How to become a respected and profitable landlord

How to become a respected and profitable landlord

8:40 AM, 11th December 2013, About 10 years ago

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landlordsI have been a landlord since 1989. In this series of articles I will explain how to become a landlord, how I built my property investment portfolio and some hints and tips I’ve learned along the way to make my own life and my tenants lives a lot easier.

It can be a lot less expensive and stressful to learn from other peoples experience than to learn by making your own mistakes. Sharing is caring 🙂

I do not profess to have a monopoly on good ideas for landlords and I still learn something new about buy to let property investment every day. The strategies explained in the linked articles below are based on over two decades of experience. I choose to look upon these strategies as maps across a minefield. I may or may not have found the shortest possible route but my strategy is now tried and tested through two full market cycles.

After 20 years in the landlord business I decided to document my buy to let property investment strategy and tips on how to become a landlord. This was then broken down into chapters which I consider to be the most important ingredients of a successful buy to let property investment strategy. I update these articles regularly – last updated May 2014

 Basic fundamentals of a buy to let property investment strategy

Basic fundamentals of a buy to let property investment strategy

This is a general overview of the roots of my buy to let property investment strategy. Many of the chapters below will not make sense unless you read them in order, this being the starting point. read this chapter 

Property Research Made Easy

Property Research made Easy

People selling properties earn commission – “trust but verify”. There are several websites where you can complete your research from your own PC before making a purchase decision. This article explains how. read this chapter

 Interest only vs repayment mortgages

Interest only vs repayment mortgages

Have you ever wondered why most buy to let property investors opt for interest only as opposed to repayment mortgages? read this chapter

 Balancing high gearing risks with high liquidity

Balancing high gearing risks with high liquidity

High gearing effectively means borrowing as much as possible. In this article I will explain the pro’s and cons of high gearing and how to minimise risk. read this chapter

 Calculating rental yields and returns

Calculating rental yields and returns

My Landlords Calculator allows you to analyse returns and other important numbers relating to any residential investment property deal with ease. read this chapter

 Buying property below market value and associated due diligence

Buying property below market value and associated due diligence

We all love a bargain don’t we, especially a property which is being sold below market value. However, just because something is cheap doesn’t mean it’s a good investment. read this chapter

 My first buy to let property investment

My first buy to let property investment

We all have to start somewhere, for me it was just before interest rates soared to 15% as we entered the late 80’s and early 90’s property crash. This is the story of how and why I survived and went on to build my property portfolio. read this chapter

 Finding perfect tenants and minimising risk

Finding perfect tenants and minimising risk

In the 25 years my family have been landlords we have only had to go to Court twice to seek possession, this is despite having granted over 1,000 tenancies. We have not had one single tenancy deposit dispute referred to arbitration or the small claims courts. read this chapter

 Landlord Tax

Landlord Tax

My landlord tax strategy is based upon the intended outcome, NOT income. I suspect your core tax strategy isn’t much different to mine, i.e. make as much money as possible and pay as little tax as legally possible, but how?. read this chapter

 Capital Gains Tax on a property you have lived in

Capital Gains Tax on a property you have lived in

Would you like to know how a £100,000 taxable capital gain can be structured to create a zero tax liability? read this chapter

 Financing beyond retirement age

Financing beyond retirement age

Most landlords believe that if/when they reach the age of 75 they will have to sell at least some of their properties to pay off all remaining mortgage balances. However, that needn’t be true. read this chapter

 Landlords Life Insurance Calculator

Landlords life insurance strategy and calculator

I created my landlords life insurance strategy and built a calculator to work out the minimum amount of life cover necessary to enable my family to retain my property portfolio when my final day of reckoning arrives. read this chapter

Landlords Money Saving Tips

Money Saving Tips

Over the years I’ve made numerous connections with businesses that have reduced my risks and help me to maximise my returns.

I have provided a summary and links to full reviews here

Mark Alexander

Private Consultations

I provide both face to face and one to one financial and property related mentoring by email via telephone and internet. I also do professional witness work and help businesses in terms of internet marketing support.

For details and testimonials please click here

 10 tips for landlords before its too late

10 tips for landlords before it’s too late

Know when to stop investing and start living – Learn to delegate and empower. Review your portfolio and your financial position regularly – Stay informed – Succession planning and much more. read this chapter

 Being a Landlord can be a lonely business - is something bugging you?

Being a Landlord can be a lonely business – is something bugging you?

The more properties you own, the more problems you encounter. Unless you mix regularly with other landlords it is difficult to know who to talk to about challenges and what to do for the best isn’t it? read this chapter

Please share this series of articles with anybody you know who is new to being a landlord or just thinking about it. There are plenty of golden nuggets in this series of articles for the seasoned professionals too. ENJOY! 


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