum layout.</p> <p>Have a great weekend,</p> <p>Michele from LetaLife.com</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/26/missing-letalife-4500307/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-24:/2008/07/24/letalife-com-where-has-it-gone-4492088/LetaLife2008-07-24T11:21:11+02:002008-07-24T18:09:24+02:00 <p>We are moving servers at some point over this weekend (26th and 27th of July 2008). </p> <p>We shouldn't be offline for more than 16 hours while the servers are moved.</p> <p>Sorry for any incovenience during this time - we will be back as soon as possible. </p> <p>Contact us at </p> <p><a href="mailto:letalife@live.co.uk"><strong>letalife@live.co.uk</strong></a> if you have any urgent queries while the servers are down as the usual email address ( <a href="mailto:contact@letalife.com"><strong>contact@letalife.com</strong></a>)won't be active during this period.</p> <p><br> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/24/letalife-com-where-has-it-gone-4492088/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-24:/2008/07/24/safety-tips-for-online-advertising-from--4492020/LetaLife2008-07-24T11:01:42+02:002008-07-24T18:10:35+02:00 <strong>Looking online for somewhere to live?</strong> <br> Whether you are looking for a flat, room, house, bungalow or an accomodation share, there are risks that tenants need to consider when using a website to look for somewhere to live.<br> Here are 10 tips to help keep you safe. </p> <p> <p><strong>Don't put personal contact details on the internet - there's no need to.<br> </strong>Use LetaLife.com for added safety as we provide you with a virtual telephone number &ndash; a LAPS number which saves you from having to give out any personal contact details online, until you are ready to do so.<br>  </p> <p>This means that you can protect yourself from unpleasant callers in the rare occasion this may occur, as we can immediately remove the advert, cease the LAPS number and the caller will no longer have any method of contacting you.<br> </p> <p><br> If you publish your own phone number online &ndash; you might have to go to the inconvenience and or expense of changing your landline number or mobile phone, if you get unpleasant calls.<br> </p> <p><br> More usually it means that once you have found suitable accommodation &ndash; the advert can be removed and you don&rsquo;t need to answer loads of calls just to tell them that you have already found somewhere.</p> <p><strong><br> Use phone security technology - use 141</strong><br> If replying to an advert on LetaLife to find a new rental place to live &ndash; always remember that the telephone numbers on the adverts are NOT the advertisers&rsquo; own numbers. But they redirect to the advertiser&rsquo;s phone. When using the LAPS system if you don&rsquo;t use 141 before dialling the advertiser will be able to find out your number by dialling 1471.<br> </p> <p><br> <strong>Safety in numbers.</strong><br> If you can possibly avoid it you shouldn't go to view a room or rental property on your own. Take at least one other person with you and tell other people where you are going. If you really have to go alone, make sure you tell someone exactly where you are going and arrange to contact them at a certain time to tell them you are safely back.<br>  </p> <p><strong>Safer to go by car.</strong><br> If possible go to view rental property by car with someone you know.<br> </p> <p><br> <strong>Don't get lost.<br> </strong>Make sure you know exactly where the rental property you are viewing is, so you don&rsquo;t get lost in unfamiliar surroundings. You can find places on the internet (<a href="http://www.multimap.com/"><a href="http://www.multimap.com">http://www.multimap.com</a></a>) and get a map print-out or invest in a relevant A-Z book if you are new to the area.</p> <p><strong>Trust your instincts(i)</strong><br> If someone makes you feel uncomfortable on the phone - Don&rsquo;t give out your own phone number to them. Use 141 if you are calling them for the first time and explain to them why you are doing this if they ask.<br> </p> <p><br> <strong>Do your homework.