Understand the investment process

When purchasing a buy-to-let property, you are making an investment of both time and money, so be sure you are adequately prepared and don’t enter the market believing there are no potential pitfalls. Remember that you have legal responsibilities as a landlord, as breaking those obligations could result in criminal charges.

See if you can afford it

Before you start looking for a property, do your homework so you know exactly how much you can afford. In order to make sure you comprehend and take advantage of any available tax or savings benefits, it’s also a good idea to think about getting some financial advice. Recall that upkeep of your property and ensuring that it is secure for a tenant to occupy are additional duties you will have. For instance, you will likely be responsible for the cost of replacing the sink and not your tenant.

Investment yield

Although buying to let real estate typically requires a longer time horizon, any investment should “yield” a profit. For instance, your yield is 5% if you purchase a property for £150,000 and earn £7,500 in rental income each year. It is advisable to take into account additional expenses, such as marketing the property for rental purposes or hiring an estate agent to oversee it. Don’t forget to account for initial expenses such as Stamp Duty.

Where to buy

Finding the greatest places to rent out properties—which might not be in your current neighborhood—must be a part of your research. Purchase in a neighborhood that appeals to renters and has a sufficient number of potential tenants. Remember that in the event that you choose not to use an estate agent to manage your rental property, you will need to keep yourself accessible to your tenants. Therefore, in this situation, it might be wiser to pick a location that is convenient for you.

Know your tenant

To make sure that your property is appealing to potential tenants, which will in turn make them want to rent from you, you must identify your own target market, just as a business needs to know to whom it will sell. A professional couple’s needs, for instance, will differ from those of five university students’ in every way, including how much rent they will pay and what fixtures they will expect from you. 

In the event that you are buying a property from an existing tenant, you must carefully review the terms of their current lease, including the expiration date. While taking over a property with current tenants is advantageous in many ways, you should draft your own agreement with them to make sure that both parties are aware of what is expected of them. Talk to your solicitor about this.

The right place

Don’t be scared to haggle over the price once you’ve found the property you want. This is not the time to be shy about requesting a price reduction because markets change and you might not be aware of the sellers’ unique situation. You will need to give the seller your details, along with the details of your legal representative, once the price has been agreed upon. Usually, if you are using an estate agent, they will handle this. Remember that neither you nor the seller are legally required to finish the transaction and can back out without facing any severe consequences until you have formally exchanged contracts.

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