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The Property Podcast

The Property Podcast from The Property Hub (thepropertyhub.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!

Rob Bence and Rob Dix from Property Hub

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are answering two very specific questions around strategies. Our first caller this week is Jonathan who's got a very interesting strategy that he's looking for a bit of advice on.  He's recently listened to another podcast where they discussed using crowdfunding, or more specifically, angel finance, to acquire the initial cash to invest in property. If Jonathan was to follow this strategy he would be looking to buy properties below market value in cash, renovate them and then take out the cash that they had loaned to pay back the investors and keep the property for himself.  This is certainly a new one and has become a popular question recently. Do Rob & Rob think it's a viable strategy? The second question comes in from Rashid. He's recently finished reading Rich Dad Poor Dad. The author of the book, Robert T. Kiyosaki talks about a certain strategy that he has used to buy real estate in America.  So now Rashid is wanting to know if The Robs think this same strategy will work in the UK? And if you missed it, not too long ago Rob & Rob dedicated a whole episode to Rich Dad Poor Dad, which you can  listen to here.  What did they think about this specific strategy? 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.

ASK238: Can I use crowdfunding to speed up my investing? PLUS: Will this Rich Dad Poor Dad strategy work in the UK?

Rob & Rob are back again with another Friday market update for you.  A new sense of normality is starting to kick in for The Robs and their moods are certainly lifting.  They kick start today's market update by discussing all the positive things that are currently happening and how people seem to be enjoying the smaller things in life.  They're also discussing property prices now that the market has opened back up. Have they risen? Have they fallen? You'll just have to listen. Another topic of discussion is something that they touched on a couple of weeks ago and that's bounceback loans.  Should property investors be applying for bounceback loans? And finally, taxes. Are tax rises going to increase phenomenally? Well, Rob D has a bit of a different view on this one. Tune in to find out. Enjoy - and we'll be back next week!   We'd love to hear what you think of our new market updates over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a question 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.

Market update: 29 May 2020

Last week we brought you boom or bust. This week on The Property Podcast, The Robs are discussing the next hot topic: The 18 year property cycle. The 18 year property cycle is a tool that's been used by thousands of investors to make more informed property purchases. But has it all gone to pot thanks to the Coronavirus? That's exactly what Rob & Rob are discussing on today's episode. And if you haven't listened to last week's episode, you should listen to that first.  Again, we've been getting inundated with questions on the 18 year property cycle with people asking, 'where are we in the cycle'? 'is the cycle broken'? 'are we going to enter another mid cycle wobble'?  Well, the good thing is Rob & Rob are about to clear all that up.    In the news this week, 'UK mortgage payment holiday extended by three months'. At the start of lockdown was when the government announced mortgage holidays for those who had been put out of work due to the pandemic. The scheme offered a bit of a lifeline to those who needed it and initially it was for three months, due to run out in June.  However it now seems that the government were a little optimistic about how fast they could get the country back on track, and it doesn't seem like they'll be able to do that by June. Therefore they've extended the scheme for an extra three months. Let's hope we're in a better position by the end of August.    As promised, for this week's Hub Extra we've got a number of resources for you to explain and cover what the 18 year property cycle is. So here you go:    This course on the 18 year property cycle  TPP269 - How the economic machine works: A summary  TPP270 - The 18 year property cycle, year-by-year: Part 1  TPP271 - The 18 year property cycle, year-by-year: Part 2  But we also recommend that you watch  this video by Ray Dalio on how the economic machine works. Plenty for you to get stuck into.    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.

TPP376: Has Coronavirus broken the property cycle?

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are trying to spread some positivity and calm people down with their worries on the current climate. Many investors are in the purchase process already and some are getting nervous. So should they stick it out or run a mile?  Our first question this week comes in from Steve who has a follow up question from  this podcast episode a few weeks ago.  He's got a property that's going to complete in a few weeks and although he's trying to stay positive about the long term, he can't help but have some doubts while we ride the coronavirus storm..  In short, he's wanting a bit of positivity and reassurance in regards to what he should do moving forward.  Next up we've got Sarah who's wondering if she should try and use a potential recession to her advantage.  She's in the process of buying two flats in Salford, with one to complete soon. However, she's considering delaying exchange to see if she could take advantage of any interest rate drops and possibly renegotiate prices. Do Rob & Rob think she should proceed or try and renegotiate her current deals?  There's probably an awful lot of people in the same situation as Steve and Sarah. So what do The Robs think they should do?  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.

ASK237: Is it realistic to keep your emotion out of a purchase? PLUS: Should I use a recession to my advantage?

Rob & Rob are back again with another Friday market update for you.  It's been a pretty busy week which neither of The Robs are complaining about right now.  So far, yesterday's podcast episode where Rob & Rob were pretty bold on their boom or bust predictions, has been quite popular with a lot of feedback coming in.  One topic that the guys discussed on Thursday was the unemployment rate. Since recording, Rob D has been doing some further thinking and has been questioning if the UK hadn't implemented the furlough scheme, would there be a higher rate of unemployment?  And is the furlough scheme just delaying that potential unemployment rate?  Rob B also shares his thoughts on the employment bounceback which is likely to be felt across certain industries.  Which industries does he think are going to make a comeback first and which does he expect to see a number of redundancies?  Tune in to find out. Enjoy - and we'll be back next week!   We'd love to hear what you think of our new market updates over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a question 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.

Market update: 22 May 2020

This week on The Property Podcast, The Robs are discussing the hottest topic in property right now. Boom or bust! Is there about to be a property boom, or is the market going to go bust? It's safe to say that at the beginning of the year, no one would have guessed that we'd be in the situation we're in right now. Many seem to be a little on edge as to whether the property market will boom post coronavirus, and should be buying as many properties as they can now. Or, if we're going to have a market crash, should you be holding out, sitting tight on your cash and preparing for future purchases?  Nobody knows the answers, not even Rob & Rob. But they're going to (once again) put their heads on the chopping block and give you their extensive thoughts on the subject AND unveil their predictions on whether we're in for a boom or bust! It's definitely not one to miss. Tune in now!   In the news this week, 'house hunting technology on the rise' - we're looking at how different estate agents are implementing different uses of technology to help them get through these strange times.  It's a shame it's taken a world-wide pandemic to get estate agents on board with using up-to-date technology and not just relying on physical viewings.    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.

TPP375: The property market is about to boom or bust – which will it be?

This week on Ask Rob & Rob the guys are going to be answering two questions that we've been inundated with. The first question comes in from Danny who's wanting to know if there is going to be a recession after the coronavirus, as that's what he's been seeing a lot of in the media.  Naturally reading headlines like this is going to make you wary, and with Danny having a buy, refurbish, refinance and rent project on his hands, he's worried that if there's a recession, he might struggle to refinance.  It's a situation that a number of investors might find themselves in and an upcoming recession is certainly a topic that's playing on everyone's minds. Luckily Rob B is on hand to clear this one up. Our second question is from Pete in Warrington who's wanting to know what The Robs thoughts are on the 18-year property cycle. Will the cycle reset due to the coronavirus?   Again, it's something that everyone's asking themselves, and a topic that Rob & Rob have been doing a lot of research into and figuring out where we might be at the end of this.  It's a topic that the guys will be going into further detail on in Thursday's podcast episode, but Rob D is giving a teaser on what you can expect from that episode. 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.

ASK236: Will there be a recession after coronavirus? PLUS: Has the 18 year property cycle been reset?

Rob & Rob are back again with another Friday market update for you.  Although at the beginning of the week Rob & Rob weren't feeling too positive after Boris' announcement on Sunday, by Wednesday their moods had certainly lifted as the property market turned up the gas and got going again. Even better news, surveyors are now starting to be un-furloughed which is a huge boost for the property market and means property processes that had been put on hold can get moving again.  House viewings are also starting to pick back up! Of course, this doesn't come without some precautions being put into place and there will be some restrictions. Plus everything won't go back to 'normal' straight away but it's certainly a step in the right direction. And that's not just Rob & Rob being positive about a bad situation, there's actually data to prove that we're moving forward so you'll have to tune in to find out what that data is. Enjoy - and we'll be back next week!   We'd love to hear what you think of our new market updates over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a question 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.

Market update: 15 May 2020

This week on The Property Podcast, The Robs are discussing how you can become a master of your personal finances and set yourself up for financial success. There might not be a lot to do whilst we're still in isolation, and we've been banging the drum on our social channels about how you should be using this time to educate (or better) yourself or even learn a new skill. Just something to keep your brain working. We've mentioned it before that now is a great time to buy, or at least prepare yourself to buy. And now is a prime time to get your finances in order ready to make that next purchase.  So this week Rob & Rob are going to take you through all the steps you need to make sure that your finances are in good shape.   In the news this week, there's been so many headlines on the property sector for us to choose from that we'd be here all day, so we'll be covering everything on tomorrow's Market Update podcast.    And we've got a triple Hub Extra for you this week. Sticking with the theme of today's podcast we've got three resources that should help you get well on your way to improving your financial situation.  The first one is the budgeting app called Toshl but there's also a website called 'You Need A Budget'. It's a piece of software that you can use to build your budget and there's lots of educational resources around how to budget.  And finally, a book called 'The Richest Man in Babylon' which teaches you the disciplines of money - it's a great starting point for getting your finances on track.     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.

TPP374: A step-by-step guide to changing your financial life

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are clearing up some definitions on the difference between refurbs and flips, as well as below market value deals. Our first caller Sam has a nice and easy question for us this week. He wants to know exactly what the difference is between a refurb and a flip. It might seem like an obvious answer but there is a distinct difference, and one that most people will just assume they know the answer to.  So Rob B is taking it back to basics and clearing things up for Sam. The second question comes from James, and funnily enough he's interested in a flipping strategy.  He's a surveyor himself and has been wondering at what point below market value, percentage wise, would Rob & Rob consider a biting point? Rob D offers some pretty good calculations to help you work this one out so tune in to find out if a below market value property is really worth it.   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.

ASK235: What's the difference between a refurb and a flip? PLUS: What discount should I get when buying a property to flip?

Rob & Rob are back again with another Friday market update for you.  Could this week be the start in the decline of our market updates? Well, that all depends on what Boris announces this weekend.  This week there's been some positive news for Grand Junction, the first ever Property Hub Homes development. We've started to have units go through completion. Hurrah! And even better, after just a few hours of being on the rental market, we were inundated with rental applications from virtual video viewings.  That's mindblowing in this current market! Rob & Rob are also discussing the new bounceback scheme the government introduced a couple of weeks ago, aiming to get money quickly to small businesses. It's quick and easy to apply for and is either up to £50,000 or 25% of your turnover. So, if this would give you a helping hand, it might be worth giving this episode a listen. And of course, The Robs will be discussing the current stock market so there's plenty for you to digest this week! Enjoy - and we'll be back next week!   We'd love to hear what you think of our new market updates over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a question 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.

Market update: 8 May 2020

This week on The Property Podcast, The Robs have got a lockdown special for you.  Since lockdown hit, everyone is trying to better themselves, whether that be learning a new skill, educating themselves on something they didn't already know and then there are others who are just simply bored.  So this week, The Robs are coming at you with a boat load of books, podcasts, videos and apps to help you get through lockdown. Here's all the links to everything you need from today's podcast: Podcasts  An episode from The Pomp Podcast - 258: Billionaire Chamath Palihapitiya on How To Invest Through This Crisis Hardcore History Reply All - "The case of the missing hit"  Meditative story    Books  Stephen Schwartzman -  What It Takes Will Durant -  Lessons of History Charles P. Kindleberger -  Manias, Panics and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises "The Great Courses" on Audible    TV / Streaming / YouTube  Ray Dalio - Ted Talk Ryan Serhant keynote The Least Expected Day - Inside the Movistar Team 2019 Tom Scott on YouTube Two documentaries:  The Dawn Wall and  Free Solo    Apps  Investr An anti-recommendation of Next Door, but definitely give this Twitter feed a go for a good laugh Poker In Place  There you go, plenty to keep you busy! Let us know if you have any of your own that you'd like to share or if you decide to give any of these a go, let us know what you thought.   In the news this week,  NRLA slams Citizens Advice for 'misleading' report. It looks like the National Residents Landlords Association aren't happy with Citizens Advice after they released a report stating that 2.6 million private renters have missed a rent payment or are expected to do so as a result of the pandemic.  However when you read further into the article, there were 25 people who said that they have missed a payment and 74 who said that they're expecting to fall behind on payments. Once again, it shows that you shouldn't believe the headlines.     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.

TPP373: The ultimate list of lockdown resources (books, podcasts, apps and more)

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are giving advice on mortgage stress tests and discussing if it's beneficial to have a commercial valuation on a HMO property. Our first caller this week is Tom who has a question on mortgage stress tests.  He's got two mortgaged properties already and he's done a pretty good job on running the numbers to try and work out his stress test figures. But now he's wanting to release equity from the two properties and thinks this might now affect him meeting the stress test criteria.  So what does Rob B suggest? The second question this week comes in from Matt.  Matt's question is around HMO finance, after looking at buying a property with his partner.  They've heard somewhere that they can get more of their money back out of the property, post renovation, if they have a commercial valuation done.  Is this something that they should be having done on a HMO? 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.

ASK234: How can I beat the rental stress test? PLUS: Should I get a commercial valuation on a HMO?