</strong><br> If you are new to the area - ask the advertiser first &ndash; is it a rough area? Is it the sort of area where you will feel safe renting? Then ask around people you know at work or college or even check out the area on the internet to find out about the general safety of the area where the property/accommodation is. You can find this sort of thing out by typing the area name into Google and then looking on the Groups section. If you are at college ask your accommodation office for advice about &lsquo;safe&rsquo; areas. A good website to find out about places is <a href="http://www.knowhere.co.uk/"><a href="http://www.knowhere.co.uk">http://www.knowhere.co.uk</a></a> </p> <p><strong>Trust your instincts(ii)</strong><br> If this is a shared accommodation &ndash; ask to meet the other tenants and trust your feelings. If they make you feel uncomfortable or uneasy &ndash; then keep looking &ndash; there will be somewhere else more suitable for you to live.<br> </p> <p><br> <strong>Don't give out the wrong signals.</strong><br> When advertising for accommodation be careful how you word your adverts. Don&rsquo;t mention physical attractiveness and personal details &ndash; but stick to facts about the sort of accomodation you are seeking or how you can be relied on to pay the rent, provide references etc. otherwise you may get the wrong sort of phone calls.<br> </p> <p><br> <strong>Don't place children at risk.<br> </strong>It is not recommended to look for shared accommodation if you have children &ndash; as you might unwittingly be placing them at risk from strangers.  </p> <p>These are not comprehensive, but a selection of tips to help you when using the internet to seek a room, house, flat or any other kind of accommodation. If you think of anything that might be important to add to this page please let us know.</p> <p><strong>As part of our policy to promote your safety LetaLife.com:<br> </strong><br> * reads each advert before placing it online to protect our visitors from inappropriate material</p> <p>* Provides each landlord, tenant or property letting agent who advertises on our site with the free use of a virtual telephone number to protect you from nuisance calls or worse</p> <p>* Puts together and publishes common sense tips.</p> <p><br> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/24/safety-tips-for-online-advertising-from--4492020/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-23:/2008/07/23/title-4487504/LetaLife2008-07-23T11:07:00+02:002008-07-24T18:12:06+02:00 <p>I will be posting some advice for prospective tenants tomorrow.</p> <p>Now that Summer is here and many people are feeling the effects of the credit crunch it is time to start thinking of more creative ways of getting the most out of life without spending vast quantities of cash.</p> <p><strong><u>Cheaper Holiday Ideas</u></strong></p> <p>One way to do that is to find a cheaper way of having a holiday.  LetaLife is unusual in that it allows for people to place free 'Wanted' adverts on its property pages.  More interestingly people are able to say in their own words what they are looking for.  We don't narrowly categorise adverts and let those people reading our pages or searching on Google make their own minds up about what it is they want to find or look for.</p> <p>So it is perfectly feasible to advertise that you want  holiday accommodation for a week or a fortnight on our pages and on the correct pages to do so.</p> <p>People with furnished accommodation who have a vacancy may consider letting to holiday makers - but bear in mind you may have to pay a refundable deposit against breakages etc</p> <p><strong><u>Do you live in a holiday area?<br> </u></strong><br> If you live in an area traditionally associated with holidays, or if you live somewhere that hosts sporting or cultural events you may have a potential goldmine in your property.</p> <p>Places such as Wimbledon (OK a bit late for that now) where the tennis comes from <img src="/img/smilies/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" class="middle" border="0">  , or Silverstone (car racing etc) or Edinburgh (cultural and fringe festivals) or Llangollen (International Eisteddfod) etc etc have an influx of visitors every year and accommodation becomes hard to find.</p> <p>If you have a spare room or an entire property suitable for these visitors then using a website like LetaLife is an ideal way to make sure that plenty of people looking will know about it.</p> <p>One day while Googling to see what sort of things were coming up about LetaLife I happened on this blog entry<br> <blockquote> What a Difference a Pay Day Makes!!!by <a href="http://www.blog.co.uk/user/banana/" title="View complete profile">banana</a><a href="http://poetry4fun.blog.co.uk/2007/06/11/what_a_difference_a_pay_day_makes~2432406" title="What a Difference a Pay Day Makes!!!"> @ 2007-06-11 - 13:08:49 </a></p> <p>I've a bijou rustic building that I usually call the shed,<br> It nestles at the bottom of my lawn,<br> So it has a rural setting<br> 'twixt the grass and compost heap<br> And can look a proper treat at early dawn.