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The Property Podcast

The Property Podcast from Property Hub (propertyhub.net) is the podcast for all property investors, new or experienced. Rob Bence and Rob Dix discuss a different property topic and property news item every week, passing on their knowledge and experience to the listeners. They both invest in UK property so they practise what they preach. No hard sell, no bull, just straight-talking property investment advice!
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Now displaying: Page 14
Apr 27, 2017

We're very excited to announce that Rob D's new book came out yesterday and we may be biased, but we think it is his best yet. In this week's special episode of The Property Podcast, we are going to discuss 'How to be a landlord', with tips from the book, and from all sorts of other places.

Also, we have Meetups next week. The evening's are lighter so there's no excuse not to join your nearest get together. Find all the details here.

You'll need to listen to the episode in full to get all of this week's tips and info, but here are some notes you may want to jot down.

You can make property management a lot easier with some little tricks and processes.

 Communicating with tenants:

  • Writing is better than phone
  • Do whatever’s easiest for them - WhatsApp group, text, even Facebook
  • You don’t have to give out your phone number - Skype or switchboardfree
  • Set out ground rules at the start about when you’re contactable, and stick to them!

Chasing up rent:

  • Ideally use direct debit - you’ll know it’s set up properly
  • Diarise rent date and make contact on the same day if it doesn’t come in
  • Have a process: e.g. text day 1, call day 3, final warning day 5
  • Don’t fall for sob stories
  • If you have RGI, make sure you notify them in line with T&Cs

Dealing with emergencies:

  • Define “emergency"
  • Instruct tenants about what to do in an emergency. Often, calling you isn’t the best thing to do
  • Consider landlord emergency cover

Dealing with routine maintenance:

  • Build up trades contacts and treat them very well
  • Save a visit by seeing if it’s something the tenant can easily sort - e.g. washing machine filter, defrost fridge, unblock sink, re pressurise boiler
  • Communicate clearly around damp and condensation - explain the difference
  • Use routine inspections to look for condensation, and also look for early signs of repairs that will need doing (including external)

Inspections:

  • Quick check of each room
  • Check smoke alarms
  • Visually inspect electrics
  • Look for fire risks
  • Look for condensation
  • Look for early signs of repairs that will be needed (including external)

Conclusion:

  • Work smart, not hard
  • Use checklists to get the best result every time
  • Be proactive and stop issues from happening in the first place

Oh, and of course the first thing you need to do is purchase a book that tells you exactly How to be a Landlord, right? Funnily enough, we know just the book.

News story: General Election

Obviously the biggest news story of the week is Rob's new book but we also gather the Prime Minister has called a snap General Election. We'll obviously keep you fully up to date over what this means for you in property terms.

Resource of the week

This week's resource of the week is obviously Rob's book - make sure you get yourself a copy!

Continue the conversation over in the forum

Have you ordered your copy of the book? What is your must-add tip that you would include on How to be a Landlord?

Let us know and join the conversation over in the forum!

If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes

Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.

If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.

Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.

Apr 25, 2017

It's time for another couple of questions in this week's edition of 'Ask Rob & Rob'. This week Rob (yes, another one) and Daniel...

...ask Rob & Rob...One property or two? PLUS: Selling a property within 6 months

The Robs give their take on these topics. What do you think? Head over to the forum to discuss.

ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!

Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.

Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).

Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.

 

NEED MORE ANSWERS?

The Property Hub Summit is the place to get all your questions personally answered by Rob & Rob, and build a network of other smart, motivated investors.

Over the course of a full day at a swanky hotel we'll help you set your goals, form a plan to get you there, overcome your obstacles, and give you the support system you need to make sure nothing gets in your way.

Just don't hang around - there are only four Summits each year, and just 16 places available at each!

Interested? Click here to find out more.

Apr 20, 2017

What makes the perfect rental property? This week The Robs give their tips on what to do and what to avoid, in order to create the ideal rental property for both you and your tenants. 

What is more trouble than it's worth? What is an absolute essential? The Robs give you their take on how to make your property work for you and ensure it gets tenanted quickly and with no fuss. 

In other news, we're putting the finishing touches to the next edition of the magazine, it will be with you very soon and includes and interview with Grand Designs presenter McCloud (yes, we're pretty excited about that too). PLUS there is a webinar coming up just for magazine subscribers which you will be very excited about, so watch this space. 

Rob D has finally completed his new book 'How to be a Landlord' and we all think it's his best one to date. Keep an eye on your inbox for news on that very soon.

Now, back to the subject in hand this week - what do you need to do to create the ideal rental property? 

Flooring:

- Good quality laminate is good for kitchens, bathrooms and high-traffic areas. Make sure it won’t easily rip or warp, don't skimp. 

- Dark coloured carpets only! Good underlay makes cheap carpet feel thicker.

