Yes, I am short

We have a lovely flat right up in the eaves of a block near the Manor Hospital in Oxford which has such restricted head height in the bathroom that even the current Chinese tenants have to sit down to have a shower.

I had a phone enquiry about the flat this evening and don't ask me how I ended up talking about height but I did and I had to tell the lady that it wouldn't be worth even looking at.

Perhaps she thought she was talking to a leckie who was being a bit cheeky so she sent this email follow up tonight.

"I called this evening to enquire after this flat, and was informed that my Fiancee might not fit. He is 6'5". I would appreciate it if you could keep me abreast of any new flats that are available with rents up to £900 a month"

We don't usually measure room sizes for lettings but I will have to raise my awareness of ceiling heights from now on.

November

Firstly, I must apologise for something. If you look at any of our rightmove property listings you will see that they have some pretty whacky reference numbers. I started doing it because people I know in the business were always asking me how many properties we had and I didn't want to tell them in case they fell off their chairs. Lots of other agents look at our listings - Mr H and Mrs Y you know who you are! Most agents use the same references that they have on their property files which would be a bit of a giveaway so to keep them guessing, I made up ridiculous reference numbers.


Up until now it hasn't been a problem but this week I've had phone messages and calls from people who have used the reference numbers to tell me about the property they want to see and the conversations have gone something like this:

Caller: I am calling about property number 9888997899939.

Me: Ok..... what does the property look like in the photo?

Caller: It's a house I think

Me: In Clarendon Close or Boswell Road or Reliance Way?

Caller: I don't know

Me: Just let me get rightmove on my screen and I'll see..............

Yikes. I must stop doing it. From now on I promise to use shorter references but you'll still be guessing!

A whole year has gone by since I last posted about fireworks at the Baldons, doesn't time fly?

This year I managed to beat FK to the roadside banner

and someone else sponsored the Hog Roast.

The fire was big, The sparklers were lovely

and the fireworks were loud and sparkly.

October!

Another month of madness has passed and there are tall tales to tell but this is just a quick note about the postal strikes planned for the end of this week and the start of next.

You can contact us by email on bluedoorlettings@aol.com or greg@bdea.co.uk or rachel@bdea.co.uk or even monkey@bdea.co.uk

We do try to answer the phone if you call the office but you might have better luck ringing around 7pm when everyone else has gone home from work and is eating their dinner.
Try 01235 524800 or 07855 524500. Texting is good too.

If you want to send us documents you can fax them or send them as email attachments.

We send out draft copies of offer letters, confirmations of tenancy to landlords and draft agreements by email so you don't need to worry about information for you from us getting lost in the post.

If you want to give us money it is easier and cheaper for you to use telephone or internet banking to make a direct transfer to us. No stamp, no trip to the post box or bank charge for the service. We can send you a receipt by email too.

So, percentages

You will know that Bluedoor is all about fixed fees. Same work = same price. Rent of house is irrelevant.

Our local competitors are trying to make their proposition look better by advertising low percentage rates. Andrew's most recent one is full management for 8%. Tempting until you get the old calculator out and do the maths.

On a £1200 rent that's £96.00 and that's before VAT. Even on a relatively modest rent of £850 its still more than our fixed £65+VAT.

We have just let a lovely house in Abingdon for £1600 pcm and the fee the landlord will pay us equates to a percentage of 4%.

So we've been a bit naughty and got a banner ad on the front of the Property Weekly with words to that effect. Keep a look out for it. You can collect the paper from your local agent or register free to read it online.

And remember, don't do a deal with anyone who talks percentages without checking your calculator first!

Oh nooooo pass me a bowl

For anyone who tried to contact us by phone on Wednesday we sincerely apologise for our inability to raise our heads for long enough to find out where the ringing was coming from.

We were all struck down by the horrendous vomiting bug which is apparently skulking the streets of Abingdon infecting those who are usually hard as nails and of cast iron consitutions.

Thank you to those who left us get well messages and I am pleased to say that bar slight queasiness Blue Door is back 'on' now and back to normal. Well, things are as normal as they can be when a tenant rings at 7.00 in the evening to tell you he has had a fire in his kitchen.

