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Property investment tips, insights, interviews, strategies, area research and industry news.
In a country where privacy is demanded, gardens are treasured but urban space is limited and land expensive, the terraced house has long-been the most economical solution to the woes of the UK market.
The end of the First World War saw a revolution in housing as soldiers returned from battle and Victorian slums became an embarrassment for the status-quo.
Only estate agents can list properties on Rightmove but there are plenty about that will sell listings, as a standalone service to private individuals, cheaply. The problem here is that a listing, alone, is probably not going to lead to you selling your house.
There are two primary ways of assessing profit, made on a rental property – yield and monthly income. And even though the circumstances of every deal differs wildly, most investors are really looking for similar returns.
It’s said that a staggering 64% of new landlords in the UK now count a short-term let or Airbnb as part of their portfolio, with this significant growth, likely due to tougher legislation and tax changes that are continuing to be rolled out for buy-to-let.
You’ve probably heard of properties being described as ‘freehold’ or ‘leasehold’ but what do these terms actually mean? Today, we look at what do you will need to know if you are buying a leasehold property or thinking of investing in a leasehold and we examine lease extensions and the ground rent scandal.
Thinking about investing in Manchester or the North West? In today’s article, I’m looking at the seven locations I believe are best for investing in property in the North West after 15+ years investing in property in this part of the UK.
If you need to sell a house under probate you’ll find the process to be very different from selling a house in the normal way. Today we are looking at the processes and problems with selling inherited property.
Located in the county of Denbighshire in North Wales Rhyl has population of around 25,100. Although it’s seen hard times of late, the town is on the up and property investors and buy-to-let landlords should take note.
Didn’t we have a lovely time the day we went to Bangor… so says a hit song that put Bangor on the map way back in 1980. In many ways, Bangor is a great place for property investors to have a lovely time too as is well-worth considering for buy-to-let.
While it used to be an inner-city area of workshops and warehouses the Baltic Triangle is now Liverpool’s liveliest and best place for culture, a social centre, a growing creative and digital hub and a sought after accommodation hotspot.
Durham is world-famous for Durham Cathedral and Durham University. What the Durham area isn’t quite so well known for is the cheap property prices which make it very much a happy hunting ground for bargain property investors.
The ancient royal town of Caernarfon is located in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales and there are some great-value buy-to-lets and property investments to be had in this well known and picturesque tourist destination.
If you own a house with a sitting tenant then that could knock thousands of pounds off its value – and even make it impossible to sell at all. Here’s our guide to selling a house or flat with a sitting tenant.
Check any map – you’ll find there’s not just one but at least 14 places called Newport in the UK. But there’s one Newport that stands ahead of all the rest when it comes to property investment opportunities. Newport in South Wales is a city that’s on the rise and, better still, it offers great value investment property.
Bicester is a town that’s undergoing a remarkable transformation right now. This one time sleepy Oxfordshire market town is being developed into one of the largest and most exciting towns in the county. Close to Oxford and with cheap property prices for the area, it’s one to watch.
Stoke-on-Trent is one of the cheapest places in the UK to invest in property yet rental yields are healthy and on-the-rise. Furthermore, with a wide-range of property types available, there are lots of opportunities for investors.
Part of the Isle of Wight is known as the English Mediterranean, thanks to its mild climate and relaxed atmosphere. Although the Isle of Wight is not often thought of as a location for property investors look closer and you’ll find there are property investment opportunities to be had.
Snagging is a careful, detailed check of your newly built house or apartment to identify defects in the construction. Today, we look at the advantages there are in using a snagging company if you are considering buying a new-build house and the problems you could face if you don’t.
FENSA is a competent person scheme and the means by which window installers can prove their abilities to work to regs. Here we look at what it means to have a FENSA certificate and at what it means not to have one.
Ripon is Yorkshire’s smallest city and one of the smallest cities in the entire country. And yet, Ripon is packed full of history and interesting old traditions that you just won’t find in bigger cities. But it’s not just about history, the property market in Ripon is an interesting beast, as well.
With great transport connection, a thriving economy, high-tech employment and relatively low house prices, Basingstoke is a place that property investors and buy-to-let landlords should pay close attention to.
The passing of the Housing Act of 1988 was a watershed moment for the UK rental market. It handed much more power to landlords than they had enjoyed previously and was a bold leap, perfectly illustrative of the ideals of the Thatcher government, towards greater free-market autonomy in the rented housing sector.
The basic principle behind an AST is to offer some security of tenure to the tenant, subject to some limitations. This means that as long as the tenant pays the rent and abides by the conditions of the tenancy they are entitled to occupy the property for the agreed period – or ‘term’ as it is known.
Bracknell punches well above its weight; with loads of big companies and millions being spent on transforming the town. Yet property prices which are much lower than in the surrounding areas – meaning it could be a hit with property investors.
