Rental properties can become a great source of additional income during retirement. If chosen wisely, they can provide a steady cash flow and boost your finances at the point of retiring. They could even allow you to retire early. The forecast shows over £75 billion of investment committed to the professionally rented sector in the UK by 2025.
“It is never too early to start thinking about your pension plan and with current saving interests rates UK banks offer to their clients, I couldn’t see a more profitable way of investing for the future, than in investing in property”
- says Howard Lord, founder of CERT property, a leading developer and investment specialist in the North-West property market.
“To successfully invest in the property market, you don’t need to be a whizz in finances, neither you need to know everything about the property market. This is what investment specialists are for”.
“They can offer not only investment opportunities but also plenty of advice and guidance, which first-time investors often need.”
The most important step in the investment process is choosing the right property. To generate a steady income to support your pension, it is crucial to invest your hard-earned money in the right area, in the right property and it doesn’t mean the cheapest one. Think of areas with appeal. Where people would want to live, where schools are decent and with plenty of transport links. You want to be able to identify investment opportunities in locations which provide strong drivers for growth over the long term investment. With Manchester city centre seeing a large price increase over the last few years, its suburbs provide a lower cost alternative for investors, offering potential for future value growth. Many developers offer investment opportunities in projects which are located in developing areas with strong transport links and regeneration plans supported by the local councils. That is what you should be looking for. Investing in such areas, like Old Trafford, which has a strong foundation as a desirable residential area with lots of amenities, some of the best schools in the city and three metrolink stops; or Ancoats - the birthplace of the industrial revolution and recently voted one of the coolest places to live in the world, provides not only strong returns on investments.
Once you made a choice on your property and have become the proud owner, you need to rent your property out to generate income. You also need to decide how hands-on a landlord you want to become. You can rent your property out yourself and save a few pounds but you have to be prepared to give up a chunk of your life for advertising, viewings, repairs and all the hassle that can come with dealing with tenants, particularly if you haven;t got the time or experience in identifying who may be a good or bad tenant. If you don’t have much experience in property letting market, it is often a better option to find an experienced property manager who can offer extra assistance and advice, and take that headache off you.
There are many firms currently on the market, offering investors Property Management Services (“PMS”).
Paul Shakeshaft, Head of Property Management at CERT comments:
“As a part of our services to investors, we offer a property management services to our investors in order to maximise their investment returns. For a reasonable fee, we can rent your property out and achieve the best market price. We can also furnish it for you and provide 24 hours emergency assistance so you don’t need to worry about any type of emergency which might occur during your letting contract. We can manage the property for you and make your investment and management process stress free”.
Using a property manager can also save you from “no-tenant” periods. This is a very important part of your retirement plan as dry spells in between lets, can cause a financial damage to your household income and if not managed properly, can make a significant impact on your overall returns. PMS firms, can ensure continuity to your lettings to make sure you don’t experience periods with no income. And once you decide to sell, they can do that for you also.
The hunger for buy-to-let property investment is constantly growing and savvy investors see an attractive potential in locating their savings in property rather than pension funds or savings accounts. Now is the best time to take advantage of the market as demand for rented accommodation is already high and only set to rise even more as generation Y continues to prefer the flexibility rental brings over buying a property.
Howard Lord, comments:
“Property investment is shown to consistently outperform the stock market over the long term, giving investors better yield on their investment. We see more and more ready to retire or already retired individuals engaging with us to seek boost to their pension income. Ensure this is the right move for you and we will make sure, you achieve the highest possible returns in the least stressful process”.
For more information about CERT property, their investment opportunities and Property Management Services, please contact Koralia Kubowicz, Investor Relations Manager on 0161 806 0015.