

The Property Podcast
Rob Bence and Rob Dix from The Property Hub
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 each 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!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 18, 2019 • 8min
ASK191: Does it make sense to sell up before a crash? PLUS: Should I worry about my tenant staying too long?
The Robs are back again for another fantastic episode of Ask Rob & Rob where they’re talking about property crashes and tenants staying too long. First up we have Pete who has a question about the 18-year property cycle. He’s clearly been listening to our podcasts and taken the university course, as he’s correctly identified that we’re about 7 years away from the next property market crash. Pete already has two properties that he bought for around £100,000 each and is hoping that in the next 7 years they’ll have pretty much doubled in value. If this was just before the next market crash, would it be wise for him to sell up pre-crash? For Pete, his properties are all about the monthly rental income, however he doesn’t want to miss out on that potential capital growth. So should he sell up and pocket the capital growth? Or should he keep hold of his properties but run the risk of being back to square one? Find out what The Robs have to say on this topic. Next up we have Bartholomew who wants to know if he should be worried about his tenant staying too long. He has a tenant who’s been in his property for the last seven years and is wanting to know if this tenant has any long-term tenancy rights. He’s also looking at purchasing a property that’s had the same tenants for the past three years. If they decided to stay long-term, do they qualify as sitting tenants? So what should Bart do? Should he try and evict these long-term tenants? Or should he see it as a blessing that they’re dependable who haven’t caused him any issues for the past 7 years? Find out on today’s 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.

Jun 13, 2019 • 18min
TPP326: Are rental prices out of control?
This week on The Property Podcast, The Robs are talking economics and looking at data to see whether rental prices really are out of control. It’s certainly an episode worth listening to because we’ve got something exciting coming up... Yes, we’re going to be those people who tease you about something coming up next week and make you wait a whole 7 days to see what it is - sorry! What we can tell you though is that it’s very exciting and it’s exclusively for you - our podcast listeners. So whether you listen to The Property Podcast regularly or you’re only a few episodes in. Make sure you tune in next week when we reveal all! In recent headlines, it’s been said that renting is unaffordable, and action is needed. Maybe even rent controls. But is this true? Zoopla has recently brought out a really interesting report. They’ve taken their own rental data, compared it with average wages and looked at the period between 2007 and 2018 to see how affordability and rent levels have changed over that period. The conclusions are actually quite surprising, so The Robs dig right in on today’s episode. The three main topics Rob & Rob discuss today are: The raw rentals Rents compared to earnings Regional breakdown So tune into this week’s episode as Rob & Rob see whether renting really is unaffordable. Give the Zoopla report a read and let us know what you think. And in this week’s Hub Extra, Rob D is recommending something he uses regularly. It’s a meditation app called Waking Up, developed by a guy named Sam Harris. Sam is a neuroscientist, philosopher, author, podcaster and an all-around interesting guy. This app is a series of guided meditation and lessons - which isn’t dissimilar to other apps, but for Rob D, it’s Sam’s approach that has been the gamechanger. So if you’ve been struggling to make meditation stick or can’t seem to get into it, give this one a try and see if it helps. And in the news this week, The Robs are loving the headlines from The Daily Express. The one which caught their attention is ‘Corbyn’s garden tax: ‘DISASTROUS’ for property market and will hit families and pensioners’. Rob D voices a bit of an unpopular opinion on this. But both of The Robs don’t think it’s half as bad as the media are making out. Essentially it’s just a rebranding of council tax. In fact it might make things fairer! However it was also announced that Labour are proposing that landlords pay tenants’ council tax bills. Needless to say, this sparked a bit of a heated debate, especially over on our Instagram. 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.

