If you love Preston as much as we do, there are many options when looking for a home, whether you want to rent or buy. There are flats, apartments, semi-detached and detached houses, all throughout the city.
There are many housing associations that rent accommodation to people looking for a new place to live. You can find these through the Select Move website, which is the choice based lettings scheme for Preston. This is a very easy to use website, which lists all properties available in Preston and allows you to apply for the ones you are most interested in via the website by just filling in an application form.
The company involves Accent Foundation, Adactus, Community Gateway Association and many more. Different housing associations require different information; for example, if you have a criminal record and references from an employer or previous landlord. They all offer the same piece of advice: be flexible about your areas of choice.
Preston City Council has all the information you need for finding a home. If you are a first time buyer, or cannot yet afford your own home but would like to, there are a number of affordable housing options available. Help to Buy is a scheme backed by the government, which is aimed at first time buyers.
Properties are offered at a lower percentage of the original price, with eligible purchasers being able to take out a loan to cover the remainder of the percentage of the asking price.
A similar scheme is FirstBuy which helps first time buyers get onto the property ladder. It is another scheme backed by the government, which provides buyers with an equity loan of 20%. This is interest free for the first five years.
Preston City Council also offers advice on home maintenance. If you own your own house, you are responsible for maintaining it; however, if you rent a property, you are not usually responsible for its structural condition and general repairs. If you believe your home is in disrepair, you can write to your landlord, to ask them to evaluate the problem. If your landlord does not investigate the problem, you can contact Preston City Council, who will be able to inspect the property.
If you have an empty property that you are unsure what to do with, there are plenty of options. You can refurbish it, if you have the interest and skills. In this way, you can bring the property up to an even higher standard and then either let it or sell it. If your property is in a good state of repair, you can let it. The council provides advice for different ways to do this. Or, you can sell the property, if you do not have the time or simply do not wish to manage the property yourself.
Image credit to Tony Worrall