Please, whether you are a tenant or an ordinary householder, get up from your 'puter NOW and check the BATTERY in your smoke alarm. Check that it is connected and press the 'test' button or get someone else to do it while you put your fingers in your ears.

Thankfully, the tenant is ok if a little embarrassed and this should all look fine once it's been cleaned and repainted.

If you ever want any advice on fire safety we are good friends with Abingdon's Fire Reduction Officer and we can get him to visit you and tell you how to protect yourself and your home.
Our number is 01235 524800 so give us a call and we'll put you in touch.

Every now and then we get a property to let that is beautifully preserved in original1980s style and hasn't been touched since. This one falls in to the category of places I wouldn't have liked to take a girlfriend back to, back in the days when I did that kind of thing.

I am so tempted to advertise it in the style of Ralph Bending: something like "It's not pretty, it's not in a cool position and frankly its drab but it will do for a place to sleep (alone) and keep your stuff dry."

If you are looking for a house with an upstairs and a garden in Kidders under £650pcm this is all there is so if you need a large holdall and aren't too fussed about its lack of beauty or funky features give me a ring on 01235 524800 and I'll show you round.

Location Location Location

Do you watch it? We do and we love it!

There are several reasons: one is Kirsty - half woman, half sweater and the other is Phil - half man...(can you tell we also love Dead Ringers?) Oh and they have a real honest streak which we like to think that Bluedoor shares.

Here's a great quote from Phil 'Mate, it's the mutt's nuts, what are you waiting for?'

We have a property in Headington which is the mutts nuts. Click here to see it and decide for yourself. If I could get this landlord to re-do my house like this I'd be laughing.

Where did July go?

Yikes its August! How did that happen?

We have met so many new landlords, let so many rand moved in so many tenants over the last month that we haven't had time to sit still other than to do more paperwork and eat!

Of course the biggest news has been the torrential rain followed by flooding in Abingdon and other places around the county. This is Ock Street in Abingdon on that wet Friday.

This is a picture taken on Sunday of the river rising under the bridge a few yards away from my office. The boat is one the river but it it supposed to be next to the footpath! You can usually walk under the bridge through the narrow arch but it was well underwater and impassable for a couple of days.

Sky news parked up there for a couple of days and talked up the threat of flood inch by inch which had all our landlords ringing to find out if their properties were safe and if we were ok in the office. We had dry feet but we did have some leaking through the ceiling which set of the fire alarm and I collected a bowlful of rainwater which came throught the top of my window.

The council brought us sandbags just in case but thankfully we didn't need them.

Our door is looking terrible but with number 25, the Police Station and the Old Gaol up for sale no-one but me and my neighbours Peter and Deane seem to care about it at all. We have become quite attached to our little offices and will be sad to be moved - if and when someone makes a decision about its future. Apparently this is the only building along Bridge Street which isn't at least Grade II listed so it can be knocked down without many people shedding a tear or getting agitated about it which is a real shame.

Here you can see my window in the middle of the top floor, the Old Gaol boarded up behind to the left and the Police Station to the right. We'll see how it all looks in a couple of years' time.

I had my five minutes of fame being interviewed by BBC Radio Oxford becuase I was doing a viewing for an Abingdon lady and her family who needed to rent somewhere to live as they ahd had to leave their house due to the flooding. I don't know how many people heard me becuase it was broadcast early on the breakfast show - I certainly didn't catch it live!

We also had a new banner ad on the front page of the Property Weekly yet again announcing our fixed price of £65+VAT. Thanks to Seb and Tony for that!

One of our landords has been in the Oxford Mail too as coach of ice dance champions Katie and Josh.

Much to my wife's shock and my children's delight, I found an albino rat roaming Audlett Drive one day on my way to work and managed stop it biting my shoe and bring it home. We called the RSPCA to come and collect it but they dsay they called at about 6am the next day and it would have to be the house falling down to wake anyone up in our house at that time of themorning! They said they would not call again so we rang a few petshops to see if they would have him; none would but one told us not to ring **** Pet Shop as they would have it and feed it to their snakes! We made some Lost Rat notices and put them up round and about but no-one called.