Walls:

- Paint straight onto plaster if you can

- Mainly white or very light grey paint – same colour and brand in every property

- Feature wall

- Water-resistant eggshell or acrylic paint in bathroom and kitchen

Bathrooms:

- Shower over bath rather than shower tray

- Electric shower so it’s not dependent on boiler

- If possible, second bathroom or at least another toilet so if one breaks it’s not an emergency

Kitchens:

- Replacing cupboard doors and work surface might be enough to make it look new

- Avoid integrated appliances. A

Gardens:

- Pave over as much as possible

- If you can convert some into driveway or parking, do.

Electrics:

- Plenty of plug sockets

- Maybe USB sockets

- Get an electrical safety check because will probably need one soon anyway

Safety:

- Hard-wired smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with boiler and as appliances, heat detector in kitchen

Furnishing:

- Avoid as much as possible - including appliances if you can get away with it

General:

- Don’t impose your own taste! Keep it simple

- Don’t over-spec. Rental refurb is very different from a flip (or your own home)

- Be active in overseeing the project

News story: Rogue Landlords Beware! 

There's no bad landlords round here of course, but this will definitely be a big issue for those who are not playing fair and by the rules. Can't be a bad thing, right? Absolutely, provided that it is correctly administered of course! Read more here.

Resource of the week

So this week's resource of the week is commutefrom.com which helps you decide where to buy a house around London. It tells you which stations are within your preferred commute time of the central London station nearest to your work. It also tells you information like the average house prices, crime rates, and schools in the area. Clever stuff, huh? 

Continue the conversation over in the forum

What did we miss? Did you disagree with any points? What do you always make sure you do?

Let us know your take on this important subject and join the conversation over in the forum!

If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes

Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.

If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.

Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.

Apr 18, 2017

It's time for another couple of questions in this week's edition of 'Ask Rob & Rob'. This week two listeners...

...ask Rob & Rob...What should I look for when offering finance to another investor? PLUS: Can I use a 2nd charge mortgage to borrow more?

The Robs give their take on these topics. What do you think? Head over to the forum to discuss.

ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!

Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.

Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).

Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.

 

NEED MORE ANSWERS?

The Property Hub Summit is the place to get all your questions personally answered by Rob & Rob, and build a network of other smart, motivated investors.

Over the course of a full day at a swanky hotel we'll help you set your goals, form a plan to get you there, overcome your obstacles, and give you the support system you need to make sure nothing gets in your way.

Just don't hang around - there are only four Summits each year, and just 16 places available at each!

Interested? Click here to find out more.

Apr 13, 2017

Last week it was Scotland v England (or Rob D v Rob B) at the Meetups as Rob D ventured to Edinburgh to our brilliant Meetup there, led by Karen & Bill. Rob B took over the helm at the King's Cross Meetup and both locations were very busy. 

Rob D spent a bit more time putting the finishing touches to his new book 'How to be a Landlord' but we'll tell you more about that over the next couple of weeks. 

Now on to this week's big topic - all about lease hold. 

Something that puts some people off - and fear often comes from lack of knowledge. So let's get educated. 

What is leasehold? 

  • You don’t own the land - you lease the land for a period of time. At the end of that time it reverts back to the freeholder if you don’t renew
  • Typical lease terms are anything from 100 to 999 years
  • You pay ground rent every year as payment for the lease
  • The lease has conditions about what you can and can’t do
  • Most common for flats, increasingly new build houses too

 

What you need to know 

  • Lease extension is always possible and follows a set formula - BUT
  • Gets more expensive with under 80 years left - marriage value
  • Under about 60 years becomes hard to get mortgage

 

Things to check before you buy:

  • Length of remaining lease term
  • Ground rent, and if it increases after period of time
  • Any restrictions - like not being able to sublet!
  • Service charge is a bit different but this is important too
  • Get your solicitor to look over the lease in detail

 

How to extend: 

  • Extension is always for an additional 90 years, with no ground rent payable for this new 90 years
  • Get a specialist valuer to value the extension and a solicitor to serve notice on the landlord, offering terms and how much to pay
  • Landlord has 2 months to respond, either accepting or stating their own terms

 

  • Negotiate. After 2 months either party can apply to tribunal for decision
  • Wait for tribunal decision, which is final
  • Can take a year or more from start to finish by the time you’ve waited for various deadlines
  • If it’s close to 80 years and you’re buying, get the vendor to start the process and transfer it to you because you can’t do it in first 2 years

 

How to make money from leases: 

  • Buy properties with short leases and extend them. Will need to be cash buy or bridging until you’ve done the extension. Make sure there’s a profit even after the extension costs.
  • Buy freeholds. Ground rents give an income stream.

 

 

News story: Household savings ratio falls to record low.

This is a bit worrying in itself, but we're particularly concerned given that mortgages are cheaper than ever. What will happen when the cost of mortgages goes up? Take a look at this story here. 

