The Property Podcast

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are only answering one question because it warrants a pretty comprehensive answer.  AND it’s a question that’s on everyone's lips right now... What impact will Boris Johnson have on property investors now that he’s our new Prime Minister?  Thanks for the question Becky - let’s dive right in! Boris has already made noises that he’s going to make changes to stamp duty, and if you didn’t read last week’s Hub Extra, we actually included this story. Surprisingly, it’s not as doom and gloom as you might think.  He wants to move the threshold of where stamp duty becomes payable to £500,000 - which is a big difference to the current £125,000 and will make a huge difference to buy-to-let property investors and homeowners.  There’s also considerations that stamp duty will be payable by the seller rather than the buyer. Now, this isn’t something he’s officially made a comment on, but if it goes ahead it will have a bit impact on the market. However it looks like the 3% surcharge for buy-to-let properties isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Bah! Rob & Rob have talked about stamp duty numerous times on The Property Podcast and we even explain in depth what it is and how it works in this article. But what do The Robs think of Boris Johnson running our country altogether?  Well, you’ll have to tune in to find out their opinion. 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 going to teach you how you can recycle your capital and grow your portfolio at speed.  This might seem like a daunting topic and you might be thinking it’s going to take you at least another two years to build up your deposit pot to be able to buy your next property.  But fear not! We’ve got mortgage expert Dave Cookson on the show this week who’s going to demonstrate how you can build your portfolio at a pace you probably didn’t think was possible.  Just by listening to Dave you can tell how passionate he is about helping people finance their properties and chances are, some solutions he suggests you might not have thought of yourself.  And believe it or not, Dave reckons that the financing is the easy part, it’s finding the property that’s the hard part!  Here’s what The Robs and Dave are going to cover: Recycling your cash for deposits  Adding value Funding the purchase and cost of the works Finding the right property  Anticipating the risks. You’re definitely going to want to grab a notepad and pen for this episode.  In the news this week, London’s first high-end build to rent homes. When you think of a build to rent scheme you’ll often picture a block of apartments that have been designed for that specific reason with dedicated communal facilities. Well not this development. Essentially this development in St Johns Wood is just five houses.  Now don’t get us wrong they’re very nice houses, but do you have a spare £5,500 a week to live in one of them? Oh, and you’ll need your own furniture too as that’s not even included in the price!  In a nutshell, once again headlines are being incredibly misleading and this development is essentially a buy to let scheme, which as we all know has been around for a long time.   This week’s Hub Extra is an audio book that both Robs have thoroughly enjoyed. It’s called The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre and it’s a story about a spy in the cold war and the effect it had on his own life. So if you like a thrilling, gripping book and one that also educates you in history, then this is definitely a book for you.  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 on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are dishing out advice on how to best handle homebuyer surveys whilst using them to your advantage, and what to do when your letting agent adds in new fees to your contract.  They’re certainly two questions that probably 90% of investors will come across at some point in their property journey, so this is definitely an episode to bookmark!  Our first question comes in from Cassie. She wants to know how you can use a home buyers survey to negotiate a price.  She’s previously had one done that says a property needs a lot of repairs doing to it. Can she use this survey along with the property valuation to her advantage to negotiate a better deal? Rob B explains the different levels of homebuyer surveys you can get and advises Cassie on what she should do, with one potential outcome being to walk away from the deal.  Rob D points out that Cassie is in an even better position than she was at the beginning now that she has this additional information. Ultimately, it’s her choice what she does, if she can get a better deal, great!  But if the numbers aren’t going to stack up, then as The Robs mentioned last week, sometimes walking away is the best possible option. The second question is from Matt  who’s having a bit of a dispute with the letting agent for one of his properties. The current tenant has just given notice to leave and the letting agent is now saying that due to the new tenant fee ban, they need to charge Matt to get new tenants in. Is the letting agent allowed to do this? Can Matt dispute it and within his rights to avoid paying for it or is he going to have to suck it up and take on the new agreement? Matt certainly isn’t alone in this situation, there’s numerous letting agents who are implementing these new charges so that they’re not out of pocket.  So what advice do The Robs have for Matt? Should he stick with his current letting agent and accept the fees, or should he start to shop around for a new agent?  To make life easier, he could just head on over to Property Hub Lets, but tune in to find out what Rob & Rob 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 talking about what it takes for them to walk away from a deal. Usually you’ll hear The Robs talking about taking action, but there are inevitability times when it’s better to walk away. There are certain deals that need a firm ‘no’.   So what does it take for The Robs to walk away from a deal? And how should you decide whether a deal is really the right one for you?  Here’s what Rob & Rob are going to cover on today’s episode: Price Fundamentals Rental potential  Neighbours  Leasehold houses Leases with doubling ground rent This is an episode that you will benefit from no matter what stage of the property investment process you’re in.  So hit that play button and let us know what you think of this week’s episode. In the news this week, we’re looking at Wirral Waters, one of the biggest regeneration projects in the country. When it’s complete, the money invested into the area will top over £1 billion, if not more!  