So we kept it in our recycling box to feed it up a bit...... with my wife still protesting that we absolutely didn't need a rodent as a pet - not after our experience with Snowy the hamster who we inherited from a childminder years ago, (don't ask) - then it escaped...only to be found hiding under the wendy house in the garden.

By this time we had been informed by a friend that we shouldn't call it an 'it', we should find out if it was a he or a she. None of us wanted to pick it up and see but we are reliably informed that if it was a male there would be plenty between the back legs to distinguish it without needing to pick it up sooo it is a 'she'.

Here she is on the day I found her. I can assure you that she is much more chubby and smiley now but we haven't been able to see her for long enough to get the camera out!
We carried on putting food out for her and now she has made herself a little entrance under the shed from the back garden and a little exit from the other side of the shed out to the front garden. She seems happy to live in the garden and has escaped the jaws of the neighbourhood cats for 4 weeks now so we do have a semi-pet rodent now and it is my wife who feeds her. She is kind- hearted really!

I think we're all caught up now but if it carries on like this I'll be ready to retire soon and after watching the Red Bull Air Race I think I might just retrain and become a pilot :)

Apprentices Wanted

This is the most fantastically finished HMO I have ever seen. I don't even want to advertise it as a shared house because that sounds too seedy. This is Oxford's version of the house where Alan Sugar's Apprentices live in London.

It has 7 bedrooms and seven beds but the HMO man says 'No.'

He thinks that the 7th room is to small to be a bedroom. Yikes. Its got a bed a wardrobe and a bedside table in it. If it looks like a bird and flies like a bird... And as for sizes: the understairs cupboard in this house is bigger than my bathroom at home; the 7th bedroom is bigger than most second bedrooms I've seen in modern flats lately.

The landlord is a builder who has owned the house for years and he's really pleased with the result and not too pleased with HMO man - or himself: when we were looking at the outside of the house he said to me that he had been cursing the idiot who scratched all the brickwork when he put the Coronation Street rendering on. Then he remembered that he had done the job himself 20 odd years ago!!

But even the brickwork looks great now though after some hard graft done through clenched teeth and if you know anyone who wants to live here get them to call me.

Good things come...

I thought that this would be the week I would be buying a new computer. The switching off thing had got ridiculous and no amount of de bugging or spy botting was making any difference. But no, the problem with the 'puter has been remedied and we are now the proud owners of a ball of dust the size of a week's worth of lint from the tumble dryer in winter. I am so ashamed. One of my landlords suggested that windows had lost its mind; another one suggested that I disconnect the power cable and then reconnect it which I think is the posh version of switching it on and off at the plug. Richard's diagnosis at a distance was over heating. It turned out that Richard was the lucky winner of an evening at the madhouse with a can of that cleaning air and a little brush. It seems that 4 years of not cleaning inside the box is a bit too long! Now its staying on as long as we want it to but the sound doesn't work.... Then the next morning I switched on the monitor and it stayed awake long enough to boot up then went black. Mmmmm time for a new one. So along with the mound of dust, we are now the proud owners of a flat screen monitor - about 5 years or more behind the times! Its smallness frees up lots of room on the desk for more junk, like pens, and hopefully it will use less power too. We also had to buy a new tv this week but that's another story. And now Blogger isn't recognising my return key....... New keyboard? Please not.

So, so secure that I can't spend any money

Our computer at home has been doing odd things lately like shutting down all of a sudden when the boys are playing Peggle at the same time as listening to Napster and running the internet in case they need to look for cheats for the PS2 game they are also playing. It sometimes does it when I'm using it too and I'm not sure why but it can only be a bad sign.

The quick and easy solution seems to be an external hard drive. Its definitely cheaper than a whole new machine and better than losing all the data on this one which include loads of photos and music which I foolishly haven't really been backing up anywhere. My friendly IT assistant says this kind of behaviour is another step along the road to computer oblivion; we need one that's bigger, better, faster, quieter - and more expensive.

I found just the thing at dabs.com called Buffalo something which made me think of Buffalo fencing but smaller. So I clicked to buy and added my card details and the new Verified by Visa thingie popped up. I duly entered my card number, expiry, card name and my date of birth and waited.