Thanks to the wet climate in Britain, wet rot is a problem that threatens many homes. A severe case of wet rot can make your home uncomfortable, uninhabitable, knock thousands of pounds off its value and make it difficult to sell.
The NLA is the UK’s largest membership organisation for private residential landlords with 41,000 members. With over 100 Acts of Parliament and 400 sets of regulations governing the private residential sector, the NLA help their members navigate through what can sometimes feel like a minefield of red tape.
Article 4 Directions are the legal means by which a local authority can require property owners to seek permission to convert a single dwelling house into a small HMO. The idea is that by doing this the councils are given more control over housing stock through their ability to control the density of HMOs in a given area.
If your house has dry rot it can literally be a rotten problem to have. Dry rot can cost you a lot of money. It can knock thousands of pounds off the value of your house and even make it impossible to sell your property.
With strong house price growth, upcoming Crossrail links and a £450m regeneration plan, Slough is a very good place to invest in property at the moment. And with a booming economy and the possibility of a 3rd runway at Heathrow, things won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
The Immigration Act of 2014 received Royal Assent on the 14th of May, 2014, containing within it, the Right-to-Rent scheme. In this article we explain everything you need to know as a landlord or tenant.
The economy in Cardiff has grown faster than any other UK capital city making it a very attractive proposition for property investment. But, while capital cities – especially London – are well out of most investors’ budgets. With prices from about £60,000, however, Cardiff is very affordable.
Before you invest in or make other important decisions getting the right property data is going to be the key to your success. Here we look at a few different sources for your investigations and outline the ones we use, day-to-day.
Luton has a lot going for it. There are a thriving economy, a major airport and some of the cheapest property in south-east England. Luton also has a much younger-than-average population hinting a much-increased demand for property in the near future.
Voted the happiest place to live in Wales, Wrexham is the fastest growing hotspot in Wales after Cardiff and a business powerhouse, looking confidently to the future. Property investors should be taking note of the de-facto capital of the North.
Selling a house or a flat ought to be easy. But if you have a house or a flat with a short lease then selling it could be very difficult indeed. f you have short lease problems here’s what you need to know about short leases, and a way to sell your property quickly no matter how short the lease.
For any homeowner, the very thought of a Possession Order is something that can create a great deal of anxiety. Today, we look at the process to having your house repossessed for mortgage arrears and at what can be done to make the situation better.
Edinburgh is one of the most internationally recognised UK cities and the centre of Scottish political power. While expensive, it’s a fantastic place to invest in property with high yields and excellent prospects for growth but more than that Edinburgh is a city that has that Wow factor.
When you are selling a property, you need to consider the possibility that a potential buyer may not be able to get a mortgage for it. Although the policies of different lenders will vary here are 18 reasons that your house may be unmortgageable.
Dundee is Scotland’s most affordable city where property investors can buy TWO houses, for the price of one, in Edinburgh. But it is also a growing centre for future-facing industries like the biomedical, biotechnology, software and digital.
Capital growth is impossible to guarantee but there are certainly signs you can look out for that will help you make the most educated guesses possible. Today Rob looks at growth and at a tool that can help property investors understand the state of any local property market.
June 1st, 2019, signals the beginning of the Tenant Fees Act, an approach by the Government to ban fees paid by tenants to letting agents and landlords in the rental sector. For many tenants, renting a property or for those looking to rent, this may seem like the lifeline they’ve been waiting for.
Investing in London is a tough nut to crack not just because it is the most expensive part of the country but because it is not just one property market but many property markets. And those markets overlap to create many complex sub-markets.
If you are being threatened with a house repossession you need to know what you can do about it and how you can stop it. Today we look at the rights of home owners with mortgage arrears and at the process that mortgage lenders take to repossess a property.
An Energy Performance Certificate is a document tailored specifically for your property which details information about the energy use and typical energy costs of the dwelling. It also provides information about how to reduce energy usage and save money.
Facing the repossession of a home can be a very frightening experience but even after the process has started repossessions are seldom inevitable. Here we look at what a homeowner needs to do stall a repossession or even stop it entirely.
There are some great properties out there just waiting to be found and the good news is the only tool you need to find them is Zoopla. Today we look at four underutilised filters that investors can use to find below market value property and motivated sellers in their chosen area.
Let’s face it, HMOs are pretty popular these days and that means there’s more competition in the market, prices are higher and deals are harder to find. Today, we’re going to taking a deep dive into locations to help you find the best deals.
By using the two-plus-one strategy you will be able to grow your portfolio quickly from a 50k deposit to eleven houses. The trick here is learning how to effectively recycle your deposit.
The rules and processes around Local Housing Allowance are complicated, variable (depending on the local authority) and constantly changing. Here we look at exactly what LHA is, who is eligible for it, how it is changing and most importantly what it actually means for a landlord to have a tenant in receipt of it.