</p> <p>Shamefully unregarded this jewel of the sod,<br> Its value more than diamonds and pearls,<br> I only just discovered how to let it shine at last<br> Follow closely as I share this with the world.</p> <p>I write a little advert for my sweet rustic retreat<br> And place it where most people come to look,<br> When the Carnoustie Open Golf begins<br> Then there I'll be online<br> For American millionaires to find and book.</p> <p>They'll be overwhelmed by its quaintness and its charm<br> And the three thousand quid I'll get won't do me any harm.</p> <p>I was just browsing on a property rental website called LetaLife.com and found the <a href="http://www.letalife.com/property_adverts/carnoustie_angus_property_to_let.asp">Carnoustie page of rental adverts</a>.  I was amazed to find houses going for thousands of pounds a week for the duration of the <a href="http://www.opengolf.com/ChampionshipGolf/TheOpenChampionship.aspx">Carnoustie Open Golf Championship</a>.<br> It prompted this poem - I hope you like it. </blockquote> Sadly had to remove the Alexa toolbar from our computers the other day.  Our various security setups simply won't tolerate it running and after a number of crashes we decided to take it off.</p> <p>Its a pity because we used to find Alexa very useful in many ways - but our security is the most important thing and so Alexa had to go.</p> <p><br> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/23/title-4487504/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-22:/2008/07/22/another-funny-cartoon-from-letalife-com-4482419/LetaLife2008-07-22T10:19:52+02:002008-07-24T18:13:43+02:00 <p>We thought this was 'sew' funny !!!!<a href="http://www.letalife.com" title="smocking"></p> <p></a><a href="http://www.letalife.com/" title="smocking"><img src="http://data5.blog.de/media/911/2677911_771b0de6cf_m.png" alt="smocking" hspace="5" vspace="5"></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.blog.co.uk/%22http://www.letalife.com/%22" title="\"smocking\""></a></p> <p>All LetaLife cartoons are copyright protected if you wish to reproduce them you must ask and get written permission first.</p> <p><br> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/22/another-funny-cartoon-from-letalife-com-4482419/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-11:/2008/07/11/this-is-what-the-letalife-image-adverts--4434158/LetaLife2008-07-11T12:33:16+02:002008-07-24T18:14:32+02:00 <p>The   <a href="http://www.letalife.com/display_ad.asp?AddID=190416"><u>first LetaLife Property Rental Advert with Images went online today</u></a></p> <p>This one is for a rather nice newly decorated one bedroom flat to rent in Highbury N5 for £295 per week.</p> <p>The images used are below</p> <p><img src="http://i37.tinypic.com/v2wp06.jpg" alt=""></p> <p><img src="http://i34.tinypic.com/3502zk0.jpg" alt=""></p> <p><img src="http://i35.tinypic.com/2zf8zti.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>The contact details can be found on the advert link above.  I am not including them in the blog as the advert will expire eventually and the info become out of date.  The advert was placed on the 7th of July and is still current at the time of writing this post, but given how nice this London flat looks I am not sure how long it will stay available.  So if you're looking for a nice bright clean place in a nice part of London - now's the time to contact the advertiser.</p> <p><br> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/11/this-is-what-the-letalife-image-adverts--4434158/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-11:/2008/07/11/how-to-put-your-rental-property-photos-o-4434011/LetaLife2008-07-11T12:01:53+02:002008-09-23T09:31:29+02:00 <p>We just went live and it is now possible for paid advertisers to <a href="http://www.letalife.com/property_to_rent_advertise_for_free.asp"><u>place up to four images with their LetaLife Rental Property advert</u></a><u>.</u></p> <p>(We will be updating via Twitter - which I have added to the side bar of this blog.  To receive updates about what is going on with LetaLife and new posts on this blog you can follow us on Twitter by clicking our Twitter business card.)</p> <p>It will be free of charge for a few weeks while the system beds in.  