Mmm error, try again. 3 times I tried and then it locked me out. Ring Visa it said. They shut at 5.00 so that was no good and I spent the night worrying that the 'puter would conk out next day and all would be lost because I hadn't bought the Buffalo.

When I rang them the next day they 'took me through security' and when I said my date of birth the girl said 'No, that's not your date of birth sorry, try again'

What? Really? No wonder no-one could ever come to my birthday parties as a kid. I thought it was because they were snowed it but obviously not!

I told her again and again she told me I was wrong. No wonder the card verify hadn't worked. She wouldn't tell me what date she had on her screen so I told her to ring Barclays where I have my account and cross check.

She rang me back and admitted that they must have made a mistake. It would be fixed but I wouldn't be able to use the card for another 24 hours while they updated the system.

Aargh. Another day hoping that it will restart every time it shuts itself down.

Click to buy at dabs is fantastic. I clicked at 11pm Wednesday and it arrived at 2pm on Friday. Plug and Play and half an hour later all of our computer is now in two places at once. I know techies don't think this is cool but I do. Wow.

So now I am free to click and buy once again. Do you want to see what I've been looking at?

Cult Pens and The Writer's Edge for pens and here for Classic Mercedes.

I can see myself in a big old gangster car - well it is Blue

and this little convertible is just the right size for my dw.

How would I expain that to the accountant? Sadly we are more in need of a 7 seater than a 2 seater and in the meantime you will see me in my Citroen

Imitation..........?

Is it the sincerest form of flattery? Or lazy business? Or just plain rude?

I don't know but I think that some aspects of Bluedoor's business model are worth copying because they are good for customers: using more than one photo in web advertising for a start.

Flexibility and making people happy not mad as hell are good too.

The fixed price is of course our USP. We have it because we genuinely believe that if we do the same work for all our landlords we should charge them each the same price for that work.

It is not a gimmick or a limited time offer: it is a sign of our wish to treat people fairly and honestly in a truly transparent manner.

Others may imitate us but none are truly like us.

We are the unusual agent.

Call me......

Bluedoor is always open. Any day of the week that you want to view a property I will oblige.

Any time of day that you want to view a property I will oblige.

If you want to view a property on a Sunday afternoon I will oblige.

If it turns out that said Sunday afternoon is hot and sunny and you don't fancy viewing a house - PLEASE call me to tell me you have changed your plans then maybe I could make plans for the sunny Sunday afternoon myself!

I don't even mind being dumped by text. Try me.

TFI Yellow Pages

I met a new landlord last night who said he was a friend of my good friend Pete over at Mallams and his family who had recommended me because his current agent was so bad (nameless but begins with 'C')

It turns out this landlord's wife is midwife and works with Pete's wife. This is what they do on those long night-shifts between catching babies - complain about agents and talk about houses as well as cleaning up, smiling and being there for so many people at an amazing time in their lives, obviously. When our last baby was born we saw Pete's wife on our way out of the hospital and she offered to sort me out with two house bricks -yikes.

Unfortunately I am known to have caused my dear wife to suffer through two difficult labours because my darling girls are so special that they cause a fuss getting out and she was offering to spare her more trouble from me.

Pete's wife couldn't remember anything other than that I am Greg and we're called Bluedoor.

I asked the landlord how he had found me then

"Oh it was easy - you are in the Yellow Pages"

And there was me cursing the waste of money that was our box in the yellow thing that most people use as door stops or trip over on the bottom step of the stairs - or is that just in our house?

This is he very first time anyone has ever said that they used the old fashioned way to look me up. Maybe I will pay again next year.

Get me thinner

A while back I mentioned a man who came to look at a house to rent and told me he could shoo spirits away if they were hanging around too long. Well I bumped into him at the leisure centre (I wasn't there doing sports I can assure you - we go there to buy chocolate when the other shops are shut!) and he told me he thought he should pay me a visit becuase I was looking tired.

