The Property Podcast

This week we’re talking about the ripple effect and also seeing if there’s a certain amount of cash you should be putting to one side for a rainy day.  Kicking us off on Ask Rob & Rob this week is Kevin. He’s listened to the podcast for over a year now and is interested in investing in the north. He’s obviously heard us bang on about our top city locations such and Manchester and Leeds, but he’s curious about the surrounding areas.  He’s particularly interested in Barnsley and Chesterfield.  He’s done some searching and thinks that both locations have all the right fundamentals - but will they benefit from the ripple effect of Sheffield and Leeds?  Listen as Rob B gives his two pennies and lets Kevin know what he thinks about the potential investment options a bit further up north.  The next question is from Graham who has a question about backup funds.  He started his buy-to-let journey two years ago and currently has three properties, with the aim of buying another two in the next six months. So Graham is wondering if there’s a general rule of thumb for putting a certain amount of money aside in the event of an emergency? He’s also wondering if this should change in-line with the more properties you purchase.  Is there a specific formula Graham should be considering? Listen as Rob D offers his advice on what Graham could do to save for the inevitable.  And don’t forget to tune in next week for another two questions on Ask Rob & Rob.   Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).    Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re back for part two of Strategy September and this week we’re talking about HMO’s.  The Robs have talked about HMO’s numerous times on The Property Podcast, but they wouldn’t consider themselves experts.  So this week they’ve brought in another Rob who knows pretty much anything and everything about HMO’s. Enter Rob from Maygreen Investments who, along with his wife Sarah, has built up a portfolio of HMO’s that are absolutely beautiful. You can have a nosey here.  Here’s a little taster of what you can expect The Robs, and Rob, to cover: What is a HMO? And an example of one The advantages and disadvantages of a HMO Who should be looking at investing in a HMO? Some great tips from Rob if you’re looking at a HMO strategy This is a jam-packed episode, so make sure you’re listening carefully and have a pen and paper at the ready.    And in the news, we’re elaborating on an article we included in last Friday’s Hub Extra email - yes, we’re talking about politicians again. The article comes from The Daily Mail and it reads, ‘John McDonnell is to declare war on buy-to-let landlords by giving tenants the chance to purchase their property at a DISCOUNT price’.  We might need to apologise in advance before you listen to this episode as The Robs get a little political on this topic. It’s not with the intention to offend, but quite frankly it’s all a bit ridiculous. We can’t blame them for voicing their opinions on something so bizarre. Have a listen and let us know your thoughts on the matter.    And in this week’s Hub Extra, we’ve got a new podcast for you. This one is called ‘Land of the Giants’ and the concept is that in each of the series they’re going to focus on one of the tech giants like Google, Apple, and other similar businesses. The first series is on Amazon, and each episode explores how Amazon has got to where they are today and how it’s not only evolved but changed the world as well. It’s a great podcast on the businesses that we just can’t seem to live without.    We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do. Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our YouTube channel where we upload new content every week! If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we’re back to normality and The Robs are answering two fantastic questions that have come in from our Hubbers.  First up, we’ve got another Rob. He lives in Dubai and he’s got a whopping £500,000 to invest! He’s looking to invest his cash in the North of England and his strategy is to generate an income.  Obviously being in Dubai, viewing properties is a little tricky for Rob, so he has no idea what kind of property he should be investing in or where he should ideally be looking to generate that income.  Essentially, he’s asking Rob & Rob, if they had £500,000 to invest in the North of England, where and what would they buy? So how would The Robs invest half a million pounds? Tune in to find out.  Next we have Amy from Hastings. She and her partner are looking to invest and are in the process of releasing some equity from their residential property.  To begin with they’re looking at buy-to-let properties in either Manchester or Leeds, but just off the bat, she wants to know Rob & Rob’s thoughts on Airbnb or serviced accommodation in general.  She’s not run the numbers on it yet and before she wastes her time doing so, she’s wanting to know if it’s a good strategy to go with?  Would Rob & Rob approve of a serviced accommodation strategy?  Hit the play button to find out.   Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).    Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve got something exciting for you over the next few weeks. We’re bringing you ‘Strategy September’ and going back to basics discussing all the possible strategies that are out there. They’re going to be talking about flips, HMO’s and refurbs. This week The Robs are kicking it off with buy-to-let and here’s what they’re going to cover in today’s episode: What is buy-to-let? Examples of buy-to-let properties  The advantages The disadvantages  Who is it for? Tips for finding the perfect deal Plus, you’ll get to hear The Robs get personal and tell you all about how and why they got started in property in the first place, over 10 years ago. Make sure you tune in, it’s going to be a good one!   This week our Hub Extra is an app called ‘Seven’ and it’s a seven minute workout app. Rob B came across this app after Jack Dawsy mentioned it when explaining how he plans out his week so he thought he’d give it a go.  It basically gives you a seven minute workout and it’s been proven that if you do a high intensity workout (HIIT) that’s the minimum amount of exercise you need to do each day. So no more excuses not to go to the gym now!  We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do.   Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our brand new YouTube channel where we upload new content every week! If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we have one question that’s taking centre stage. But it’s one that A LOT of you have been talking about... so here’s Vicky asking the question on everyone’s behalf.  Her question is about the HS2. Since Boris Johnson came into power there have been a number of mixed messages floating around: “It’s going ahead…” “It’s not going ahead” “It’s over budget…” “It’s only going to serve the north…”  The list is endless. Vicky is wanting to know what The Robs think of it all and what impact they think it will have on the likes of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. Rob & Rob are big fans of HS2, so tune in and have a listen to what they really think of all these mixed messages.   Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).    Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re back with Property Podcast listener Mark Ward who last week told us how his strategy helped him to grow a double digit portfolio in just five years.  This week The Robs are delving into how Mark managed to change his mindset to that of a winning one which was the driving force behind the growth of his buy-to-let portfolio. He’s focusing on the strategy of buying below market value, refurbishing and refinancing. While he’s been using traditional mortgages and a little bit of bridging too, Mark’s also been doing a couple of really unique things. When you consider some of the bonkers things Mark has done - which goes far beyond the usual ‘putting in an offer without viewing it’ - (go here to listen to how he’s purchased in a known flood zone, done some intense refurbishing and entered the terrifying world of bridging finance) it makes you question just how Mark actually made this all work to his advantage. Mark might knows exactly what he’s looking for and where he wants to go with it, which is great! But ultimately, a lot of this also boils down to his mindset.  And that’s exactly what we find out more about in the second part of this interview with Mark and Rob D.    In the news this week, a dramatic headline from The Express, ‘Brexit property WARNING: Sell your house after this date to avoid losing money’. In a nutshell, the article basically says if you’re looking to sell your house, wait until after the 31st October, which is when we’ll apparently know what’s happening with Brexit.  Even though we’ve heard this a number of times throughout the year, even Rob B admits that he’s noticed a decline in the number of new properties coming to the market in his local area. For once, even The Robs agree with this headline and think that you probably shouldn’t sell your property before the 31st October. However, if you’re looking to buy a property, you should 100% be focussing on buying before it.    This week’s Hub Extra is in-keeping with today’s episode and it’s a simple but effective quote from Benjamin Franklin; ‘well done is better than well said’.  Which reiterates what The Robs are always saying, it’s all about taking action! It’s all well and good talking about your goals and what you’re planning on doing, but you won’t reap the benefits until you put those words into action.  We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do. Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our brand new YouTube channel where we upload new content every week! If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re back after a long weekend with two more fantastic questions from our listeners. This week we’re answering questions on one of our favourite cities - Manchester -  as well as trying to avoid stamp duty. First up, we’ve got another Rob! There’s just no escaping them. Rob is new to property investment and after securing two properties in London where he lives, he’s looking to start his property journey up north.  After he listened to Boris Johnson’s speech, the growth potential of Manchester and the Greater Manchester area really excites him, but he’s wondering if the market is now saturated or if the long term potential is here to stay?  He’s also wondering how familiar he needs to be with the area before he considers investing?  If you’ve listened to The Property Podcast for a while, you’ll know how much The Robs love talking about Manchester and could spend hours giving Rob advice on investing in the area.  But they won’t keep you all day, they’re just dishing out the top tips on how to go about investing in property in Manchester.  Next we’ve got Tim. He’s got a couple of properties already, one being serviced accommodation and the other a standard buy-to-let. He’s just retired and is looking to make property his full time income to make himself financially free. He’s been listening to a number of podcasts and webinars, one of which has said that he can avoid paying stamp duty if his property is being used as serviced accommodation.  So is it true or not?  Tune in to find out.   Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).    Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forget location, location, location - we’re talking about education, education, education. And today we have a guest who’s put ALL our property education into practice. Today we’re kickstarting a two-part series and talking to Mark Ward who has taken all those property lessons and built himself a double digit portfolio in just five years! Impressive stuff. So settle in and get ready to listen to what Mark has achieved and just how he did it. Who knows, this might just give you the kick start you need.  To give you some back story, Mark got in touch with us over on Instagram. Like many Property Podcast listeners, his journey started out accidentally - so for all you accidental landlords out there, this is an episode for you! Mark has bought two properties per year at below market value, he’s then refurbished and refinanced them to release some cash. And in just 5 years, he’s got a pretty sweet, double-digit portfolio on his hands.  Rob D caught up with Mark to have a little chat about his journey so far. It’s definitely an episode you’ll want to listen to, no matter what stage of your property investment journey you’re at.   The Robs are also discussing the latest Hometrack price index in this episode. Once again Liverpool is top of the list, closely followed by Nottingham, Leicester, Manchester and Birmingham. Just behind them are Sheffield and Leeds which are all locations we tipped for big things at the start of the year.  