I think if I was managing it myself it would be much less stressful. I'd be frank but firm with the tenants about looking after stuff. I'd tell them you're only getting this one. If you break it, you replace it. But the letting agents don't do frank talking, and they fall back to me replacing everything.

The other thing is that successive letting agents have been terrible communicators, which means we cannot get things done. I'd rather not have it managed, but when it's hundreds of miles away, there are certain things it's difficult to do. For example, the tenants wouldn't change their standing order in line with rent increases. So the 1% was paid for two years by the tenants going into the agents' office in the town and emptying their pockets of spare change. Inspections, and anything else that requires a presence on site are also easier with an agent. As well as local tradesmen, checking jobs are done, having contacts for whatever, etc.