Peel Group have teamed up with developer Urban Splash to bring a £55 million scheme to Wirral Waters. As you’ll know if you’ve listened to The Property Podcast over the past few months, The Robs are big fans of Urban Splash and everything they do - Tom Bloxham MBE even appeared on a few episodes. This is a development of 337 modular homes, which are factory built and something that Urban Splash are renowned for.  And in other news… it’s nearly Meetup week! These seem to come around so quickly, but next week we’re back! Some of our more popular locations like London are already sold out, but we do have some tickets left. So be quick and grab yours here.  This week’s Hub Extra is something the whole team at Property Hub has been using over the past month. It’s a little app called Count.It which encourages you to get up and get fit with a little competitiveness thrown in for good measure.  You can do this with your colleagues, friends or family and set up a league table to find out who’s the most active. So download the app, invite your competitors and get walking!  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 on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are answering two questions that are affected by current and ongoing situations from property booms to increasing tax bands. This week’s first question is from Lee -  he has a clear strategy and wants to use property to increase his regular cash flow so that eventually he can be financially free. He’s roughly 60% through this process but his next property might allow this to happen a lot faster.  He has a 3-bedroom property in South London and the property price has grown 50% since he bought it back in 2010 - happy days! Lee thinks he’s got about £120,000 worth of equity in the property and has considered selling up and purchasing two properties to double his income - but this is where he gets a bit stuck.  Should he sell up now, or hang on and wait for a property boom and hopefully get more money than what the property is currently valued at? Tune in to find out what The Robs think he should do.  Our second question comes in from Chaz who’s wanting to know if a change in tax bands, dependant on who our next Prime Minister is, could result in him needing to change strategy?  It’s a bit of a tricky one because how many politicians actually follow through with what they say they’re going to do? But nevertheless, Rob & Rob give their opinion to help Chaz and his future strategy. 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 talking about an important calculation. They’ve never talked about it before, but it’s one you need to start using.  That’s right, they’re talking about how you can make money from property and the different ways you can achieve this.  There’s a popular debate on whether you should optimise your goals based on the monthly rental income you need or the capital growth potential. But what they’ve not really talked about in detail is the total return that you’re going to make from property over time. So this week, The Robs are covering the total return that you can make from your property investment, including how to calculate it and ultimately, why it matters.  Want to know how you can work out the return on investment for your potential property? Tune in to listen to how The Robs break it down.  In the news this week we’re looking at the latest figures from Hometrack and the House Price Index for May 2019. When you look at the top cities in the country, The Robs are pretty pleased that they tipped four of the top five as ones to invest in this year. Especially Liverpool with prices being up by 5%!  The report looks at the most affordable cities as a first time buyer and no surprise that London, Cambridge and Oxford were at the bottom of the list. But what was surprising was that the most affordable location in the UK for a first time buyer is Liverpool! Now this is fantastic news as it sets the indicator that the growth Liverpool is currently seeing is set to continue and has the furthest to grow, even though it’s a current hotspot.  Check out the report and see what other cities tick the affordability box.  We’ve also got ANOTHER new video up on YouTube for you. This time The Robs are talking about using a limited company as a buy to let investor, and if they’re really necessary. Head on over to our channel to check it out, leave us a comment on what you think about limited companies (and if you use one), and don’t forget to hit that subscribe button. And finally, this week’s Hub Extra is a Google Chrome extension called Just Read. Essentially it strips all of the rubbish out of a webpage so you can read it properly. If adverts and pop ups drive you mad, this extension will be your new favourite tool! You’re welcome! 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 on Ask Rob & Rob we’ve got two great questions that we’re pretty sure most investors will want to know the answers to. Especially if you’re just starting out or trying to grow your portfolio. Our first question this week comes in from Ian who’s been a Hubber for well over a year and an avid podcast listener.  He feels like he is clued up on the educational side of investing and is ready to take the plunge, but the financial side of things are holding him back.  His goal is to be able to replace his income with property through buying and refurbishing below market value properties.  At present he could realistically afford to save £1,000 per month, which is a decent amount to be putting away each month, but still means he’s roughly two years away from starting his investment journey.  So Ian is wanting to know what strategy would The Robs suggest for someone who has a low amount of capital to start off with, and are there any ways of raising the finances other than a traditional mortgage lender?  What advice can The Robs offer Ian to bring that start date that little bit further? Have a listen to find out. The second question comes in from Justin who has just exchanged on his fourth buy to let property - congrats! Two of his properties are in his personal name and the others through a limited company.  Justin has ambitious plans for the next few years in growing his portfolio and now he’s wondering if there are a limited number of mortgages that an individual can get?  Are there issues and more hoops to jump through for accessing mortgages with the more mortgaged properties you have and the bigger your portfolio gets? It’s good news for Justin, there are no limits to how many mortgages you can have. Hooray!  But there are some certain criteria that any investor should have a look into before applying for another mortgage. Tune in as Rob D explains all. 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.

