property management Archives

30sep

What to do when you don't have hot water?

Do you have no hot water at home or do you suspect that the heating system is faulty? Then we always recommend checking the boiler first.

The gauge at the boiler should indicate a pressure between 1.5 and 2 bar. Does the boiler indicate a lower number? Then fill the boiler with extra water. Is the boiler between 1.5 and 2 bar but is the heating still not at the right temperature? Then it is best to first reset the boiler by pressing that button. If this also does not produce the desired result then it is best to report your malfunction to us. In that case, make sure you have the error code displayed by the boiler to hand.

Watch the video at the bottom of this page on how to refill the boiler yourself very easily.

What all do you need to refill the boiler?

A filling hose: At one end a coupling for connection for the boiler and at the other end a coupling for connection to the tap.
A wrench to open and close the fill/drain valve
A breather wrench
A bucket
A towel or mop

How do you refill a central heating boiler?

Turn off the thermostat and wait 15 minutes.
Unplug the boiler; for boilers with a digital display instead of an analog one, the plug may remain in the socket.
Connect the filling hose to the tap at the boiler. Make sure there is no air in the hose. You do this by slowly filling the hose with water until the hose is full of water. TIP: Put a bucket under the filling hose.
Close the faucet and squeeze the hose closed
Connect the full hose to the fill/drain valve on the boiler and tighten it securely
First open the faucet and then the fill/drain valve. This is done by turning it open with the key provided for this purpose
While filling, keep an eye on the gauge and turn off the valve when it indicates a pressure between 1.5 and 2 bar
First turn off the water valve and then the fill/drain valve
Caution! Filling the boiler causes air to enter the pipes and radiators. It is therefore important that you vent the radiators after filling them as well
Is the water pressure back to normal? Don't forget to plug the boiler back in

No hot water?

If hot water does not come out of one faucet, possibly that faucet is defective. The tap will have to be replaced. If there is no hot water in the entire house, the boiler needs to be checked.

Video

21sep

Real estate in box 3, how to keep it that way?

If you as a natural person own real estate you would like it to fall in Box 3, under asset management and not in Box 1 under income. Among other things, this has to do with how the tax authorities determine your assets as a real estate investor. In this blog you can read all about real estate investing and box 3.

Does my real estate fall into box 3?

For private investors who own real estate as natural persons, the basic rule is that this falls under Box 3. This must involve a normal situation. The tax authorities call this 'normal asset management'. The rent you receive is untaxed; on the other hand, you may not deduct items such as maintenance costs or interest.

What is not normal asset management?

The Internal Revenue Service lists several situations where there may be income from other income rather than normal asset management:

leasing out a property
For example, you converted a property to create separate apartments that you sold or are going to sell.
Performing at least 30% of major maintenance or other modifications to a leased property yourself
Using prior knowledge or other specific knowledge to gain advantage.

How can I keep my real estate in Box 3?

There is no clear guideline for when your investment property falls into Box 1 or Box 3. Incidentally replacing a light bulb can still be seen as normal asset management. But as soon as you yourself, as a real estate investor, start performing all activities involved in renting out real estate and remain actively involved in this, the tax authorities will quickly see this as profit from business or result from other activities. In that case, it will therefore be taxed in Box 1. By outsourcing the work to a property management company, you can be sure that your real estate portfolio will fall into box 3 and you will not face any surprises.

Property management by City Estate

Thanks to the unique and innovative approach of City Estate, you, as a real estate investor, are completely relieved throughout the rental process. City Estate ensures that the house is put on the market for the best possible rental price. The search for a suitable and reliable tenant, screening of candidate tenants and signing of the lease are activities that are handled by City Estate. Finally, City Estate will also take care of the daily property management. Monthly rent collections, accepting and handling repair requests and periodic inspections are matters taken up by City Estate. In short, as a real estate investor, you can enjoy a carefree return on your real estate. More information? Then contact us quickly!

14Jul

City Estate joins as partner of Chepri

Chepri is directly connected to the Sociëteit Vastgoed foundation and valuable to the real estate sector. Just as Sociëteit Vastgoed serves the professional real estate sector by connecting the professionals working in it by sharing knowledge, business and network, Chepri gives substance to providing service, investment and knowledge as the Dutch quality network of private investors.

Thus, experts in their field realize concrete guidance for investors in making the right decisions in building a profitable, and sustainable real estate portfolio. Also when advice and guidance is requested when purchasing real estate, or investing in real estate funds.

Chepri thus unites investors, owners and landlords in the most positive way. The optimal sharing of knowledge, network and expertise is central, so that the desired and required quality is always guaranteed.

Recently, City Estate has also joined as a partner of Chepri. This means that Chepri aspires to an active cooperation with City Estate and this professional organization has been added to the website as a manager and partner. This makes it easy for members to contact City Estate directly with questions, guidance on or notification of management of their properties. Chepri is thus fulfilling a new level of service by offering members the nationwide opportunity to have their real estate managed by City Estate.

What does City Estate do?

City Estate is a specialist in leasing and managing mainly residential real estate. In a short time, they have managed to build up a national portfolio. Throughout the entire rental period, from rental mediation to daily property management, City Estate relieves the property owner. The service is similar to a subscription model, where the owner pays a fixed and low monthly fee. As a partner and expert, City Estate unburdens private landlords and (institutional) investors in particular.

