At property events many investors who are just getting into property ask my advice on which is the best strategy to follow.  There’s never a ‘right’ answer, everybody’s circumstances are different.

•  Buy-to-Let (BTL) gives you a much smaller monthly profit (if you do it right) for years to come, with the bonus of potential capital growth (depending on where you...

THE QUESTION

I am looking into a BTL with tenants in situ.  It’s a two- bed house, with a studio annexe; both with separate tenants.

The annexe does not have planning permission, but has been let out as a studio for several years. 

In the land registry, it's one property with one title deed. There are no separate leases or any lease. Owned by one person, under whose ownership...

If you’re looking at property investment one of the biggest stumbling blocks that you’ll face may be your credit rating.  It doesn’t take much to get the odd smudge on your credit record – a missed payment or a lot of maxed-out credit cards.  It can even be something from your past that still shows up on the record.

This is one of the things that stops...

THE QUESTION

I made an offer for a property that will be my first BTL.  It was accepted and the surveyor went round, Now the surveyor has said kitchen is not up to scratch so the value of house is zero.

The house needs some work, which I was going to do before letting, I am a builder, so I know what needs doing and have the skills to do it.  I just wanted to do it and get the property...

THE QUESTION

I have property with a personal mortgage of £189K and I’ve just finished building an extension.  The new valuation for the property is £685K.

I want to get £150K out of the equity for a new buy-to-let project, but my broker says my affordability won’t get this much.  Is there a way around this without selling this house?

Do I need to change...

THE QUESTION

Is purchasing a building with a protected tenant a good idea?

THE ANSWER

That depends on your vision of the future.  If you’re in it for the long haul then maybe, but if you’re looking at it as a business decision you need to know the facts.

Regulated Tenancies pre-date ASTs (Assured Shorthold Tenancies) as the rental contract used between landlord and tenant. 1st...

THE QUESTION

I am looking to buy a decently priced (BMV) house which also has a value add opportunity to convert the loft to raise the value a bit more. My mortgage advisor says I cannot get a BTL mortgage until I've owned the property for 6 months, but I'm hoping to purchase it in August-September via bridging, get the loft converted in October, and be ready to refinance at the highest value...

THE QUESTION

I’ve had an offer on a flat/bedsit accepted. The estate agents floor plan shows the total floor space as 26.8m².  Will this be a problem when I apply for a BTL mortgage? Am I right in thinking lenders have a minimum 30m² minimum figure?

The other option is to decorate throughout and sell it on.  Are residential mortgages easier to acquire on flats this size making...

THE QUESTION

I’m in the market for a buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage, should I use a free mortgage broker (who gets commission from the lender only), or a broker that charges a fee?

THE ANSWER

If you take a balanced view, whether a broker chooses to charge a fee or not is not the main decisive factor in whether they are any good or not. The decision to charge a fee, or not to, will be driven by...

THE QUESTION

I have a BTL property that is worth £325k and has a mortgage of £227k. I was recently trying to raise finance to purchase another property and wanted to see if I could release some equity from this BTL to raise the equity.  

My lender asked me how much rent I charge (£1150 pcm) and said I wasn’t able to get any equity.  I asked how much the rent...