The Property Podcast

August is always a strange month for property. This one is stranger than usual...

There’s been good and bad news in equal measure, and often it looks like the headlines are pointing in opposite directions.

In our latest market update, Rob & Rob go through every number that moved: prices, rents, lending and what landlords are doing with their money. Sentiment is grim, the returns on offer are the strongest in years, and the space between those two things is the whole story.

(00:45) A new Prime Minister, a returning Housing Secretary, and two property policies ruled out inside a week

(02:17) Rates held at 3.75%, and the biggest August drop in asking prices since 2018

(05:07) Four of the biggest lenders have repriced. Is this the start of a proper run of cuts?

(06:13) The average UK rent is now £1,369, and one city is running far hotter than that

(08:12) Landlords bought more homes than they sold for the first time since 2019

(09:15) Residential construction starts are down 46% year on year, and building cannot be switched back on quickly

Links mentioned:

Politics:

Burnham rules out property reform in Budget

Macro backdrop:

Bank of England holds at 3.75%

House prices:

Rightmove House Price Index

Nationwide's House Price Index

Lloyds' House Price Index (formerly Halifax)

Mortgages and lending:

Barclays, HSBC, Santander, Coventry all reprice down

Buy-to-let arrears and repossessions fall

Rents:

HomeLet Rental Index

Manchester city centre rental report

Landlord behaviour:

Hamptons: landlords are net buyers for the first time since 2019

Planning and supply:

Persimmon half-year results

Glenigan: residential construction starts down 46% year on year

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Could a doubling ground rent clause be a hidden opportunity, or a deal-breaker you can’t afford to ignore? And what happens when your tenant gives notice but then refuses to leave?

Your questions answered on today’s Ask Rob & Rob.

(00:45) Charlie’s got properties with ground rent clauses that double every 25 years. Will lenders play ball? Rob B explains why leverage is everything here, and why the upcoming Leasehold Reform Bill could change the game of ground rents.

(03:47) Ryan’s tenant gave two months’ notice but their onward move fell through, and his incoming tenant moved elsewhere - putting him back at square one. How can landlords best protect themselves in situations like this? Rob D breaks down where landlords legally stand.

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Here’s episode 700 of The Property Podcast, and Rob & Rob are marking the milestone by distilling everything they’ve learned across every single episode into 7 non-negotiable laws of property investment.

Miss even one, and your portfolio will suffer. Follow all 7, and the odds are stacked heavily in your favour.

(01:15) News story of the week

(04:47) Law 1: Why property without leverage isn’t worth your time

(11:15) Law 2: The long game (plus why your first year will be your worst)

(15:22) Law 3: Every property must pay you to hold it

(17:40) Law 4: Fundamentals drive everything

(20:47) Law 5: Follow the data and ignore the noise

(23:13) Law 6: Goals first, strategy second

(25:01) Law 7: Act like the CEO

(28:41) Hub Extra

Links mentioned:

Pet request data since the RRA

RRA impact on asking rent pricing

Watch Rafa on Netflix

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Should you buy a property when the tenant already has rent arrears? And is there a smarter place to park your cash than a business bank account?

Your questions answered on today’s Ask Rob & Rob.

(00:44) James has found a property that ticks every box. The only exception is the tenant has rent arrears. Should he still go ahead with the investment? Rob B shares how to assess whether the discount you’d get makes the risk worthwhile.

(05:51) Matt’s trying to build a deposit for his next investment as efficiently as possible. Are money market funds a better option than a business bank account for saving towards his next deposit? Rob D warns not to expect a game changer.

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Six months ago, Rob & Rob made their property predictions for the year. So did the big-name forecasters. Now it's time to check the scoreboard.

Prices are grinding upward, rents are re-accelerating, and the base rate story has taken a turn nobody had in their January script. Rob & Rob break down what they got right, what they got wrong, and what this tells us about the rest of the year ahead.

(00:58) News story of the week

(03:50) Who's closest on house prices and who needs a miracle in the second half

(07:13) Every single city pick is beating the national average

(09:47) Why rents are re-accelerating despite the Renters' Rights Act

(12:17) The forecast everyone got spectacularly wrong in the same direction

(18:45) The one prediction we can already score (no pun intended)

(19:45) Hub Extra

Links mentioned:

Chat GPT’s voice mode

Fluid Voice

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