Resource of the week

This week's resource of the week is Pocket Explore. This is an extension of a previous ROTW Get Pocket. Explore Pocket takes this a bit further and helps you find high quality blogs on any given subject. Check it out. 

Continue the conversation over in the forum

Have you invested in a leasehold or have you been put off? 

Let us know your take on this important subject and join the conversation over in the forum!

If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes

Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.

If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.

Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.

Apr 11, 2017

It's time for another couple of questions in this week's edition of 'Ask Rob & Rob'. This week Abdul & Ivan...

...ask Rob & Rob...How do assisted sales work? PLUS: What should I be aware of with Build To Rent schemes?

The Robs give their take on these topics. What do you think? Head over to the forum to discuss.

ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!

Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.

Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).

Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.

 

NEED MORE ANSWERS?

The Property Hub Summit is the place to get all your questions personally answered by Rob & Rob, and build a network of other smart, motivated investors.

Over the course of a full day at a swanky hotel we'll help you set your goals, form a plan to get you there, overcome your obstacles, and give you the support system you need to make sure nothing gets in your way.

Just don't hang around - there are only four Summits each year, and just 16 places available at each!

Interested? Click here to find out more.

Apr 6, 2017

Alastair prompted this week's podcast topic, and it's a very important one! 

But what's been happening with The Robs this week? Rob D is putting the finishing touches to his new book which will be out on April 26th, we're all excited about this one as it is definitely needed.

The Robs will also be at the Meetups tonight - Rob B is stand in leader in King's Cross, but Rob D has travelled to Scotland to our rebooted Edinburgh Meetup. It's not too late to get your ticket to your local Meetup, and remember, there's zero selling, just good honest property chat over a few drinks.

Now on to this week's big topic - interest rates!

A brief history of interest rates

  • Long term average interest rates are around 5%
  • In 1990 they peaked at 15%
  • For the rest of the 1990s they were roughly between 6% and 7%
  • In the early 2000s they were mostly between 4% and 5.5%
  • In April 2009 they fell to 0.5% and stayed there until a further cut to 0.25% last year

Why are rates so low?

  • To promote consumer demand. You’re more likely to spend money if you get little return on saving it
  • To boost asset prices, which increases willingness to spend
  • To make it cheaper for companies to invest in growing
  • If we’re being cynical, to make it cheaper for the government to service its own debts!

How people misunderstand interest rates

  • An increase in your mortgage from 2% to 3% doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a 50% increase
    • If you borrow £200k at 2%, your monthly interest payment is £334
    • When it increases to 3%, the payment goes up to £500
  • This is what Alastair was referring to. It’s easy to make investments work when the finance is so cheap. But when it’s not so cheap, it’ll be much harder for investments to stack up
  • The PRA rules will help for new investments because they get stress tested at 5.5% anyway
  • Investors who’ve been on trackers since pre-crash and Owner-occupiers could find themselves in big trouble

What happens if rates go back to double-digits?

  • Unlikely because rates are set by BOE now
  • Also, rates tend to rise to combat inflation. Inflation is the result of more demand than supply (roughly speaking), and we seem to be moving into an era of low demand demographically
  • There’s been huge asset price inflation as a result of QE and low rates (hence demand for assets), but this hasn’t filtered down into the real world and seems unlikely to do so
  • So there seems little prospect of rates getting really high. But they will go up from where they are now…

 So how worried should we prepare for rates rising?

  • Rises will be mitigated by banks lending at more competitive rates. With rates as low as they are now, they’re making more margin than they used to
  • Stress-test up to at least 5% – you have to if you’re borrowing anyway
  • If you’re sitting on properties that only cashflow because you’re on a very low rate, make plans to deal with that before rates rise again

Conclusion

  • Rates will rise from where they are, even if they don’t get up to double digits – and even when they were that high, it wasn’t for very long
  • It will be harder to make investments add up so finding and adding value will be more important than ever
  • Don’t kid yourself that this is normal! Plan for rates to be higher, then enjoy them while they’re so low

 

News story: Warren Buffet is also a shrewd property investor

Billionaire Warren Buffet may not be known for his property investments but unsurprisingly he hasn't ignored property all together. He is well known for his long term approach to investment generally, and he's applied that same way of thinking to this property investment which has done amazingly well for him.

Resource of the week

“Back Again?” is a Chrome extension that tracks how many times you’ve visited a page each day.

Good for helping you break habits or realise how addicted you are! Install it if you dare! 

Continue the conversation over in the forum

Do you worry about interest rates? What do you do to plan ahead for every eventuality?

Let us know your take on this important subject and join the conversation over in the forum!

If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes

Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.

If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.

Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.

Apr 4, 2017

It's time for another couple of questions in this week's edition of 'Ask Rob & Rob'. This week two listeners...

...ask Rob & Rob...Do the Robs ever disagree? PLUS: Will the government changes mean fewer investors?