Jun 11, 2019 • 9min
ASK190: Help! My property isn’t making a profit! PLUS: Is there a minimum value that makes sense for a buy-to-let?
The Robs are back again for another fantastic episode of Ask Rob & Rob. After a few weeks of mortgage questions with Dave Cookson, the trio is now back to a duo! First up we’ve got Horatio who’s in a bit of a pickle. He made an offer to purchase a buy-to-let investment property in Birmingham about six months ago and has recently completed. However, he’s run his numbers again and has realised that his investment property isn’t even making £50 a week! A situation no investor wants to be in. So how does Horatio get out of this sticky situation? Is there a way out? Could a change in strategy make him a small profit at least? Second up, we’ve got Nick. He wants to know if there’s a minimum purchase price to look for when purchasing a buy to let property? He’s wanting to know which works better for a portfolio; having six properties valued at £100,000 each or 12 at £50,000 each. Ultimately there are a number of variables to consider and, as always, it also depends on your goals. So how low should you go when you want to buy cheap buy-to-let investment properties? And does cheap always mean it’s an instant money saver? We’ve all heard the phrase “buy cheap, buy twice”... Find out on today’s 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.

Jun 6, 2019 • 25min
TPP325: 6 lessons from a hard mofo: David Goggins
This week on The Property Podcast, The Robs are doing something a bit different and talking some hard truths. Which, if you implement them, could be a complete game changer. On today’s podcast The Robs are passing on six lessons from one of the most impressive (and possibly insane) individuals, David Goggins. Rob B has hailed David Goggins’ book ‘Can’t Hurt Me’ as his book of the year, after a recommendation from Rob D. For those of you who don’t know who David Goggins is, he’s a former Navy Seal, an ultra marathon runner, a distance cyclist, an endurance athlete, a tri-athlete, a motivational speaker and now an author. He’s certainly one-of-a-kind and quite possibly like no one you’ll have ever met or heard of before. Today we’re going to take six lessons from David Goggins that you can implement in your life, and we reckon it’ll help set you apart from everyone else. Here’s the six lessons The Robs will go through on today’s podcast, complete with quotes from David Goggins himself: To grow in life, be willing to suffer Don’t let your mind hold you back Self-talk and visualization are the keys to fighting negativity If you choose to do something, attack it Use the accountability mirror Create a vision in your mind This week’s podcast will get you raring to go - so be prepared for a flurry of self-activity afterwards. You’ve been warned! For this week’s Hub Extra we’ve got a great video for you that’s done the rounds here at the Hub It’s called The Contrepreneur Formula Exposed and is done very nicely by Mike Winnet. Mike has attended several wealth creation seminars, and highlights what exactly goes down at these events and reveals how they’re very cleverly designed to separate you from your money. It’s a fitting tale considering The Robs have been vocal in their dislike for courses that charge you the earth and promise you’ll get rich quick, yet fail to deliver. Mike’s formula works for whatever seminar you attend. Go give it a watch, it’ll be well worth your time. The Robs are extremely jealous they never thought of doing this themselves! In the news this week, The Daily Express is revealing the areas of the UK with the best recovery from the financial crash. The City of London has seen the best recovery over the past 10 years, where house prices are up 143%. What’s interesting is it shows the areas that are still yet to recover, which could be a good insight if you’re planning on investing in these areas. 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.

Jun 4, 2019 • 7min
ASK189: What would happen to my mortgages if I die? PLUS: How should I “interview” a mortgage broker?
Once again, our favourite mortgage broker, Dave Cookson is back. He’s joining The Robs to answer your mortgage questions on today’s Ask Rob & Rob. First up we’ve got Rita who wants to know what would happen to her property portfolio should she die, and how can she protect her family? She has interest only mortgages on all her properties at 75% LTV. So she’s wanting to know if she died, would her husband be forced to sell the properties and pay off the mortgages? It’s not a question that comes up very often, but it’s an important one that the majority of property investors should be asking themselves. Find out what advice Dave has to offer and listen to how insurance can play a key part in this! The next question comes from Adam. He’s wanting to know what kind of questions he should be asking a mortgage broker before he works with them, to find out if they’re any good. The Robs always bang on about the importance of working with a good mortgage broker and how it can make your life easier. So what questions does Dave think are the most important to ask? 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.