This month, the report has looked at the amount of stock coming onto the market compared to the number of sales that have been agreed. In Manchester the ratio of sales to new supply has increased which is a signal that Manchester is likely to continue to grow in house prices - phenomenal considering how much Manchester has already grown in the past few years!  If you’re wanting further info on these hotspot locations, you can find our useful location guides over on the education section of our website which will certainly help you with narrowing down the areas you’d like to invest in.    Our Hub Extra this week is a new podcast recommendation! Don’t worry, The Robs haven’t started another podcast - not yet anyway. This podcast is called Heavyweight from Gimlet who produce a lot of great podcasts, but this one takes someone back to a moment in their life that they regret or keep thinking back to, and he helps them resolve that situation and move on.  It’s not ‘heavy’ in the tone of voice, it’s actually quite comical and really entertaining. So this is a good one for you to unwind with.   We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do. Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our brand new YouTube channel where we upload new content every week!  If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Property Hub forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s our 200th Ask Rob & Rob episode! Can you believe it? So what better way to celebrate than continuing to do what we do best and answer your property questions! This week’s first question comes in from Steve. He’s seen some new build properties that look slightly overpriced compared to other new builds in similar areas. So he’s wanting to know from an investor perspective whether Rob & Rob reckon he’s better off investing in a new build or maybe purchasing something a little older? Rob B points out that he does indeed think new builds can be overpriced, but then again, rightly highlights that any property can be overpriced. In true Rob B style, he has some winning advice that Steve can take on board. So listen carefully if you have your eye on a new build buy-to-let purchase in the future.  The next question is from Brogan. He opened up a lifetime ISA when he started his graduate job to help him buy his first property. Since then he’s found our wonderful podcast (good man!) and had his eyes opened to the buy-to-let world.  Now Brogan wants to use the money in his ISA to purchase his first buy-to-let property. However, the T&C’s of a lifetime ISA state that you have to use this scheme to purchase a property to live in.  Is there any way to get around this? Tune into this week's episode to find out what Rob D suggests.    Do you have a buy to let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).    Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  Have you joined us over on the Property Hub Forum yet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week The Robs are looking at more listener deals but this time they’re taking on the challenge of helping Nathan decide between two deals. He’s torn between two properties and doesn’t know which one to go for. Should be invest in Leeds or Manchester?! Two fantastic cities and two very different deals. So which one do The Robs think he should go for? Settle in as Manchester and Leeds battle it out to win Nathan’s investment. First up we have a two bedroom flat in the middle of Manchester on Princess Street for £240,000. It’s pretty central and close to two main train lines and was converted around 15 years ago. Certainly move in ready.  He thinks he’ll be able to achieve £920 pcm after taking off his management fees. Once other fees have been deducted, he’s looking at a net profit of just under £200 per month, giving him an ROI of 3%. A 3% ROI isn’t exactly going to get you excited, but Nathan said he’s in this for the long run and capital growth is more his long-term plan. So should this be the property he goes for? The second option is a two bedroom flat in the middle of Leeds at Westpoint for £245,000. It’s pretty much the same as the Manchester deal in terms of central location and rental price of £1,000 pcm. It just has a slightly higher ROI of 4.1% which is the equivalent of about £60 a month, so not life changing amounts. Compared to the Manchester conversion, this property is a high-end new build. It’s got a huge balcony and whereas the Manchester apartment was 600 sqft, the Leeds apartment is over 900 sqft!  So does this make it a no brainer and Nathan should be going for bigger and newer?  Tune in to find out what The Robs have to say and which property they think Nathan should go for.  And if you want to find out more about whether you should invest in Manchester or Leeds, we have some handy resources for you right here: Click here to find out why you should invest in Manchester Click here to find out why you should invest in Leeds   This week’s news story isn’t coming from one of our beloved tabloids, we’re reading an open consultation from the government. So this lengthy headline of ‘A new deal for renting: resetting the balance of rights and responsibilities between landlords and tenants’ is actually worth reading as it’s to do with the appeal of section 21. Everyone pretty much lost their minds a few months ago when section 21 came into play, but what are they hoping to do about it now we’ve all had a chance to digest it?  Are there changes ahead?  Have a read and listen to what The Robs think on this week’s episode.    This week’s Hub Extra is a book called ‘The Ultimate Blueprint for an Insanely Successful Business’ which is highly recommended by Rob D about accounting. Now don’t switch off just yet, we know accountancy isn’t the most exciting of topics, but this book will become more appealing to you the bigger you grow your business.    Even Rob B picked this as one of his holiday reads! So give it a read and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear what you think of this week’s Property Podcast over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a topic you’d like us to cover in the future - if so, pop us a message on social and we’ll see what we can do.   Make sure you’ve liked and subscribed to our brand new YouTube channel where we upload new content every week! If that wasn’t enough, you can also join our friendly property community on the Propert  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.