Buy-to-Let becomes less attractive as an investment.

It would appear that buy-to-let as an investment is becoming less and less attractive, that is the opinion of the Chief Executive of Hargreaves Landsdown Ian Gorham who was quoted in the Mail on Sunday as saying a buy-to-let investment is just too expensive and too much like hard work.

The year 2015 has certainly seen a turning point in the popularity of buy-to-let, it could well be remembered  as the year annus horribilus for the industry.

Leading up to the election the only fear that existed around the lettings industry was the possibility of a Labour government or Labour led coalition, the election saw the Conservatives take office with a majority and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, this was to be short lived.

Since taking office the government has introduced a series of new regulations dealing with the way the lettings industry operates, Landlords have come under more and more scrutiny in more  ways than one, from the way they deal with tenants to changes in taxation on landlords income.

Britains best known Landlords Fergus and Judith Wilson announced in June of this year that they were selling up some of their portfolio pf properties, just recently they announced they were exiting the business completely and had sold up the remainder of their properties to a consortium of foreign buyers.

Higher stamp duty for buy-to-let is a further nail in the coffin for an industry that has been under attack since the election, higher stamp duty is unlikely to result in a rush to buy next year but the changes to tax for buy to let investors will surely have a further negative  impact over the next few years.

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

Real Estate Lawyers: Who They Are and What They Do?

When you want to purchase or sell a property, the best course of action would be to seek help from professionals. Real estate transactions usually involve huge sums of cash, so the legal protocols are there to ensure your security and prevent you from falling victim to fraud. Hiring a real estate attorney is essential,…
Read More
Breaking News

Weekly News Roundup – 03/05/24

A roundup of the week’s top property and proptech news stories in partnership with Proptech-X   Table of Contents Is Zoopla holding back the housing market? Will Yardi’s multi-million gamble on WeWork the former £37Bn Unicorn pay off? Nimbus report gives oversight on retail market post Covid   Is Zoopla holding back the housing market?…
Read More
Love or Hate Rightmove
Breaking News

Rightmove’s weekly mortgage tracker – 02/05/24

Matt Smith, Rightmove’s mortgage expert said: “Next week’s Bank of England meeting will be quite key for setting the tone for mortgage rates leading into summer. An uneasy few weeks for the world economy has meant that there is still a lot of uncertainty around when we might see the first interest rate cut – and…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Powering Up Your Brokerage: How Real Estate Apps are Transforming the Industry

The real estate industry once literally hand-to-hand with traditional printed flyers and face-to-face meetings became digital-friendly after the revolution of technology. Among the key drivers of this transformation is the real estate app through which brokerages redefine the role they perform and the way they interact with clients. Streamlined Workflows and Increased Efficiency Gone are…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News – 02/05/24

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. Is Zoopla holding back the housing market? Maybe it is me! and definitely me and my dog Zara do not think like most people, but – each month in the UK just 100,000 properties complete (exchange) and in the past decade this has been the…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News – 01/05/24

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Fine & Country relaunches Masterclass Series for 2024 to support network in winning more business Set to take place in both London and Huddersfield, Fine & Country will be hosting informative and engaging Masterclass sessions again this year, sharing insight from property experts on…
Read More