Welcome to the SECOND EVER FishNeedWater monthly newsletter! If you’re a seller, a landlord, or just generally interested in the ins and outs of property, you’re sure to find some interesting and useful information in here.

What’s in store for you:

• Spruce up and SELL! How some quick ‘n’ easy changes to your property can make all the difference.
• Landlords, remember: the best education doesn’t come with a hefty price tag.
• Need to get up to scratch on the latest property news? We’ve got you covered.
• Create floorplans like THIS [imagine us clicking our fingers]!

Let’s do this!

Sellers: Get your property ready for a bidding war!

Sometimes just a few tweaks and adjustments is all it takes for your property to become a hotbed of interest.

Here are a few tips based on our experience of what works:

1: Get rid of clutter! Your children’s old jigsaw puzzles and your late grandfather’s teeth may mean the world to you, but they could be a major distraction to buyers. People want to imagine themselves living there, and it’s hard to do that if the place very obviously belongs to someone else.

Less clutter will also make your property look bigger.

2: Focus your efforts on the entrance. A new coat of paint throughout the property will make a world of difference, but if you don’t have the time or budget to do that, you could still consider freshening up the entrance area. Painting the front door, getting a new lock/handle installed, putting a new light over the front door and having some flowers on the windowsill will make for a wonderful first impression.

Think about curb appeal too: the path up to the property should be neat, tidy and weeded. And if there’s a porch, make sure it’s clean and swept.

3: Let there be light. This is one of the easiest ways to make your home more appealing. Dark rooms make a place feel more dingy and dirty; light rooms are inviting and look larger. To achieve easy brightness, wash your windows and make sure the curtains are pulled back for viewings. You could also change the lightbulbs: go for some of the new LEDs on the market, which are less yellow/orange than the old-fashioned incandescent ones, and which really brighten up a room.

4: Deep clean the floor. A grubby floor can look (and smell!) SO much better after a deep clean. If you have carpet, you can hire a carpet-cleaning machine cheaply for the day. Alternatively, leave it to someone else: there are a number of specialist cleaning companies throughout London that can do it for you.

If you have hardwood or laminate floor, give it a good buff and polish.

Landlords: Don’t spend a fortune on property education!

When the property market is booming, you’ll find plenty of “property gurus” promising to educate you about property investment and help you on your way to becoming a gazillionaire.

They might get you interested with a free or cheap event, and then – once you’re sufficiently in awe of their expertise and expensive suit – try to upsell you to an expensive course where you’ll learn the “real” secrets.

But there are no real secrets. You can learn almost everything you need to know cheaply or even for free. For example, if you ever want some honest, unbiased advice about investing or renting out your property, just call us: we’re always happy to help. You don’t have to be a customer, and you don’t even have to promise to become one in the future.

Our number is: 020 3199 3439

There are also many online forums where you can ask for advice from other investors. Just Google “property forum UK” to find them.

If you’re into podcasts, The Property Podcast is the UK’s most successful business podcast on iTunes. It’s bursting with high-quality, honest and non-salesy information, and it’s completely free.

Or how about some good books? Search “property investment UK” on Amazon and take a look at the ones that have garnered rave reviews – they’re likely to contain some great advice, and all for a very low price.

Best property articles of the month

The goss the biz the pics the scoop the scam the stars the views…

Ladbroke Grove neighbours go for London’s biggest-ever joint extension project. A cup of sugar will no longer cut it when it comes to being neighbourly, if this story is anything to go by. Eighteen families are drawing up plans to give each of their homes a matching two-bedroom roof extension. It’s going to make planning permission more likely AND save a ton of money if it gets the green light.

Quarter of UK lettings agents report higher rents in first month of 2015. And there’s even better news for London landlords…

Baby boomers lead the way in property downsizing cash bonanza. It’s not just the over-55s who are at it: over half of homeowners plan to sell their properties and move somewhere smaller by 2018.

Top 10 Most Expensive UK Properties Sold In 2014. To be honest… some of these properties don’t actually look that great.

Our useful tool of the month

The future is here.

Download the RoomScan app onto your iPhone or iPad, then tap it against the walls of the room you want to scan. It’ll generate a floor plan for you, just like that! The results aren’t as accurate or attractive as a professional job, but we’re still dumbfounded.

Check out some demo videos here.

Not an Apple fan? Try MagicPlan for Android instead.

The end! (Until next month)

We’ll be back next month with another round of tips, facts, stories and fun. If you have any property-related questions in the meantime, talk to us! Here’s the number: 020 3199 3439 .

Until next month!