Gloucester Lettings Team Spotlight
Welcome to our Branch Spotlight blog, we caught up with the lettings team in Gloucestershire for Andrews. Here, they tell us a little more about the area, the local lettings market and about themselves.
Where are you based?
We cover the whole of Gloucestershire county and Andrews Property Group has been operating in the Gloucestershire area since 1973 and has three well-established branches in Brockworth, Stroud and Gloucester where the branch is located on Worcester Street. The lettings team is made up of 8 team members who have been working at Andrews Property Group for a combined total of 39 years!
What properties are typical to the area?
The area we cover offers many property types, and no matter what kind of investment you are looking for, there will be something within our area to meet your requirements. From a quaint semi-rural cottage to a student house in the city centre and everything in between, we can help you find the type of property you're looking for.
Tell us more about the local area.
Gloucester is a wonderful city with a wealth of history. One of its most famous landmarks is the Cathedral which dates back to the 11th century. The Cathedral is open to the public and definitely, somewhere I would recommend checking out if you are ever in the city.
As well as the Cathedral, the city has the Gloucester Quays area, which, is now a big entertainment and lifestyle complex. It offers an outlet shopping centre, a gym and a variety of bars and restaurants. The Gloucester Quays were part of a redevelopment in the city. As a part of the redevelopment lots of the historical buildings and warehouses were converted into one- and two-bedroom apartments offering city lifestyle accommodation for individuals wanting to live in the complex.
We’ve also noticed a trend that more and more families are relocating to Gloucester due to the excellent schools here. We’re fortunate to have four grammar schools in the area with an excellent reputation - Crypt Secondary School, Sir Thomas Rich’s Secondary School, Denmark Road High School for Girls & Ribston Hall Secondary School.
Who is part of the team and what is a typical day for you all?
No two days are the same in our branch but that’s what we all love so much about what we do!
Shannon Smith is the Lettings Business Manager and has worked in the Gloucester Branch for Andrews for the last 6 years. She’s also a Gloucester native having lived in the city her whole life and a product of the local schools. She’s supported by a fabulous team made up of….
Hayley Tennet, is the New Business Partner which means her job is to help and support new landlords on their journey to becoming landlords. She has a wealth of knowledge, a warm approach and is always available for a call or a coffee to discuss all things lettings! She is also happy to supply virtual valuations too on any properties on the market for sale in the area to be able to help landlords decide if it is the right investment for them. Feel free to reach out to her if you do have any questions or queries about properties available in the area.
Greg Lines, who is the Senior Lettings Consultant and has been with Andrews for 15 years working in both the Stroud & Gloucester branches during his career. Again, a very knowledgeable individual who spends his time speaking to our landlords to discuss ways in which we can maximise their rents and deal with any re-letting of properties.
We then have two wonderful Lettings Consultants, Jasmine Gyde & Nicole Meikle. Now they are the key to what we do as they spend most of their days phoning out and speaking to our applicants to match them to suitable properties. They then get to meet the applicants and complete viewings. They also progress the move-in and keep you as the landlord updated every step of the way!
We are very well supported by our Property Management team which is made up of Sarah Robinson & Justyna Czykieta. Both are very experienced Property Managers who take care of the day-to-day running of our portfolio here in the Gloucester Hub.
Why Gloucester?
Not only is it a really lovely place to live with a variety of properties to consider investing in, but it is also centrally located in the southwest with links to the M5 north & south and the M4 East & West making it within commuting distance to major cities such as Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff and even London.
Gloucester has a number of unexpected places to surprise and delight, a blend of the old with the new, and a plethora of places to visit and experience. Take time to discover and explore, visit the surrounding green spaces, sample the local produce made in the area or enjoy the offerings and culture of City living. Gloucester has so much to offer, the heritage and historic significance of the Roman remains, the Abbey and the Docks coupled with the contemporary, with the development at the Quays and the newest addition to the City with the Forum complex. Festivals, theatre, shopping, dining, and entertainment are all offered in abundance, Gloucester embodies culture and diversity. A City on the rise, making it an ideal time to visit and invest in the area.
In June the annual growth of rental prices in the UK was at 5.1% which means that the growth is at the strongest since records began. When you look into the Gloucestershire area more specifically, the average rent achieved for homes let in the area was £903pcm which is a +11% change on the previous 12-month period.
Our recommendation on a market to consider would be to look into Student Housing. We’re fortunate to be home to the University of Gloucestershire & Hartpury University meaning that we have lots of students looking for a place to live. If you’re a first-time or experienced landlord, you could pick up a property in the City Centre and convert it into a lucrative HMO with average yields around the 8.5% mark*
*based on a purchase price of £200,000 and a rent achieved of £2000pcm with Gas, Electric, Water included and the bills capped at £1600pcm.
