Review!

I submitted info about live Simply on the killer start ups and they just published it. So if you like the site give us a good review. I am really happy we got reviewed! yeah! lets just hope it helps more people find the site!


Take a look and give us a good score!!!


http://www.killerstartups.com/eCommerce/livesimply--Apartment-Rentals/

Things are looking good

Loot.com Property Channel

Unique Users 75,239

Repeat Unique Users 39,209

Page Impressions 1,212,339

Pages per Visitor 8.50

Searches 37,108

Source: intelli-tracker.com May 2007

Livesimply.co.uk Property channel

Unique Users 35,502

Repeat Unique Users 26,882

Page Impressions 292,305

Pages per Visitor 9.01

Searches Information Not Currently Available

Source: Google Analytics September 2007

Jargon buster

Unique users- Number of different individuals who visit

a site within a specific time period.

Page impressions- The number of times a Web page is delivered and seen by a user.

Pages per visitor - The average number of web pages viewed by a unique user.

These figures are steps in the right direction. In some figures we are nearly half as popular as the loot.com property channel however our figures are based in September and loots figures are based in may so there are some flaws in comparison. Live simply seems to have a higher proportion of repeat unique visitors which suggests a more loyal user base. Loot.com figures suggest they get a lot of page impressions. However if you multiply the number of unique users by the number of pages per visitor you only get 639, 531 as opposed to the the quoted 1,212,339 . For Live Simply if you repeat the same calculation you get 319873 compared to our quoted 292,305 is someone fiddling the figures or am I missing something?

Landlord Responsibilities and requirements

Here are some helpful bits of information which can help when renting out your property. This is also useful for tenants to make sure your landlords doing things properly. Some of these points are supported by law others are just good practise. This is not a substitute for proper legal advice and was not intended to be so. Therefore, if in need of legal advice contact a qualified lawyer.

Letting a Leasehold Property

You need to obtain approval from the freeholder to sublet. This ensures that the letting does not invalidate your leasehold agreement.

Letting a mortgaged Property

You will require the permission of the mortgage company to sublet the property. Remember it is your responsibility to obtain this permission in principal prior to you finding/securing tenants. In many instances mortgage interest rates will change. However, If the property has been purchased via a ‘buy to let’ mortgage this permission is not required.

Bills

A standard agreement does not include bills. Therefore, unless it is otherwise agreed the rental quoted to the prospective tenants will be exclusive of telephone, gas, electricity, council tax and water rates. However the landlord is responsible for other outgoings such as service charges, insurances etc.

Furnishings

Remember, TV, videos and DVD players or Hi-Fi equipment should only be left in the knowledge that you as a landlord will be responsible for any mechanical breakdown. It is sometimes beneficial to avoid leaving unnecessary ornamentation in the property. For example you probably should take with you or have removed any of your prized possessions, especially if they are valuable.

Professional Cleaning

Soft furnishings, carpets, floor surfaces, bedding and paintwork should all be professionally cleaned before the tenant moves in; special attention should be paid in the kitchen and bathroom to ensure that the property is rendered tenantable.

Service Contracts

It is advisable for you to take out service contracts on all the properties major appliances especially for central heating boilers and also where possible for major domestic appliances. All electrical appliances must be serviced and new appliances which are under guarantee should be tested and all plugs checked.

Smoke Alarms

As a minimum smoke alarms should be installed to each level of the property. These should be checked regularly to ensure that they are in working order. Additionally a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket should be installed at the property. Carbon Monoxide Detectors should also be installed at the property.

Keys

You should supply one set of keys to each tenants. As a landlord you should retain one full set for yourself. Please note that if you have special locks such as Banham, Ingersol or Chubb, please remember they can take some time to have cut. Therefore these should be done prior to the property being let.

Repairs

Under existing legislation you are responsible for all repairs to the property and contents except those caused by the tenants neglect or misuse. Should a repair be necessary you will need to instruct the relevant qualified contractor.

Landlord Visits

The landlord should carry out periodic checks to the property on a regular basis and note any items that they wish to address with the tenants. The landlord, in accordance with the agreement should notify the tenant by writing of these visits.

Provide a file of useful documents

It is always a good idea to furnish the in-going tenant with a list of useful information, preferably in file form. The information should include domestic appliances instructions, manuals and guarantees, the location of the main water stop cock and meters, alarm codes, refuse collection etc, this will genuinely help in getting the tenancy off to a smooth start.

Tax

You are liable for tax on rented income which is added as unearned income. There are a number of allowances you can claim; however you should seek advice from an accountant or the Inland Revenue.

Do nofollow links count?

I was intrigued as to whether no follow links count. To the laymen a no follow link is a link from one website to another, however it tell the search engines no to use this link when decidig which website to put in their results.

Many people have argued that no follow links do count and have done various experiements to "prove" they count. I decided they all had one fatal flaw they all included the content within the age so it was impossible to work out if the content created the listing or the link.

Thats why i did an experiment I linked the word xffxgxgxfxfxdxd to http://www.livesimply.co.uk

Months later and still nothing the only page that comes up for the search term is the page I conducted the experiment from.

So in conclusion do no follow links count? No!

Take a look at my experiment and tell me what you think

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jamesr1ley

Avoid online scams

Unfortunately there are some nasty people on the Internet. The main thing to remember is everyone is not who they say they are online. So be cautious at all times.

We have prepared an advice sheet at

http://livesimply.co.uk/scamwarning.php

I also found a really helpful website for a whole range of scams at

http://www.safefromscams.co.uk

Stay safe!

Homeless? property problems? Scared?

Shelter is a charity which is dedicated to improving housing. They work to improve people's lives.

Their website is full of information which is really helpful. Their staff are kind and understanding and they can help.

http://www.shelter.org.uk