Anyhow he popped in to my office the other today to give me a consultation becuase he is also a herbalist and reiki healer. From having a good look at me he thinks I must have a lot of stuff trapped in my colon.. I though I was just a bit fat! Never mind, I also need to use my name as it was given to me GREGORY not Greg. I had a thought that maybe I need MORE name so how about a middle name (my parents couldn't think of one apparently) something like T - for Trevor? Or TM Trevor Milo? Gregory Trevor Milo Simpson?????

The cure for my sticky colon is a box of goodies which arrived this morning. Guaranteed to increase the number of toilet visits in any one day and needs a few days at home to sort out. I won't be doing that any tome soon as I can't always be sure of being close to a bathroom.....

There is other stuff in the box though incuding green liquid chlorophyll which smells like mint sauce but tastes very greeeen and some other pills to calm my nerves. The kids tested my nerves before and after taking a pill and pronounced no difference but we will see how it goes over the next week and I will update you.

I received another box this week which was much more exciting becuase it was filled with pens. I am on such a strict budget at the moment that I am reduced to buying stationery from eBay to satisfy my longing for something new and shiny. New Porsches are some way off but pens to keep me going. This box had a couple of those cartridge pens that were popular in schools in the 80s. Did you have one too?

It's Friday!

Well the week went by and I've only just found time to post.

What a week! Happy tenants, frustrated and frustrat-ing landlords, appointments here there and everywhere and then the government manage to cock up the whole Hips thing. Who'd have thought it? Maybe they had a busier week than me and lost their minds!!! And the estate agents will get the blame for sure. Here in Abingdon I can't tell you how many 'Beat the Hip' type promo leaflets have been pushed through our door. I wonder if the agents who were offering £250 off their fees on instructions before 1st June will be extending their offer?

There are so many properties for sale this month that buyers can afford to be really choosy. A birdie tells me that sales are falling through because all of a sudden buyers are seeing something they like more than the one they had agreed to buy. Greedy, green eyed buyers? Surely not!

Look out for all those 3 bedroom houses with study, painting studio and upstairs lounge for sale in August. Seriously though this only makes not selling your property even more attractive doesn't it? Who knows what wheeze they will think up next?

Lost Weekend

I have to admit that although I know bluedoor will take over the world soon and other agents will be wondering where their market share has gone - I really, really miss weekends and I am really, really tired.

Part of the blame for the tiredness lies with my lovely baby daughter who is not so much cuddly baby as a constantly moving dirt spreader and part is to do with running this giant looking business on my own and being all things to everyone.

Some landlords are recommending me to their friends which is great and some are buying more properties and want me to let them which is also great but both those things mean more properties, more viewings and more tenants. Which is fantastic but everyone wants a piece of me! I need a fake me to take some heat for me!

And who are those guys who are paid to call me and sell me space on their charity calendar, or sell me a new telecoms system, or advertising space on now-you-see-it now-you-don't crappy websites? Do they never rest?

I did make it to visit friends on Saturday afternoon then another friend on Sunday but I can tell they are wondering why I haven't bought a bigger house, a smart new car and why my trousers have what looks like mushed up biscuit around the knees. I'm calling my current look "eccentic entrepreneur" but I really want one of Thomas Mahon's suits and I can't wait to be back to sartorial elegance soon and my girlie won't be sticky fingered forever....

So here I am at the start of the week again. Lets see what it brings.

Are you thinking of Buying to Let?

TOP TEN TIPS FOR NEW BUY-TO-LET INVESTORS

Like any investment, buy-to-let comes with no guarantees, but for those who have more faith in bricks and mortar than stocks and shares the following tips from The Money Centre can help ensure your buy-to-let investment is a success.

1. DO set aside money for the unexpected - such as a void period in rent or a boiler breaking down.

2. DO keep an open mind about what and where to buy. Talk to as many experienced landlords as you can and learn from their mistakes and successes.

3. DO think carefully before buying a property with maintenance issues. Money you save buying it may be lost by it being empty while you’re renovating or improving the property.

4. DON’T indulge your own taste in design and style of the interior or exterior of the property, as it’ll restrict its appeal. Keep it neutral and safe.

5. DO be cautious about buying properties off-plan. You need to stick to a specific timeframe in order to maximise your return and developers may not guarantee a finish date.

6. DO beware of companies offering cheap conveyancing. If a few pounds saved on conveyancing means a slow service you may lose the property.