The Robs give their take on these topics. What do you think? Head over to the forum to discuss.

ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!

Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.

Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).

Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.

 

NEED MORE ANSWERS?

The Property Hub Summit is the place to get all your questions personally answered by Rob & Rob, and build a network of other smart, motivated investors.

Over the course of a full day at a swanky hotel we'll help you set your goals, form a plan to get you there, overcome your obstacles, and give you the support system you need to make sure nothing gets in your way.

Just don't hang around - there are only four Summits each year, and just 16 places available at each!

Interested? Click here to find out more.

Mar 30, 2017

Some people think that Rob D isn’t a new builds kinda guy, this isn’t true. New builds are great for hands off investors, but you need to be aware of key points to be successful.

Why you would in invest

All new appliances and 10 year warranty - Ideal for hands off investors

BMV possibility if you buy in volume - learn more on buying BMV in our course here. 

Tennant appeal - What would you lease a new car or an old car?

Buying process - No chain

Lower energy bills

Why you wouldn’t

Hard to add value - So not great for investors who want to be hands on

Can be hard to assess value in some situations where there are no direct comparables

Snagging

Other things to be aware of

Are they overpriced in the first place?

Time to let on a large new development?

News story: City house price growth slows to 6.4%.

City house price growth slows to 6.4%. Manchester is now the  fastest growing city as London slips to 10th in growth rankings. Read all about it here.

 

Meet Rob D in Scotland

Our Scottish Meetups are brilliant already but in April we are having a re-boot of our Edinburgh Meetup and we're sending Rob D to say hi. If you can make it, he would love to see you. You can book your completely free ticket to the Edniburgh Meetup on April 6th here.

If you can't make it to Edinburgh there is bound to be a Meetup near you anyway - you can find more details and links to book your tickets, right here.

 

Resource of the week

Music to improve productivity and flow? Yes please. This is right up our street. You'll find the site purposefully simple and easy to use. I’ve been using the service for a little while, and it’s perfect for what it’s designed to do: Give you something to listen to while you get some work done. Check it out here. 

Continue the conversation over in the forum

Do you invest in new builds? Do you avoid them? Let us know why and join the conversation over in the forum!

If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes

Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.

If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.

Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.

 

Mar 28, 2017

It's time for another couple of questions in this week's edition of 'Ask Rob & Rob'. This week's questions come from Drew & Matt who...

...ask Rob & Rob...What effect will the government white paper have on house prices? PLUS: How do you pay off an interest-only mortgage?

The Robs give their take on these topics. What do you think? Head over to the forum to discuss.

ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!

Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.

Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).

Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.

 

NEED MORE ANSWERS?

The Property Hub Summit is the place to get all your questions personally answered by Rob & Rob, and build a network of other smart, motivated investors.

Over the course of a full day at a swanky hotel we'll help you set your goals, form a plan to get you there, overcome your obstacles, and give you the support system you need to make sure nothing gets in your way.

Just don't hang around - there are only four Summits each year, and just 16 places available at each!

Interested? Click here to find out more.

Mar 23, 2017

A long overdue podcast focussing on buying in Scotland. What to be aware of when you buy in Scotland, and of course, we will be discussing where to buy.

Check the Home Report. 

The Home Report is a document that exists in Scotland but not here, and we love this as it gives both parties a lot more confidence in the sale as it progresses, as there are no surprises that crop up along the line. 

This will contain a survey (including a valuation), an energy report and a property questionnaire.

Plan your offer

Properties are marketed at a fixed price (which you can offer below if you want), or “offers over”. When it’s “offers over”, you submit a sealed bid before a certain date. After the deadline, the vendor’s solicitor opens all the offers and the vendor chooses which to accept.

Your solicitor puts in the offer

Offers are made by your solicitor directly to the vendor’s solicitor – not via estate agents. So you need to have a solicitor in order to make an offer. You can make your offer “subject to survey” if you want to get your own survey done rather than just relying on the Home Report, but this will obviously be less attractive.

Go through the legals

If your offer is accepted, the vendor’s solicitor will issue a “qualified acceptance” and pass across the property deeds and other documents. Your solicitor will go through it all and raise enquiries.

Once they’re happy, the two solicitors exchange letters – this is known as “concluding missives” and at this point the sale is binding on both sides

Complete

On the date agreed in the contract, you pay the full purchase price (there’s usually no deposit) and the property is signed over to you

So, that's the process, but where should you buy?

Edinburgh – An extremely popular area, but supply is very low at the moment so prices are very high.

Glasgow – Glasgow has lots of demand due to overspill from Edinburgh, so it is fairly expensive but is popular.

Commuter belt of Glasgow/Edinburgh Riding the ripple effect from these two major cities, is the commuter belt, which is well worth checking out.

Stirling – The UK’s most affordable city and a popular tourist destination. (Thanks Ollie Hughes on Hub for the heads up here)

Aberdeen –  Thsi is an interesting market, because it’s so dependent on the oil industry.  Aberdeen had the biggest fall in price in the UK last year.

