Inventory companies/clerks/fees

[kfarmah]

Can anyone recommend an Inventory clerk who covers the Midlands area?

Thanks in advance......
K

[Editor]

Invetory Clerks

You will find a list of inventory clerks here covering the whole of the UK.
Just go down the list holding your cursur over the red icons - that will tell you where they operate.
http://www.landlordzone.co.uk/dir/in...y-services.htm
Sorry, we cannot recommend any particular one but I found an excellent one this way some months ago.

[joan.scully]

[mindstep]

Inventory Clerk Training

Hello Joan, when looking at training you may be referring to us at inventoryclerk.com.

The reason we charge is only to give people knowledge of how to complete all the reports in a way that meets or exceeds what we believe to be a minimum requirement. You don't need this training to become a clerk but it would cost someone a lot more money than the fees we charge to gain this normally.

On one of our options we help obtain work for you which again would be an additional cost to you if you didn't know how.

Further you can join our online calendar booking system which agents love, this would cost you thousands to develop.

Lastly you don't have to have an inventory due to the TDS but it would be daft not to. You also don't have to be trained to produce inventories, we know however that most landlords omit vital information without realising it which could cost in the long run.

Why not join www.inventoryclerk.net, its our sister site and free.

Hope this helps

Jonathan

[Flo]

Inventory fees

Hi all. An inventory service have given a quote of £200 for inventory and check in but not check out. This includes photos. Does anyone have an opinion if this is reasonable for a terraced house. This is where their involvement ends; there is no management involved with the property.

Do some agents include inventory with their initial fee? I am asking as a novice and first time btl. I do not have agent at the moment but am considering.

Many thanks.

[johnboy]

We charge the tenant £50 + vat for checkin/out which also includes the inventory. The L/L only gets charged our % com on rental income. What area are you in? Maybe we can help.

[lorenzo]

Hi all. An inventory service have given a quote of £200 for inventory and check in but not check out. This includes photos. Does anyone have an opinion if this is reasonable for a terraced house. This is where their involvement ends; there is no management involved with the property.

Do some agents include inventory with their initial fee? I am asking as a novice and first time btl. I do not have agent at the moment but am considering.

Many thanks.

Where is it? I'll come and do it for £190! (just joking)

*Where is the house?
*How many rooms is it?
*It it furnished or unfurnished?

Could be about right for a London location for a big furnished house, otherwise it sounds a bit excessive.

[porridge]

Hi all. An inventory service have given a quote of £200 for inventory and check in but not check out. This includes photos. Does anyone have an opinion if this is reasonable for a terraced house. This is where their involvement ends; there is no management involved with the property.

Do some agents include inventory with their initial fee? I am asking as a novice and first time btl. I do not have agent at the moment but am considering.

Many thanks.

Flo

Why not do it yourself?, fairly easy, record the decor, condition of carpets, be honest and point out the defects etc, take photo's of EVERY wall, floor surface, appliance, window frame, write on the back of the photo, get the tenant to sign and date the photo on the back- all prior to signing the tenancy agreement DON'T leave it to the tenant to the tenant to return days after the start of the tenancy.

Note metre readings etc, how many keys and for what


you and the tenant sign and date it, copies for both of you


As for Agents, well in my experience a complete waste of time and money ! (well to be fair -my agent), from experience I would say don't trust them !!!!!, my rent was supposed to be under written by an insurance guarantee but they never did their job and I now have a tenant almost 3 months !!

It has been a complete eye opener, but hopefully you will avoid all my mistakes and take plenty of advice from the helpful guys on here.

Good luck

PS

Are you the Tesco shopping FLO?

[lorenzo]

Flo

Why not do it yourself?, fairly easy, record the decor, condition of carpets, be honest and point out the defects etc, take photo's of EVERY wall, floor surface, appliance, window frame, write on the back of the photo, get the tenant to sign and date the photo on the back- all prior to signing the tenancy agreement DON'T leave it to the tenant to the tenant to return days after the start of the tenancy.

I disagree. You can make some sort of inventory pretty easily, but making one to cover every eventuality, and stand up in court/arbitration requires training IMO.

FWIW

[Flo]

Thanks guys for your replies. On that basis, it certainly is a rip off. I don't think I'll be taking up the offer for £200.

The property is in the north and it is a simple 2 bed terraced - you can still get some up here you know!

I think I will just do it myself as suggested. I seem to remember somewhere some draft forms I could print off but I am a bit concerned about getting stung on my first one.

Also, I don't want to push it, but I get a tad confused over all the forms/notices/checks etc. Is there a dummies guide anywhere on the net like flow charts or something? Sounds daft but anything would help to get the process clear in my mind so I don't make too many costly mistakes.

BTW Flo at Tesco?!? I honestly don't know what you mean - I must have missed something. Thanks again all. Flo

[porridge]

quick 2 minute search and found this

http://www.ilrg.com/forms/rental-checklist.html

[sibec]

A massive 3 bedroomed 2 bathroomed furnished flat cost less than £150 just for check-out.

[Poppy35]

I would not really call that Inventory throrough at all. does not state how many sockets etc on each wall, position of radiators, light fittings etc.

I would either employ a professional clerk or ask to look at your agents inventories and see how thorough they really are.

[lorenzo]

I would not really call that Inventory throrough at all. does not state how many sockets etc on each wall, position of radiators, light fittings etc.

I would either employ a professional clerk or ask to look at your agents inventories and see how thorough they really are.

Totally agree.

Here is an example of a professional inventory, pulled off the internet.

http://www.howardinventories.co.uk/d..._Inventory.pdf

[Poppy35]

Thanks Lorenzo - you're my favourite friend of the week me thinks!!!

heres an extract from our inventories

Stone tiled flooring in grey with grouting
Units are beech coloured with chrome handles
Tiles are burgundy
Worktops are Butchers block style in dark wood
Light fitting is four section chrome spotlight
IW
Archway some small dents in here
Double light switch
Double socket
Double wall unit with one shelf
Under unit is strip light
Single working drawer and single base unit with child safety catch
LHW
Space for fridge/freezer 5 scuff marks, hole in base
unit for plugSingle wall unit with shelf
Pull out unit in middle with NEFF extractor fan
Single wall unit with shelf
Strip light under each single unit some grease marks
2 x Isolator switches
double socket
cooker socket with single socket grouting not finished off
NEFF four ring gas hob with 2 black pan stands
Worktop to left of hob long knife mark
Single working drawer with base unit below
With child safety catch
Single socket in here
3 single working drawers
top drawer melamine peeling a littlemiddle and bottom have child safety catches
single working drawer with base unit and shelf
child safety catch
overhead cupboard
double chrome NEFF oven below
top one contains handle, glass door, grill pan
and wire rack
bottom oven has handle, glass door
2 chrome shelves
single unit under with drawer and child safety lock
wall picture hook with 2 small pin
holes
light switch some paint on this
double socket
door to utility

and thats just 2 walls in one room. we think its pretty concise and the odd few times we have gone to court we have always won the case.

needless to say when landlords give us their inventories which comprise of 2 pages for a 4 bed house - its hard to stiffle the laughter!

as mentioned before a good inventory is worth its weight in gold should things go belly up.