Rob & Rob are back again with another Friday market update for you.  There's a bit of positivity in the air with Boris announcing that we are past the peak of COVID-19. And he's even hinting at the possibility of easing lockdown restrictions - hurrah! We're sure more will be revealed over the next few weeks but these nuggets of information have certainly perked us up.  Not only would lockdown easing be good news for individuals, but it'll be great news for the economy! This week has also been an exceptionally good week for mortgages. For the second week in a row there have been more mortgage products coming onto the market.  Here's what else The Robs will be discussing on today's episode:  Product transfers on mortgage holidays  Rent arrears  Addressing a negative review on the market updates  There's also a special announcement regarding Property Hub Live for all those who have bought tickets, so if that's you, you'll definitely want to give this a listen. Enjoy - and we'll be back next week!   We'd love to hear what you think of our new market updates over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a question 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.

Market update: 1 May 2020

This week on The Property Podcast, The Robs are joined by our magazine editor Chantelle to discuss how investors are reacting to the Coronavirus.  For the past few weeks Rob & Rob have been giving tips on how investors should be reacting, but they haven't spoken to any to find out what they've actually been doing. Luckily for us, Chantelle has spoken to a number of investors for our cover story of the Property Hub magazine.  So, what did Chantelle find out from investors?  Tune in to find out! And, if you're not subscribed to the magazine yet, you can join today right here. When you do, you will have access to the whole back catalogue of magazines so there's plenty for you to sink your teeth into.   This week in the news, Rob & Rob are discussing a  rental report that has come out from Zoopla that shows from the 7th March to the end of March, rental demand fell by 57% which probably doesn't come as a massive shock.  But in the first two weeks of April however, demand rose by 30%. So although it's still down from what it was originally, it is slowly starting to pick back up. The report also shows that there hasn't been a fall in the number of properties on the rental market and has even been an increase in supply.    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.

TPP372: This is how investors are reacting to the Coronavirus (plus rental market update)

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, we've got one caller who has a question off the back of another podcast episode, and another who's questioning how long he should get a fixed mortgage for. First up this week we've got Luke from Essex. He listened to a recent podcast episode on pulling out of deals due to the Coronavirus, and out of the number of scenarios that The Robs described, Luke found himself in one of them. He's at the point of being able to exchange and complete on a property, however the whole chain has agreed to delay it for the time being. But rather than pull out of the deal, he's been thinking about whether he can renegotiate the asking price.  Is this something that's commonly done? Our second question comes in from Roosbay. He's been an avid podcast listener for a few years and today he has a question on remortgaging.  He has a buy-to-let property that's up for remortgaging and initially he was looking at a 2-year fixed mortgage simply because he wanted to be able to reassess his situation in a couple of years time. Roosbay also has a couple more properties that were put on a 5-year fixed mortgage product just before the Coronavirus kicked in. So now he's wondering if he should put his new property on a 5-year fixed mortgage as well, instead of a 2 year due to the current pandemic.  So, do Rob & Rob think there will be a significant dip in the market in two years time? What mortgage product should Roosbay be looking at before he is due to complete?  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.

ASK233: Should I renegotiate my purchase or pull out because of Coronavirus? PLUS: Should I go for a 2- or 5-year fix?

Rob & Rob are back again with another Friday market update for you.  It seems this week that along with the rest of the nation, Rob & Rob are starting to look towards the end of lockdown. So much so, that Rob B already knows what he's going to order from Pizza Express when it reopens.  Although the government hasn't officially said anything about when lockdown will be lifted (there's still at least another two weeks to go), it's not stopping people from planning ahead. And one sure sign of that is the fact that rental demand is back up again.  Another sign that things will start to go back to normal post lockdown is recruitment. Most companies have frozen recruitment,but there are many businesses that have kept those recruitment cogs turning, ourselves included.  We've been recruiting for one of the most important positions we've ever had to recruit for here at Property Hub, and that's our Chief Operating Officer. So, if you think you're suitable for the role, go ahead and get your application in.  Today Rob & Rob are also talking about economics. Since 2008 they both made it their mission to understand economics, way more than they originally did. So this week Rob B shared a podcast with Rob D called 'Pitchforks Economics' which is about modern monetary theory and it covers a wide range of topics including how much money is going to be spent on recovering from Coronavirus and other important issues like climate change. Rob B also came across an article in the Financial Times this week titled 'In a crisis we mainly keep calm and are kinder than ever' and it's a really nice opinion piece that looks at things differently to how the media portrays it.  This week's market update is a bit more positive than previous weeks. So give it a listen if you're needing a bit of a mood-boost for a Friday.  Enjoy - and we'll be back next week!   We'd love to hear what you think of our new market updates over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a question 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! 

Market update: 24 April 2020

Rob & Rob are back again this week and this time they've got one of our favourite podcast guests joining them. Mark Morris.  You'll probably remember Mark from a few months ago when he was sharing his investor story - the one that got everyone buzzing! Well, he's back again this week to discuss Universal Credit after making himself somewhat of an expert on the topic.  Most investors are only aware of Universal Credit coming into play a few years ago when the government rolled a number of benefits into a single payment directly to the claimant. The government were aiming to do two things:  Combine several benefits into one Ease the transition of claimants back into work  Naturally this caused problems for landlords as they were no longer getting paid directly from the government.  It's now got to the point where, as an investor, it's something you need to be clear about. And that's why we've invited Mark Morris into the podcast studio to educate us all, including Rob & Rob… And as promised, here are all the links you need which Mark refers to on today's podcast:  LHA rates linked in article  DWP Universal Credit Landlord page Information-for-landlords  Mark Morris' Linkedin profile   In the news this week, we've got 'demand for stamp duty holiday to reignite the housing market'. Rob & Rob have had a couple of messages this week from people who have been getting excited about the prospect of a stamp duty holiday.  However, that's all just hearsay right now, and something that people have been saying should be done. But isn't necessarily coming into play.  Will it happen? We'll have to wait and see, but it's certainly something that would benefit the housing market.    This week's Hub Extra is something that will keep the kids quiet for a bit and do some good at the same time. It's a service called Goodnight Zoom that matches your child with somebody who's elderly or isolated and gives them a way to read a story together over Zoom.  How lovely is that?! No, we're not crying, you're crying!    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.

TPP371: Universal Credit: Why every property investor needs to understand it

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are answering two caller questions about strategy and the potential changes to Universal Credit. Our first caller this week is Matt. He's a fairly new listener who joined us earlier this year, however he's already got a couple of buy-to-let properties under his belt.  He's currently in the process of purchasing his next buy-to-let which will be his first property in Liverpool. His strategy is to buy properties with good yields to help build his deposits up. His main aim in the next 10 years is to quit his day job.  So, do Rob & Rob think this is a good strategy? What yield figure should Matt be looking at and how much should he be paying for his properties to achieve it?  The second caller is also called Matt! He's seen an article on Landlord Today about changes to Universal Credit and the possibility of landlords having rent paid directly to them instead of the money going to tenants who then pay their landlord.  He's wanting to know what The Robs thoughts are on this topic and how they think it will affect the market.  If it affects the market at all. 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.

ASK232: What do you think of my high-yield strategy? PLUS: What should I know about Universal Credit?

Rob & Rob are back again with another Friday market update for you.  This week Rob B is feeling a bit more positive than he has in past weeks. He may have seemed positive on the podcast when laying out what The Robs think might happen, but now we're starting to see evidence.  One thing that's been a positive this week is that it's been a lot easier to get in touch with developers. Simply because they've now got more time on their hands.  Some may argue that it's because they're getting desperate and whilst some are desperate, there's some good deals coming to light. Another positive is that it appears that finance is still available and mortgage products are coming back on the market. Hurrah! So although the property market is currently on hold, the fact that lenders are still willing to lend means it's not a case of if the property market picks back up, it's a matter of when.  The Robs are also discussing what they think is the best way for us to come out of this with a strong economy. Will you agree with them?  Enjoy - and we'll be back next week!   We'd love to hear what you think of our new market updates over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a question 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.

Market update: 17 April 2020

Rob & Rob are back again this week for a slightly different episode of The Property Podcast. Today they're advising four different investors on how they should spend their money. We're always asked for advice by aspiring and experienced property investors on how best to invest their money.  And now (possibly more than ever), investors seem a tad confused on where they should be putting their money, if anywhere at all!  All of the investors you'll hear from today are at the start of their journey with different strategies and different sums of money to start with, but ultimately they want to know how best to invest in the current climate.  So, here are the four different scenarios we'll be looking at on today's podcast:  James - he has £10,000 in a government Help to Buy ISA and is looking to either move out of his parents house and continue to save for his first buy-to-let, or withdraw the money from his ISA and take the penalty hit to use that money to invest in his first property whilst still living at home.  Jay - he's looking at buy-to-let properties in Salford Crescent and really likes the look of high-rise living in Manchester. Jay has an inheritance that he's wanting to make the most of by putting it into property and would like Rob & Rob's advice.  Our third caller has a cash pot of £200,000 but is wanting a return of around 40% on his investments per year, but on an income basis. He's looking at going down the buy-refurb-refinance strategy to try and pull money out after the refurbs.  The fourth and final caller is wanting to know how The Robs would invest £3 million and what strategy would they use? He's not bothered if it's in the UK or overseas, but in terms of buy-to-let property he's wondering if Rob & Rob would be more likely to go down the smaller, lower cost property route or go for more mid range and larger properties.   We all know how much Rob & Rob love talking goals and strategies with people and this is a great episode to do just that.  You may be in a similar situation to these four callers, or just be listening for a nosey. So what do The Robs think they should do?  Tune in to find out.   In the news this week, we've got not one news story but two! The first is more of a reminder to all property investors that  changes to Capital Gains Tax are now in effect. So now if you sell a property and have Capital Gains Tax to pay, you only have 30 days to submit your application.  The second news story comes from an email that Rob D received around mortgage holidays and the rumour that it could potentially affect your ability to get lending if you take a mortgage holiday. At first that's all it was, a rumour, but now it's come to light that one mortgage lender in particular is not allowing mortgage holidays and will not accept your application if you have already taken out a mortgage holiday.    This week's Hub Extra resource is from  Money Saving Expert. They've put together a list of really useful resources that you normally have to pay for, but the companies that provide them have made them free whilst we're in lockdown and everyone is looking for something to do.  There's all kinds of things for you to sink your teeth into; from kids activities to guitar lessons. So maybe take a look and see if you fancy learning something new.   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.

TPP370: BUMPER ASK R&R

The Robs are back again this week answering more Coronavirus related questions - and it's a bit of a personal one.  How has the coronavirus affected Rob & Robs personal property portfolios? Well, Rob B has a vacant property whilst Rob D has one tenant who hasn't paid their rent or been in touch with the letting agent to say why, or try and come to some arrangement.  Are Rob & Rob panicking? What do they plan on doing?  The second question we've been getting a lot is on buy-to-let mortgage payment holidays. Should you be taking up the government offer of a mortgage payment break?  We've discussed mortgage holidays  before on the podcast, but this time The Robs are discussing why you should only take a mortgage holiday if you absolutely need to. Why? 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.

ASK231: How has the Coronavirus affected Rob & Rob's portfolios? PLUS: Should I take a mortgage holiday?

Rob & Rob are back again with another Friday market update for you.  This week the property market has been a bit quiet, which isn't always a bad thing. Nobody seems to be panicking when it comes to buying and selling, and they're certainly not slashing prices either.  However, we've said many times that there will be deals to be made for those that need to sell their property sooner rather than later. And despite many holding out to see if prices would drop, there aren't any indications of this happening right now. One thing Rob & Rob have noticed however, is a change in rental prices. Many landlords are taking their chances with reduced rents rather than no rents at all - which is a wise move.  Rob & Rob have also been doing a fair bit of reading this week, and Rob B has been reading up on the history (and the value of gold) after making a small investment himself.  So, what did he find out and how did his gold investment do? Well you'll have to tune in to find out the answers - it's actually pretty interesting.  Enjoy - and we'll be back next week! We'd love to hear what you think of our new market updates over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a question 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.

Market update: 10 April 2020

The Robs are back again this week with more Coronavirus talk. As you know, the world is still a little bit of a mess at the moment and that's left people feeling skeptical. So, two questions that we've heard an awful lot over the past couple of weeks are 'should I pull out of this deal?' and 'would I be stupid to invest right now?'  Well, this week Rob & Rob are going to clear things up on whether you should be walking away and avoiding investing in property right now.  The guys are going to be looking at three different scenarios:   You've already exchanged on a property - should you complete on it? You've agreed the purchase of a property, but you haven't exchanged yet You've been planning to invest and have been actively looking, so what should you do? Should you continue or put your plans on hold?  Chances are you probably fall into one of these categories, so this will be a cracking episode for you to listen to.    This week's Hub Extra isn't a specific tool or app, it's more of a lifestyle improvement, and that's an input audit.  The Robs find it useful to do this every now and again, but even more so at the moment. What information are you taking in at the minute? Have an audit of that. There's a lot of negativity floating around right now and a lot of that might not even be true, but it certainly won't be useful or helpful to you. So just be careful of what information you're taking in, especially with social media.   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.

TPP369: Coronavirus: Should I pull out of my deal? Is it crazy to buy right now?

It's Tuesday and Rob & Rob are back with another episode of Ask Rob & Rob. And this time, they're not Coronavirus related questions. Wahoo!  So, first up this week we've got Richard. He's watched our video and listened to our podcast episode on The Robs' 2020 property hotspots and is wondering if Rob & Rob favour city centre apartments as opposed to other investment types outside of a city centre.  Now Rob & Rob don't necessarily prefer one or the other, or invest in just city centre locations themselves. But the advice they're about to give to Richard is weighing up the pros and cons of both.  Our second caller this week is Steve and he's been investing on and off for around 15 years now. He's now looking to get into the sourcing department to be able to source properties for himself and clients.  He's spotted a city that he wants to focus on, but is finding it difficult and time consuming trying to find a town within that city that ticks all the boxes.  So, what tips and tricks can The Robs share with Steve?  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.

