Buy-to-let continues to be a safe investment

Safe as houses!

With conventional saving rates at an all-time low and an increasingly volatile stock market, traditional bricks & mortar can still provide the key to stable and lucrative investments.

In fact, you might be surprised to learn that buy-to-let property has outperformed just about every other asset class over the past two decades, quite literally giving weight to the old saying “safe as houses.

While taxation relief changes and shifting regulations have squeezed returns slightly, well-chosen and well-located buy to let properties still offer rewarding returns of up to 7%. Indeed, Zoopla data highlights that the number of people looking for rental homes continuing to vastly outpace supply across the UK, creating opportunities for investors from amateur landlords looking to boost their income to more seasoned portfolio professionals.

The rise of BTR?

You may have read in the news about the rise of the institutional-backed Build to Rent market, with big names like Legal & General, Quintain, Greystar and Goldman Sachs planning and developing dedicated new rental stock. However, while there are big ambitions with 172,000 new homes planned, this still only equates to 3% of the private rental sector by volume, highlighting a clear need for private landlords. At its current rate of growth, it will take BTR decades to make serious in-roads into the PRS sector.

How we can help

If you are considering buy-to-let or are already on your journey, our experts can tell you where to invest, what to invest in and the yield your potential purchase could offer. From maximising income to expanding your portfolio or active property management, we can provide a full suite of consultancy advice and services to help start or grow your additional income, unpinned by decades of combined experience.

However, don’t just take our word for it.

“I’m an investment landlord and I’m currently expanding my portfolio. I invest because the real estate market is very low risk with high profits, and this remains a great investment for the foreseeable future due to the great housing shortage. I use a fully managed service with Hunters so I can concentrate on other investments, leaving properties well-managed by Hunters’ professionals. I am confident that demand will continue to outstrip supply for the next few years at least, making this a wise investment class” – Mr S (a landlord in Lichfield with seven properties, currently purchasing two more)