Personal quotes

Claudia van Haeften, Founder Societe Vastgoed & Chepri: "It is fantastic to experience that with Chepri we can offer investors effective and profitable added value. We do this not only through investor education and the loyal network, we do this of course also by connecting with strong partners who can directly help and relieve our members."

Reinier Derksen, Founder City Estate: "Due to the enormous growth in our portfolio in recent times, we certainly see the cooperation with Chepri as an added value. A number of our clients are already members of Chepri and with Chepri's growing membership this cooperation offers great opportunities for our joint future.

Derksen continues: "As a partner, we will be present at (networking) events in addition to online visibility. We look forward to actively sharing our knowledge regarding the rental process and daily property management during podcasts, the real estate radio show and other media. We are convinced that this collaboration will be a positive influence for both Chepri members and City Estate clients. We are therefore pleased to offer members the opportunity to participate in the Q&A on management, so that members with questions about property management can come directly to us. The dates for our participation in this will be added to the website. "

Watch the video below to get an idea of what City Estate can do for you.

01Jul

What does a rental agent do?

Are you going to rent out a property? Then it is advisable to look for a suitable rental agent. A rental agent is a personal advisor and mediator who can help you rent out your property. A rental agent can help and support you in finding a reliable new tenant for your vacant property as quickly as possible. Selecting and screening new tenants is generally faster via a rental agent than when you, as a (private) investor, do it yourself.

What does a rental agent do?

The rental agent will begin with a recording of the home. During this recording, the rental agent will look at the condition of the home and professional photos will also be taken for the rental advertisement. The rental price will often be determined by mutual agreement. The rental agent can give you good advice on a rental price in line with the market and in some cases can also draw up a rental price recommendation.

Once the rental price has been determined and professional photos have been taken, the rental advertisement can be prepared by the rental agent. This advertisement will then be published via different platforms. With City Estate we are connected to 20+ platforms, including Funda.nl, Kamernet.nl and Pararius.nl. The number of affiliated platforms may vary considerably per rental agency.

Following the rental advertisement, often dozens of responses from interested tenants will be received by the rental agent. The rental agent makes a selection from these responses and a viewing can be scheduled with the potential tenants who meet all the requirements. During the viewing round, the rental agent can answer questions from tenants and also assess who is interested in and actually suitable to rent the property.
The tenant ultimately selected will then undergo a screening process. How extensive this screening is varies by rental agency. It is important to ask in advance to avoid ambiguity. With City Estate we use an extensive screening in which we cooperate with BKR and Huurcheck Nederland.

Once all the information is correct and the tenant is found to be positive as a result of the screening, the lease can be drawn up. The rental agreement must be legally sound. Once the lease is signed by all parties, the key transfer and check-in can take place. Most rental brokers, including City Estate, will take care of this last part of the process.

Outsource property management

After the key exchange, the rental period begins for the selected tenant. During the rental period, there are a number of issues to be taken care of and the tenant may also come up with questions on repair requests. Many property owners therefore also choose to outsource the daily property management. Depending on your situation and requirements, this may be a good solution for you as well. The activities and tasks that a good property management company will take over for you as a property owner include:

Collecting rent monthly;
If necessary, proactive debtor management;
First point of contact for tenants;
Taking and handling repair requests;
If necessary, a 24/7 breakdown service for evenings and weekends;
Annual rent adjustment;
Periodic home inspections.

It is very important to make clear agreements about property management in advance. One property manager will support and pick up more than another property manager. Wondering what we can do for you? Then get in touch with us!

08dec

Begeleid Wonen Nederland chooses City Estate as property manager

Begeleid Wonen Nederland is an umbrella organization of local housing initiatives with several locations in the Netherlands. In order to remain focused on its core tasks, Begeleid Wonen Nederland has chosen to outsource the property management of part of its portfolio to City Estate.

Because of the growing real estate portfolio of Begeleid Wonen Nederland and the ambitions they have for the coming years, the time had come for them to look for a professional real estate manager. With City Estate they have found a partner who can relieve them of all their worries regarding financial, administrative and technical property management.

Professional property management is crucial

For any type of property owner, good property management is vital. Drawing up legally solid rental agreements, timely collection of rents and possible service contributions, taking care of (complaints) maintenance and service and financial accounting of revenues and costs are among the activities within property management. A professional property manager such as City Estate is a specialist in this field and manages properties as if they were the owner.

Wouter Krusemann, Project Manager Begeleid Wonen Nederland: "We are pleased with this cooperation. With City Estate as the national property manager, we are completely relieved in this area. This gives us space to focus on our care-related core tasks."

Reinier Derksen, Founder City Estate: "We are very proud to add Begeleid Wonen Nederland to our portfolio. The cooperation is to everyone's satisfaction and the implementation and transition has been successful. We look forward to further cooperation in the coming years and the added value we can offer Begeleid Wonen Nederland and its residents."

About City Estate & Assisted Living Netherlands

City Estate focuses on leasing and managing mainly residential real estate. With its office in Utrecht, City Estate has managed to build up a national portfolio in a short period of time. Customers of City Estate are mainly private landlords, (institutional) investors and care parties.

Begeleid Wonen Nederland operates in the cities of Apeldoorn, Arnhem, Doetinchem, Eindhoven, Helmond and Tilburg. The locations in these cities are partly owned and partly rented. The aim of each location is to create a homely atmosphere. For this reason, Begeleid Wonen Nederland also deliberately chooses relatively compact locations so that all residents receive the attention and guidance they need.