ASK230: Should I buy in the city centre or further out? PLUS: Any sourcing tips?

Rob & Rob are back again today with another Friday market update for you.  The stock market is still changing week on week. Yes, it has slowed down with how aggressive it's changing, but compared to last week, it's down again. One that caught Rob B's eye especially was Taylor Wimpey. A month ago it was 2.13 and today it's 1.06 - which is mind blowing! It's hard to believe it's now worth half of what it was a month ago.  So the question is now, will it just go up from here and work it's way back up to where it was? Or will it go down even further before it goes up again?  Now whilst the stock market may be too volatile to invest in right now, the good news is that property seems like a very good option.  Why? Well you'll have to tune in to find that out as Rob & Rob start discussing the topic of trading property through a property fund. They're also talking about what's happening internally at Property Hub and giving you an insight into what we've been up to this week. Enjoy - and we'll be back next week!   We'd love to hear what you think of our new market updates over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a question 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.

Market update: 3 April 2020

This week on The Property Podcast, Rob & Rob are talking to property experts and going behind the scenes to gain insight on how Coronavirus is impacting the property industry.  They'll be talking to a property sourcer, a lettings manager and an investment consultant, and diving into what's happening in their worlds right now.  And of course, they're all experts from our own teams. Some people who might be new to The Property Podcast might not know that we have a number of businesses under the one roof including lettings, invest, tax and homes. So, this is your chance to hear from the best of the best, and hear first hand on how Coronavirus is affecting team Property Hub.   In the news this week, we've actually got two positive news stories for you, can you believe it?!  The first is about  mortgage holidays for buy-to-let investors, specifically those who invest in limited companies. And it's good news! You are eligible for the mortgage holiday scheme, just like those who have bought in their personal name. That's actually always been the case, there was just a bit of misunderstanding around it.  The second piece of good news is around the  length of mortgage offers. Across the country there are a number of people who have exchanged on a property but it's incredibly difficult for them to complete on them for logistical reasons and people are no longer allowed to move homes. The good news is that mortgage lenders are allowing 3 month extensions on mortgage agreements so you don't have to worry about them expiring before you can complete.    Our Hub Extra this week is one we've mentioned previously in our Hub Extra email, and it's Disney+. We all know Rob B is a huge Disney fan so we're struggling to figure out if he's subscribed for himself or his family. But what we do know is that a number of the Property Hub team have also been enjoying the classic (and remakes of) Disney movies.  So if you haven't subscribed to it yet, why not try the 7 day free trial and maybe watch some of your favourite Disney movies as many times as you'd like? 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.

TPP368: Coronavirus: Property insiders share what's really happening

It's Tuesday which only means one thing, another episode of Ask Rob & Rob!  As 'Coronavirus' is the word on everyone's lips right now, there'll be no surprise to learn that this has spurred many Ask Rob & Rob questions this week - we've literally been inundated!  The main question we've been asked is around mortgages and the (very) low interest rates we have right now.  Is now the time to be looking for a new mortgage offer now interest rates have been knocked down? The answer might not be what you were expecting - but there's good reason for that. You'll have to listen to find out.  The second question is 'how can you help your tenants during this pandemic?' Businesses are laying off. The economy is suffering. And you still have bills to pay.  So how can you help a tenant in need? Tune in to find out how you can do your bit. Sit back, relax and have a nice cuppa while Rob & Rob keep you updated on the most asked questions during this time of need.    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.

ASK229: Should I look for a new mortgage offer now interest rates have fallen? PLUS: How can I help my tenants during this crisis?

Rob & Rob are back again today with another Friday market update for you.  Whilst this week has been a bit of a whirlwind with positives and negatives throughout the media, there were still some headlines The Robs thought needed clearing up. Apparently, the government has put the housing market on hold.  But surprise, surprise… this isn't the case.  What they're actually doing is offering advice on buying and selling a property in the current circumstances.  It's also been said that banks are putting a stop to mortgage lending.  Again, not quite the full story.  This isn't down to the fact that the banks have no money or are expecting property prices to plummet like some may think. It's actually due to the fact that they're overwhelmed by the amount of people applying for mortgage holidays and they've had to move their call centres to working from home.  Plus, they can't have surveyors going out to value properties which obviously puts a delay on things.  So, as well as proving the scaremongering headlines wrong, here's what else you can expect to hear on today's episode:  How we've adapted our business in the face of what's going on How we've still been working on deals Why now is a great time for property investors A look at current stock market  And to end on a lighter note, whilst there's a lot of negativity going around, there's also a huge sense of community and togetherness which is a lot stronger than anything that could ever break us. Enjoy - and we'll be back next week! We'd love to hear what you think of our new market updates over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a question 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.

Market update: 27 March 2020

It's another week of The Property Podcast and Rob & Rob are back looking deep into what the future could hold for the long term (not just in property) but for the economy post COVID-19. The whole planet is affected and everyone is talking about it.  Coronavirus.  But today The Robs want to step out of the day-to-day news cycle and look rationally into the situation.  What could potentially happen over the next few months? Right now, the world is pretty much paused, but how will it play out for property in the short and long term?  And does this change where we are in the 18-year property cycle?  It's so unusual to be in this situation, and we know a lot of people have questions, especially property investors. Full disclosure… This episode isn't Rob & Rob's attempt at giving predictions. But you can expect plenty of opinions on this unexpected situation.  Tune in to find out more about how the coronavirus (COVID-19) is likely to affect the property market.   And today, we have a news story that's relevant to our podcast…   The Bank of England has cut interest rates again and orders £200 billion to be printed. As coronavirus crisis threatens all, printing new money and cutting interest rates helps the financial system to support activity  There's so much happening in the market right now due to Coronavirus - it's been a huge economic shock.  Boris Johnsonhas also promised to protect private renters from eviction by bringing forward legislation to protect them.   And if you're wondering where this week's Hub Extra is… there isn't one. Today we want to bring your attention to our Friday podcast that'll be going ahead for the next few weeks. The Robs will be covering all the market updates every week to keep property investors in the loop.  Things are changing on almost a daily basis right now, so it's never been more important to stay up to date on property and market news that could affect 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 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.

TPP367: A rational approach to the Coronavirus, and the future of the world

It's Tuesday which means it's another episode of Ask Rob & Rob, and they're changing things up today.  Coronavirus has naturally ramped up the number of questions we've been getting through. So Rob & Rob have decided to combine some of the popular ones.  The main question we've been asked is around buy-to-let mortgage holidays. There appears to be a fair bit of confusion about how these work.  Rob & Rob have addressed the situation to give property investors a better understanding. Here's what you can expect them to answer:  Can I get multiple mortgage holidays? I have properties with several different lenders, will they all honour it?   I've got a property that's currently empty between tenants, can I get a mortgage holiday on it?  If I take a mortgage holiday do I have to defer the rent to my tenant?     As the demand for letting property right now is likely to drop, should landlords be taking a reduction in rent?    Well…tune in and you'll find that one out!    With all the negative news going on right now, the Rob's are always here to answer your questions and keep you updated on the property market.    So sit back, relax and have a nice cuppa while The Robs keep you updated on the most asked 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.

ASK228: How do mortgage holidays actually work? PLUS: Should I reduce my rent?

Our world is changing - on almost an hourly basis right now.  The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting people all over the world, so now more than ever, we need to be on the ball with what's changing, why it's changing and what the changes mean for the future. So welcome to our new weekly market update! For the past few days, Rob & Rob have been having daily chats and thought they might be helpful for Hubbers to listen to. Not because they have all the answers, but because it might just help others process what's going on right now.  Today you can expect to hear about:  The new measures brought in this week around mortgage holidays for buy-to-let landlords and eviction bans The latest government stimulus and what it means for the economy What effect the Coronavirus is likely to have on property prices  A word of warning though…these episodes are unedited so who knows what's in-store for future updates!  You can also find out today why Rob B is fascinated by quantitative easing and why he thinks we could actually be in prep for a huge boom! Enjoy - and we'll be back next week! We'd love to hear what you think of our new market updates over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You might even have a question 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

Market update: 20 March 2020

This week on The Property Podcast, The Robs are diving into all things budget as we may have just had the biggest news this year for property investors!  At the moment the headlines are sadly contaminated...but we wanted to make your day a little more positive.We bet most of you are feeling confused with the negative headlines taking centre stage right now, and that's why Rob & Rob want to give you that little reassurance you need as an investor.  For most, the budget will now be a distant memory in light of the global pandemic we're having with Coronavirus, However, we thought it wise to cover the big news unveiled by Boris Johnson at his first budget. We were expecting big promises and the budget certainly delivered on that.  Rob & Rob will be digging deep into the budget plans and making sure you know how the budget announcements could affect you as a property investor and how it affects the economy.  You'll also find out whether The Robs approve or disapprove of the budget and changes - we just can't hold them back! Tune in to find out more as Rob & Rob get passionate and delve right in to make sure you haven't missed any important information from the latest big reveal!    And today, instead of a news story, we wanted to give you a treat.  In times of uncertainty, we need more reassurance, right? Well, for the first time in the 7 years we've been podcasting, The Robs wanted to treat you to a triple bill!  That's right...you'll be getting a third podcast every week for the next few weeks! There's so much happening in the market at the moment, so much that the Robs want to make sure that you're all kept in the loop. Were guessing your alarms are already set for our Tuesday and Thursday episodes. So now you can set one for Friday too.    This week's Hub Extra is an app recommended by Rob B. Insight Timer which is a free guided meditation app. It helps with anxiety, stress and even helps you fall to sleep! Rob really enjoys this and he couldn't recommend it enough. A mental break is needed sometimes, so take advantage of this free app and let us know how you get on.   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.

TPP366: Budget review

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, The Robs are answering an important question we've been getting inundated with. How will Coronavirus affect the property market? The question came from Adam, but we've had the same question a hundred times over.  There has been an immediate impact on some parts of the market due to Coronavirus - most have been negative, but there are still opportunities to be had.   Rob & Rob will be discussing the change in the property market and covering:   Transactions  Letting your property  Arrears Holiday lettings Can you still invest now?    Don't worry guys! Hopefully it'll all blow over soon, but if not you still have Rob & Rob to help you, as from now on they will be treating you to a 3rd weekly podcast!  Every Friday Rob & Rob will be updating you on the property market to keep you in the loop. They want to address exactly what's happening (or what could happen) nobody really knows how long this could go on for..    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.

ASK227: How will Coronavirus affect the property market? PLUS Major Podcast Update

It's another week of The Property Podcast, and this week Rob & Rob are giving us the practical tips you need to become a better property investor. Have you been emotional during property investing?  We'd place a bet on most of you feeling at least a little glimmer of emotion. It's all absolutely normal - that's what happens when you come across potential risks.  Luckily, The Robs have the tips and tricks to help you with this in today's podcast episode. Property investing isn't always a glamorous ride. It can come with some poor decisions, risks and a lot of emotions! But Rob & Rob are here to manage your expectations and tell you some of the common risks that can rear their head throughout the property purchasing process.   Which stages can have risks?   Buying your property  Setting up your property  Owning  Selling your property   These are the main stages where risks can be driven by your emotions. By listening to this episode, you've got the perfect opportunity to find out where you can have a chat with yourself before sparking an emotional disaster!  Tune in to find out how you can prevent your emotions getting the best of you now!    We have a great news story to top this fantastic episode off…and of course it involves one of Rob's favorite places! In the news this week a huge new £2 billion project is underway in Liverpool called  The Knowledge Quarter which will create a new district. But the impact it will have on the city will be amazing. This project has everyone behind it… including us.  Another project is finally on the way in Liverpool too.. Liverpool waters, a multi-million pound scheme which will transform Liverpool's waterfront. This is nothing but good news for the city and will be great for the future.    And in other good news… Property Hub Live is now SOLD OUT! If you still hope to come, there's a waiting list you can pop your name on, just in case any tickets become available… Don't worry if you can't attend, we're planning another one for later in the year!    This week's Hub Extra is a book recommended by Rob B.  The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse by Charlie Mackesy. A beautiful book aimed at children, but it could benefit anyone and everyone. This week's Hub Extra fits in well with the podcast as it's about life lessons and emotions, an unusual recommendation from Rob & Rob, but they were so touched by it that it had to be shared.    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.

TPP365: Don't Get Emotional Over Property

It's another week which means it's another episode of Ask Rob & Rob, and we've got two fantastic questions... First up we've got Adam. He's been saving up so he can start investing in buy-to-let properties in the north. Currently, Adam owns a property in London which he has a repayment mortgage on. He has 45% equity in his property but he doesn't want to put any more down as he wants to achieve something with a good return and growth.  He's been looking at Manchester and Liverpool as potential options, however, he would like to purchase his next property in his personal name.  So, Adam wants to know if there's any products available to have an interest only mortgage on his personal property, and if so, do we think this would be the right and best approach for Adam.  Listen to find out.  Next we have Mark who owns a property in Birmingham. There's a fixed term tenancy contract in place and the first year is ending in June. The tenant has expressed interest in extending the contract for one year.  Mark isn't particularly happy with the agent that handles the contracts and Mark would like to handle them himself going forward.  So, he wants to know how he should handle this contractually and also in terms of the deposit scheme which was also handled by the agent? Is this something Mark can go forward with?  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.

ASK226: Can I switch my residential mortgage to interest-only? PLUS: Can I extend this tenancy myself?