7. DON’T skimp by finishing your buy-to-let property with second-hand furnishings, fixtures and fittings. If they don’t meet health and safety regulations you could find yourself in trouble.

8. DO be aware of the specialist insurance you need. Standard domestic insurance policies do not cover many of the eventualities that landlords face.

9. DO think carefully before leaving the management of your property to relatives or friends. Buy-to-let properties need experienced management to maintain tenant occupancy and maximise returns.

10. DON’T abuse the relationship you have with your tenants. Give plenty of notice before you visit and make sure maintenance problems are addressed quickly. Tenants are an essential part of your business plan and the relationship needs to be managed in a professional way.

From The Money Centre

If you need advice about buy to let just give me a ring. I can talk to you about good properties to buy, how to go about making offers to agents, what I can do for you in terms of our services and give you some ball-park figures for income and yield.

In fact, I can talk the hind leg off a donkey so I'll ring you back to save your phone bill! All my advice is free and you are under no obligation of course.

I'd really like to help you buy a fantastically lettable property so that it all goes smoothly for you. I feel awful when landlords come to me with a property that I know will be difficult to let and probably won't make them as rich as they had hoped.

Happy tenants make good tenants

Hi Greg

Thanks again for your really amazing service and professionalism and going the extra mile with helping us get into the house so effortlessly and quickly. Service of the levels you gave us is something which is badly lacking in South Africa, so made my move to the UK that little bit easier and less stressful.

RH

We DO make people feel happy!

"Unusual Agent - more like unique!"

Just wanted to say that your service is second to none, we had been renting with Blue Door for a year now and have found Greg to be polite friendly and most importantly quick to act on any problems that may have occurred. He clearly has not only ours but the landlords interest at heart which is really all you can ask for but he does seem to go that extra mile when needed.
Thanks again for all the support and help"

Managed or Non-Managed?

Nice big rubbish bin, green recycling box, doormat and lawn neatly mown by our gardener?

Or unkempt front lawn and no bin?

We can show your tenants that you are a nice landlord in lots of ways. If you are nice to them they are nice to you and we are nice to everybody. Smile!

Ramblings on prices

I have a lot of theories about a lot of things but some of the theories I have about lettings are spot on.

One is that a property will only let for what a tenant is willing to pay for it. This sounds obvious but what I mean is that the prospective tenant for a one bed flat or a three bed house has a budget in mind based on a few things. Firstly how may people will be paying the rent, secondly how much the monthly mortgage payment on the house would be if they bought it themselves and thirdly there is a seemingly random relationship between rent and property prices.

Thanks to the internet it is very easy for anyone to find out what a house was bought for and when or how much similar properties are being sold for. Sites like http://www.nethouseprices.com/ have taken the mystery out of purchase prices and for a mere £3.00 Land Registry will sell you a pdf of the title deed of any property which lists its owners and any mortgagees.

This is why there is a ceiling on rents for a particular sized property which to some extent disregards its interior finish or its location. Furniture does not add a premium to the rent and neither do white goods. Tenants in this area expect white goods and beds as basics and in a lot of properties landlord's furniture is seen as a hindrance.

Tenants aren't silly, if they could buy the property for less than the advertised rent then they will do that instead. The days of landlords picking a price and tenants paying it are long gone which brings me to the last point about rent and purchase prices.

There's a funny thing in and around Oxford that if have a house to let which is worth between £200,000 and £250,000 you will get a rent of between £850 and £950 pcm. I can advertise these kind of properties on a landlord's instruction for £900 or £975 and get absolutely no hits whatsoever. If I drop this by even £25 I will get have the phone ringing off the hook. It seems that there is a magic number and that it is in the tenant's head, not the landlord's!

If this seems like a bad return there are a few things you can do; switch to an interest only mortgage on your rental properties then let through bluedoor. Our fees for full management are only £65+VAT which is £76.30 per month or less than 9% on that £850 rent.

If you are thinking of investing in property to let and aren't sure what to buy give me a ring and I will help you all I can. 01235 524800

Hello from Bluedoor

I like to be cheery in my emails and I seem to be writing a lot of them lately. My email is as busy as the phone!