If you would like to be one of the very first advertisers on LetaLife to be given up to 4 photographs added free of charge to your paid advert please read the instructions below. </p> <p>In order to speed up the chance for people to place photos online on LetaLife we have chosen to accept photos from TinyPic's image hosting service. </p> <p>So if you would like us to add up to 4  photos to your advert please visit Tinypic to upload your pictures to their hosting system by following the link below </p> <p><a href="http://www.tinypic.com/" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"><u><a href="http://www.tinypic.com/">http://www.tinypic.com/</a></u></a><u><br> </u><br> Once on TinyPic's website you can either upload each picture individually without registering to join their website and for each picture you will get a code which you can then send to us to add to your advert and which will result in your chosen photograph being displayed on LetaLife with your advert.  Alternatively you can register to join TinyPic and then upload the pictures and they will be stored on your account. </p> <p>It is easiest if you cut and paste the links as you get them into a notepad file or other method of storing on your computer so you can retrieve them easily, if you don't set up a free account on TinyPic. </p> <p>The steps needed to get the links (without registering) are: </p> <p>1. decide which pictures you want displayed and make sure you know which file they are in on your computer.<br> 2. Go to TinyPic <a href="http://www.tinypic.com/" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"><u><a href="http://www.tinypic.com/">http://www.tinypic.com/</a></u></a><br> 3. Click on the Browse button in the middle of the screen<br> 4.Find the picture you want on your computer and click Open<br> 5.Click on the drop down arrow on the Resize window and highlight the Website/Email (320x240) choice<br> 6 Click the green Upload Now! button </p> <p>7.Wait for the picture to upload to TinyPic's hosting system </p> <p>8. Cut and paste the link described as Direct Link for Layouts onto a notepad or toher method of storage (like Word or some such) on your computer and then save the file. </p> <p>9. Repeat the process for up to three more photos. </p> <p>Then either submit the links you have obtained when you submit your paid advert on LetaLife or email them to us afterwards and we will add them to your advert submission as soon as we are able which will mean the pictures will appear with your advert on LetaLife.com </p> <p>All pictures will be checked and are subject to approval. </p> <p><br> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/11/how-to-put-your-rental-property-photos-o-4434011/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-09:/2008/07/09/letalife-joins-twitter-4423429/LetaLife2008-07-09T08:18:33+02:002008-07-24T18:16:23+02:00 I joined Twitter just over a month ago and have finally remembered my password <img src="/img/smilies/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" class="middle" border="0"></p> <p>I am going to have quite a struggle with this I think.  It's one of those things that should be simple and seem very simple to some people, but for me, it's a bit tricky.</p> <p>I think I just destroyed our LetaLife logo on there by trying to improve it.</p> <p>Oh well bear with me - hopefully I'll get it sussed...</p> Twitter Updates <p><br> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/09/letalife-joins-twitter-4423429/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-09:/2008/07/09/if-a-picture-paints-a-thousand-words-4423232/LetaLife2008-07-09T07:25:53+02:002008-07-24T18:18:10+02:00 <p>Ever since LetaLife started carrying property rental adverts I have wanted to provide the facility for people to post pictures of their properties on our website to help illustrate their adverts.</p> <p>BUT,</p> <p>as said before we have been learning as we go along on how to put a website together and the technical direction we took meant that for a few years we were unable to offer this as an option.</p> <p>At last we have the technological know how, but due to LetaLife's success, our manpower is usually taken up dealing with day to day maintainance issues rather than having time to devote to development.</p> <p><strong>LetaLife Update</strong></p> <p>I have decided that THIS IS THE WEEK that photos will become an option for Letalife paid advertisers.  I have laid down the gauntlet and nagging will commence until the techie team has got some sort of workable system up and running.</p> <p>We have a flashy bespoke photo system waiting in the wings but it requires a lot of careful effort to enfold it into the existing LetaLife system.  So I have made an executive decision.