We're back again for another episode of The Property Podcast, but this week isn't just any old episode...it's our 7th birthday. The Robs are back and sharing their passion. And to celebrate the podcast's birthday, they're bringing a very special episode that shares what has changed in the property market over the last 7 years.  Did you know Rob & Rob first started The Property Podcast back in 2013? A while ago right!  Every Thursday, property investors have listened to our podcast and followed our journey to become inspired and move forward with their own journeys. In today's podcast you're guaranteed to walk away with more knowledge that you can apply to your property investment activities from this day forward.  There's so much to cover, especially when the property market is constantly changing, but what's happened to the interest rates and property prices over the last 7 years? What has happened to the property market since the podcast started? Well, you'll have to tune in to find out… You MUST listen to our birthday episode.. .   Not only is it our birthday, we have a great news story to top it off.  Interestingly enough, today's news story reads "One of the UKs top property podcasts to go live". Property Investor Today has reported our event which takes place in London on the 30th April (don't worry anyone, Manchester will be later in the year). An incredible day will be taking place filled with a packed day of property education, the biggest Hubber Meetup ever and then The Property Podcast goes live! Do you want to come to Property Hub Live? There may be tickets left, head to the events page and find out! You don't want to miss this epic day.    This week's Hub Extra is a book recommended by both Robs.  A bitcoin billionaire, a fascinating story with incredible characters. This book talks about the Winklevoss twins and everything they have done through bitcoin. A really amazing, entertaining read. We encourage you to read it!  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.

TPP364: 7 years of the property podcast

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, we've got all the answers to questions you may have about Property Hub Live! So, have you been wondering what Property Hub Live will involve? Have Rob & Rob sold out?  The Robs have brought their passion project to life. They wanted a celebration of all things property, with 400 hubbers all in the same space, a fun-packed day with quality speakers.  Rob & Rob are going deep this week. They want to address exactly why they're doing it and explain exactly what you can expect. As you can probably tell…. They're very excited.  And we'll let you in on another little nugget of information… if the event is well received, there just might another one in Manchester later in the year Tune in to find out everything you need to know about Property Hub Live. And, if after all that you think you'd like to attend, there's still time to grab your ticket, here. 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.

ASK225: Have Rob & Rob Sold Out?

We're back again for another episode of The Property Podcast and this week it's an ambitious one as Rob & Rob try and fix the property market.  Today's chat started with a very interesting article that appeared in the January issue of The Economist. It takes a global perspective of the property market and formed the basis for today's property podcast.  The Robs have delved into the good old supply and demand debate while also talking about the inequality between generations, the balance of home ownership vs renting and how different countries handle issues around housing.  Ultimately, is our planning system broken?  There's so much to cover. And we don't just mean for the UK property market, we're talking globally!  It's no shock to hear that the property market needs fixing, but what do we think the answer is? Well, you'll have to tune in to find that out.  The Robs have said for a while now that optimism has been increasing in-line with the 18-year property cycle and have very conveniently uncovered a news story to back this up!  There's been a  17% increase in new buyer enquiries for land which shows that developers are keen on building again. And because a development can take a few years to build, this is a strong indication that we're on track for a healthy few years.  There's also another news story with data from an  online evaluation service highlighting that the number of potential vendors requesting evaluations from estate agents more than doubled from December to January. It was expected to be up anyway because December is always a quiet month and January is always the time people want to make a change, but doubling in numbers is a significant increase.  The signs are there. Estate agents and developers seem to be more positive. But does that mean it's boom time now?  In short….no. But it's the first sign of positivity for the next part of the property cycle. This week's Hub Extra is a great podcast to help you unwind. It's called A Meditative Story. This is a great one that will allow you to switch off after a busy day. It's a new kind of listening experience with mindfulness prompts. Rob found it gave him a clearer and settled mind after listening. We highly recommend this podcast just as that little something to give you a more mindfulness practice whenever you need it. 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.

TPP363: Rob & Rob fix the property market

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, we've got two cracking questions. First up we have Ariel who reckons she might have found a link between prices and yields. She has three properties and is looking at investing in her fourth. She's been buying properties at the rate of one a year for the last few years and is now looking to get a high rental yield in return.  Ariel bought her properties for around £80,000 and has been getting £500 per calendar month in rent through single lets. This year she's decided to diversify and spend double the money, £160,000 in an attempt to get about £1,000 in rent but has found it surprisingly difficult.  So, do we think the more you spend the harder it is to get the high rental yields? The second question comes from Alex who wants to know how a new housing minister will affect property investors. Will anything change? Will those changes be positive or negative for investors? 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.

ASK224: Have I spotted a link between prices and yields? PLUS: What does the new housing minister mean for investors?

A couple of weeks ago Rob B was joined on The Property Podcast by property investment legend, Mark Morris. If you haven't listened to it yet, then go and give that a listen before this episode. The response from his last appearance was incredible, with dozens of you saying how inspiring you found it and how it was giving you the motivation you needed to work towards your goals.  Well, this week he's back!  But this time Rob B is picking his brains over what Mark would do if he were to start all over again from the beginning. Would he do anything differently? What strategy would he choose in today's market? Tune in to find out. And what's the one piece of advice that Mark would give new investors?  Goal setting.  We kid you not, Mark is on the same page as Rob & Rob when it comes to how important goal setting is. He's a fan of having both long-term and short-term goals.  What other bits of knowledge would Mark give? Because after all, hindsight is a wonderful thing.  Well, you'll have to tune in to find that out.   And in the news this week we had a bit of a shock as a staggering  500,000 rental homes are lost to Airbnb and others. However we weren't in shock when we discovered that the news story that went along with that headline wasn't all that true.  The article says that they might be lost from the long-term lettings market to the short-term lets. It's based around a survey that ARLA did where they surveyed their members to find out how many of them would consider switching to short-term lets to avoid some of the regulations that have recently come in. And the results showed that only 1 in 10 landlords would consider switching to shorter term lets than the typical long-term. So once again, the media is trying to scaremonger us.    This week's Hub Extra is a simple quote that fits perfectly with today's episode and what Mark has talked about. It's a quote from C.S. Lewis: 'Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.'  And we really hope that you've learnt a lot more invaluable knowledge from today's episode and continue to do so. You can guarantee that in your property journey you're going to make mistakes, but it's important that you learn from them to really make a difference.    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.

TPP362: What would this property expert do if they started again?

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are answering two great questions on holiday lets and if one certain area could be an up and coming hotspot, following on from the ripple effect. First up is Claire from Nottingham. She is in the process of moving into a house and has taken 75% equity from her 2-bedroom flat to make the move.  She's now wondering if she should keep her flat as a standard buy-to-let property or if she should turn it into a holiday let and list it on the likes of Airbnb.  Her apartment is located just 10 minutes from Nottingham city centre and she's tried Airbnb in the past which worked out well for her. So, providing she has regular bookings, she's wondering if she'd be better off tax wise, to have the property as a holiday let as opposed to a buy-to-let?  So, will Claire be better off going down the holiday let route?  The second question comes in from Graham in Leicester. He's been an avid podcast listener for a while and has now got three properties in his portfolio.  Graham now has a question on the ripple effect that Rob & Rob discuss quite frequently. He's heard people talk about the ripple effect of Sheffield and Doncaster, but he wants to know if Rotherham will benefit from Sheffield's ripple effect?  Will Rob & Rob give Rotherham the green light? 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.

ASK223: Should I turn my flat into a holiday let? PLUS: Will this area benefit from the ripple effect?

Wouldn't it be great to know what the future holds? Today's episode of The Property Podcast is a very ambitious one. But we're tackling it head on! 2020 is still fresh and new, but today Rob & Rob give the insights we need to make sure we have a successful 7 years ahead of us.  A few weeks ago, The Robs talked about how to make the most of the next decade. And this week, they're squishing the decade and bringing that timeframe forward.  So what can you expect to learn from this podcast episode? Here's just a few sneak peeks:  What are you doing now to position yourself for the future? Where are we in the 18-year property cycle?  Why is 7 years really important?   Also, not to spoil you! But The Robs believe we're entering a new phase of the 18-year cycle… so listen to find out what actions you need to take NOW! Also in today's episode, find out what's caught our attention in the news this week?  The HS2 project seems to be getting the green light! Expensive, yes! But we can all agree the impact that it'll have will be incredible. It'll certainly impact the major cities immensely and improve connectivity throughout the country. We know it's a case of love it or hate it, but it looks like it's going ahead nevertheless.  Speaking of trains… Liverpool is finally getting a £500m investment for the railway services which is massively needed. But guess what? The trains will allow 50% more passengers. This is certainly an investment that will make a big difference to the city!    And in this week's Hub Extra, we have a podcast recommendation from Tim Ferris. Pre warning, it's a 2-hour long podcast, but we promise it's worth it! Tim Ferris has done an interview with Sam Zell, who's a billionaire. Notably he created one of the biggest real estate investment trusts in the world. We love this podcast because he has so much perspective and he wants to share his knowledge.   It's just a little podcast (besides this one) that we think could benefit investors! Not only do we just hear about Sam's successes, he dives into talks of the future of markets and the role of interest rates, because they barely get talked about. This is a must listen to!   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.

TPP361: How To Invest Over The Next 7 Years

Rob & Rob are back once again for another epic episode of Ask Rob & Rob. This week they're trying to help two callers with mortgage advice and are giving their thoughts on wherever they think no money down deals are a good idea. Our first caller this week is Adamish and his question is on to buy-to-let mortgages.  He's spoken to a mortgage advisor and they've advised him to refinance his current property on a fixed five year buy-to-let mortgage as the checks are a little more relaxed.  So essentially he's wanting to know what Rob & Rob would do if they were in his shoes as a first time investor.  Does the current property market have any effect on how long he should get a fixed buy-to-let mortgage for? Or should he even be going for a fixed buy-to-let mortgage?  The second question this week is from Ashley who's calling from Wales and he's been drawn in by the idea of no money down deals. Uh oh!  Ashley has done two previous flips so now has a bit of equity behind him. He's looking at turning his strategy to vanilla buy-to-let properties but he's wondering how to go about it.  Should he straight away set up a Limited Company and keep buying a single buy-to-let each year over the next 10 years and build his portfolio up that way? Or should he hold onto his money and explore the world of no money down deals?  We've heard The Robs views on this in the past, but what advice would they give?  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.

ASK222: How long should I fix for? PLUS: Is "no money down" the way to go?

Do you have questions for Rob & Rob? Well, you're in luck. Today's episode of The Property Podcast is full of answers that every investor is eager to know. As you can imagine, Rob & Rob get asked thousands of questions, but in particular there are seven questions that always come up.  In today's episode, you're in for a treat as The Robs answer their most commonly asked questions...   Who are Rob & Rob?  How many properties do they own?  Where is the best place to invest right now?  Where are we in the 18 year property cycle? Houses or flats?   You'll have to listen to find out the rest…   The Robs go into a whole lot of detail around the questions, so listen and take note, they may be answering a question you've been dying to know.  They're also talking about some exciting news too.  Hometrack has released their quarterly figures for the rental market.  What's has caught our eye?  Well, rents have increased over the last year by 2.6% which is clearly good news for investors. Rents are going up, but they're also becoming more affordable - which is great news for tenants. Where is the rental growth happening? The top three cities are York, Bristol and Nottingham - listen as Rob & Rob give you their thoughts on this growth and what you should be taking from these insights.    In other news, we're still pushing on to hit that magic 10K followers/subscribers on Instagram and YouTube! We've said that when we reach it we're going to be releasing this bloopers video! So make sure you go to our YouTube channel and subscribe, and go give us a follow on Instagram and we'll announce when we've hit 10K.   This week's Hub Extra is something small, but makes your day so much easier. Apple Pay and  Google Pay.  A fair few people haven't adapted to it yet, but it definitely makes your day run that little bit smoother, whether you're on a train, grabbing a coffee or paying for your weekly big shop, it's just that little life hack that can make a small improvement to your day. You can even load all your different cards on there!  It's just a little something that removes a little bit of friction; leaving your card at home but still being able to process those little payments. Rob & Rob have only just started using this and they both love it!    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.

TPP360: The 7 questions Rob & Rob get asked the most

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are helping one caller decide whether getting a cheaper property is a risk or should they be going for a property with more value?  Our first caller, Stephen from Glasgow, is currently looking to make another investment. He's been investing in property for years and currently has £30,000 to invest with.  Stephen has got his eye on a few properties in an upcoming auction which are going for around £25,000-£35,000. But, he's in a dilemma. He wants to know whether he should invest his £30,000 in the cheaper property or a £120,000 property which could benefit from capital growth.  So, do Rob & Rob think that Stephen should go for the cheaper option or a more expensive property with the possibility of increasing the value?  The second question this week comes from Osman, and he's got a question on lettings. Osman owns one property and he is looking to get a fully managed service for it. He wants to know what the average fee for a fully managed service is. Osman has had three quotes now, but he isn't impressed with what he's received. As Osman only has one property, he's unsure on how much discount he could negotiate with agents.  So, will Osman be impressed with the average fee for a fully managed service?  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.

