Legend tells of one estate agent who described a driveway as a ‘multi-vehicular block paviour parking facility’. That is not the sort of description you want in your advert. Edit out the syrup (see jargon buster below), but make sure you include everything a tenant really wants to know: Where? State not only the area (and don’t call it central … Read More
Lettings marketing guide: Where to advertise your rental property – and how to stand out with great photos
How did we ever manage to find homes before the internet? These days more than 90% of property searches start online, and two-thirds of them are via mobile devices, says Zoopla. Local lettings agents, once the first port of call, are no longer the gatekeepers linking tenants and landlords. Nowadays tenants can even do virtual viewings. Britain’s main property portals … Read More
Rents to rise but property prices set for slow growth
Rents have been flat, but the pace is predicted to pick up. House prices, however, have adjusted to a new normal, with significantly slower growth than what we have been used to.
What to budget for when buying a property
To help beginners buying an investment property, we include typical amounts to budget for: The property itself. Your biggest cost by far. To buy with a buy-to-let mortgage, you’ll need a deposit of at least 25%. Your purchase price will of course be clear if you’ve already paid it, but it’s not that simple if you’re looking to buy. The … Read More
How to work out your rental property’s yield
Is your rental property a B league player, or a star performer? Measuring its performance will help you to decide what to do next: sell it and buy something else, take out equity to buy another – or, at the very least, have peace of mind that the figures do stack up. Doing these sums is a key part of … Read More
Income versus growth in property investment
Besides leverage, the second reason property is a great asset is that it combines two forms of return: long-term capital growth and regular income (rent). Cash gives you income alone (interest); shares can give you capital growth and only sporadic income (dividends). As discussed in our goal exercise, your property goal might mean that you prioritise income or growth, but … Read More
How leverage works in property investment
Why is buy-to-let property such a good thing to invest in? The answer lies in leverage, also called gearing. As the word suggests, it acts like a lever: if you apply a small force (your deposit) to a lever (your mortgage), it amplifies the effect (your return). In a rising market, this catapults what would have been ordinary returns into … Read More
Keep your buy-to-let exit strategy in mind
Your exit strategy forms a key part of your business plan for your rental property. What is your long-term plan with your buy-to-let? Do you want to hold it? Sell it? Return to it? Your answer will steer your decisions. If you’re planning to sell in the next few years, it makes sense to avoid any major upgrades unless they … Read More
Identify your rental property’s target audience
When you draw up your property business plan, think about your target audience. Which type of tenant is your property likely to attract? Who would want to live in this location, with these nearby facilities (for example, transport, schools or parks), in a property of this size, style and layout? It helps to profile your target audience so you can … Read More
Where to invest in the new rental hotspots
Investors in search of better buy-to-let returns are looking away from London, to cities where prices are low and build-to-rent schemes are booming
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