Property investment strategies

Buy a home and rent it to a single household on an assured (periodic) tenancy.

Let rooms individually to three or more unrelated tenants sharing facilities.

Furnished short stays for business and leisure guests, run like a small hotel.

Test whether a holiday or short-stay let beats a standard let for a specific property.

Buy, improve and resell for a profit within months.

Add value, refinance at the new value to recycle your cash, then hold as a rental.

Improving condition and layout to raise value or rent.

Buying land or sites for development, often subject to planning.

Building new homes or commercial space and selling or holding them.

Adding value by obtaining planning permission, then selling or developing.

Works or changes of use allowed without a full planning application — if conditions are met.

Buying for less than comparable evidence suggests — and proving it.

Buying at traditional or online auction with legally binding bids.

Buying properties sold by lenders or receivers — lawfully and respectfully.

Buying properties sold by executors — using lawful, respectful sources only.

Finding deals for investors for a fee — a regulated estate agency activity.

Presenting a deal to investors with evidence: costs, comparables, rents and risks.

Combining one party's money with another's time and expertise on a project.

Owning property jointly through a partnership, LLP or company.

Buying several tenanted properties in one transaction.

Monitoring and improving an existing portfolio: refinancing, disposals and compliance.

Renting a property from a landlord and subletting it (usually as an HMO or serviced accommodation).

Buying the shares of a company that owns property rather than the property itself.

Managing lettings for yourself or as a business for other landlords.

Compare strategies or properties on total return, cash yield and risk.

Shops, offices, industrial units and other non-residential property let to businesses.

Properties combining commercial and residential parts, such as a shop with a flat above.

Buying flats or other leasehold interests, with their service charges and lease terms.

Extending a flat lease — when, how and roughly what to check.

Buying property outside the UK — or as a non-UK resident buying UK property.