ASK221: Is this property too cheap? PLUS: How much should I be paying my letting agent

In today's episode, Rob & Rob are joined by a special guest… Mark Morris. You may or may not have heard of Mark, but he's a successful property investor who has been in this industry for decades!   The end-game of property investing is to retire right? Well, find out the valuable lessons Mark learnt along the way to his success. It didn't happen overnight, but he's about to share his story with us. Mark reveals all with his property journey, about his mistakes, successes and investments. This episode is a MUST listen... Achieving your dreams isn't easy, but we want to help you get on the right track.  So, are you ready to achieve your goals? Grab a pen and paper and let's start planning!    In the news this week, The Robs have HUGE news for investors and landlords! And they are really happy about this one!  The Government has  rejected Liverpool's renewal of the citywide licensing scheme which is hated by most landlords.  The Robs think this is great news all round as the Government can now focus on areas that are needed and have low standards, which is what the scheme originally intended to do. So this is definitely positive news for our number one location hotspot of 2020!    This week's Hub Extra is a super basic, super quick but super useful guide!  It actually ties in nicely with today's podcast episode.  It's the "How to rent guide" which is a Government document that you need to issue to tenants. This resource automatically checks the Government's website every hour and if any tweaks have been made you get an email which completely removes the risks of future trouble.  The Robs love this resource; it makes your life hassle free. The best thing about it is that it's completely free and you don't have to think about it.  It's really easy to give tenants an old guide that isn't updated, which can cause trouble down the line, but it's an easy mistake to be made. Register to get the 'how to rent guide' to make sure you don't miss an update. We all love resources that help us!    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.

TPP359: The truth about achieving your dreams: One investor's story

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are helping one caller decide on which location they should be looking at, and a landlord who's got damp issues in his property.  Our first caller, Harry from Bristol, is currently preparing to make his first property investment. He's only interested in receiving cash flow at the moment, so his strategy is buy, refurbish and refinance. He's in the process of scouting for locations so he's turned to Rob & Rob for advice. He's keen on the North West or South Wales however, South Wales is closer to home.  With Harry's strategy, should he be investing in an area closer to home or taking the risk and investing in the popular North West?  The second question this week comes from Boris. Boris has a tenant that is due to vacate his property and has discovered that there's quite a bit of mold and damp. This is partly due to how the property is built, with lack of ventilation.  He wants to know if he's entitled to ask the tenant to pay for redecoration where it's needed in the property.  In addition to this, Boris mentioned he wants to change to a new lettings agent, but what happens about the money held in deposit?  So, Boris wants to know if both letting agents new and old can work together to get the work on the property completed. Can he charge the tenants or will he have to pay himself? 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.

ASK220: Which location should I choose for a buy-refurb-refinance strategy? PLUS: Can I charge my tenant for this damage?

First of all, we'd just like to warn listeners that this episode of The Property Podcast does contain a few curse words, but it's down to Rob & Rob getting rather passionate. Because today's episode has the potential to change your life… In today's episode Rob & Rob are going to be giving you a framework that will set you up for massive success. So, how can you smash this next decade? Let's find out…  Decide what you want  Be willing to do difficult things  Beware of the cost of perfection  Think long term  Mindset   The Robs go into a whole lot of detail around these five topics. So much so that you're probably going to want to grab a pen and notepad before you start listening.  So, grab a cuppa, settle in, and let Rob & Rob guide you through how you can smash the next decade!   In the news this week, The Robs are grinning like Cheshire cats as a headline from the Express reads, 'UK Property: Largest monthly increase in asking prices EVER recorded after Election 2019'. According to data from Rightmove, asking prices have risen by 2.3% which is equivalent to an average increase of £6,785!  Just remember, these are asking prices and not sold prices which doesn't necessarily mean that house prices are about to jump 2%, but it's interesting to see the optimism of sellers.    We've also got a treat for you this week. Our marketing team are desperate to hit that magic 10K followers/subscribers on Instagram and YouTube and when we do, we're going to be releasing this bloopers video!  So make sure you go to our YouTube channel and subscribe, and go give us a follow on Instagram and we'll announce when we've hit 10K.   This week's Hub Extra is a book that ties in nicely with today's podcast episode. It's a book by Robert Iger who is the CEO of Disney and it's called 'Ride of a Lifetime'. Rob B is a huge fan of Disney from a business perspective so this book was at the top of his Christmas wish list. However, before he had a chance to read it, Rob D pipped him to the post and finished it! This is the perfect example of thinking long term and really looking at the bigger picture in order to achieve success.   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.

TPP358: Smash the new decade and change your life (Warning: Contains ranting and swearing!)

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys have got a stamp duty special! We know, we're just too good to you!  Our first caller with his stamp duty related question is Medassa. He's in the process of buying two blocks of flats with a business partner which are blocks of six and five individually let apartments.  He's wondering how multiple dwelling relief works. To his understanding, you can split the stamp duty costs amongst each individual apartment which will reduce the stamp duty costs.  But is he right?  The second question this week comes from Stan. He's obviously been busy listening to the podcast which has sparked up his own question.  Like a previous listener, he wasn't aware that if you kept hold of a residential property and bought a new one to live in, that further down the line you could claim back the higher amount of stamp duty that you would have paid.  So now Stan is wondering just what exactly is this time frame and has he missed the boat to make a claim?  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.

ASK219: How does Multiple Dwelling Relief work? PLUS: How long do I have to sell my former home and claim a stamp duty refund?

Last week on The Property Podcast, Rob & Rob gave you their predictions for 2020. And this week they're back for their annual rundown of the top UK property investment hotspots to help you decide where to invest next.   It's an episode that many of you look forward to at the beginning of each year. So now the wait is over - here's a run-down of which locations made The Robs' 2020 hotspot list, along with places should be on your radar to watch… Cities:  Liverpool Manchester  Nottingham/Leeds  Towns:  Crewe Doncaster  Greater Manchester   Up and coming:  Sheffield  … you'll have to listen to find out the rest.   So, there you have it, Rob & Robs property hotspots for 2020. Some of them may come as a surprise, so make sure you hit that play button to find out why The Robs reckon these should be on your radar.   Our news story this week is actually a positive one! (New Year, new Rob & Rob?) and the headline reads 'Buy-to-let investment sentiment remains strong as 2020 kicks off'. According to a recent survey, 75% of people were positive about buy-to-let - rising to 83% if you include millennials. Apparently a lot of young people have a positive attitude towards property investment, whilst those who have been in the game for a while are a bit more sceptical due to recent changes over the past few years. But, nevertheless, no matter whether you're about to start or you started 10 years ago, property will still come out on top as the best investment model.  For Hub Extra this week, we thought that this podcast episode on our 2020 hotspots just wasn't enough. So, we've also done a new YouTube video where Rob & Rob go into more detail on these locations, allowing you to get even more of an insight on what made these locations capture their attention.  So head on over to our YouTube channel to check the video out, and don't forget to hit the subscribe button and turn on those post notifications.    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.

TPP357: Hot Spots for 2020

The Robs are back this week for another episode of Ask Rob & Rob, and we've got two fantastic questions....  First up we've got Jonathan who's a newbie podcast listener who has a really interesting question on renting a property vs. buying one.  Jonathan lives and works in London - he's lived here for the past decade and wants to continue to do so. However he is now looking to start his investment journey but wants to put his money where the most growth is.  He's been looking at Manchester and Liverpool as potential options, however, he would like the first property that he purchases to be in his personal name. Jonathan is wanting to know if it's possible to buy a property with a residential mortgage and then rent it out, if it has a lower interest rate? He's also questioning if he had to buy it with a buy-to-let mortgage, would he be allowed to live in the property for a short period of time whilst he saves up the funds to purchase his own place to live?  So what's Jonathan's best option?  Next we have James, also from London, who's after some clarification on tax advice that he received from a tax advisor.  He's been told that you only pay stamp duty in a limited company if you're paying it on a single property.  James is looking to spend around £330,000 in a limited company on property, which, according to his tax advisor, would mean he'd pay £6,200 in stamp duty. Whereas if he were to purchase that property in his own name, he'd be paying £16,400.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But what do Rob & Rob think about this tax advice?  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.

ASK218: Can I buy my first investment property with a residential mortgage? PLUS: Have I been given bad stamp duty advice?

We're back again for another episode of The Property Podcast and this week it's one of our favourites - Rob & Robs buy-to-let property investment predictions for 2020. A couple of weeks ago they reviewed their predictions for 2019 and they didn't do too badly. But can they make it a clean sweep this year?  The Robs are making some bold statements for 2020, some of which Rob D isn't convinced they'll get right. So what are they making predictions on?   The top five cities to invest in property this year What's happening to the UK as a whole  London - should it be back on our radar? The base rate Big announcements in the budget   And just for fun, they're making predictions on the stock market, the US election and who will win the Premier League - although we all know who Rob B is backing before we've even listened.  So tune in to find out whether The Robs property predictions for 2020 are positive, negative or just a bit too hard to call.  It's not just Rob & Rob who are dishing out their predictions, they're looking at other property experts too. In the BBC there's a summary of what property experts are predicting for 2020. Everyone seems to be expecting around a 2% increase in house prices, however there's one person who has predicted a 2% fall! So should you be worried? And this week for Hub Extra, we're giving you an inspirational quote to get you kick started and motivated for the rest of 2020: 'Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently` - Henry Ford As this time of year is usually a time for self reflection, you can look back on the past year, or even the past decade, and see where you've been successful and where you've failed. But at the end of the day, don't beat yourself up about it, learn from your mistakes and try again with a new perspective.    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.

TPP356: Predictions for 2020

We're back with the first Ask Rob & Rob of 2020 and we've got a cracking question to kick off the year!  This week's question comes in from an avid Property Podcast listener who off the back of it has had the confidence to invest in his first property at the beginning of 2019. Go you! He even has a bit of spare cash left over from his property and is looking at other ways that he can invest it outside of property. One option that he's considering is investing in shares in a development company.  He's noticed that in some of the big development companies, their share prices have closely followed the 18-year property cycle and now he's wondering if this is a good investment option for around the mid-cycle wobble, or even before the next crash.  So what do Rob & Rob think? Is investing in a major property company a smart investment or should you run for the hills? 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.

ASK217: Is it worth investing in major property companies?

Happy New Year! What a way to start 2020... by listening to the first episode of the year from The Property Podcast. This is the perfect episode to start with if you're just starting out on your property investment journey, or if you've only just come across Property Hub. Even for those of you who have been with us since the beginning, this is a fantastic refresher episode.  Over the past few years we've put out hundreds of podcasts, so going all the way back to episode one might seem a little daunting.  Now there's no need to trawl through all the past episodes, because we're going to give you everything you need right here.  Here are the topics that Rob & Rob will be sharing, including which they consider to be their most valuable podcast episodes - so you can skip straight through to the essentials:   Goals Fundamentals  18-year property cycle What type of investor are you? Strategy  All you have to do to listen to these podcast episodes is head to  propertyhub.net/podcaststart and everything will be linked for you. It's that easy!  So now you don't have any excuse not to get started!  And, if you are a new listener, thanks for joining us. You can expect to hear Rob & Rob in your ears every Tuesday (for Ask Rob & Rob) and on Thursdays for The Property Podcast.  Happy listening!   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.

TPP355: Jumping Off Point

Merry Christmas! We hope you had a lovely day yesterday, and just because it's the festive period, that doesn't mean we're stopping The Property Podcast! So as a nice little finisher to the year, Rob & Rob are taking a look back on 2019 and discussing what went right for them, and more importantly, what went wrong. But also, how they're going to learn from it.  Here's what you can expect The Robs to reflect on in this episode: News: To kick start this episode, Rob & Rob are discussing the big stories that have been in the news this year. You can expect to hear mentions of Brexit (even though we didn't really get anywhere with it this year), the general election and the industry as a whole.  Industry/Market: The guys then go on to discuss the property industry and market over the past year and how we're in that mid-cycle wobble territory. Also this year saw the tenant fee ban come into play which wasn't as detrimental as everyone thought it was going to be.  Property Hub: 2019 was a huge year for Property Hub! We kick started the year with a complete rebrand (we can't believe it's only been 12 months!), we moved our head office to Manchester city centre and we launched our YouTube channel (even though Rob & Rob are still getting used to being in front of the camera).  One of the hardest things that The Robs have had to deal with this year was the development at Grand Junction which, if you've  listened to this podcast episode, you'll know has been going on a lot longer than just 2019 and has brought a lot more downs than ups. But it is finally now complete so there have been plenty of lessons for The Robs to take away from it.  But that wasn't enough to put Rob D off, he went on to build another development in York which wasn't quite as stressful as Grand Junction but did have it's own host of issues that Rob D was able to learn from. You can listen to the podcast episode on Rob D's  York development here. Personal: To wrap up this episode, Rob & Rob reflect back on their personal lives with what they've been up to over the past 12 months outside of The Hub.  So that's it, 2019 is boxed off! And what a year it's been. We hope you've had an amazing year and if you've been with us on this journey over the past year, thank you and we look forward to kick starting 2020 with you.  Here's to 2020 being bigger and better than ever!   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.

TPP354: Reflecting on 2019 and our biggest lessons

This week on The Property Podcast, The Robs are starting to round up the year by taking a look at how their 2019 property hotspot predictions have stacked up. Were they bang on? Or were they completely off the mark? If you didn't listen to Rob & Robs predictions at the beginning of the year, then you can  listen to that episode here.  So let's dive right in…  Top 5 cities: At the beginning of the year Rob & Rob predicted that Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool would be the best performing cities in England.  Were they right? Well they got four out of five right which is pretty good going, with only Nottingham letting them down, but it only just missed out on the leaderboard coming in at sixth place. UK on average:  Rob B predicted that the whole UK market wouldn't creep into negative territory, but it would sit somewhere between zero and 3%. Whilst Rob D said that there won't be anymore than 1% growth nationally.  Did they get this one spot on? Listen to find out.  London: At the beginning of the year Rob D's thoughts were that London would continue to be the worst performing region, whilst Rob B agreed but also threw the South East into the mix as well, and said he could see them falling into negative equity.  You probably already know the answer to this one - did you agree with their predictions at the start of the year? Let us know! Brexit:  The dreaded 'B' word that everyone has been tip-toeing around this year. Back in January, Rob B thought that no politician would be bold enough to push through a no-deal Brexit and that we would be leaving the EU with some form of deal.  This one is technically still undecided so there's time for it to go one way or the other, but what The Robs definitely didn't predict is that we would be no further along than what we were at the beginning of the year.  Transaction Volumes: Following on from Rob B's Brexit prediction, Rob D seemed to think that off the back of Brexit this year we would see lower transaction volumes than we did in 2018. Luckily for our industry, Rob D was wrong on this one! Although the annual data hasn't yet been released, some months were higher than the previous year but some were incredibly lower. So on average it seems like transactions were probably lower than 2018, but we can't be 100% sure.  Markets and Media And to finish of the 2019 predictions, Rob B called that this year would be pretty boring for all markets and he didn't see the property market surging or crashing. But he did call that the media would be incredibly negative.  We think we can say Rob B pretty much hit the nail on the head with those two.  Looks like The Robs did pretty well on this years predictions. They got four right, one half right and one wrong. Not bad going.  Find out more by listening to today's episode and let us know what you think on our social channels. And what will be Rob & Robs predictions for 2020? Well luckily you only have a couple of weeks to wait!    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.

