While the current housing market is proving tough for homeowners at the moment, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) suggests that the continued fall of house prices, and availability of commercial mortgages is likely to encourage more people to invest in property. With predictions suggesting house prices will fall by as much as 2 per cent by the end of 2011, more are taking advantage of cheaper property and looking into entering the buy to let market.
At the end of the day, it pays to look at the long term in regards to investment in property. While housing prices are low now, they can only grow in the long term, which means that your property will gain positive equity.
The Buy to Let (BTL) market isn’t for everyone. You need to think about it carefully as a business proposition. There will always be a sizeable initial outlay (specialist BTL mortgages usually need a deposit of at least 25%, and other costs such as arrangement fees are normally higher too), and you need to be prepared for monthly outgoings too – not just mortgage payments, but letting agent fees, landlord insurance and so on.
For those who are in a financially sound situation though who feel they can meet the expenses and various requirements, property investment can prove to be extremely lucrative. The demand for homes to rent is at an all time high as lenders tighten their restrictions over mortgage applications. You certainly won’t be short of interested tenants!
If you are interested in dabbling in the Letting Market but are unsure whether or not it will be a long term benefit for your personal circumstance, then you are advised to weigh up the following specifics. First, determine your projected rental income, this, above all, will highlight if the investment will be worthwhile in the whole. Also, calculate how much you’d intend to charge in rent and compare this with current rental costs on the market. Finally, you must predict what your ongoing spending will consist of, for example maintenance, insurance etc.
As a basic calculation, you can work this out by subtracting your total annual costs (mortgage repayments, letting agent fees, landlord insurance costs and any maintenance or repair costs) from your total projected rental income for the year (remember to deduct around five per cent to account for periods that the property might be untenanted), then dividing by the total initial costs (the deposit, mortgage, surveyor and solicitors’ fees, and decoration or furnishing costs).
These calculations are important as they allow you to determine whether or not investing in property will be worthwhile. Additionally, organising your figures and paperwork will prove to your mortgage lender that you are serious about the decision to rent property, so they will be much more likely to lend to you. Also, as the calculations are all based on estimates, you are given a certain degree of flexibility with your figures, over compensating or under compensating to ensure that you will be able to cope in a fluctuating market.
The Buy to Let lending market is extremely specialised and therefore you are unlikely to find the best rates and deals on the high street, through either banks or building societies. Therefore, don’t be afraid to approach a mortgage broker, contrary to popular belief, they are there to help you!
Look to find a broker who is independent and then you are guaranteed impartial advice and the best value for money. Obtaining financial advice is also imperative if this is your first venture into Buy to Let and renting a second property. Entering the market is a long term commitment and is therefore a decision that should not be taken lightly.
Clearly, investing in property doesn’t come entirely free of risk, although there are hints that 2011 could be the year for property investment. Renting out property provides a regular second stream of income and as the economy slowly recovers, you are guaranteed property appreciation over time. So, is now the right time to invest? If you have the funds to support the investment, then why not?! What’s life without a little bit of risk?
Howard writes for JustCommercialMortgages.com the UK’s leading site for the latest commercial mortgage rates and information.