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A podcast for expats investing in UK property
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Welcome to "Unlock Expat Property - The Podcast" the ultimate podcast for expats from all over the world with an interest in UK property investment. Whether you're new to property investing or a seasoned property investor this podcast series will help you to unlock your expat property potential. Your host, Jonathan Smith, will be sharing first-hand knowledge and experience from his own UK buy to let property investing journey to help you kick start yours. Jonathan has been an Expat in Saudi ...
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#179 Trading Vs Holding UK Property. Which do you prefer? Which is better in terms of tax, skills required or potential returns? Which is riskier? What are the pros & cons of each? What other factors do you need to consider? This episode answers all these questions in a debate style format between: Jay Howard, Auction Insider, co-founder of auction…
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In this episode Jonathan shares his experience with the mistakes made on his first property investment. From mortgage confusion and unexpected costs to staying grounded through government rate changes, Jonathan discusses six key lessons that every investor should know to avoid similar pitfalls. Key Highlights include: Understand Mortgage Basics – A…
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#178 Lots of people in property talk about passive income and dangle the expression in front of us like a carrot in front of a donkey. It’s a very simple expression to say, but much harder to achieve, particularly if we’re talking about investing directly in bricks and mortar as opposed to by less direct methods. So we got the opinions of: Sean the…
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In this week's episode Jonathan will answer all your burning questions about investing in UK property. Key questions covered include: How to kickstart your investing journey with 7 actionable steps How much money you need to get started Should you use mortgages to purchase property or buy in cash outright Which locations are best to invest in right…
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#177 Are you looking for an example of someone who observed the masses and did the opposite? Are you tempted by Serviced Accommodation? Have you thought about investing in a large holiday let? Are you up to speed with the proposed changes in short stay legislation? Have you ever wondered whether hot tubs are worth the hassle? If any of the above ap…
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In this week's episode, Jonathan shares his predictions on what announcements will be made in the upcoming UK budget which will impact property investors. He'll share 3 key areas to consider and their likely impact on your property investing journey. Do the anticipated changes derail your property investing strategy or will the expected announcemen…
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#176 In this episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the essential first step of building a UK property portfolio: setting your goals. During the introduction, we refer to this hilarious clip about goals. I'd Like Help With Setting My Goals (Download a Free Comprehensive Cheat Sheet PDF) This episode takes you through: The Importance of Setting Prop…
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In this week's episode, Jonathan will be unlocking how to purchase new build off-plan property. What are the key benefits in investing in new build off-plan property as well as the associated challenges and how can these be mitigated? Jonathan will share the six key stages in purchasing a new build off-plan property including the reservation proces…
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#175 Have you thought about investing in UK commercial property instead of or as well as residential? Jerry Alexander is the host of the brilliant Commercial Property Investor Podcast, so he is the perfect person to answer all your questions on this underrated sector of UK property investing. Along the way you’ll hear about the differences and simi…
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In this week's episode, Jonathan is joined by John Squires from Liquid Expat, a specialist expat mortgage broker with over 23 years' experience. John will be sharing key insights and knowledge on the expatriate mortgage market as well as providing essential tips for anyone seeking a mortgage on their property purchase. In today's episode we cover: …
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#174 One of the aims of this podcast is to demonstrate what’s possible for you as a remote investor in UK property. And to showcase expats who are pushing the boundaries of what’s achievable. So if I told you that today’s guest self-managed their serviced accommodation business in Norfolk from their home in New Zealand while in full-time employment…
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In this week’s episode we take a detour from the usual format of the pod and discuss how to unlock your mindset to fuel your property journey. Today we unlock fear, its impact on property investing and how you can overcome it. Being fearful of something unknown is perfectly natural but by educating ourselves we can tackle it head on and minimise it…
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#173 Last week was a huge one for the sector after the new government gave the Renters' Rights Bill its first reading in parliament. The bill has massive implications for tenants, landlords, investors and everyone else connected to housing in the UK. As an investor, you need to make sure you understand all the likely changes. Change Means Opportuni…
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In this week's episode of Unlock Expat Property - The Podcast, Jonathan will be exploring the different types of properties that you can invest in. It's very easy to become overwhelmed by the variety of choices available and promises of 'big returns' so by understanding the differing types of property available and the benefits as well as the chall…
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#172 You should listen to this episode if you’re looking for ways to get to your UK Property objectives that little bit quicker. Even if you know these resources, download anyway to hear alternative ways to use them. I can almost guarantee you’ll find inspiration for your own story one way or another. In this episode we discuss: R for Rightmove: Ev…
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In this week's episode Jonathan will be unlocking the world of mortgages. What is a mortgage and how can it be used to fuel your expat property investment journey? Mortgages can be a powerful tool for investors to accelerate their property portfolio enabling them to generate passive income and long-term wealth. Jonathan will share information on wh…