TPP353: 2019 predictions reviewed

This week on The Property Podcast, it's one of the most popular episodes that The Robs do throughout the year.  If you've listened to every every episode of The Property Podcast, you'll know that at the end, Rob & Rob like to give you a tool or resource that you can go away with and put into practice. We are, of course, talking about Hub Extra. And this week we're doing a round up of the best Hub Extra mentions that Rob & Rob have shared throughout the year.  So grab your pen and paper as the guys go through their favourite:  Books Podcasts  YouTube channels TV episodes/series  Apps & tech   It's a fantastic episode and you'll definitely walk away with something valuable, even if Rob & Rob aren't talking about property.  And even though we've given you a complete run-down already… here's something else if you're struggling to find that perfect Christmas gift for that property lover in your life.  You can now buy a gift voucher to our Property Hub Magazine! Just simply click this link, pay up front for the yearly subscription, and give the gift code to your nearest and dearest. It's that easy and they'll love you for it!    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.

TPP352: Best of Hub Extra - 2019

It's the final Ask Rob & Rob of 2019! But before the guys disappear for the festive holidays, they've got one more question they're answering.  And this week it's from the big man himself. Our caller, Nick, is wanting to know when Rob & Rob are going to do their yearly roundup of Hub Extra, and he'd also like to see The Robs do some live events in 2020.  So what have The Robs got in store for us to round up the year and look forward to in 2020? 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.

ASK216: What can property investors expect in their Christmas stocking?

This week's episode of The Property Podcast is a pretty important one. As you should know by now, next week is the general election, and it's kind of a big deal.  The manifestos have been flying around all over the place with the parties promising this, that and the other. And to be honest, it can get quite confusing.  So what do each of the party policies mean for property investors? Well, that's exactly what Rob & Rob are going to dive into and dissect in today's episode. Sit back, relax and take notes as the guys look into each of the following policies:  Conservative Labour Lib Dems Green Party   It will certainly be one of the more important podcast episodes we've done this year and it will definitely help if you're more confused than ever on who to vote for.    This week for Hub Extra, Rob B has a book recommendation. 'How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life'. Not only does it tell the story of Walt Disney and his journey of how he created the Disney brand, but you'll learn so much more!  There are sections that discuss religious views throughout the book, which some people took offence to, so you might want to skip over these bits. But Rob B connected to the story on both a personal and business level, and even got some inspiration from it - maybe it'll lift your spirits too.    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.

TPP351: Who should property investors vote for in the general election?

Rob & Rob are back again this week to answer two more of your burning questions. The first caller this week is Sam who is stuck in limbo. She's in a bit of a situation that you might not often find yourself in, but that doesn't mean you might not be in Sam's position at some point in the future.  Sam is using a certain solicitor, however the lender that she's using for her mortgage isn't on the same panel. So, in order to get the rate that she wants with this lender, she'll end up paying extra legal fees.  She's not 100% sure on how this works and if there's a way to factor this into your costs or not.  So what advice can Rob & Rob offer to Sam?  Our second question this week comes in from Marcus from London. Marcus has a buy-to-let property in his personal name which he is about to move over into a Limited Company.  He's wanting to understand the tax implications around this.  Essentially, once he's moved the first property into a Limited Company, when he buys a second property in his personal name, will he still be seen as owning the first property and therefore end up paying double the stamp duty costs?  It's a very clever tactic, but is it clever enough to avoid the stamp duty costs?  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.

ASK215: My solicitor is limiting my mortgage options – What should I do? PLUS: Does a Limited Company purchase count towards Stamp Duty?

We've got an epic episode for you. This week on The Property Podcast, Rob & Rob are sharing just how they made £130 million worth of investments happen this year!  Before you get the wrong end of the stick, this isn't an episode of them bragging about their achievements. Oh no. They're actually going to tell you exactly how they've done it and where they did it, so you can do it too.  One question Rob & Rob get asked all the time is: "where are you investing?"  And rightly so. They're experts in this field so naturally, you want to invest where they are.  We're not just sharing where Rob & Rob have invested, but where Property Hub Invest clients are investing too. Sharing is caring.  At the beginning of the year Rob & Rob shared the  top five locations across the country that they were going to be targeting throughout the year. These locations were:  Manchester Liverpool Leeds Sheffield  Nottingham  So how many have the guys been able to tick off this checklist?  Tune in to find out!   Our news story this week isn't a happy one, unfortunately. It's an article from the BBC, 'Devastated hotel investors fly to UK seeking their money', which has sadly seen a number of investors lose an awful lot of money in a hotel investment that has gone horribly wrong.  The hotel investment offered investors guaranteed returns, which haven't been met and now angry investors have been flying over to the UK to find out where their money is. We've talked about this topic before, why we think  you should stay away from hotel investments, and sadly, this is exactly the reason why. We actually even did a YouTube video on investing in hotel rooms, which you can watch here.   This week's Hub Extra tool is a resource called Flux. If you spend a lot of time on your phone or your laptop, especially just before you go to bed, then this will be a tool you'll want to use.  It's been proven that technology screens give off a blue light that makes it difficult to sleep at night and disturbs you from getting a full solid night sleep. Flux is a programme that detects what time of day it is and automatically changes the brightness of your screen and changes the colours that are given off, so you can now get the ideal amount of undisturbed sleep.   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.

TPP350: We bought £130m of property this year: here's where and why

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, the guys are back again with two different questions that they've not covered previously. They'll be talking about what to do in the event of there being a lack of comparables discussing if properties that have lost value are worth investing in now. Our first caller today is Paul from Burnley. At the beginning of the year Paul purchased his first buy-to-let property and now he's hoping to soon complete on property number six!  That's pretty good going for less than 12 month's work!  Paul's strategy is buy-refurbish-refinance with a difference - he focuses on  bungalows. So not your usual property choice, but clearly it's working for him. However he's now ran into a bit of an issue. Because it's such a niche strategy, he's having difficulties when it comes to searching for comparables in order to remortgage the properties.  Obviously Paul's end game is to have made as much profit as possible on the properties, so he's wondering what he can do to prepare that information when the valuations take place?  Luckily, Rob D is on hand to offer Paul some pointers on how he can go about this. The second question comes from Luke in Liverpool. He has a small portfolio himself and is continuously looking to add to it.  He's been keeping his eye on the local market in and around Liverpool, in different areas and has noticed that some developments that were priced between £130,000 - £140,000 are now on the market for around £90,000.  So now he's wondering if these kind of properties are a good investment opportunity or if they are just going to continuously lose value and he should stay well away?  Naturally, there was only one Rob that could offer advice on the Liverpool market, cue Rob B.   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.

ASK214: How can I overcome a lack of comparables? PLUS: Are developments that have lost value a good buying opportunity?

This week on The Property Podcast, The Robs are doing something a little different. Rob B is interviewing Rob D on his own property development exploits.  One of our most popular podcast episodes this year was when we discussed our project in Crewe, which was a rather eventful and emotional journey to say the least. If you haven't listened to that episode, you can do so  here.  But amazingly, that wasn't enough to put off Rob D. He's just done a property development project just outside of York.  In the episode you can expect to find out:  What exactly this development was What the results were  What went wrong What went right  And what lessons Rob D learnt from this project  So sit down, grab a brew and tune in as Rob B picks Rob D's brain about this new property development.    In the news this week, Savills have predicted that  house prices are going to increase by £35,000 in five years for some parts of the country. No shock that it's actually in line with what Rob & Rob have been saying throughout the year, and the highest regional growth will be in the North West, which will go up by 24%.  Maybe now you'll take that leap into investing in one of the areas that The Robs picked as their  2019 property hotspots.    And if you haven't watched it already, last week we published our latest YouTube video, the essential guide to property tax which will walk you through the various taxes you have to pay and some ways that you can avoid them. So make sure you go give it a watch, hit that subscribe button and turn on notifications so you don't miss our next one.    For Hub Extra this week we've got a podcast that Rob D just can't stop listening to. It's called The Missing Cryptoqueen from the BBC. Now before you jump the gun, Rob D isn't interested in getting involved in crypto currency, or a massive scam, which is what the podcast is all about.  It's only an 8-part series but it's a really interesting one. To give you a brief overview, it's about a woman who created a new crypto currency which was going to be bigger than Bitcoin. She secured billions of Euros from people all over and then just vanished, and nobody knows where she is. It's very fascinating so definitely 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 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.

TPP349: Rob D built 10 apartments: The results, lessons and pain

Rob & Rob are back again this week to answer more of your property related questions. So let's get started!  First up we've got Catherine from Bristol who is well underway with her property investment journey having built up a portfolio of five buy-to-let properties. She's looking to build this portfolio to eight properties in order to achieve the income figure that she has in mind. The end goal is to be able to make big changes to the way she and her family live their lives. Currently, one of her properties in London is on an incredible mortgage rate of 1.54%! Definitely not the kind of rate you'd get now.  After speaking to two mortgage advisors, both have said that she could release around £125,000 in equity from this property, so she has the deposit she needs to grow her portfolio. However, this means giving up the amazing mortgage rate she's currently on. If she were to do this, straight away she'd be paying around £9,000 more a year in mortgage fees on that one property. Wowza! So should she wait it out for a few years until she can release equity from other properties and keep the great mortgage rate, or should she act now? Our second caller is Ben from Aberdeen, who wants to know where Rob & Rob would recommend to invest in, in Scotland. Something they get asked all the time.  He's had one buy-to-let property for the past six years and has recently bought a further two in the small town he grew up in.  Ideally he wants to move his location focus away from his hometown, but still remain in Scotland. He already knows that his main goal is cash flow and long term he'd like to look at Edinburgh, but feels that's currently too competitive for him.  It's finally the answer to a question a lot of you have been waiting for. Where would Rob & Rob invest in Scotland?  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.

ASK213: Should I release equity and give up my great mortgage rate? PLUS: Where in Scotland should I invest?

This week on The Property Podcast, Rob & Rob are talking about landlord licensing. We know it's not the most exciting of topics but it's up there with one of the most importantas a property investor. And luckily for you, The Robs will be talking you through exactly what licensing is and what you need to do.  You may have ignored this topic in the past because it only ever applied to HMO's - and maybe you've thought that this is still the case. But now, depending on where you are, even with single let properties, landlord licensing is something you might need to know about.  Here's what The Robs will cover in today's episode:  What are the requirements? How much does it cost? Will they inspect the property? What should you do? What if you should have a licence but don't?   This is a full-on episode, full of regulatory need-to-knows. If there's one episode of The Property Podcast you need to listen to… this is it. By the end of the episode, you should be completely clued up on whether you need landlord licensing or not.   And in the news this week, Rob B's home city of Liverpool back in the press: 'Liverpool endorses 2m sq ft office masterplan'. The article from Place North West says that the council has signed off on helping to build a world class commercial business district in the heart of Liverpool to tackle the shortfall of offices in the city. So once again, even more positivity and investment being ploughed into the city, which will bolster the number of investment plans already in motion, such as Liverpool Waters and the high number of property developments that are in the pipeline throughout the city and the wider areas.    If you haven't seen it already, we launched a new YouTube video yesterday and this one is all about tax! Some people love it, some people hate it and some just don't understand it. In this video, Rob & Rob explain everything you need to know about tax and cover all the different types of tax that you may have to pay as a property investor.  So go and check it out, let us know what you think or ask us any questions in the comments section, and don't forget to hit that subscribe button!    This week for our Hub Extra, we're wanting to help make a difference to the planet and this week it's a website called Team Trees. It's all about helping to make the world that little bit greener. Maybe you've always considered planting a tree but you don't want to get covered in mud or you just don't have the spare time.  Well this is the easiest option you'll come across. Donating just $1 will plant one tree and Team Trees are aiming to have planted 20 million trees around the world by the 1st of January 2020. So go and do your bit for the planet and donate a dollar.    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 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.

TPP348: Landlord Licensing: Everything you need to know

Rob & Rob are back again this week to answer two more fantastic property questions from two of our listeners. This week our first question comes in from Luke in Manchester, who's been inspired by The Property Podcast to get started in his investment career.  Luke is in a situation that most people are probably in when trying to start their buy-to-let journey. He's looking to purchase his first personal home and an investment property at the same time.  At the minute he's only going to have enough funds for one mortgage so he's considering buying a two bedroom apartment (or house) and is looking to rent out the second bedroom. But he has a few questions around this:  Is there a particular mortgage he'll need to enable him to do this? How much stamp duty will he have to pay? Are there any other considerations? ...and is this actually a good idea?  Find out what Rob D thinks of this idea and if it's actually doable. Maybe this could work for you as well.  Our second caller is Sally who has a question about stamp duty. She's changing her residential home to a buy-to-let so that she can buy a new house with her partner.  She's been given two different sets of figures from her solicitor and mortgage broker in terms of how much stamp duty she'll pay. One is saying £2,200 and the other £9,250!  Obviously that's a huge difference so Sally wants this clearing up.  So, is Rob B about to put her mind at rest or burst her bubble?  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.