The Robs aren’t holding back on this week’s Property Podcast. They’re telling you the brutal truths about property investment that you won’t hear from anyone else. That’s right, they’re dropping some truth bombs and showing you how slick marketing can lead you astray [sorry marketers!]. You’ll also learn about the (many) things that can go wrong and the (many) frustrations that come with being a property investor.  But don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. When starting out on your property investment journey, you’ll only ever hear about the positives and how much money you can make from property. You know the type - the “get rich quick” type. But many of these businesses are only in the property game to make money. They’ll tell you about the results, but not the process and where things can go wrong.  90% of the time, Rob & Rob have nothing but positive things to say about property investment, but it’s also important to be realistic and talk about the things that can, and more than likely will go wrong.  Property can be a bumpy ride. Having a goal and a clear strategy in place will stop you from making a fair few mistakes. And if you don’t know where to start with this, you can take us up on a free goals call where you can have a chat with a member of our Invest team and become a bit clearer on what your goals are and how to execute them. For free.  You can also take our free goals course on the Property Hub University in the meantime. So buckle up, and tune in to listen to the property truths Rob & Rob are dishing out. Trust us, you won’t get this type of honesty from many others in the property investment industry.  And if you’ve experienced any of the issues mentioned today, or you’ve been in a situation we’ve not covered, we want to hear about it. Or maybe you’ve been in a sticky situation and managed to get yourself out, we want to know how you did it - make sure you get in touch.  Our news story this week comes from Property Investor Today which is looking at the ‘Best UK university towns and cities for property investment’. They’ve ranked them based on yield and capital growth, so no surprise that Oxford and Cambridge were at the bottom. But the location at the top spot came as a surprise - The Robs haven’t really spoken about this city much. Newcastle didn’t make The Robs’ hotspot list this year, but it’s certainly a location to watch in the years to come. 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 on Ask Rob & Rob, we’ve got another two great questions for you about student accommodation and EPC ratings. Our first caller is Dawson who is looking at investing in student accommodation. She’s based in the south but has a clear understanding that yields are better in the north. She’s looked at Manchester and Liverpool but she’s finding that they’re getting quite saturated with a lot of properties left empty - she thinks this is mainly due to the new rules and the amount of new developments becoming available. So where would Rob & Rob recommend she look for a good student let with a high yield? Or is this market not worth getting into?  The next question is from Thomas who has been looking at a property to buy up north in Barnsley.  He’s had the EPC come through showing a rating of 9, which has obviously sparked concerns of how much it’s going to cost to get the property up to standard so they can rent it out.  Do Rob & Rob know the best way is to get this improved? Are there any grants or funding that Thomas can apply for to give him a helping hand? It’s safe to say that Rob B is absolutely baffled by such a low rating but answers Thomas’ question regardless and gives him some guidance.  Tune in to find out what he 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.

Have you ever wanted to step into Rob and Rob’s shoes and know what it’s like to be them for a day? Well now you can. This week on The Property Podcast The Robs are sharing their top seven brain hacks with you.  These aren’t just brain hacks that The Robs are dishing out from other people. They both live by these day in, day out. If you implement them they’ll make a huge impact on your life too. So what are the seven brain hacks that Rob & Rob live by religiously? Habit stacking Practice gratitude Finding the positive Give yourself a reset Dedicated worry time Visualisation Tracking habits to keep them They go into a lot of detail explaining why they live by these rules so it’s definitely worth a listen.  Who knows, in 30 minutes time you could feel more motivated than you have in a while and have completely changed your mindset.  So if you decide to implement any of these brain hacks and improve your way of living, make sure you get in touch and let us know. We want to hear all about it. Brace yourself, we’ve actually got a positive news story! ‘Property market bounce back? Demand from buyers and sellers increases as Brexit fatigue fades, estate agents claim’.  Granted it is based on self reported data so who knows how true it is but the National Association of Estate Agents have surveyed their members and found that there’s been a 16% increase in the last month of new buyers registering with them.  There’s also been an increase in supply. Nothing significant has changed to cause this, so give the article a read and see what you think. Keeping in theme with today’s podcast, our Hub Extra is an app called Strides, which is a habit tracking app. So if after listening to today’s episode you’re feeling a surge of motivation and wanting to take action, go ahead and download it. Meetups are next tonight! Most events are sold out but there’s a couple with tickets left. If you’d like to attend, you can find your nearest meetup venue here on our website. Or register early for next month! This week on our YouTube channel we published a new video on finding the right accountant for your property business. Now obviously we have Property Hub Tax who are amazing at what they do (not to blow our own trumpet) but they might not tick your boxes. So go give it a watch and let us know your thoughts. Don’t forget to subscribe! 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.