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#171 Do you have a favourite resource that helps you get the best results when investing in UK Property? Are you interested in new ones to take your Expat Property Story to the next chapter? Are you looking for new ways to use your existing resources? For over seven years now, we’ve been collecting resources and inputting them on an XL spreadsheet.…
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Join Jonathan in this week's episode as he unveils the secrets to financing your buy-to-let property investments in the UK. Wondering if you need to have heaps of cash to start your property journey? Think again. Many believe that a substantial amount of capital is a must to venture into the UK property market, but Jonathan is here to debunk that m…
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#170 Are you looking for handy hacks to get you closer to achieving your UK property objectives? I’ve been making a collection of useful resources for property investors for as long as I’ve been building a portfolio. In this mini-series of four episodes, I’m sharing 26 of them from A-Z, to help you get to where you need to go as fast as you can. To…
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In this week’s episode I'll be unlocking what exactly is buy to let investment as well as exploring the key advantages and potential challenges with investing in UK property and how these can be mitigated. I'll break down some of the jargon associated with property investment to ease your understanding of property investing in the UK. I'll be discu…
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#169 Have you worked out your goals? Your purpose for investing in property? Your destination? The next step is to work out how to get there. You’ll need tools to get to your chosen destination and in the next four episodes, we’re giving you 26 of them from A-Z. Some of them you’ll know and some of them you won’t. Some of them you’ll need for your …
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It's finally landed! Welcome to the first ever episode of Unlock Expat Property - The Podcast! I am excited to launch this new podcast aimed at fellow expats from all over the world who either have an interest in learning more about UK property investment or are already property investors looking to boost their knowledge. Whether you're new to inve…
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#168 More and more expats are getting in touch with us asking about supported living as a UK Property investment strategy. Many are attracted by the lower maintenance costs, absence of voids and the fact that it makes cashflow forecasting that much easier, knowing exactly how much a particular property will generate for an extended period of time. …
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#167 Would you like to know how to turn a three bed or even a two bed terraced house into a 6 bed all ensuite HMO, raising its value from 133K to 479K or more? What you like a glimpse into how this business model works? Would you like to understand the risks and how to mitigate for them? It’s not as easy as the course pushers would have you believe…
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#166 It seems like everyone’s interested in HMOs these days. It’s one of the few business models that passes mortgage lenders’ stress tests and just about gives you enough cashflow to make the effort worthwhile. It’s fair to say that most HMO investors, ourselves included, focus on the Midlands or the North. But today’s guest puts forward a robust …
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#165 Is property still the best way to build wealth? Is it still worth all the effort and aggravation. How long does it take to build a portfolio to see you through your later years or pass onto your children or grandchildren. How much money will it take. These are just some of the questions we’re looking at in this week’s show, which will definite…
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#164 Should you look in or outside Article 4 areas for your HMO? This episode featuring Nick Smith of Saltbox Living will help you decide. The answer depends on your circumstances. Are you investing for the long term or are you momnetum investing where you’re trying to replace an income quickly? Nick has the knowledge, experience, wisdom to answer …
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#163 One of the most frequently asked questions I get when listeners reach out is around expat mortgages. Do you need a broker? Does it matter where you live or who you work for? What kind of bank account do you need? Can you get a limited company mortgage, or should you buy in your personal name? What are the rules around portfolio landlords? Toda…
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#162 Did you know that commercial property usually cost less per square foot to buy than residential? This can make commercial property a very attractive option if you’re looking to develop HMOs. And often the location of commercial stock is ideal for this strategy. But commercial HMO conversions come with their own unique sets of risks and concern…
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#161 For this episode, we’re going back into the archives to remind new listeners and refresh the memories of the rest of you about the importance and detail behind one of the most frequently asked questions of UK property investors: Should you buy UK property in your own name or through a limited company? We’ll also be having another look at group…
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#160 Do you know what Sideways Loss Relief is? How about the Annual Investment allowance mechanism? And what do they have to do with Capital Allowances? Are you familiar with the deadlines for making a Capital Allowances claim and how to find out if they’ve been claimed before without alerting a vendor to the fact that they could make a claim. This…
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#159 You’ve probably heard about Capital allowances. You might even know something about this generally little known area of tax relief. But I’m sure you’d like to know more, right? If you have Commercial property, Serviced Accommodation or even HMOs, then it’s definitely worth your while listening to this two-part special on Capital Allowances bec…
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#158 Is social housing a business model that interests you? Do you understand how it works? Would you like to know how to go about building a portfolio based on providing housing for vulnerable people in all their shapes and sizes? Have you thought about the advantages and disadvantages? Are you wondering if this might be the way forward for you? S…
