I’m an experienced property investment mentor and coach and one of the most common questions I am asked by my clients is ‘How do I get started in property or buy to let investment?’ Many of the people who first come to me are really unsure of where to start when it

comes to investing in buy to let property. They have no clear goals and although they know it could be a good alternative or addition to a pension fund, offer cash flow now, allow them to give up their job and give them financial freedom, they don’t know where to start.

Although many would be investors don’t know where to start, they

know where they want to end up. My role as a mentor and coach is to help them identify their goals – and property investment is usually a great option help them get to where they want to be personally, professionally and financially. I often come across people who have a clear idea of why they want to invest, and think that they have their goals all set out. However, when it comes to the crunch and I ask them what their goals are I often find that they unable to clarify what this is or they know what they want to achieve. They often know where they want to be in five or ten years and know how much money they would like to make, but have spent the last six months procrastinating and not getting anywhere.

Susan Alexander Coaching

How do I get started in

property investment? By Susan Alexander

So the first step in property investment is really to define a strat-egy. As a professional investor, you need to invest with your head and not your heart. Buying an investment property is very differ-ent to buying a home, which is done very much using your emo-tions. When buying a home you tend to look at the layout of the house, the room size, storage, décor, outdoor space and amenities. When

looking for an investment, you need to look at the rental income you can achieve, and whether the area is suitable for the type of property and the tenant you are appealing to. For example, when looking at a family home you need to deter-mine the popularity of schools and transport links, and with profes-sionals you need to ensure that the style and condition of the property will appeal to them and is within reach of areas of high employment such as a city centre as well as good public transport

links. My role is to help investors align their goals with their strategy, and to look at the practical side of where and what type of prop-erty to invest in – so teaching them about good due diligence. This also allows us to look at the financial side of things, putting in place a detailed plan in order to help them achieve their goal. We also look at other strategies aside from the usual route of find-ing a property through an estate agent, this includes property trading, lease options, delayed completion, rent to own, buy to rent and other strategies that could suit your circumstances. It’s not a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

www.SusanAlexanderCoaching.com

How do I get started in

property investment? By Susan Alexander

The key to successful investing is to make sure the basics are in place so that my investors aren’t only ready to get started but also to keep the momentum going once they start. This helps them to achieve their goal and minimizing their risks. Many people try and invest with no expert advice or coaching, instead trying to do it without any advice, thinking it’s like buying a home. But as I’ve mentioned before, it’s a very different

scenario. Property investing involves buying with your head, not your heart. It’s about the numbers stacking up, not the experience of living there. For more information on how I can help you begin your in-vestment journey, contact me Tel : Susan Alexander on 01244 760 213 eMail : susan@susanalexandercoaching.com

How do I get started in

property investment? By Susan Alexander