West Coast, Ayrshire – Another area where high yields are available.

All this said, we're not experts on the Scottish market but there are plenty of people who are over on the forum.

Meet Rob D in Scotland

Our Scottish Meetups are brilliant already but in April we are having a re-boot of our Edinburgh Meetup and we're sending Rob D to say hi. If you can make it, he would love to see you. You can book your completely free ticket to the Edniburgh Meetup on April 6th here.

If you can't make it to Edinburgh there is bound to be a Meetup near you anyway - you can find more details and links to book your tickets, right here.

News story: The Budget U-Turn

Last week we discussed how the Spring Budget was a bit of a non-event, but this week the Government have cemented that status by doing a u-turn on the one major thing that was announced. Read all about it here, but in a nutshell, national insurance is staying the same.

Resource of the week

A Chrome extension from Rob D's friend Patrice. Subliminal Affirmations - set messages that you want to absorb into your conscious. Sounds mad? Maybe, but Rob D has been using this for a couple of weeks and confirms he is feeling even more awesome than usual.

Continue the conversation over in the forum

Have you invested in Scotland? Are you considering it? Discuss all things Scottish in further detail over on the forum. You will see it's discussed pretty often, for example when Charles D recently asked about areas he should consider investing in, or when James from London started this post all about looking at deals in Glasgow.

If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes

Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.

If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.

Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.

Mar 21, 2017

It's time for another couple of questions in this week's edition of 'Ask Rob & Rob'. This week's questions come from Lance & Edward who...

...ask Rob & Rob...What are the tax implications of remortgaging? PLUS: Where in the cycle are we?

The Robs give their take on these topics. What do you think? Head over to the forum to discuss.

ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!

Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.

Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).

Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.

NEED MORE ANSWERS?

The Property Hub Summit is the place to get all your questions personally answered by Rob & Rob, and build a network of other smart, motivated investors.

Over the course of a full day at a swanky hotel we'll help you set your goals, form a plan to get you there, overcome your obstacles, and give you the support system you need to make sure nothing gets in your way.

Just don't hang around - there are only four Summits each year, and just 16 places available at each!

Interested? Click here to find out more.

Mar 16, 2017

The teams at RMP and Yellow have both grown in this past week. RMP have said hello to Julia and Christa, and Yellow have welcomed Donna and Nicole. So that's been a pretty busy week for us all round really!

We've also been creating some more free courses this week. Check out the ones that are there already here, and look out for a brand new course in the next few weeks.

News story: World's fastest hover train could go from Liverpool to Manchester in 7 minutes. 

The Robs could not be more excited about this, even if it does seem quite a long way off right now. It combines some of our favourite cities to invest in, plus trains (and we all know how much Rob B like's trains!). So this is probably one of the most exciting news stories they've seen in a while.

Check out more about the potential Maglev train here.

The Spring Budget

This is a mini-budget, if you will. We've had to dig pretty deep to find something to say on this as The Chancellor did not mention housing at all. Here's a brief summary of points you might want to note though.

  • Nothing about mortgage relief or stamp duty...in fact, nothing about housing at all!
  • As before – Corporation tax will fall to 19% this April, and will then fall to 17% in April 2020. So good for those holding properties in a company
  • The tax free dividend allowance for company directors will be reduced from £5K to £2K from April 2018.
  • Extension until 2019 until landlords need to keep digital records and send quarterly updates to HMRC
  • Rent-a-room relief – The government will consult on proposals to redesign rent-a-room relief, to ensure it is better targeted to support longer-term lettings. This will align the relief more closely with its intended purpose, to increase supply of affordable long-term lodgings.

And from the makers of The Northern Powerhouse...

Did you enjoy the Northern Powerhouse...then you’ll love the Midlands Engine!  We don't have much to say on this right now, but watch this space.

Resource of the week

A lack-lustre budget but to make up for this we have not one but two resources of the week!

Managing your credit file is not exciting, but it is important. It's good to checkout a regular snapshot of how things are doing. The first resource this week is from Money Saving Expert and is called Credit Club. It's super useful and once you're signed up they will do the rest.

You can also get a free score from Experian now. This used to be around £15 per month, so is well worth checking out.

Continue the conversation over in the forum

What did you think to The Budget? Did you get as ridiculously excited over the prospect of the hover train, as Rob B did? Let us know over in the forum.

If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes

Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.

If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.

Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.

Mar 14, 2017

It's time for another couple of questions in this week's edition of 'Ask Rob & Rob'. This week's questions come from Trevor & Andy who...

...ask Rob & Rob...Can a Shared Ownership property be a buy-to-let? PLUS: My buyer pulled out!

The Robs give their take on these topics. What do you think? Head over to the forum to discuss.

ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!

Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.

Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).

Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.

NEED MORE ANSWERS?

