The Property Podcast

It’s Tuesday, so that can only mean that Rob & Rob are back to answer two more listener, property related, questions.  Our first question this week comes from Lee.  Lee has been listening to the podcast for over a year now and is doing an immense amount of research into where he should invest.  Naturally he’s been listening to Rob & Rob and eyeing up Manchester and Leeds, but he’s now turning his attention to Nottingham for the affordability aspect. However he’s having doubts after seeing that in two years, a council estate that was priced at £90,000 is now priced at £130,000.  So essentially, Lee wants to know if this kind of growth can be expected to continue, or do certain areas experience capital growth which then moves onto another area? The second question this week comes from Nick who’s having issues calculating yields.  He’s currently in the process of purchasing his seventh property, the last three of which have been during lockdown - you go Nick! He’s been told that if you achieve a yield between 6-8% then that’s pretty good.  But when he’s been working the numbers out based on the 30% deposit he put down, he’s getting a yield that’s much closer to 20%.  So what’s he doing wrong? What’s the right way to calculate a rental yield? 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.

This week we’re taking a look at the real reasons why property prices go up Many people think property prices rise due to supply and demand. Some think it’s to do with inflation, and some think it’s about location.  So who’s right?  Or, could it be a combination of them all?  In today’s episode Rob & Rob are revealing everything! Here’s what to expect on this week’s property podcast episode A few weeks ago, on an episode of Ask Rob & Rob, we had a caller named Jonathan who wanted to know why property prices rise, after reading an article on housing supply.  And while The Robs answered Jonathan’s question, they’re expanding on it today and are delving right into the detail. To kick things off, did you know that each property is in two separate markets?  You may have thought that there was only one market, the property market, but there’s actually two. The services and assets markets.  So now you might be wondering what the difference is between the two, and how they work differently to increase property prices.  And that’s exactly what Rob & Rob are digging into today. They’re taking a look into the report that Jonathan referenced and have dissected it so it’s more digestible.  Make sure you tune into today’s episode for some more valuable knowledge bombs on why property prices increase from Rob & Rob.   In the news This week’s news story is ‘demand for rental accommodation in London collapses’.  Of course, this headline is somewhat misleading as the article is actually referencing a particular type of rental property, which is shared accommodation.  In West Central London, demand is down 43% compared to last year and East London down 19%. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise as London is struggling and you’d expect shared accommodation to be the worst hit over the past 12 months.  Another headline that caught our eye was from Letting Agent Today. ‘Victory for Airbnb in first round of battle for short lets regulation’.  The Scottish Government had drawn up a licensing scheme that would give local councils the power to issue licences on homes that advertised on Airbnb and similar websites.  Meaning that possible short-term lets and holiday lets could need planning permission before being allowed to let, along with stricter health and safety measures.    Hub extra This week’s Hub Extra resource is another book recommendation, but this time from Rob D.  It’s called ‘Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don’t Make Sense’ by Rory Sutherland.  He’s the vice chairman of WPP which is a massive advertising agency. The book is about how everyone in business makes their core decisions based on logic, however most people’s buying habits aren’t governed by logic.  So by approaching things in a logical way you miss great solutions to problems that are often simpler and cheaper than the solution that logic directs you to.  It’s a fascinating book that combines business, marketing and psychology so if you like any of those topics then we recommend you give this a read.   Let’s get social 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.

Rob & Rob are back again this week to answer two more fantastic questions. We’ve got a rather interesting first question from Brendan. He’s got a question on the 18 year property cycle, one of our favourite topics to talk about.  Brendan wants to know if Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) are likely to experience the same sort of growth in a boom period as residential property? If you’re not 100% sure on what a REIT is and how they work, don’t worry, Rob D covers that along with how they benefit property investors. The second question on this week’s episode is from Antonio.  He’s got a portfolio of properties which he’s had for around 20 years and is now considering selling.  His accountant has advised him that if he moves back into the property for 6-12 months, he won’t have to pay capital gains tax on the sale as it will be seen as his main residence.  Is this a way of getting around capital gains tax? 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.