This morning I tested my sat-nav to see if it would get me to a small but perfectly presented terraced house in Reading. Yes, Bluedoor's fame has spread south and we now have 2 properties in Reading. Want a look? Here they are

Check out the shine on that parquet flooring in Caversham!



And here's the terrace with my kind of door- lovely and blue. I didn't think I should move the umbrella-man sign just in case............

The sat nav is a bit crazy and decided to guide me home a different way which sent me past my sister's house so I stopped in there to say hello and see my sweet little niece. Once I got back to the office I sorted the post and replied to the phone messages that had piled up while I was driving then a new landlord called and asked me round to her flat in Oxford to see if I would take it on. 6.30? Of course, no problem. This is why I am losing weight - I keep missing dinner!

So after a busy, busy day I'm hoping tomorrow will be quieter so I can walk to work and get me some fresh air.

Oh and do you like my new clock over there on the right? Click on it if you want one for yourself!

The Unusual Agent

We don't advertise much in the real world as you will know, because we believe that the internet is a much more powerful tool than any paper advertising and way more economical too.

We get at least 2 estate agent invitations through our door at home each month and they go straight in our recycling box. I'm sure most people throw them away and I really don't want to spend money on stuff which will end up in a bin. It's bad for my green credentials and it's bad for our tenants and landlords because we try to keep costs low so they don't have to pay huge fees.

Which reminds me of one of our paper adverts which went to print before I had added one vital line. It said Who is paying for all the fancy offices? Landlords You Are! It should have had a little line underneath 'See the difference at bdea.co.uk' Oooooops!

My so called friends in the lettings business laughed almost as much as they had when I was on the front page of the Property Weekly a few years ago and they faxed me copies of the photo with glasses drawn on me and one really awful one with the label Ming the Merciless!

Our phone rings red hot all day most days except between about 3 and 4.30 in the afternoon which is when I put the kettle on and talk to my office neighbours over a cup of tea.

One afternoon at just that cup of tea- time I had a call this week from the guys in the advertising section of the Property Weekly (try their interactive paper) and they told me that Bluedoor is the only agent who has ever advertised in the paper without a photo of a property. They thought it was unusual and had called to ask why. I have no idea other than our adverts are so cool that a picture of a house in the middle of one would look odd.

If even ad executives think we are unusual we must be on to something.

Builders, who'd 'ave 'em?

I met a landlord at a brand new property yesterday and instead of being greeted by a smiling face I found him hopping mad.

'There's a stool in the bathroom' he said.
'Oh, that's useful for a bathroom isn't it?' said I wondering what had got him so angry.
'No, a STOOL, a sh*t' he shouts and I finally got it.
'Bloody builders taking bloody liberties' he ranted.

Lost for a suitable reply I said 'The toilet works ok doesn't it? Shall I check?'

And there it was with no sign of toilet paper either. Ewwww.

In my professional capacity I have only needed to use a vendor's toilet once and I can assure you that I asked for her permission, used the outside toilet and went to great lengths to ensure that it would be as if I had never been there.

My dad was a builder and used to think nothing of peeing in a sink. What can I say?

Bluedoor Bluedoor how does your garden grow?

It grows with the help of Mr Green Fingers Richard Taylor our favourite gardener. (Don't tell my mother in law!)

He has transformed the garden of one of our newbuild properties from a muddy place to this

If your garden is looking worse for wear or you would just like to give it a new look give us a call and we'll put you in touch.

Join the Rush

Oh dear!

Landlords are in such a rush to instruct bluedoor that they will abandon their cars anywhere.

Poor parking courtesy of the car park at Waitrose Abingdon. The most expensive and mouth-wateringly tempting corner shop in the world.

No one was injured in the taking of this photo.

To Let or not To Let?

If you are considering letting the property you currently live in please, please, please consider a few things.

Do you want to live somewhere else while your house is let?
Can you afford to live elsewhere while your house is let?
Are you willing to live elsewhere for a whole year even if your original plans go awry?
Do you agree that letting your home is a business agreement not a favour to the tenant?
Can you accept that to all intents and purposes the property is not yours for the term of the agreement?