The Property Hub Summit is the place to get all your questions personally answered by Rob & Rob, and build a network of other smart, motivated investors.

Over the course of a full day at a swanky hotel we'll help you set your goals, form a plan to get you there, overcome your obstacles, and give you the support system you need to make sure nothing gets in your way.

Just don't hang around - there are only four Summits each year, and just 16 places available at each!

Interested? Click here to find out more.A

Mar 9, 2017

This week The Robs jump in their time machine and look at what they would do if they could start investing all over again.

Listen to the podcast in full to find out how both of The Robs started out, and what they would have done differently with the benefit of hindsight. What opportunities did they miss, which disasters do they think they avoided, where would they focus their investment, and what do they think they definitely got right.

News story: Irish government meet with Airbnb to address housing concerns

The housing minister met Airbnb amid concerns that the business is driving up rents and removing housing stock from the rental market in Dublin. Pressure has grown on the government to limit the number of days that a property can be made available to let on Airbnb after findings that there were 2,984 listings in Dublin that involved entire properties being made available for more than 90 nights a year.

Read more on this one right here.

 

 

Resource of the week

This week's Resource of the Week is  www.walkscore.com. This one combines Rob B' favourite things - walking and fundamentals! This one we grabbed from over on The Property Hub Forum (what do you mean you haven't checked it out yet?!). This resource gives you a walk score for the fundamentals in any given area - enjoy playing about with that one!  The Robs checked out their own postcodes and one fairs significantly better than the other!

 

Continue the conversation over in the forum

How did you begin and what would you do differently if you could rewind the clock? Let us know over in the forum.

If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes

Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.

If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.

Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.

Mar 7, 2017

It's time for another couple of questions in this week's edition of 'Ask Rob & Rob'. This week's questions come from Iain & (another) Rob who...

...ask Rob & Rob...What's the best way to forecast maintenance? PLUS: How to protect your credit file when moving home

The Robs give their take on these topics. What do you think? Head over to the forum to discuss.

ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!

Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.

Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).

Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.

 

NEED MORE ANSWERS?

The Property Hub Summit is the place to get all your questions personally answered by Rob & Rob, and build a network of other smart, motivated investors.

Over the course of a full day at a swanky hotel we'll help you set your goals, form a plan to get you there, overcome your obstacles, and give you the support system you need to make sure nothing gets in your way.

Just don't hang around - there are only four Summits each year, and just 16 places available at each!

Interested? Click here to find out more.

Mar 2, 2017

A total geek-out for The Robs this week as they're both bookworms. This week they take a look at non-property books which can make you a better investor, and this is well worth checking out.

Rob B gives us a brief teaser of his first investment of the year, more to come on that in a future episode!

Listen to The Robs at the Tropical MBA Podcast

Our favourite podcast other than this one has to be the Tropical MBA Podcast and if you haven't checked it out yet then why ever not? Now is a great time to dive into this one though as you can listen to Rob and Rob in conversation with TMBA in  episode 377: How does your business feel?

House prices set to rise for the next 50 years and outstrip incomes even further, warns ex-Bank of England economist

Our news story this week is exactly as the headline suggests. Rob D has a note of scepticism and explains why, but as Rob B mentions, we make plenty of predictions here at The Hub ourselves! Take a look at the full story here.

It's Meetup night and Rob D is off to the seaside!

It's Meetup night and Rob D is heading to the seaside to the re-launch of the Brighton Meetup. Get your free ticket here if you would like to join him this evening.

Meetups will take place across the country tonight (and in Copenhagen and Hong Kong too), and if you'd like to find your nearest venue, just check out the details over on the website.

Resource of the week

This week's episode is one huge resource of the week and here are all the links mentioned.

Arnold Schwarzenegger - Total recall

Inspiring! But did you know Arnie made his money through property before he was famous?

How to fail at almost everything and still win big - Scott Adams

Lessons: Talent stacking, systems v goals

Tools of Titans - Tim Ferriss

Lessons: Loads - from top performers in all fields

The Subtle Art of not giving a f*** – Mark Manson

Lesson: Perspective  and not being bothered by small stuff

“In life, we have a limited amount of f***s to give. So you must choose your f***s wisely.”

Delivering Happiness - Tony Hsieh

Deliver service like this in property and you’ll stand out for all the right reasons

Continue the conversation over in the forum

Recommend a book that we can add to our ever growing must-read list.

If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes

Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.

If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.

Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.

Feb 28, 2017

It's time for another couple of questions in this week's edition of 'Ask Rob & Rob'. This week's questions come from Lisa and James who...

...ask Rob & Rob... Two questions about funding deposits.

The Robs give their take on this topic. What do you think? Head over to the forum to discuss.

ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!

Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.

Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).

Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.

 

NEED MORE ANSWERS?

The Property Hub Summit is the place to get all your questions personally answered by Rob & Rob, and build a network of other smart, motivated investors.