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#157 You may have heard people talking about sustainability, Net Zero, future proofing, institutional funding, socially conscious investing, Environmental and Social Governance or ESG and thought what’s it all got to do with me as an expat property investor. Well hopefully, after listening to this week’s show, you’ll be a little closer to finding o…
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#156 Building a UK property portfolio as an expat is not easy. Firstly there’s the distance… And the further you are from the UK the harder it is. Not only does it take a lot longer to get back to the UK, but there’s the added complication of time differences. And then there’s the lack of time available to work on building a portfolio. And finding …
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#155 Did you know that there are 3 billion Google Searches every day? And have you heard of a website called Answer the Public? Answer the Public is a website which listens into data from search engines like Google then quickly cranks out every useful phrase and question people are asking around a keyword. I typed in UK property and by far the most…
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#154 Have you considered using a home stager to market a property? Is it worth paying for a stager? What’s the difference between a home stager and an interior designer? Do you know if there’s a difference is between staging a property to rent versus staging to sell? If you’ve spent time thinking about any of these questions, then this episode is f…
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#153 Adopting a new UK property strategy is no walk in the park because you need to understand and control as many of the variables you can identify as possible. This is even more important if you’re using investor finance, because you need to have a plan A, Plan B and Plan C for giving your investors the return OF their money and ON their money. I…
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#152 How do you go about carrying out due diligence on a new UK Property business model? How can you make sure you’re not believing the hype? Do you presume that something must work because it’s what everyone else seems to be doing? This episode (the 3rd of 4) will hopefully get you thinking about some of these things as we continue our story of wh…
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#151 How do you keep on top of your UK Credit Rating? Do you even know what your credit rating is? Do you know what factors affect your score? This episode serves as a warning as to what can go wrong if you’re not very careful, even if you’re the kind of person like me that likes to pay their credit card debt at the end of each and every month. Kee…
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#150 Some of the most useful content according to people who get in touch with us is when we tell the parts of our story that don’t go well, And let’s face it, we learn more from what goes wrong than what goes right. So over the next few episodes we’ll be covering the reasons why we didn’t buy any property in 2023. This episode discusses: · Naivety…
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#149 Do you invest in stocks and shares? Do you invest in property? Maybe you invest in both? If you take two suitcases to the check in counter at the airport, one marked property and one stocks and shares and they tell you that you can only put one on the plane, which one do you choose? Have you ever wondered, like I have why people choose stocks …
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#148 How do you deal with setbacks in your property story? Lots of people talk about how to win, but maybe the real lessons to be found in life and property are about how to deal with, and come back from disappointment. And since we all have setbacks in our property stories from time to time, it often helps to be inspired by those who get up again …
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#147 How long does it take you to analyse a deal on Right Move? Do you find yourself looking at rubbish bins to try and work out the number of a property so that you can then go and check out the EPC and do other due diligence to work out if a deal really is a deal? If your plan is to turn it into an HMO, have you found it as frustrating as I have,…
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#146 Is now a good time to buy UK property? Do you wish you had a crystal ball to see six months into the future? How will the housing market look in the second half of 2024? When analysts comment on the state of the market, they look to house price indexes from the The UK House Price or Nationwide or Halifax as they try to predict future trends. B…
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#145 Do you regularly visit your investment area? How well do you know your location? Who are your eyes and ears in those places? How do you know if you can trust them? How often do you or could you visit your patch? Or are you confident enough to build a portfolio from the other side of the world with no friends or family to help you in the part o…
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#144 I’m in Derby. It’s the final day of my UK Property Tour. Today, I have to take the hire car back to Nottingham and then the train south to London. I also have two final meetings I’ve arranged. One with a second sourcer, who we’ll call Sourcer 2 and another with an HMO interior design team. But that’s not what’s at the front of my mind on this …
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#143 13 has always been mine and my wife's lucky number. On our one and only visit to a casino in Macau we once won two consecutive games of roulette picking, you guessed it the number 13. So will this deal that we’ve been offered in Derby be our lucky 13th addition to our portfolio on this, the 13th consecutive daily episode in our mini-season doc…
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#142 Day 11... My UK property tour and this mini-season of diary style podcasts is drawing to a close now. I'm in Derby meeting anyone and everyone who can help us find a 3 bed house to convert to a 6 bed all ensuite HMO It doesn’t look like I’m going to return to Hong Kong with an HMO in my back pocket. But the aim is to get as close as I can. To …
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#141 In preparation for my UK Property Tour, I used the filters on Spare Room to build up an XL database of HMO rooms that were achieving the highest rates. I excluded everything except rooms with en-suites and bills. My spreadsheet included columns for: · location · rents · amenities, · the dates the adverts were listed · how long the adverts had …
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