Bridges Estate Agents, Farnborough

This step by step guide will take you through the processes involved in letting your property.

One of our main aims is to ensure that our landlords are not exposed to void periods as these can eat into their returns.

Our client managers are well placed to carry out this appraisal and will take into account the many factors that could affect your rental income. We understand that you will be looking to let your property at the best possible price to the best available tenant in the shortest time possible. In most cases we will achieve the full quoted asking price for our properties.

One of our client managers will talk through your personal circumstances and give you guidance to help you make an informed decision on the right service level. You will find a summary of our service levels here with a more detailed breakdown in our terms of business. You should consider the fact that lots of tenants and, in particular, corporate tenants, look for fully managed properties.

First impressions count so where possible we would recommend you keep your property clean, neutrally decorated and clutter free. Any outstanding maintenance should be taken care of at this stage.

Our client manager will begin the process of finding the right tenant for the property by preparing the details which will include professional photographs, a description of what's on offer and a floor plan. Your property will feature in our popular GU magazine which is delivered to 72,000 local households and businesses. We will also upload the details to our website as well as the best performing web portals. All of the viewings will be accompanied by our highly trained staff who will provide you with feedback along the way. We will need clear instructions from you regarding the type of tenant you are looking for and this process will be carried out in accordance with these instructions, i.e. will you consider pets?

As soon as we receive an offer we will communicate all the details to you including background information on the tenant, how long they intend to stay and any other factor that could influence your decision one way or the other. We will always aim to get you the best possible price and if we have any concerns regarding the proposed tenant we will clearly highlight these for you.

As soon as an offer has been agreed and the tenants have paid the referencing and administration fees, the file will be passed to our move co-ordinator who will be responsible for carrying out the referencing process. When this has been completed you will be sent a copy of the reference conclusion and we will need your instructions to proceed to the next stage, which is to collect the first months rent as well as the deposit.

Once we have received the tenants monies we will prepare the tenancy agreement and all of the supporting documents. The tenancy agreement will be emailed to you for your approval. Your tenants deposit will be registered with the TDS and we will send a copy of the certificate to yourself as well as the tenant. We will arrange for the tenant to come into our office to sign all of the paperwork and, to save you any inconvenience, we will sign on your behalf.

When the property is fully prepared for the commencement of the tenancy we will organise for an independent Inventory company to prepare an Inventory and condition report. These documents are fundamental if it becomes necessary to deduct monies from the tenants deposit at the end of the tenancy.

The Inventory clerk will meet your tenants at the property and guide them through their report. Your tenants will then be asked to sign the document, confirming their agreement. As soon as the check in occurs we will organise the transfer of any outstanding monies to yourself.