Over the course of a full day at a swanky hotel we'll help you set your goals, form a plan to get you there, overcome your obstacles, and give you the support system you need to make sure nothing gets in your way.

Just don't hang around - there are only four Summits each year, and just 16 places available at each!

Interested? Click here to find out more.

Feb 23, 2017

We love a system here at The Property Hub, and this week Rob & Rob discuss the advantages of setting up basic processes (and in some cases more detailed processes).

 

Rob and Rob discuss why systems are not boring - honestly, stick with it, we guarantee you will be a convert. 

The Robs also give examples of how they use processes throughout their businesses, for the tasks that are done over and over again. 

We also discuss how having good processes allow you to outsource and why you must not outsource without them.

Systems are easier to set up than you'll thing and in this episode we give you some examples of how to do it and how you can implement processes in your property investment journey. 

 

The disappearing middle class clearly illustrated in charts

This is a really interesting piece which takes you through the highlights of a report published recently. There are tons of visuals in this article so check this out and you will see everything points quite clearly to the fact that the middle classes are gradually disappearing. Read more here.

 

Resource of the week

This week's episode is one huge resource of the week and here are all the links mentioned.

The checklist manifesto 

Trello

Evernote

Google Docs

Process Street 

Jing

Continue the conversation over in the forum

What systems do you use? Head to the forum to share some tips. We'd love to know what you're already using in your day to day life.

If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes

Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.

If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.

Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.

Feb 21, 2017

It's time for another couple of questions in this week's edition of 'Ask Rob & Rob'. This week's questions come from two listeners who...

...ask Rob & Rob... What if interest rates spike? PLUS: Is there a case for investing in retirement homes?

The Robs give their take on these topics. What do you think? Head over to the forum to discuss.

ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!

Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.

Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).

Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.

 

NEED MORE ANSWERS?

The Property Hub Summit is the place to get all your questions personally answered by Rob & Rob, and build a network of other smart, motivated investors.

Over the course of a full day at a swanky hotel we'll help you set your goals, form a plan to get you there, overcome your obstacles, and give you the support system you need to make sure nothing gets in your way.

Just don't hang around - there are only four Summits each year, and just 16 places available at each!

Interested? Click here to find out more.

Feb 16, 2017

The much anticipated white paper has landed and it seems clear that the government are keen to bring institutional investment to the rental market. Is this anything to worry about? Not necessarily and it should clamp down on rogue landlords, but it's definitely something to have you your radar.

A key point in the paper states that ‘Encouraging more institutional investors into housing, including for building more homes for private rent, and encouraging family- friendly tenancies.’ Rob and Rob discuss what this really means and what impact this may have on private landlords...

The report goes on to state that more needs to be done to prevent homelessness, but predictably the detail of how this will be done, appears to be lacking. It goes without saying that in a country as wealthy as ours, we should do a lot more to help this issue.

All in all the white paper seems to have been watered down and we can't pretend we're anything other than underwhelmed with it. There's nothing for us to be concerned about in there, but there's nothing radical here at all.

 

Stamp duty receipts soar as buy-to-let investors are undeterred by tax hike.

So, the Treasury collected 18% more stamp duty from the sale of residential properties in 2016 compared with 2015

“One in five of all homes bought in the last six months of the year were additional properties, and this raised £962m for the Treasury's coffers, representing 21% of the tax take during this period.  This amount was higher than forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility, which had pencilled in £660m for the 2016/17 financial year.”

So if the policy was intended to raise more tax overall, it worked.

If it was meant to deter investors to benefit FTBs, it didn’t! Read more here.

Resource of the week

Rob B came up with our resource of the week this week. It's used within the RMP team to educate on The Northern Powerhouse. There's tons of news here and if you have this area in your investment sights, this is a brilliant place to research. Check it out here. 

Continue the conversation over in the forum

What do you think to the white paper? Discuss your options here.

If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes

Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.

If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.

Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.

Feb 14, 2017

It's time for another couple of questions in this week's edition of 'Ask Rob & Rob'. This week's questions come from two listeners who...

...ask Rob & Rob... Can I make a quick profit by flipping at auction? PLUS: Will I get a good deal from a developer by buying in bulk?

The Robs give their take on these topics. What do you think? Head over to the forum to discuss.

ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!

Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.

Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).

Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.

 

NEED MORE ANSWERS?

The Property Hub Summit is the place to get all your questions personally answered by Rob & Rob, and build a network of other smart, motivated investors.

Over the course of a full day at a swanky hotel we'll help you set your goals, form a plan to get you there, overcome your obstacles, and give you the support system you need to make sure nothing gets in your way.

Just don't hang around - there are only four Summits each year, and just 16 places available at each!

Interested? Click here to find out more.

Feb 9, 2017

In this episode we're looking at something pretty different for us - how to exit property!