May 30, 2019 • 26min
TPP 324: Is buy-to-let dead?
This week on The Property Podcast, buy-to-let is dead apparently. So will this be The Robs last ever podcast?! Firstly, before we get into today’s podcast episode, we want to say thank you for all the lovely and positive feedback we’ve received over the last couple of weeks in terms of Property Hub Mortgages. And on the back of that, Rob D would like to give a special shoutout to his mortgage broker, Amy at Keys Mortgages, who recently got him out of a sticky situation. She’s a prime example of what a good mortgage broker looks like, so give it a listen to find out just what Rob D had gotten himself into. Now onto this week’s episode, recently there’s been a lot of click bait headlines on the internet stating that buy-to-let is dead, but having nothing to back the statement up in the articles. But this week, Money Week brought out an article headlining; ‘the death of buy-to-let property’ and it actually had a bit of substance to it. So we thought that we needed to address it. And that’s exactly what we do in this episode. So, is buy-to-let really dead and is this goodbye? Tune in to find out... For this week’s Hub Extra we’re bringing you Freetrade. It’s an app that’s available on both Apple and Android and allows you to buy and sell stock shares for free. Usually investing in shares involves a hefty commission fee when you buy and sell which can wipe out any gains you make. So if you decide to have a dabble, let us know if you’re successful, but remember to be sensible with it, we’re not liable for your actions. In the news this week, not a news article, but a gentle reminder that the lettings and landlord fee ban comes into play at the end of the week! It’s already had an effect with some letting agents shutting down and some landlords saying that their fees have gone up to cover the loss. Someone got in touch and said that their fees have changed by a huge £500 per month! 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.

May 28, 2019 • 6min
ASK188: Can I roll all my mortgages into one? PLUS: Do I need one company per property?
This week on Ask Rob & Rob, we’ve got Dave Cookson joining the guys again to answer even more mortgage related questions. Maybe we should have dedicated this month’s ‘ask’ questions to Dave. But nevertheless we’ve got another two cracking mortgage related questions that you may never have thought to ask before. So let's get started... The first question comes in from Stuart who has more than one buy to let property in his personal name. He’s wanting to know if there is a mortgage product where you can combine all of your BTL mortgages into one and effectively just have one lump mortgage that covers all of your properties. Turns out it’s a pretty common question and one that Dave gets asked quite frequently; ‘can I have one lender that supports my portfolio in a limitedconpany?’ You’ll have to tune in to find out the answer… Our second question comes from a listener who is wanting to know if he needs a limited company for every property that he purchases. He’s heard of some investors using this strategy but is wondering what’s best in terms of mortgageability. What’s Dave’s opinion on multiple companies and what advice does he give? Hit the play button to find out. Tune in next week when Dave will be back once again to answer more mortgage questions. 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.