</p> <p>Instead of spending ages incorporating the bespoke system, I have told the techies to put together a temporary (but robust and easy to use) system that will allow Letalife advertisers to submit a TinyPic link to their rental property photograph/s and then we will display those on our website.</p> <p>I find tinypic very handy for uploading pictures and resizing them, and they are then easy to use in various places online such as forums, blogs, etc etc</p> <p>The reason we like this option at LetaLife is that once a link has been assigned to that picture it stays linking to that picture alone.  </p> <p>The beauty of this is that we can do this fairly quickly and yet not compromise our determination to control what we display on our website in order to ensure a pleasant visit for everyone who looks at our pages online.</p> <p>To begin with we will include the photo option as a freebie extra for those Letalife advertisers who pay to place an advert.  Once the beta testing phase has completed it will be added as another paid option, as we will be keeping to LetaLife's policy of personally checking EVERYTHING before it goes online, and so there will be a small admin charge to cover costs for this personal service.</p> <p>Tinypic is a <a href="http://www.tinypic.com/"><u>free online Image Hosting service </u></a>which I have personally used for ages.  It is easy to register if you decide you will be using it regularly, but if you want you can just upload your individual pictures without registering.</p> <p>If you are likely to want to use the photo option on LetaLife and you aren't already familiar with TinyPic, now might be a good time to go and check it out so you are ahead of the curve.</p> <p>I shall be putting together a "How to Use TinyPic for LetaLife Advertiser's"  tutorial, which I will publish on this blog in the next few days.</p> <p>Hope you are having a great Summer ...</p> <p><br> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/09/if-a-picture-paints-a-thousand-words-4423232/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-07:/2008/07/07/you-can-t-please-all-of-the-people-all-o-4415330/LetaLife2008-07-07T15:11:56+02:002008-07-24T18:21:17+02:00 <p>But you can have a darn good try at it - is our opinion at LetaLife.</p> <p>When we started LetaLife.com back in 2000 we knew absolutely nothing about how to put a website together.</p> <p>Here's a <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20001109181300/http://www.letalife.com/"><u>Wayback snapshot of how LetaLife looked in the very early days</u></a>  Wayback is a handy little tool that is provided by Alexa.com to show you how various websites looked historically.</p> <p>Alexa.com is generally quite useful to give various information on the websites it ranks and keeps statistics on.  Alexa provides people with a toolbar so they can view information it stores easily, and it also takes stats from the people who use their tool bar to maintain their data.  It is very handy to use to check out a website's bona fides.</p> <p>Here's their blurb from their page about the toolbar</p> <blockquote><p><img src="http://client.alexa.com/download/images/no-spyware.gif" alt="" hspace="5" vspace="2" width="65" height="85" align="left">Keep your computer safe from spyware and adware. The Alexa Toolbar contains no advertising and does not profile or target you. More information about the Alexa Toolbar and how to keep your computer safe from spyware and adware. </p> </blockquote>  <br> <a href="http://www.alexa.com/site/download"><u>If you want to get their toolbar you can get it from here</u> </a>This link takes you to their download page so you can read more about it and make your own mind up.   Just clicking the link on this blog page won't start anything downloading or anything.</p> <p>For many, many years LetaLife.com was the top UK Rental Property Website according to Alexa.  However lately our ranking seems to have fallen.</p> <p>Yet, our traffic is fairly constant, and we have seen no downturn in revenue.  So all I can conclude is that less people with the Alexa toolbar are visiting our site so the stats look lower.</p> <p>LetaLife has a number of improvements to our website in the pipeline and I really hope that they will make our visitors lives a little easier.  But it is always a worry that adding improvements may complicate the users experience.</p> <p>Hopefully we'll get it right, but if we don't, we will be listening to what people say and adapting accordingly.</p> <p>We occasionally get emails from people who are unhappy or confused about something on the site and we do our best to address those issues.