This week we’re taking a look at where we are in the 18 year property cycle Whether you’re a new or experienced investor, the 18 year property cycle is something that you should know like the back of your hand.  For years it’s helped investors determine when they’d be most likely to invest in property and when they’re going to wait it out.  We get asked all the time ‘where are we in the 18 year property cycle?’ and even more so at the minute, ‘is the cycle broken due to Covid-19?’ Well, we’re about to find out. Here’s what to expect on this week’s property podcast episode In 2020 we were hit with a global pandemic that completely brought the property market to a grinding halt.  So naturally people were questioning what this meant for the 18 year property cycle.  But once the property market was back up and running (and more buoyant than people expected), we were then getting asked ‘does this mean we’re at the peak of the cycle?’ If you’re new to the podcast and have no idea what the 18 year property cycle is then don’t worry because we’re going to give you a recap in this episode.  According to the average 18 year cycle, we should now be in the mid-cycle wobble phase.  But is that true or has Covid-19 changed the course? Tune in to find out.   In the news We’ve got two news stories for you this week.  The first one is a note on the evictions ban being extended again. It was due to end on the 22nd February and has been extended to the 31st March at the earliest.  Chances of it being extended again are pretty likely, even though we’re on the right path it’s still not 100% certain that we’ll be back to normal by then.  Another possible policy extension is on the stamp duty holiday. This could be extended by a further six weeks, which isn’t a huge timeframe. A lot of people will complete in time but there will also be many who slip through the net.    Hub extra This week’s Hub Extra resource is a book that Rob B has been reading.  The book was actually a recommendation from a YouTuber called Ali Abdaal and it’s a book called ‘A Million Miles in a Thousand Years’ by Donald Miller.  It’s the story of a writer who was approached by Hollywood screenwriters who wanted to tell his life story.  But when they started putting it together it turned out that it wasn’t very interesting or inspiring and that really made Donald reflect on his life and he decided to live a better story.  In a way it really resonates with the type of reflection that we’ve all gone through over the past year and how we can live a better life when we come out of the coronavirus pandemic on the other side.   Let’s get social 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.

It’s Tuesday and that means Rob & Rob are back to answer two more listener questions. The first question this week comes from Florence. She’s thinking of remortgaging her property as she has around £190,000 of equity tied up.  However, she doesn’t know if she should pay the penalty to get out of her mortgage now, which will be around £1,040, or wait two years when her fixed mortgage rate is finished. She doesn’t yet know which route she should choose, but if she was to release the equity, she wants to try and beat the stamp duty fees coming back into play.  Next we’ve got Martin calling from Hong Kong.  Since he’s been listening to the podcast he’s purchased one small property in the UK with cash. He’s wanting to buy more properties in the UK and with being based abroad (and the current coronavirus situation), buying in cash seems to be easier than buying with a mortgage.  After listening to the podcast and Rob & Rob’s views on leverage, he wants to know if he bought a property with cash, could he then take out a mortgage on it in a year or two?  Is this a possible idea and is it beneficial? 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.

This week we’re exploring how QE could dramatically change property prices QE (short for Quantitative Easing) is currently at record levels that have never been seen before.  The approach has discreetly been changed by the government, so as a property investor you must understand what’s going on. And that’s exactly what Rob & Rob are discussing on today’s podcast episode. By the end of this episode you’ll know exactly what QE is and how to take advantage of it. Here’s what to expect on this week’s property podcast episode We get it, QE sounds really boring and while it’s really complicated... it’s also incredibly important. For us, it’s important that you understand QE just as much as you understand leverage or inflation, it’s a core concept to long-term property investing. Here’s what Rob & Rob are be covering on today’s episode on QE: What is QE? Amounts of QE The effects of QE (pre-2020) Asset price inflation since 2009  Why is 2020 QE different? What is the likely effect? What can you do about it? This is going to be an episode that may frazzle your brain a little so you might want to grab a pen and paper and take notes. You may even want to listen to it a couple of times to wrap your head around it but we promise it will be worth your while.   In the news A major news story in the property world this week comes from the BBC. ‘Cladding: Extra £3.5bn for unsafe buildings ‘too little, too late’.’ There’s another issue with the cladding scandal - and that’s the clarity around who it does (and doesn’t) help. And that’s because the government has stated that this funding is applicable to buildings over 18m high. So if you live in a development below 18m, the funding won’t help you, but there will be low cost loans available.  We don’t think this is the end of this ongoing battle. We’ll be keeping an eye on further developments.    Hub extra For Hub Extra this week The Robs are recommending a tool they’ve both been using since the first lockdown.  Rob B used to work on an iPad Pro because he travelled around a lot. But like most people, he’s been stuck at home and this meant the iPad wasn’t an ideal set-up.  So, he invested in a widescreen monitor. So we’re keeping it simple and recommending the very basic widescreen monitor itself. It can increase your productivity when you’re used to working on a laptop or iPad - and as you know… we’re ALL about the increase in productivity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rob & Rob are back again with another two great questions to answer. Up first we’ve got Jess.  She put in an offer on a flat and got a response from the vendor that they wanted something a bit closer to the asking price. Jess then put in a counter offer, all cash, £2,500 under the asking price.  In most cases this would be a pretty decent offer that’s likely to get snapped up with the ability to move fast on it.  However, Jess still hasn’t received an answer from the vendor. She hasn’t had her offer accepted or rejected and is questioning if he’s not a serious seller and should she just move on.  The second question this week comes from Neale who has a question about freehold. He has a one bedroom buy-to-let apartment which is one of five within the development.  It had previously been poorly managed and recently Neale and fellow landlords took over the management. The freeholder has recently indicated that they’re willing to sell the freehold to the five apartments.  All five parties are keen to proceed, but Neale wants to know if there’s any real benefit to owning part of the freehold? Will the value of the properties increase if he owned the freehold? 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.

