The Property Podcast

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Simon... Asks Rob & Rob – Should I overpay my mortgage? PLUS: Joceline asks how should I approach estate agents? Another two answers from The Robs this week, and these would definitely feature in a property FAQ list.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's episode is just a quick update, but wow are we excited: The Property Hub website has been completely re-built! In this short episode we explain: Why it was high time for an overhaul Improvements we've made to create better conversations in the forum The improved podcast listening and discovery process How we can guide you to the most relevant content for you if you're new Check out the new site here! Normal service will be resumed next week, when Pete Matthew returns for an in-depth exploration of different ways to get exposure to property...  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahmed & Drew - My tenant has left me, what should I do? PLUS: Using crowdfunding to buy property...   Hear what Rob & Rob have to say in this weeks episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We need another 1.8 million rental properties, says RICS Landlords have lost their legal challenge over the Finance Bill Perhaps as a result of the same changes, 63% of new mortgage applications are for limited companies And mortgage applications are only going to get more arduous: the Bank of England have set out their new underwriting requirements, with tougher stress-tests and requirements for portfolio landlords Finally, it's more tough talk from another new government with the announcement of a £5bn fund to provide 25,000 new homes. Will it come to anything? Who knows... There was plenty to talk about, so take a listen and see what you think!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Bjorn... Asks Rob & Rob –  How much of my net worth should be in property? The Rob's are possibly not unbiased on this frequently asked question, but they do try to give a balanced take on the well publicised adage that you shouldn't keep more that 10% of your net worth in bricks and mortar.     Listen to this week's episode and let us know your thoughts on this one over on the forum.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grab your passport and join us as we head off around the world of property investment, investigating whether you should be hopping on a plane instead of into a car to research your next acquisition. We look into: The reasons why investing abroad is attractive to so many people The prospects for popular investment spots like Spain and the USA The risks and opportunities in up-and-coming locations like Eastern Europe The "wildcard" locations for if you're feeling particularly brave What to watch out for to make sure your the only risk of losing your shirt is if the airline misplaces your baggage If you'd like to learn more, we've also got a huge feature on investing overseas in the next issue of the Property Hub Magazine – with more detail on the areas we mention, plus other countries tipped by overseas investment experts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Mike... Asks Rob & Rob –  Should I never sell a property?  Rob D admits this is something you hear a LOT from everyone, including from The Robs. However he also says that his thinking has changed a little in recent year. If your property price is increasing a lot faster than the rent and your yield has fallen, you could take the view that you have had the majority of your gains and you could sell now and buy a property elsewhere where there's more growth in it. There's no right answer, and there is a logic in both approaches.    Rob B says his attitude has changed too but only slightly - and that still feels that never selling is a decent principle. There's a time and place to take stock and maybe move some units on though - for example if you have a dud property that just hasn't performed as you expected, or was one of your earlier purchases and you made some mistakes on it, or you have had a constant string of bad tenants that have cost you a lot of time and money; then you should be prepared to walk away and move on to something else.    Rob B continues by saying that as he believes in the 18 year property cycle, he will be inclined to move properties on when we're at the top of that cycle (which we are a fair way away from just now).    So it's not quite a 'never sell a property' answer, and there is definitely a bit more to it than this, depending on your situation, your longterm plan, and where we are in the cycle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we're lucky enough to be joined by Pete Matthew from the Meaningful Money podcast, who talks us through how to set up your personal finances for property investment. Having Pete on the show allowed us to cover some topics that we've not devoted enough attention to in the past, including: The importance of life insurance if you have mortgages Where to keep your money while you wait to invest What kind of emergency buffer you should have on hand How to view property as part of a wider investment portfolio ...and Pete shares the biggest personal finance mistake he sees people making If you need more Pete in your life – and frankly, who doesn't – make sure you're subscribed to Meaningful Money Resource of the week Thank you to Matt Chan for pointing us towards Mubert – a site that generates sounds designed to help you concentrate. We've covered similar in the past, but it's always worth checking out another – and if you're going to be looking into insurance policies and bank account comparison tables, you'll need all the help you can get... News this week The northern powerhouse powers on – as Theresa May confirms that it's not going to be scrapped along with the chancellor who coined it! Buzzword or not, investing and looking at policy to rebalance the economy geographically makes nothing but sense – and is good news for anyone with investments anywhere near the areas that are set to benefit. It's meetup time again! The first Thursday of the month is almost upon us, which can only mean one thing: MEETUPS! Again there are more than 30 across the country – and if you're in London, you can attend the launch of our brand new Waterloo meetup. View the full list and book your place here Join the conversation What other steps have you taken to secure your personal finances? Any other questions you'd like Pete to answer for us? We’d love to know, so join the discussion in The Property Hub! If you enjoyed The Property Podcast, please leave a review on iTunes Reviews are really important in helping other people to find the show, so by way of thanks we read out every single review we receive on air. If you’d like to hear your name on the show, leave us a review on iTunes here. Not sure how to leave a review? This video shows you how to review and subscribe on iTunes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, Mike... Asks Rob & Rob –  When it comes to refinancing, should I consider a longer term deal to avoid fees? Rob D & B agree that this is all about the numbers, but it can be tricky to work out. Get your mortgage advisor to do the calculations and work out what is best for you. Remortgaging can be an expensive business and even if the costs are not being paid out immediately, they are definitely still very real costs.  Rob D asks his broker to give him all the figures including any associated fees, just to be 100% sure that he chooses the best deal when re-financing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week we talked about the whole property buying process, all the way up to completion. This week, we're looking at the easy-to-overlook steps you need to take in order to prepare your property to let. They include: Deciding whether to self-manage or use an agent Checking out the competition Informing the authorities and utilities about your ownership Obtaining any licenses that are needed Getting safety certificates in place Checking for any post-refurb minor maintenance issues Then it's time to either start marketing yourself, or hand it over to an agent. We've got you covered there too...  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.