ASK212: How can I buy my own home and invest at the same time? PLUS: How much stamp duty will I need to pay?

Last week Rob & Rob were joined on the Property Podcast by Build To Rent expert, Richard Berridge. Well, he's back again this week for a second episode on the new craze that is Build To Rent.  In last week's episode, The Robs covered what Build To Rent actually is, and this week they're discussing why it matters for you and what the future of Build To Rent might look like. Here's some of what you can expect The Robs and Richard to cover in today's episode:  What will Build To Rent look like in 10 years time? What's going to slow it down? How will Build To Rent properties react to market cycles? What marks an area as suitable or unsuitable for Build To Rent?  There's plenty more to be covered in this week's episode too. So, should you be afraid or optimistic about Build To Rent? You should have a clearer picture after this episode. So tune in to listen.   This week's news story is possibly one of Rob B's favourite headlines, 'Welcome to Manc-hattan: how the city sold its soul for luxury skyscrapers'. It comes from The Guardian, and whilst the headline is actually pretty clever, it's not very complimentary to the city.  The article is talking about the ever-changing Manchester skyline and the number of skyscrapers that are appearing. They even touch on the homeless issue that we have here in Manchester.  If you ask us, we're really struggling to see how the amount of investment and regeneration that's currently being ploughed into the city centre is a bad thing. If anything, it allows the council to use the additional higher rate council tax payments to put into schemes around homelessness. But have a listen and let us know what you think via email or social media.     And for our Hub Extra this week, we're bringing you another podcast. No, it's not from Rob & Rob sadly, this one is called 'Startup' by a company called Gimlet. It's been going for five years and sadly it is coming to an end.  The purpose of the podcast at the beginning was to document their process of starting their business. And now, the podcast has come full circle as they are ending their podcast due to the fact that they have been purchased - by none other than Spotify! It's really interesting to listen to how the deal came about, so it's definitely well worth a listen. And while you're there, why not subscribe to our podcast over on Spotifyand be notified every week when our new episodes are released?   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 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.

TPP347: Build To Rent: The biggest competitor you didn't know you had

This week The Robs are answering two fantastic questions on investing in Birkenhead, and talking about whether you should be overpaying on your mortgage. These are two questions that will definitely benefit a lot of listeners. Joe from Leeds got in touch recently, he's currently living in London and has a budget of £80,000 - £100,000 and he's looking for a buy-to-let deal up north.  He's considering our hotspot areas of Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool but has noticed significant growth in the Liverpool area.  However, he's wondering if Rob & Rob have any insider tips on investing just across the water from Liverpool, in Birkenhead. Could this be a good contender for capital growth when the ripple effect kicks in? Now we know this is an area that holds a special place in Rob B's heart, so does he automatically think that Joe should be investing here?  Next up we've got Adam from Surrey. Before listening to The Property Podcast, he bought his first buy-to-let property on a capital repayment mortgage and has since remortgaged to an interest only mortgage.  The property makes a good income each month, so now Adam is wondering, now that he's on an interest only mortgage, should he utilise the 10% interest free payments and chip away at his mortgage?  So, should Adam risk potentially losing out on £200 per month in his back pocket to reduce his mortgage over time? Or should he wait and allow capital growth to do it's thing?  Tune in to find out what Rob D advises.    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.

ASK211: ​Should I invest in Birkenhead? PLUS: Should I overpay my interest-only mortgage?

This week Rob & Rob are joined on the podcast by Build To Rent expert, Richard Berridge. After listening to this episode, you'll know more about Build To Rent than most people in property.  Build To Rent (or BTR) has been flying under the radar for a while now, but it's only really just starting to become a well known, big thing.  So whilst it's a topic that has piqued Rob & Rob's interest, they thought it would be best to bring in the experts to help not only you, but themselves learn all there is to know about Build To Rent.  Richard is not only an authority figure on the subject, but he's also a consultant, an advisor and a writer. He's 100% the right man for the job.  Here's just a few of the questions that you can expect to get answers on from Richard:  What is Build To Rent? Who's the actual owner with Build To Rent? Is it only about income and not growth? Who makes it all happen?  We cover a lot of ground in this episode so hit play and listen.    This week in the news, Place North West are reporting that  the region's green belt has shrunk by 3,400 acres. So is the North West becoming the new concrete jungle?  Well, not quite.  What most people don't realise is that green belt land isn't always beautiful flourishing forests or national parks, it could be a really unattractive piece of land that's more of an eyesore and could be put to much better use.   So once again, a big scary headline that's been blown out of proportion.    Also…it's that time of the month again, Meetups are just around the corner and heading your way next week! So, if you haven't yet secured your spot, go and book yourself a ticket now!   And this week's Hub Extra is a book that Rob D is claiming to be the most inspiring book he's read all year, and that book is  Finding Ultra by Rich Roll. It goes on to tell his story of turning 40, being out of shape, a recovering alcoholic and going on to being one of the fittest men in the world.  It even documents how he had a challenge with a friend to run five Ironman triathlons in a week! Who even thinks that's a good idea?! He's also got a very popular podcast too, which is also well worth checking out. We actually included this book on one of our Hub Extra emails a while back after Rachel in our invest team recommended it - The Property Hub book club is in full swing guys!   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 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.

TPP346: Build To Rent: What it is and why you need to understand it

Rob & Rob are back again to answer two more fantastic questions sent in by our Hubbers. Martin from Birmingham has got in touch this week. He's had a property for a few years and has remortgaged a couple of times and changed his mortgage rate.  It's coming up for renewal again soon and he's not sure if he should withdraw some of the equity, or leave it in the property so he can get a better loan-to-value rate on his mortgage. So what should Martin do?  Well first and foremost it all depends on where Martin is currently at in his investment process, but Rob D has some excellent advice as always.  Our next caller has a question about insurance. She's a landlord of a leasehold flat and only has building insurance.  She's become a little bit worried thinking of the what-if scenarios. What would happen if something went wrong? Would the tenant be liable for damage? Would building insurance be enough to cover her? Also, should she be taking out other insurance policies?  Tune in to find out what Rob B 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.

ASK210: My property's gone up in value -– should I pull out as much equity as possible? PLUS: Do I need an extra insurance policy for my flat?

They still hear it all too often 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad changed my life!' So this week on The Property Podcast, Rob & Rob are going back and taking a revised look at the book and sharing the lessons that they took away from it, and what they just don't agree with.  In today's episode you can expect to hear what the five key lessons are that you should take away from this book, but also the two things that you should be very careful of. This beloved motivational book is now 20 years old! But it still seems to have a huge impact on people's lives. So Rob & Rob are going to explore why this book is so influential, their experiences, recap key lessons and let you know what they think of them now with the benefit of hindsight.  Here are the five lessons Rob & Rob learnt from the book:  Be in control of your finances - Your employer or government will not. Passive Income.  Good debt vs bad debt. Pay yourself first. Keep your job and invest.  And what don't they agree with?  You'll have to tune in to find that out.   This week's news story is a 22 page report from HomeTrack on the current rental market, which is a quarterly report. Luckily the BBC website has summarised the reportand what the key take away points are.  There's a number of cities where the rents are up, and wage growth has been relatively strong this year too. So even though there's plenty of locations where rents have increased, there's only three UK cities where rents have risen faster than wages, resulting in renting becoming less affordable. These locations are Nottingham, Leeds and Bristol.  Looking at the report, there's an odd mix of locations that are put together, but on the whole, it seems that Rob & Rob were right at the beginning of the year when they pegged certain cities as places to invest this year.    In other news (and just in case you missed it!), yesterday we had a new YouTube video go live! You can now head over there and find out how to invest £50,000- a question that The Robs get asked all the time. So head on over, give it a watch, and don't forget to subscribe.    You won't be surprised that this week or Hub Extra recommendation is in fact the  Rich Dad Poor Dadbook, but as an added bonus, we're also recommending  Rich Dad Poor Dad 2: Cashflow Quadrant. These are by far the two strongest books that you need to read, so go grab a copy and let us know what you think of them.    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 channelwhere we upload new content every week!

TPP345: Rich Dad Poor Dad Revisited: 5 essential lessons, and 2 important warnings

Rob & Rob are back this week for another episode of Ask Rob & Rob and this week they're offering advice on releasing equity and purchasing property as an expat.  Our first caller of this week's episode has a question about one of Rob & Rob's favourite topics, the 18 year property cycle.  He wants to know what you should do at the height of the market? Essentially, should you release equity from your portfolio to purchase more property after the crash or should you sell up completely and then start again post crash?  If you need to refresh your mind on the 18 year property cycle, head on over to Property Hub University and take a look at our  free online course. Rob B tackles this question head on - ultimately, it all depends on if you plan to be an active property investor after the crash. He answers this question in two parts so it's certainly worth listening to.  The second question comes in from a chap all the way from Dubai.  His current situation is that he's living off his rental income which is through a limited company, however his broker has now told him that he won't be able to purchase any more property through that limited company.  Is this true and should he look for another way to invest in UK property?  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.

ASK209: What should I do as the property cycle reaches its peak? PLUS: I'm an expat – can I get a mortgage?

As you can imagine The Robs get inundated with questions day in, day out on all our different platforms. From social media to our Property Hub forum, they get questions fired at them from all directions.  But one of the places that they get asked lots of questions is through Property Hub Invest. So this week on The Property Podcast, Rob & Rob are answering the most asked questions for you all to hear.  On a daily basis our Property Hub Invest team talk to clients who are at different stages of their property journey and everyone has a different question to ask, but nine times out of ten they're all similar.  So what better way to answer all these frequently asked questions than to compile them all into a podcast episode. Here are some of the questions you can expect to get an answer to:  How to get a deposit together… How to find an area to invest… Where to invest and what returns should be expected? Is capital growth better on flats or houses? Is 1, 2, 3 etc bedrooms better?   There's even more questions getting answered in this episode. Maybe one of them has been circling around in your mind. Or if you have a completely different question, make sure you get in touch with a member of our Invest team.  Our news story this week comes from Property Investor Today and the headline is 'young Brits are on the move in the UK, and here's where…' For once this is a news headline that The Robs actually agree with. Although some aspects seem a little questionable, the overall stats seem to be pretty spot on - city centre living is on the up.  The Robs have discussed this previously on the podcast and they talk all about  the secret trend that nobody else is seeing, so you should definitely go and give that episode a listen. And finally, the Hub Extra comes with a warning this week…  it might just depress you a little bit at just how old you are. It's a website called 'you're getting old', which basically shows you all different stats about how old you are.  You simply enter in your date of birth and the site will show you things like how many days you've been alive, how many candles will have been on all your birthday cakes together as well as some interesting milestones throughout the years and how old you were at the time. It's all a little bit of light hearted fun.    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.

TPP344: Most asked questions for Property Hub Invest

The Robs are back again this week for another round of Ask Rob & Rob, and this week they've got two cracking questions that they're about to answer.  Our first caller is a very enthusiastic property investor who unfortunately didn't leave her name.  She's fortunate enough to have three property investments in three different locations, which at the moment is working pretty well for her and she's happy enough being a remote investor.  However, she's wondering if there's such a thing as investing in too many cities?  So what do Rob & Rob think of this? Are there both pros and cons to investing in a number of locations?  Next to get in touch is Lindsey who's just completed on an apartment in Manchester.  Her letting agent has told her that she should let out this apartment on a fully furnished basis.  So what Lindsey is wanting to know is, should she be spending a lot more money on brand new furniture or would second hand be okay? Also, she's questioning if the furniture will need safety checks before she can move any tenants in? Rob D offers some different options for Lindsey, depending on what her budget is.  Tune in to hear the answers to this week's two 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.

ASK208: Can you invest in too many places? PLUS: How much do I need to spend on furniture?

Just like we promised, The Robs are back this week and once again joined by Mike Winnett who's going to share just what happened after he bought everything he was offered.  He's giving you the insider knowledge to those 'get rich quick' courses that you've had your eye on, so you can save yourself the money and put it to better use.  Just to recap, Mike sold his company for a substantial amount of money and used the cash to go on a bit of an adventure. He decided to click on all those adverts that you see on the internet and social media that promise you a formula to get rich quick. Does he think they actually work?  If you've been considering paying for a property course, or maybe even a mentor, then this is an episode you're going to want to listen to before you hand over any money.  Or, if you've already attended one of these courses and ploughed cash into them, then this might rub salt into the wound, especially if said course didn't do what it said it would.  So give it a listen and let us know your thoughts. Do you agree on what Mike had to say about property courses and mentors?   In the news this week, Property Wire is backing up what Rob and Rob have been saying for months, 'property investment surge could come after Brexit, new poll suggests'. According to this recent data, 55% of people have paused their investment plans over the past six months as they await the outcome of Brexit, 60% are waiting for the budget and 37% have taken a property off the market because of a slow down in activity.  So despite a slowdown in transactions, there's still plenty of deals to be had with what is currently on the market, it's just knowing where to look, and planning it around the  18 year property cycle.    This week for Hub Extra, we're still sharing the love for Mike Winnett because his latest videois just phenomenal.  It's very entertaining and the ultimate anti-marketing video for a pretty big event in Birmingham that you can attend and see some of these big wig entrepreneurs live on stage.    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 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.

TPP343: What happens after spending thousands of pounds in a property course?