</p> <p>Last week we had one of the very rare emails with swear words that are just a torrent of abuse but with no specific complaint other than we are bleep bleep and should bleep off!!</p> <p>If anyone is reading this who ever does get that exasperated with our site please tell us exactly what it is that drives you mad.  Then we can fix it.</p> <p>But sweary emails will just be ignored I'm afraid.</p> <p>A bit of irritation is fine, but foul language gets the email binned.  It almost got someone reported to their IP provider for sending abusive emails, but we assumed the sender was probably a bit sloshed and decided to let it go this once.</p> <p>I am always surprised at how many people are kind enough to email to say 'Thank you' to us.  Every nice email is very much appreciated.  </p> <p>Hope you all had a nice weekend and have been enjoying Wimbledon, and wasn't the latest <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/episodes/"><u>Doctor Who episode "Journey's End"</u></a> a corker?</p> <p>Looking forward to the Christmas Episode now.</p> <p>It's official LetaLife.com is run by 'geeks' and sci fi addicts.</p> <p>Live long and Prosper...</p> <p><br> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/07/you-can-t-please-all-of-the-people-all-o-4415330/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-05:/2008/07/05/10-things-all-potential-landlords-should-4406073/LetaLife2008-07-05T08:48:19+02:002008-07-05T08:48:19+02:00 <p><strong>What sort of rental properties are in demand?</strong><br>However be careful. Lots of Wanted adverts doesn't necessarily tell the whole picture. Are the adverts for entire properties or just rooms? This could be influential on whether you wish to rent out a house for a family or buy somewhere geared up for bed sits and house shares. There are different legal and safety requirements for shared properties which you will need to be compliant with.</p> <p>You also need to compare the number of Wanted adverts with the number of To Let adverts. The most promising scenario is an area with many Wanted adverts but not very many To Let adverts. This ratio would suggest an encouraging climate in which to invest in a rental property. Check this sort of information from a number of sources rather than just one, before you make a firm decision. </p> <p><strong>Which areas have the highest rental yields?</strong><br>This does not always correspond to the same areas you will find with the healthiest rental market place. But if you can find somewhere that does - you are beginning to get somewhere. </p> <p><strong>Do you really want the hassle?</strong><br>It's a bit like the RSPCA adverts about a Puppy being for Life not just for Christmas. Being a DIY Landlord is hard work. It requires skills and research to do the job properly. However if you do find it's too much for you, there are many great letting agents out there who will take the stress off your shoulders. But make sure that you factor in this possible extra expense when you are doing your sums. You don't want to spend all that time and effort and money and then end up spending all your profit on management you hadn't bargained for. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/05/10-things-all-potential-landlords-should-4406073/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-04:/2008/07/04/what-we-do-for-laughs-at-letalife-com-4401119/LetaLife2008-07-04T08:15:02+02:002008-07-04T08:15:02+02:00 <p><a href="http://www.letalife.com" title="cattle cartoon"><img src="http://data5.blog.de/media/003/2637003_f25ad591ac_m.gif" alt="cattle cartoon" vspace="5" hspace="5"></a></p> <p>All the rental adverts on LetaLife.com get checked individually before being approved to go on our website.</p> <p>Sometimes they are unintentionally very funny. The very funniest ones get sent to our cartoonist who brings them to life in her own brilliant way.</p> <p>They are then displayed in our LetaLife cartoon and e-card gallery. Currently we have seasonal e-cards which we make available for New Year's, Christmas, and Hallowe'en Holidays.</p> <p>Our cartoons are copyrighted but if you want to reproduce them on your website, there is no harm in asking us via the comment section and if we like your website and it is appropriate we might just say yes. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/04/what-we-do-for-laughs-at-letalife-com-4401119/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-04:/2008/07/04/part-3-10-things-all-potential-landlords-4400946/LetaLife2008-07-04T07:23:20+02:002008-07-04T07:23:20+02:00 <p><strong>Do you have a reliable cost-effective method of finding suitable tenants?