May 23, 2019 • 29min
TPP323: Rob B mentors two investors - live
This week on The Property Podcast we’ve got a special episode for you - and it’s one that The Robs have been wanting to do for a while. [Drum roll!] Today, you get to listen to Rob B mentoring two lucky podcast listeners - LIVE! Avid listeners will know that strategy is key, and today we’re revealing just how important we think this is by putting Rob on the spot to offer his advice. Now don’t worry, this isn’t just specific to Ruth and Christian’s investment plans,(who are the two lucky listeners by the way) there’s so much information given out in today’s podcast that you can apply it to your own property investment strategy. So it’s well worth the listen. The Robs (and the team at Property Hub Invest) have spent years helping people with their property journey. Many they speak to don’t even have a strategy. But that’s OK, because that’s where we excel. And we’re all for sharing knowledge. The first lucky listener is Ruth from Dorset. Ruth and her husband Dennis have already started investing in property in South Wales and have a couple of buy-to-let properties. Alongside their two buy-to-let properties they also have a holiday let. Running alongside their investments, Ruth and Dennis have an interest only mortgage on their residential home. Their goal is to have £3,000 net income each month from their buy-to-let properties so that when their mortgage expires in 2023, they can service a new mortgage. There’s a lot of numbers flying around in this one, but with their combined investments, the profit they’re currently making is around a quarter of the way to their £3,000 goal. So what should they do now? Rob B steps in with a strategy that will help them reach their goal by the time they’re due to remortgage. Next up we have Christian. Christian is already in a nice position with his property investment portfolio. His goal is to increase his cash flow so he can continue to invest and build a pension pot, and have something to hand down to his kids. Christian already has a standard buy-to-let property in London which produces a decent £16,000 per annum, along with 2 HMO’s. He’s now on the lookout for his next investment in the north. At the moment Christian is weighing up his options as to when the right time might be to purchase another property, and what kind of property he should be looking at. On the plus side, he was worried about the effects of Brexit, but after religiously listening to The Property Podcast, he’s confident he can still purchase in the next few months. So what type of property does Rob B think Christian should be looking for ‘up north’, and what should he be focusing on to achieve his goals? Tune in to find out. Then head over to our social channels to let us know what you thought of today’s episode. For this week’s Hub Extra we’re giving you the gift of time. No, we’ve not got a new invention, we’re simply giving you advice on your goals - for free! You’ve just spent the last 20 minutes listening to how Rob B helped Ruth and Christian with their property goals, and now it’s your turn. You can register for your free goals call with one of our Invest team. On the call you’ll go through your goals to determine whether they’re realistic [very important!] and look at ways to help you achieve them. It’s probably the best call you’ll have all year! Slots are limited, so book an appointment sharpish. In the news this week, Letting Agent Today has reported that landlords selling up made an average gain of £80,000 in 2018. This isn’t what surprised The Robs though, it was the fact that this is an average figure which means a huge 15% of landlords have made a loss! This news story certainly ruffles a few feathers. If you’re in this situation and thinking of selling, this episode is well worth a listen as it could change your mind and offer you a helping hand. 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.

May 21, 2019 • 6min
ASK187: How do I get the funds to develop my properties? PLUS: How much income should I show to maximise my mortgage choices?
On this week’s Ask Rob & Rob, Dave Cookson is back to answer more mortgage related questions. Mortgage broker Dave has appeared on The Property Podcast numerous times and most recently busted some of the most common mortgage myths in conjunction with the launch of Property Hub Mortgages. And today he’s back to answer your mortgage related questions. The first question is from Rob (yes, another Rob!), who has two properties in his portfolio - both are based in London and have development potential. He’s pretty confident that if he does these improvements, both the rental and resale value will increase. But how does he raise the initial funds to crack on with his plans? Both of his properties are on a standard 75% LTV mortgage and the lenders are not allowing any further advance. Does Dave know of anything Rob can do? The next question comes in from Hannah. Hannah runs her own business and has the choice of how much income to take in the form of dividends, whilst leaving the rest in the business to avoid paying more tax. She owns her home outright so doesn’t have many outgoings. But she’s heard somewhere that lenders want to see a minimum amount of personal income. With this in mind, Hannah wants to know how much she needs to start paying herself from her business to maximise her mortgage options? She’s also been told that lenders don’t count rental income as personal income. Is this True? Tune in to find out what Dave has to say... 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.

May 16, 2019 • 30min
TPP322: 6 mortgage myths busted!
The property world suffers a lot of noise. Everyone (mostly) considers themselves to be an expert - you’ll hear a lot of“you can do this”or“you can’t do that”- but quite frankly, a fair bit of it is rubbish. So today on The Property Podcast, Rob & Rob are putting six mortgage myths to bed. And what better way to tackle this subject than to get mortgage expert Dave Cookson, from Charles Louis on the show with The Robs today. The three musketeers go on to clear up six mortgage myths that might either be steering you in the wrong direction or holding you back altogether. But we know for a fact that they’re not true. Tune into this week’s Property Podcast to find out what these six common mortgage myths are and what the guys have to say about them. In the news this week, mortgage products for expats are improving after being ignored for so long. TML (The Mortgage Lenders) are launching the first expat buy-to-let mortgage product range. Also in the news, Precise Mortgages are making slicing available across its entire buy-to-let range. Rob D pretty much hits the nail on the head with describing what slicing is, so give it a listen. 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 channelwhere 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.