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The most common question we get asked at RWinvest from people looking to invest in property in the UK is, “how much money do I need to invest?”
If this is something you’re wondering about, you’re in the right place.
We’re here to answer this question and help you with your UK property investment journey.
In this guide, you’ll find out how much money you need to invest in property in the UK, with a breakdown of the mortgage payments, stamp duty, purchase prices, and more.
You will also learn the following:
So, if you want to learn all about how to invest money in the UK, keep reading to learn more!
By submitting your details you agree to allow RWinvest to store and process the information submitted and receive product information and other communication, as stated in the privacy policy.
By submitting your details you agree to allow RWinvest to store and process the information submitted and receive product information and other communication, as stated in the privacy policy.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of this guide, it’s important to address if investing in property in UK 2023 is a good idea for you.
First and foremost, there are five main reasons why you should invest in UK property in 2023.
However, while we think investing in property in the UK is an excellent choice and one of the best things to invest in right now, the reality is it won’t be for everyone.
Property can be expensive, with UK property price averages currently at an all-time high of over £290k. Of course, the average price of UK property differs depending on where you invest.
As you will find out later, you’ll likely need around £30k to initially secure some of the most affordable buy to let properties on the market.
Likewise, property is a long-term investment, as you will need to allow the asset to grow in value for the best returns.
While there are ways to reduce the costs involved, it’s important to know that there are other strategies in the UK that could be more suited to your budget and investment goals.
If you’re asking how to invest money in the UK, there are currently several popular investment strategies, including:
Regardless of your budget, we have perfect guides that evaluate each of these strategies based on your budget and the return potential on offer.
Our guides include:
If you’ve decided that investing in property in UK in 2023 is the right thing for you, it’s time to look at how to invest money in the UK property market and the costs involved.
There are currently 10 incredibly popular methods for investing in property in UK 2023.
Types of property investment include:
There are a lot of options for investors with up-and-coming types of property investment, including property funds, investment platforms, property crowdfunding, and real estate investment trusts.
If you’re looking at investing in property for beginners, the best options are buy to let rental property, student accommodation, and off-plan property, as they are the most simple and easy to understand.
The most difficult routes will likely be buy to sell properties and real estate investment trusts UK as they will depend on your understanding of the property market and your ability to identify good deals.
For this guide, we are going to focus mainly on buy to let rental property, student accommodation, and off-plan property, as they are by far the most popular ways of investing in property in UK 2023.
If you want to learn more about the other strategies, you can check out our guide covering the top 10 best property investment strategies, where we give pros and cons for each method.
If you’re looking to invest in property as a beginner, then one of the best property investment strategies in the UK at the moment is residential buy to let property.
Residential buy to let property is one that is purchased to rent to a single tenant, including families.
This strategy attracts heavy investment interest due to the ability to generate returns through both rental income and capital growth (the increase in a property’s value over time).
While, traditionally, investors would purchase homes to rent to families, one of the most popular ways of buying buy to let property in 2023 is through luxury city-centre apartments.
This is because luxury city centre apartments attract interest from young professionals, who are more likely to rent, and stay renting for many years.
They’re also cheaper than detached and semi-detached houses, making it easier for investors to build a property portfolio and increase their income.
So, how much money do you need to invest in property in the UK if you opt for buy to let property investment?
Before we look into detail at the expenses, it’s important to establish what type of costs you will encounter when investing in property.
The costs involved with investing money in property can be split into three main categories.
Currently, in the UK, the average property price, according to the Land Registry, is valued at £294,329 as of December 2022.
However, prices can vary heavily, depending on what type of property you’re looking to buy and the location of the investment (something we will discuss later).
While these prices may be out of the range of most investors and landlords, one of the central benefits of buy to let when it comes to financing your investment is that you can use a buy to let mortgage.
Buy to let mortgages work slightly differently than normal residential mortgages, as they require higher deposits, usually 25%, and they are usually interest-only.
This means you will only pay the interest every month without touching the overall debt. Then, come the end of the mortgage period, you will need to pay off the full debt by either selling the property or re-mortgaging.
You can read our full guide to buy to let mortgages and BTL tax in our detailed beginner guide.
The other main cost you will see is Stamp Duty Land Tax.
The tax operates under a progressive tax system, meaning you will pay different tax rates on certain portions of the property price.
To learn more about stamp duty and calculate how much you will pay, check out our stamp duty calculator.
If you’re a first-time buyer, you can also check out our first-time buyer stamp duty ultimate guide by clicking the link.