This week we’re exploring why predictions are crap Nine times out of ten you’ll listen to expert predictions.  But, believe it or not, they’re not always right! So this week on The Property Podcast we’re going back in time to take a look at what predictions have been made by both Rob & Rob, and other industry experts, and seeing whether they were right or wrong. Here’s what to expect on this week’s property podcast episode At the beginning of January Rob & Rob shared their 2021 predictions podcast episode and a few weeks later did their 2021 property hotspot predictions. But even though The Robs like making predictions and going back to review them, they also dislike them. That’s because predictions can sometimes be wildly inaccurate and if you take them too seriously, it can lead you in the wrong direction.  So in this episode Rob & Rob are going to go back and take a look at some significant years in property, take a look at what happened in those years and see what various people predicted was going to happen.  As they go through this episode they’ll be picking out patterns that’ll be worth keeping in mind as you review predictions in the future.   In the news This week’s news story comes from This is Money and the headline reads ‘Pets in lets: Government makes it harder to impose ‘blanket bans’ on tenants having animals’.  From reading the article, it makes it sound as though you now have to accept tenants with pets by default and have to object case by case if you don’t want pets in your property.  But like any good old headline, that’s not the case. There’s simply a new clause that’s been put into the government's standard AST.     AOB has moved You may have noticed that this week there was an extra episode of our Any Other Business podcast.  We’ve decided to now kick start your week the right way and you can now catch the latest podcast episodes on a Monday morning via your favourite podcast app.  But don’t worry, if you prefer to watch your podcasts, each episode will be going live on YouTube every Sunday so you can unwind, put your feet up with a brew and get ready for the week ahead. And don’t forget about our weekly free webinars where you can learn everything you need to know about investing in property in just 30 minutes and walk away with plenty of free resources after the session to continue your learning.   Hub extra We’ve got a new podcast recommendation for you this week. No, don’t worry, Rob & Rob haven’t started another podcast, but this one is from someone who often makes an appearance on The Property Podcast.  You may remember Sarah who’s one of the investors that we try to catch up with at least once a year to find out how her investment journey is going.  Well, she now has her own podcast called ‘Conning The Con’. It’s all about conning a con artist and it’s a super entertaining listen.   Let’s get social 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.

Welcome back to another fun filled episode of Ask Rob & Rob. We’ve got another two great questions to answer, so let’s get stuck in. First up we’ve got Des who has a question about a property he already owns.  He previously bought it 15 years ago for around £80,000 and it’s now worth around £200,000.  The property is currently mortgaged at £150,000 as Des has previously released equity to invest elsewhere.  Des wants to know whether, after such good growth, he should sell it or rent it out?  The next question is from Imran who’s looking for a helping hand in getting his foot in the door of a letting agent.  He’s currently studying for a property qualification but has had no luck so far with the jobs he’s been applying for.  So naturally, he’s turned to Rob & Rob to see if they have any advice on how he can stand out from the crowd when trying to get a job in lettings. If you’re in similar positions as Des and Imran, then this is an episode for you.   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.

Here’s what the February market update has in store for you Hold onto your seats because this February market update is a good one. Just to give you a taster of what’s to come on this week’s episode, The Robs have got some mortgage news, they’re discussing the best performing cities of 2020 and they’ve got positive news on the cladding crisis.  Certainly topics you’ve all been waiting to hear about for a while so let’s get stuck into the February market update. Here’s what to expect on this week’s property podcast episode Even though it’s only been a few weeks, there’s a lot to cover in today’s update.  Rob & Rob kick things off by taking a look at the December Hometrack report which covers the whole of 2020. To everyone’s surprise, house prices were up by 4.3% which is a huge increase.  The Robs are also talking about: Top performing cities of 2020 Falling city rents More mortgage products Stamp duty Cladding Scottish Help To Buy And naturally The Robs will go into depth on each topic so we won’t give too much away. Make sure you tune into the February market update.   Free education If you’re looking to get started on your buy-to-let journey, or are wanting a refresher of the basics then we’ve got just the thing for you.  Every week we host a number of free webinars at different times to suit your schedule. You can learn everything you need to know about investing in property in just 30 minutes. Plus, you’ll also walk away with plenty of free resources after the session to continue your learning. Make sure you book your free virtual place today to get started. We look forward to seeing you there.   Let’s get social 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.