Why should you self-manage your property?
You’re building an empire for buy-to-let properties and have a property ready to rent, should you manage it yourself or leave it with an agent? Well in this article we will go through the pros and cons of each to help your decision.
Pros, why should you self-manage your portfolio?
If this is your first, then it makes sense that you would feel a little nervous about managing your own property. You may assume it’s better to use a professional instead. However, many people do manage their own property, and this is a great opportunity for you to learn the process for the future when you have more properties. A few mistakes at the beginning are common but this is the best way to learn.
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No fees
The biggest benefit of managing your property yourself is you save money on fees. When having a buy-to-let it is all about margins! Most letting agents will charge between 7-15% management fees based on the type of service they are providing you, and this will affect your margins a lot. By managing your own property, you save up to 15% on fees!
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It’s yours!
You might want to stay in complete control of your investment after lovingly researching, buying, and renovating your property. It’s easier to do what’s best for you when it’s your business, rather than just an agent’s workload.
Your property might already be repaired by trusted contractors, and you just prefer to do it yourself. By doing it yourself, at least you can be assured those necessary repairs and maintenance things will be done and done properly.
Cons, why shouldn’t self-manage your portfolio?
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Time – Admin and Operational
It can be time-consuming to manage a property. Managing more than a couple of properties may be challenging if you work full time. Your free time may be taken up with managing properties, so you will not be able to enjoy the financial benefits of owning properties.
Check out Lofti.co to see how you can save over 40% of your time by using our property management software.
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Legal issues
Making a mistake can get you into a world of legal trouble, so make sure you deal with every bit of red tape. The risk may seem too high if you are unsure, so you may want to hire an agent as a first step.
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Other issues
Despite the best management, not everything in life goes smoothly. You may feel entirely invested in your tenant’s objectives if he or she is having trouble paying rent or if you must evict him because of non-payment, which can be upsetting and personally charged for everyone involved. As a landlord, who wouldn’t feel guilty, angry, or potentially manipulated? It is much easier to deal with this if you have a property manager on your side.
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Mistakes can cost £
Making mistakes is a great way to learn. Not screening your tenants effectively is one of the worst mistakes you can make, leaving you with a property occupied by non-paying tenants.
It is possible that if you advertise your property, there are very few applicants, but an agent can choose from several highly suitable tenants. Among the benefits they offer is the ability to check a person’s credit history, employment history, public records, eviction records, and criminal history.
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You might not even be saving much…
Generally, these things are based on cost. A free offer of property management would almost guarantee 100% uptake. Therefore, most people choose to manage their own property to save on the cost of agent fees. The result may be that you spend more than you save. You may need a few repairs on your property in a year.
The advantage that agents have is that they have a network of suppliers that can handle repairs and maintenance at a discount. You could easily save yourself approximately one month’s rent by doing this. You can also discover if there are any tax benefits available to you. They could also resolve legal disputes on your behalf, which may save you thousands.
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