</strong><br>Quick answer to this one is 'Yes!' LetaLife is regularly used by millions of people each year. It is entirely dedicated to the Rental Property Market Place and has been ranked as the number 1 UK Rental Property Website for over 4 years by Alexa.com a respected industry ranking website which is part of the Amazon Group. Currently the cheapest advert option is free of charge - and  the most expensive is £30. That level of service and cost-effectiveness can't be beaten. <a href="http://www.letalife.com/property_to_rent_advertise_for_free.asp"><br><u>Try us and let us know what you think.</u></a><br>We have advert pages across the UK so there should be a suitable page for your property or rooms.<br>LetaLife doesn't charge commission and doesn't even require you to register to use the services. We have always believed in providing easy to use, effective services. We always stick to the number one business rule - find out what people want - and give it to them.  If you have any ideas on how we can improve our service please let us know via the comment section on this article.</p> <p><strong>Do you have a reliable method of credit-checking tenants ? </strong><br>This is important in order to safe guard your investement. There are many companies who can be found online by a Google search who will provide this service for a fee. No method is entirely fool-proof however. </p> <p><strong>Are you aware of the legal responsibities of being a landlord?</strong><br>Again, you need to do your homework. There are <a href="http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/BuyingAndSellingYourHome/RentingAHome/DG_4001394"><u>health and safety implications</u> </a>as well as <a href="http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/TaxOnPropertyAndRentalIncome/DG_4017814"><u>tax implications </u></a>and you may find you have responsibilities to neighbours of your properties as well. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/04/part-3-10-things-all-potential-landlords-4400946/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-03:/2008/07/03/title-4396601/LetaLife2008-07-03T07:17:47+02:002008-07-03T07:47:30+02:00 <p><strong>Which areas have a healthy rental market place?</strong><br>One rule of successful business - find out what people want and give it to them. So it makes sense to do your homework and tailor your rental property to the marketplace. Sites such as LetaLife can give you a fair indication of supply and demand in many areas across the UK. <a href="http://www.letalife.com/property_to_rent_search_adverts.asp"><u>View UK property adverts in your area.</u></a></p> <br> <p><br></p> <p><strong>Do you have a working knowledge of building maintenance specialities? </strong><br>Whilst good tenants may often need the kid gloves approach, building professionals are often more responsive to a more robust style. Like their distant cousins the motor mechanics they are instinctively able to scent ignorance of their methods. You can lose a lot of money to an unscrupulous builder, electrician etc Not only on paying above the odds for work, but in void periods and other ways if their work is shoddy or just takes too long to complete.<br>If you don't know the difference between a lintel and a joist, you either need to do some reading up on the subject, or employ a trusted professional who can liaise for you at these times. One piece of advice - never employ a 'professional' to do work on your property without first having sight of their up to date insurances. </p> <p><strong>Are you good at dealing with plumbers, electricians, joiners and the myriad other building professionals you may need?</strong><br>As well as having some knowledge of various trades, you also need some management skills in order to keep them in line. Many people use friends and relatives as cheap sources of labour, but in the long run this can cause more problems than it solves. A proper contractual relationship means you have some recourse if things go wrong and you don't end up losing friends or fracturing family relationships if problems crop up or they begin to feel taken advantage of. Plus 'cheap' labour often means slow - and the sooner works are carried out, the sooner you can be asking the best rental income possible for your property.<br>Remember money spent on professionals is tax deductable - so it may be less expensive than you would think in the long run</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/03/title-4396601/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-02:/2008/07/02/buy-to-let-10-things-all-potential-landl-4392106/LetaLife2008-07-02T05:23:57+02:002008-07-03T08:06:35+02:00 <p>This article first appeared on LetaLife.com's <a href="http://www.letalife.com/buy_to_let_landlord.htm"><u>buy to let landlord's resources and information pages</u></a>.