A lot of our listeners are at the start of their property journey but it's easy to not consider how you will wrap up your portfolio when that time comes around. If you're considering this, then here are some of your options...

Never Let Go

First up is Rob B's current plan - never exit.  If you have no mortgages, can just hold forever for income then pass them on.

If you do have mortgages, you can get mortgages until much later in life than people think. Or if the properties are in a company, as long as there’s another director they can keep the mortgages going.

Advantage: Keeps the income stream going and gives you something to pass on
Disadvantage: Maybe you don’t want to be worrying about interest rates if you have mortgages, or don’t want the hassle of holding property at all

Sell some

You could instead sell enough properties to pay off the mortgage balances on the rest, then revert to the first option of holding on. If you’ve had a long period of growth you might only need to sell one property to pay off everything else.

Advantage: You’re debt-free and keep an income
Disadvantage: CGT

Sell the lot 

Liquidate everything and use the proceeds to invest in other asset classes

Advantage: You get more diversification - can take the money and allocate it across a global portfolio. No hassle from property.
Disadvantage: CGT, nothing to pass on.

A mix of the above

Sell one to pay down debts on the rest, sell a couple more to give you a lump of income to diversify across other asset classes, keep the rest for income with low mortgages.

You might even want to buy different types of property at this point, e.g. if you’ve been focusing on capital growth but now what matters most is a strong income.

Could you be a refurb case study in The Property Hub Magazine?

If you've got a refurb story then we want to know. It's easy to let us know you're interested in the possibility of being featured in the magazine, just send us an email to hello@thepropertyhub.net and Vicky will get back to you.

Barclays unveils 10-year fix buy-to-let mortgage at 2.99%

This is a heck of a rate if you do want that security. It wont be for everyone, but it will definitely be of interest to some. A note of caution though: There are some hefty penalties if you think you may want to move away from that mortgage or sell before the end of that term. Check out more on this here. 

Resource of the week

This week's resource of the week will allow you to speed up, slow down, advance and rewind any HTML5 video with quick shortcuts. Download this Chrome extension here.

If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes

Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.

If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.

Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.

Feb 7, 2017

It's time for another couple of questions in this week's edition of 'Ask Rob & Rob'. This week's questions come from Craig & Joe who...

...ask Rob & Rob... two questions about stamp duty.

The Robs give their take on these topics. What do you think? Head over to the forum to discuss.

ASK YOUR OWN QUESTION TO ROB & ROB!

Don't be shy! All you need to do is leave a message with your name and whatever's on your mind.

Just pick up the phone and call 013 808 00035 (normal UK call rates apply).

Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead.

NEED MORE ANSWERS?

The Property Hub Summit is the place to get all your questions personally answered by Rob & Rob, and build a network of other smart, motivated investors.

Over the course of a full day at a swanky hotel we'll help you set your goals, form a plan to get you there, overcome your obstacles, and give you the support system you need to make sure nothing gets in your way.

Just don't hang around - there are only four Summits each year, and just 16 places available at each!

Interested? Click here to find out more.

Feb 2, 2017

In this episode we're going to speak to our very own Rob D in the capacity of 'guest expert'  and we're going to look in depth at bridging finance...

Rob D has been focusing a lot of his investment around bridging loans rather than purchases recently, and he tells us why this has worked for him. He even started his own bridging finance company LendSwift to formalise his involvement in this sector. 

In this episode Rob & Rob explain the basics of how bridging works, when it is a good idea, and when it's to be avoided.

The Robs also discuss when you can use bridging to buy properties that you can't ordinarily raise a mortgage for, and crucially give you their golden rules of bridging.

Go to lendswift.co.uk/borrow to check out the calculators to see how much you can borrow and what it would cost. Don’t use us without shopping around, but use the tool to increase your knowledge.

Yellow Lettings are looking for a London Rep

We're responding to the demand to expand Yellow in to the London area and we're looking for an amazing candidate to join us, working 25 hours a week as a rep dealing with our landlords and their tenants on a regular basis. Does this sound just what you're looking for? You can find all the details right here.

It's Meetup night tonight!

Have you got your free ticket for your local Meetup? Rob D will be in Stratford (East London) and Rob B will be in Richmond, so if you're heading to either of these locations be sure to say hi.

The north/south house price divide to narrow

We promise not to keep making a habit of saying 'we told you so' but the final figures are in for 2016 and Manchester grew by almost 9% last year, with London coming in at 7.3% growth. You can read all about it here. 

Resource of the week

This week's resource is courtesy of Rob B and it's a book - Zero to One. A fascinating read from one of the Paypal founders, billionaire Peter Thiel.

We're social, come and join us.

We're making big efforts to become more social this year, and we'd love you to join in the fun.

Follow us on Facebook

Check us out on Instagram

Join the conversation

Have you used or considered using Bridging Finance? Discuss your experiences over on the forum.

If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes

Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air.

If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here.

Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.

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