The Property Podcast

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Mike... Asks Rob & Rob –  When it comes to refinancing, should I consider a longer term deal to avoid fees? Rob D & B agree that this is all about the numbers, but it can be tricky to work out. Get your mortgage advisor to do the calculations and work out what is best for you. Remortgaging can be an expensive business and even if the costs are not being paid out immedia...

Last week we talked about the whole property buying process, all the way up to completion. This week, we're looking at the easy-to-overlook steps you need to take in order to prepare your property to let. They include: Deciding whether to self-manage or use an agent Checking out the competition Informing the authorities and utilities about your ownership Obtaining any licenses that are needed Gett...

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Andy... Asks Rob & Rob – What checks should you make when buying remotely? This is somewhat of a specialist subject for The Robs, as they both invest this way, and run companies which help people to invest with a completely hands-off method.  This is an important question and Rob B starts by saying you need to be very clear in what you want from the people you work with...

Getting an offer accepted on a property is always a great moment – but this week we see that rather than being the finish line, it's actually just the firing of the starter's pistol. The process of doing the legals and getting your mortgage arranged can be a lengthy and arduous one, and it's your job to take control of all the people involved and keep things ticking along. In this episode we go st...

Rob B issues a note of caution - beware those who tell you there is a way to do this that means you pay a little more now to get started as an investor. The truth is there is no real shortcut, and you probably should pay your debts off first. It's frustrating, and tempting to want to find a quicker alternative, but not the best move. Avoid the people making the big claims and the courses that say...

It's no surprise that we're big believers in the long-term power of property...but we were surprised when the Bank of England's Chief Economist said he'd back property over a pension too. So in this week's episode we ask if property is really better than a pension. We cover: What the BoE's Andy Haldane said Whether property really has outperformed equities over the last 30 years The advantages of...

This is a commonly asked question - basically 'how good is good enough'. The answer is different for everyone as Rob D points out, as everyone has a different approach and attitude to risk. Rob D does say that neither himself nor Rob B uses net yield as a measure, preferring to favour looking at ROI, this takes into account using a mortgage and tells us after factoring in that mortgage, how hard a...

Depending on who you listen to, it's either the perfect time to invest in property or it's horrendously overvalued and ripe for a crash. This week, we look at the data behind the claims that UK property is unaffordable – and show how easy it is to cherry-pick one measure to support an agenda. We look at affordability through the lens of: Actual house prices (and see the shocking impact of inflatio...

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Charles... Asks Rob & Rob – What is the snowball effect? Rob B says that from a capital growth point of view, if you see your portfolio at the top of the hill, as the hill drops down that represents time, by the time your snowball has been pushed down the hill - it is bigger. The point being, if you do more work in the early stages (buying BMV), your 'snowball' will be...

More than any other type of property investment, the success of an HMO hinges on buying and setting it up right in the first place. We've talked recently about managing an HMO once it's up and running, but this week it's all about acquisition. We discuss: Where to buy, depending on your target market Two ways to find out where the "HMO areas" are Why you absolutely don't want to compromise on loca...

Rob B starts by reminding you that what may be right for one person, won't necessarily be right for another. There will be pros and cons to each approach and there's no absolutely 'right' answer for everyone. However, whilst there is definitely an advantage in being a 'local expert' it is unlikely that your local area will consistently be a smart place to invest, which is why Rob & Rob invest all...

Quantitative Easing: hard to understand, even harder to say...and about to have a serious impact on your property investing plans. In this week's episode we explain what QE is, what effects it has, and how you can position yourself to take advantage of it. Useful links: A video from the Bank of England explaining the mechanism by which QE works A letter to the Chancellor warning of the risks A rep...

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Sam... Asks Rob & Rob – What's the catch with student pods?   Rob D starts by agreeing that the propositions offered can look attractive and if all pans out as promised then they do indeed sound great. The key, however, is trying to figure out if things will work out as promised by the developer! So for this reason it's absolutely key to look at the previous projects of...

Buying property within a limited company is becoming increasingly popular – but when it comes to obtaining mortgages for companies, there are some extra considerations you need to know about. This week, with the help of our friend Dave Cookson from TC Financial Services, we're running through the important details you need to be aware of. Including: The kind of range and selection you can expect t...

On this weeks podcast, Jack asks a cracker of a question - where are we in the 18 year property cycle.  Given that this is one of Rob & Rob's favourite topics to talk about, they didn't need a lot of convincing to answer this one! Rob B starts off by stating that he thinks we're just heading into the mid-term wobble - where London and the South East prices should soften a little, and the North sho...

In the course of getting to know hundreds of investors, we've come across a whole cast of characters who probably shouldn't be investing in property at all – including Stressful Susan, Dithering Derek and Gung-Ho Grace. Will you recognise yourself in any of them? Do you have the right temperament to be a successful investor, or are there traits you need to get under control? Listen to this week's...

This week, the brilliantly named Rob, asks a question regarding the build to rent scheme, and how this may impact upon the existing PRS. Asking is this a ploy by The Government to eradicate small time BTL Landlords.  Rob D begins by acknowledging that there will definitely be more institutional investment in BTL, and that it is probably healthy for the sector not to be controlled entirely by priva...

This week we're talking about how to hire for your property team – whether it's a property manager, an assistant, a bookkeeper, or just about any other role you can think of. We've talked about the benefits of hiring many times, so this week we talk through the exact process we use to maximise our chances of finding the perfect candidate. We cover: How to set yourself up for success before hiring...

In this week's episode, Rob & Rob talk about getting a mortgage when you're not yet a property owner. Rob B says that there are a lot of mortgage lenders out there, but as a non home owner, and not yet a property investor, the pool of products available are actually quite small. Rob B goes on to say that in 6 months time there will be more options. Both Rob and Rob discuss the options available to...

This week it's all about the money, as we explore alternative ways to raise funds for your property investments. We explore the pros and cons of using: Credit cards (!) Bridging finance Private finance Joint ventures Second charge loans Each funding source we discuss could be (and most will be) a separate episode in itself – but in this value-packed episode we give you a quick run-through of the d...

In this week's episode, Rob & Rob discuss the pros and cons of buying a home or an investment property. Tony has been living overseas and is looking to return to the UK with his young family - he doesn't have enough to buy in the location the family want to live and he wants to know whether to buy an investment property instead. Rob B starts off by addressing the pros of investing in a property, t...

Brian from Birmingham and his partner are eager to invest and have saved up to buy their first property, but will need some more capital in order to complete their first flip. Rob & Rob give their tips on gaining finance in this situation and note the things to be aware of as potential pitfalls to gaining finance with no previous investment track record.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

So, Brexit happened...now what? That's the question we attempt to answer in this week's episode. What happens next in general, what happens next for the property market in particular...and perhaps more importantly, what general lessons can we take away from the whole thing? We discuss: What's happened during the last couple of weeks since the result What it means for property in London – and the U...

Rob & Rob own multiple property businesses as well as their own portfolios...but what do they actually do every day? That's what we attempt to answer in this episode, as a means of both showing what a full-time career in property looks like and extracting useful lessons for investors at all stages. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode, Rob & Rob give their immediate reactions to what Brexit means for property investors. We'll be returning to the topic again in more detail next week! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.