</p> <p>This is just a springboard check list to get you thinking around the subject. it isn't exhaustive by any means, but hopefully it will help you get your ideas organised.<br> <p><strong>Are you good at dealing with people?</strong><br>DIY Landlording will at times involve dealing directly with your tenants. There will be times when you need all the diplomatic skills of a Henry Kissinger, if you are to successfully achieve your objectives. </p> <p>Being a landlord is a contradictory position, on the one hand you are an ambitious entrepreneur with a keen eye on the bottom line. On the other hand you are a service provider being paid (hopefully, if you have chosen tenants wisely) to provide a service, sometimes to awkward customers, you may not be particularly sympathetic towards. </p> <p>If you are the impatient grouchy type then maybe getting a property management professional to do the customer facing stuff for you would be a sensible decision.</p> <p>Joining a Landlord association will help you in many ways. The support and advice of other landlords may be invaluable. </p> <p><a href="http://www.landlords.org.uk/"><u>National Landlords Association</u></a> </p> <p><a href="http://www.rla.org.uk/"><u>Residential Landlords Association</u></a></p> <p>It might also be a good idea to join in with a local council approved landlord scheme which may give you a ready made structure for how to deal with tenants fairly. To find out if your council operates such a scheme here is <a href="http://www.tagish.co.uk/tagish/links/Localgov.htm"><u>a site where you can find your council's website.</u></a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/02/buy-to-let-10-things-all-potential-landl-4392106/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:letalife.blog.co.uk,2008-07-01:/2008/07/01/don-t-open-your-home-to-the-tenant-from--4389174/LetaLife2008-07-01T13:44:28+02:002009-01-05T07:57:40+01:00 <p>As the credit crunch bites more and more people are tempted to rent out rooms in their homes. But while taking in a lodger may seem an ideal way to help make ever increasing mortgage payments there are important pitfalls to avoid. The wrong lodger could leave you worse off than before you started.</p> <p>Some of the things that can go wrong if you don't take care in vetting the prospective tenant properly are:</p> <p>Lodgers running up large phone bills by calling premium rate phone numbers or making long foreign calls from your landline.</p> <p>Lodgers targetting homes with young resident children with the intention of grooming them or worse.</p> <p>Lodgers using your address to gain credit and then leaving you with an associated black mark on your credit rating.</p> <p>Lodgers have even been known to wait until their landlords go on holiday and then take deposits and sign contracts to rent out the house as a furnished letting, and then disappear with the money leaving the landlord to deal with the resulting mess.</p> <p>Lodgers stealing from their landlords.</p> <p>Lodgers damaging property or causing trouble with neighbours.</p> <p>Landlords finding it difficult to remove lodgers if they prove not to be suitable.</p> <p>According to LetaLife.com <a href="http://www.letalife.com"><u>the top UK property rental website</u> </a>which sees over 3 million users a year, personal safety needs to be a higher priority for home owners than making a few extra pounds.</p> <p>Spokeswoman Michele at LetaLife says 'taking sensible precautions before letting out property is never a waste of effort. Reference checking is very important and could make the difference between a happy experience and a nightmare one.'</p> <p>Some careful research and reading up on landlords responsibilities and rights is also a good thing to do before starting to look for a tenant.</p> <p>The disaster stories are thankfully not the common experience, but they can be avoided with careful planning and foresight.</p> <p>Once you have reassured yourself that you have protected yourself by taking adequate steps then LetaLife.com is a good place to advertise your vacancy and start vetting the tenants who contact you. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://LetaLife.blog.co.uk/2008/07/01/don-t-open-your-home-to-the-tenant-from--4389174/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>