We're back again this week for another Ask Rob & Rob. Our first question this week comes from Dorian. His question is around income tax for buy-to-let properties, with the new Section 24 rules.  Dorian and his wife are looking at investing in their first buy-to-let and they've been told that a lot of lenders won't lend them the funds through a limited company because they're first time landlords. Their other thought was to purchase as individuals which will then result in the income from the property being fully taxed on.  So Dorian wants to know if there's a way around this? Can they own the property as individuals and put the income through a company, or is that not doable?  Rob B clears up the speculation on what Dorian has already been told and what he can do.  The second question comes from Esmarelda who wants to know if she should invest her £230,000 in an apartment in Plumstead near the Crossrail or a house in Luton?  We gathered from her question that she may want to be sticking to investing in the south, so Rob D pinpoints some areas that would be best to consider if the south is at the top of her checklist.  Tune in to find out where 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.

ASK207: What do I do if I can't get a limited company mortgage? PLUS: Should I buy on the crossrail route?

This is the podcast that most people and businesses in the property industry WON'T want you to hear.  As you know, we're strong on education. We firmly believe that education is how you can arm yourself with the right information to make informed decisions.  We're often asked for our thoughts on property investment courses that charge you to attend, and also what we think about the free courses that hook you in, only for the host to spend the entire event enticing you to part with your cash. That's why we're joined today by Mike Winnet - who's become somewhat obsessed with exposing these 'Contrpreneurs'. If you haven't seen Mike's video on the Contrepreneur Formula Exposed - watch it here! (It's also our Hub Extra pick for the second time, because it's just too good not to watch it again!) And listen to the reason why this video was BANNED, and why it's now reappeared! Mike is an ex Sales Manager, and what started off as him marketing himself as a joke parody Business Guru on Linkedin - a 'demotivational' speaker - has quickly turned into a full on exposure of these so-called 'financial gurus' that we've all seen across the internet. He's not just making assumptions - he's become a get-rich-quick 'ad-clicker' - he basically takes every course and buys everything they try selling to him. Every single thing he comes across that promises to get him rich quick, he's trying and reporting his findings. He's literally putting his money where his mouth is! On today's Property Podcast you'll find out:  What prompted Mike to 'out' these businesses? His thoughts on why these businesses are preying on vulnerable people The uncomfortable theatrics at these events and the manipulation of these environments Where the idea of the 'Contrepreneur' came from The magic formula: the back stories, the tactical pricing, the results - the lot! The shaming tactics he's had to sit through  This is a must-listen for everyone. We want to believe we can achieve great things, but what these people do is pretend there's a shortcut to getting there. There aren't any secrets - it's hard work to make a success of anything, not just property.  We're not just stopping at this episode. Join us next week to find out what happened after Mike bought everything he was offered - is he now £6 million richer?    And in the news this week, we're talking about Airbnb as an  auctioneer highlights Airbnb opportunity for UK investors. This auctioneer has been through the catalogue and highlighted the lots he reckons are suitable for short-term lets.  There's no doubt there's been a rise in the popularity of short-term lets, but are investors approaching it in the right way? Rob D shares his thoughts on where investors are going wrong. Also, it's Meetup night tonight, so head on over to our events page to reserve your spot.    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.

TPP342: The contrepreneur formula exposed: An interview with Mike Winnet

Ask Rob & Rob is back for another week to answer all your burning property investment related questions.  First up this week we have Charlie. Charlie is based in Manchester and wants to know how important parking is. He almost invested in a 2-bed apartment with his sister but pulled out due to the owner selling the parking separately.  Did they do the right thing by walking away?  Is this a yes or no answer, or are Rob & Rob right down the middle with this one? One thing is for sure… Rob B dishes out some really valuable advice today, and gives listeners some tips on how they can make a yes or no decision on a property like this.  The second question today comes someone who didn't leave their name, but they're wanting to know about adding procurement costs after refurbishing a property.  Today's listener is using the example of purchasing a property for £80,000, and spending £10,000 on refurbishment. Can he add another £5,000 towards procurement? In other words, can he remortgage for £95,000 to allow funds for  stamp duty and conveyancing?  Is this possible or will he hit a roadblock? Rob D is looking at this example from a different perspective rather than what's actually been spent on what. Have a listen and find out exactly how much our listener will be able to remortgage for - and the answer might just surprise you.  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.

ASK206: How important is parking? PLUS: How much can I remortgage for?

This is the end! Well… it's the end of Strategy September at least. And we have a great one to finish off on, because today we're covering the refurb property strategy. And to help us, we're welcoming Ian back to the Property Podcast.  Ian's no stranger to our shows; he's been on the podcast twice before and he has years of experience with building and construction, not to mention the fact that he's a property developer and investor himself - so what better episode to have him share his practical knowledge and experience... Today you'll learn:   What a refurb actually is The varying types of refurbs The advantages of a refurb strategy How you can add value to a refurb The disadvantages of a refurb  How to keep your budget in check  So there you have it - everything you need to know about the refurb strategy; made even better by Ian sharing some words of wisdom with us. Have a listen and let us know if the refurb strategy is for you.     Now, if you've followed Strategy September, hopefully you've found the right property strategy for you. We've covered:   Buy-to-let  HMO  Flips  But if you haven't found the right one, don't fear. We've got you! You can book a free goals call with one of our team by clicking here. Our team can help you get clear on your goals, identify what property strategy is likely to be right for you and more importantly, help you discover how you can get started and hit the ground running. And we'll say it again…. It's completely free.  Hit this link and pick your date and time.   And in the news this week, we've got another political story. Now don't all shut down your computers at once, because it's actually a pretty positive one. It's a press release from the government:  PM renews drive to give more power to Northern regions.  Typically for the government, there's not a lot of detail here, but there are a few pleasing aspects of the release - particularly for Scotland. There's a fair few things in here that have made Rob B smile, so listen to hear what he thinks of this latest update.    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.

TPP341: Strategy September - Refurbs

We're back with another episode of Ask Rob & Rob, and the first question this week is from John. John would like to know how many mortgage applications he can have on the go at any one time. He's looking at buying 3 buy-to-let properties but is concerned about the effect that 3 different buy-to-let mortgage applications could have on his credit file.  Is John right to be wary of multiple applications? Will these multiple marks on his credit file make a difference to his applications - and more importantly, could it cost him the mortgage product he's wanting to go for? Listen as Rob B talks through what is likely to happen and find out how John can manage the impact of multiple mortgage applications.  The second question came in from someone who didn't leave her name, so we're calling her Pauline.  Pauline has recently been inspired by Mark who's gone from  0-10 properties in 5 years. She loves the podcast but would like Rob & Rob to have more of a focus on Scotland, which is where she's interested in investing.  We have previously done a whole episode on  investing in buy-to-let property in Scotland where The Robs talk through the best places to invest and cover the property buying process - which differs vastly from those in England.  But what other nuggets has Rob D shared with Pauline about investing in Scotland? You'll have to listen to find out. 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.

ASK205: How many mortgages can I apply for at once? PLUS: Should I invest in Scotland?

It's the penultimate episode of Strategy September and this week Rob & Rob are covering flips. Now flipping is probably the most glamorous property strategy there is. There are dozens of TV shows you can watch and it's a good way to make a decent profit quickly.  However, there are a number of risks involved that you should consider and The Robs are going to cover them in today's episode along with:  How much capital will you need? What are your finance options? Where do you want to be looking? How do you do your numbers? How do you work out your refurb cost? What other expenses do you need to allow for?  How do you know what you're going to sell for?   So before you rush into flipping properties, thinking it's as easy as it looks on Homes Under the Hammer, you might want to give this episode a listen first. And, after you've given it a listen, make sure you go and take our free courseover on Property Hub University and really test out your knowledge on flipping properties.    And in the news this week, we've got (another) negative headline. Apparently  property investors make on average just £2,000 net return each year after 'hidden costs' are taken out. Now considering an average property is £183,000, that kind of profit seems hardly worth it.  So we might as well all give up and pack it in.  Or should we? Luckily, in the article they've listed these different hidden fees so we can see where they've got their figures from. We're not quite sure where they've plucked them from, especially on an average priced property, but nevertheless, we think you're pretty safe for the time being.   And to give you that extra bit of value, this week's Hub Extra is another fitness site called Nano Workout. Now this might seem like a bit of a prank because when you think about it, it is actually quite funny. But this site has come up with different exercises that you can incorporate into your everyday life.  So there's things you can be doing while you're sitting at traffic lights, sat at your desk, and even ones you can do whilst you're sat on the couch watching TV. If this sounds like something that could help you get into fitness, let us know what you think of it.   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 channelwhere we upload new content every week!

TPP340: Strategy September - Flips

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.

ASK204: Will these areas benefit from the ripple effect? PLUS: How much should I keep aside for a rainy day?

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 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.

TPP339: Strategy September - HMO

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.

ASK203: How would you spend £500k in the North? PLUS: Should I pursue a serviced accommodation strategy in Manchester?

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.

TPP338: Strategy September - Buy-to-let

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.

ASK202: HS2 to be scrapped? An Ask Rob & Rob special

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 listento 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 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.

TPP337: The winning mindset behind rapid portfolio growth

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.

ASK201: Am I too late to be excited about Manchester? PLUS: Can I avoid paying Stamp Duty on my holiday let?

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 indexin 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 guidesover 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.

TPP336: 0 to 10 properties in five years – one listener's story

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.

ASK200: Are new builds overpriced? PLUS: Can I use my Lifetime ISA to buy an investment property?

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 Property Hub forum.

TPP335: Manchester v Leeds: Let battle commence!

This week on Ask Rob & Rob, we have the B word again - and the R word. So if you'd like to know more about Brexit or repossessions, this is the podcast episode for you!  First up we have Christiano. He's wanting to know if he was to go ahead with a repossessed property, will it be mortgageable once he's bought it? He's also wondering if Rob & Rob have any advice on what tactics he should use when looking to get the best deal on a repossessed property.  It's good news for Christiano! Listen as The Robs explain why mortgages shouldn't be an issue with repossessed property as financial issues sit with the previous owner - not the property.  However, if he's looking at bagging a cracking deal, it might not be all plain sailing. The vendor has a duty (to the lender) to achieve the maximum price they possibly can - so does that mean that getting a great deal is dead in the water?  Find out what Rob D has to say.  Our second question comes in from Baz who's still concerned about Brexit and is contradicting The Robs' views. Baz is seeing quite a steep rise in house prices in Birmingham (which doesn't seem consistent with the growth he's been witnessing over the past four years). He's putting it down to the fact that there's not a lot of choice on the market and he's being significantly outbid by owner occupiers on properties he's been looking at.  So now he's being cautious about buying any property within the next six months. Ultimately, he's wanting to know how confident Rob & Rob are that there won't be a market crash the minute we get a deal with the EU.  It's a great question, and probably one which many other listeners will want to know the answer to. Tune in to find out what The Robs have 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.

ASK199: Are repossessed properties mortgageable? PLUS: Are you sure there won't be a post-Brexit crash?

This week on The Property Podcast, Rob & Rob are back by popular demand, evaluating your listener deals live on the show.  These episodes are ones that The Robs absolutely love doing, and this week we've got three cracking deals to get through.  So grab a brew and settle down as we listen to how Rob & Rob scour Rightmove and offer advice to our three lovely listeners Tim, Sarah and Ahmed.  First up we have Tim who has been looking at  three bedroom terrace house in Worthing. The property was on the market for £325,000 but Tim managed to get a cracking deal and had an offer of £285,000 accepted. Kudos to you! He reckons that realistically the rent is likely to be £1,150 pcm, however this valuation won't pass the stress test criteria and Tim will have no choice but to go for a 5 year fixed term mortgage to be able to get the full 75% loan to value rate.  After running some quick numbers, it looks like Tim will potentially end up with a net yield of 1.5% and about £400 in his back pocket each month. Would The Robs choose this deal to add to their property portfolio?  Rob & Rob also take a look into Sarah's  two bedroom apartment in Didsburythat she bagged for £205,000 and  Ahmed's three bedroom terraced house in Birminghamthat he got for £13,000 below asking price, but needs a lot of work doing to it!  So which of these three deals would Rob & Rob be most likely to invest in themselves?  Tune in to find out and listen to what advice they guys have to dish out.   In the news this week, Boris Johnson is in our good books again as he's now announced  a new railway link between Manchester and Leeds.  Transport for the North proposed this a while ago, but Boris has blown this right out of the water and is moving for a bigger and better plan! Not only will there be new connections from Manchester to Leeds, but also Manchester to Liverpool and Sheffield.  Hopefully this isn't just a pipedream and Boris will actually follow through with it - we'll just have to wait and see.   This week's Hub Extra comes in from one of our Hubbers, David. It's a website called Get The Dataand it's a site where you enter the postcode and it pulls loads of information about that location from a number of different sources.  It will give you everything from the nearest public transport stop to the food hygiene ratings of local restaurants and takeaways. So this is a great resource to use if you're looking to invest in a new area and are wanting to get clued up on any particular location.    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.

TPP334: Rob & Rob critique your deals

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.

ASK198: What will Boris Johnson as Prime Minister mean for property investors?

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 Macintyreand 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 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.

TPP333: How to recycle your capital and supercharge your portfolio's growth

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 on013 808 00035 and leaving a messagewith 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 Forumyet? Our online community is friendly, informative, and the members are waiting to welcome you with open arms. So get yourself over and introduce yourself.

ASK197: How can I use a survey to negotiate a discount? PLUS: Can my agent hike their fees?

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.Itwhich 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 channelwhere we upload new content every week!

TPP332: Why we'd walk away from a deal

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.