If the answer to any of the above is 'No' then maybe letting your home is not the best way forward.

Would you like a cheque for £50?

Did you know that you can get £50 when you recommend a landlord and we let their property with our full management service? Well you can and a good number of our landlords and friends are pleased as punch when they get their cheque in the post.


Maybe that's why this week has been so busy. We've got a new property in Peachcroft by recommendation as well as flats inJackman Close and Headington. The gorgeous house in the previous post is let subject to contract as is the lovely family place in Radley.



I had a raised eyebrow when taking the internal photos of the Peachcroft house because one of the bedrooms has a lot of green plants under lamps. I thought I was going to have to ring the old bill! The current tenant isn't a small time dealer though, he's an orchid collector - thank goodness.





Then new tenants have moved into Caldecott Road and are even happier now that a good man has been in there and not found any spirits needing sending towards the light. The chap had looked at letting the house himself so gave it the once over. Apparently there a quite a few places in Abingdon where spirits have needed a nudge to move on. They aren't usually bad; they're just a bit lost between here and there. I might get him to check out all our properties before letting them in the future!

Busy busy busy

We haven't blogged for a while because we have been rushed off our feet!

I pass other agent's windows and see them sat there drinking coffee and surfing while I'm running around like the proverbial blue ar*** fly. What gives? There is a whisper out there that the infamous FKL are feeling the wind of Bluedoor's change a bit fiercely and no matter how often they say that they are the best in Oxfordshire a few of our new landlords beg to differ. Tee hee hee.

We have bought 3 new properties on behalf of a landlord which will be ready to let in a month or so, we have managed the renovation of an amazing and historic apartment in Oxford, moved some pilots into a gorgeous 3 storey place in Kidlington and taken on 3 properties so far this week among other things.

Happy, happy landlords and happy, happy tenants. Wouldn't you be happy if you lived in a castle with a view like this from your own balcony?

Here's the castle and that's the balcony. Back in the old days it was a knockin' shop; the current residents are delightful and work for large multinational companies!

It needed a bit of brightening up to be re-let. Look no kitchen.....

.........WOW! Great work by Malcolm. Thanks

Speaking of wow and cool things - have you ever wished that you could get into the shower and not have to fiddle around getting it to the perfect temperature? If you have then you need to rent this townhouse in Vintner's Place from us.

It has shower controls outside the shower on the bathroom wall so that you can set the temperature while you do other things and when you get under the water it is just how you like it. The dials glow blue so if you are a VW fan you'll love it - that and the magic lights that come on when you enter the rooms. Spooky the first time you experience it I can tell you!!!

Have a look at more pics here

Bluedoor in Bicester?

Why not?

Bluedoor is set to open in Bicester in the next month or two so if you have a propety in the north of Oxfordshire and thought that it would be too much trouble even for an agent such as ourselves to drive all the way out to you then do get in touch with us now.

Our Bicester agents will be as unusual as the Abingdon lot. Evening viewings, Sunday meetings with new landlords, answering the phone whilst eating our breakfast (sorry we do slurp our milk sometimes!) We are here when you want us and hope you like us that way.

Happy New Year

We have been busy over the New Year with viewings and people moving in. This lovely lady sent us a kind email even though we couldn't find her the perfect property this week.

Dear Greg,

The house was a bit big, expensive and too carpeted for me. What I liked and what you can perhaps find in another house for me was that it was OK for pets and close to the centre of town and the bus route on which I will be depending.
So please keep on looking. I would prefer somewhere without carpets, at least downstairs - we had a chat about that didn't we?
I have found you to be an unusual agent until now, working all sorts of odd hours, and looking after my little dog. So perhaps you'll come up with the unusual house for me!


Unusual! We're glad to hear it!

If you know me you will know that I always have a fountain pen in at least one of my pockets and that I love pens and stationery. I have had a variety of different pens to promote the business and the latest batch is the best yet. Our kids love them and one friend thinks its so cool he has used it too much!

Hi mate

My light pen has run out! Have you got any more?

Regards Joe

I'll post a photo later but if you want one to try for yourself give me a ring on 01235 524800 and I'll send you one.