Current rates are:
Aside from mortgage costs and stamp duty, there are some other expenses you can expect when investing in UK property.
They are:
Below you will find an estimated total for costs you could expect to pay upfront at varying property price points if you use a mortgage.
When investing money in property, there are other costs than just the upfront expenses.
Potential ongoing costs for investing in UK property include:
Upon the sale of your property, you will also need to pay some fees before you can (ideally) net your profit.
Examples of exit costs include:
Additionally, investors should be aware of any potential changes to property regulations, such as the new EPC regulations set to take effect in 2023 and beyond.
Currently, all rental properties must have an EPC rating of E or above, but future regulations may require a rating of C or higher, with those who fail to comply facing severe fines if their property is not up to scratch.
Check out our guide to what you need to know about energy efficiency for more.
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Another excellent choice for investing in property for beginners is through student property.
Student property investment has shot up in popularity in recent years thanks to some seriously attractive benefits.
For starters, student accommodation is far more affordable than residential property, helping to deliver investors far higher returns than they normally would.
Most student accommodation also has its own dedicated property management company, meaning investors can usually have a completely hands-off investment.
There are two main ways to invest in student property.
They are:
Currently, the most popular choice amongst investors is PBSA, with a report from Savills finding that over £5.77 billion was spent on PBSA in 2020 – a record-high.
Just keep in mind that student accommodation investments don’t usually see large capital growth. If you’re focusing on capital appreciation as an investment goal, residential property is likely the better option for you.
To get more information on student property investment and the latest tips in 2023, you can check out our ultimate student property investment guide by following the link.
Like residential property, student accommodation has much of the same upfront expenses but with one big difference – you’ll likely struggle to find a mortgage.
This will mean you’ll often need to have the entire cash payment on hand, with student properties usually found below the £100k mark.
Notably, if you invest through a property investment company, you can sometimes use payment plans to purchase the accommodation, with sometimes smaller deposits needed between 20-50% upon the exchange of contracts.
You’ll also save a tonne on buying a property if you choose off-plan – something we will address in the next section.
Overall, though, upfront costs for student accommodation property will include:
For investing money in student property, you’ll encounter most of the same ongoing and exit costs attached to residential property, minus mortgage interest payments.
Potential ongoing costs for investing in UK student property include:
Examples of exit costs include:
If you want to know how to invest in property in the UK with little money, your best bet is by buying off-plan property.
Off-plan property is a new-build property that is available to be purchased but hasn’t yet been completed.
You can buy both residential and student property off-plan.
While it sounds risky investing in an unfinished asset, the main benefit is affordability.
Off-plan properties are usually offered at below-market value as an incentive to invest. For instance, Merchant’s Wharf Manchester is 55% BMV.
If you buy an apartment in an off-plan development, you’ll also be able to cherry-pick the best units first, likely ensuring the most tenant interest.
To get a full breakdown of off-plan property investment and the benefits involved, be sure to check out our beginner’s guide for the latest tips and tricks.
In the UK, the answer to the question “how much do I need to invest in property?” can be a tough one to tackle.
This is because there are huge regional differences in property prices, with some areas offering far higher return potential.
So, the answer to “how much do I need to invest in UK property?” depends heavily on where you choose to invest money in property.
Naturally, investors will want to find the best places to invest in property UK 2023 to make the best investment possible at the most affordable price.
Most investors would agree that some of the best places to invest in property in UK 2023 are:
These locations offer excellent affordability while also benefiting from considerable rental yields and tenant demand.
Below you will find a breakdown of the average prices seen in this area to show you how affordable investing money in property in these areas is in 2023.
To get a full deep dive into local rental markets, average rental yields, property prices (and more), be sure to check out our updated guide covering the Best Places to Invest in Property UK [2023]
While it’s evident that to invest in property, UK investors will typically need a significant sum of cash available, it’s also important to note that there are things you can do to try and keep costs as low as possible.
If you’re thinking of investing money in property and want to know how to invest in property in the UK with little money, keep the following points in mind when searching for your perfect investment.
As covered in our last section, property prices vary across different cities in the UK.
If you’re looking to keep costs low, make sure you invest in a city like Liverpool, where you can find investment opportunities for £100k or less and avoid Southern cities like London.
If you’re wondering how to invest money in the UK without going over budget, consider the property investment type.
Many property investors find student properties to be more affordable than residential buy to let property; however, the trade-off is lower capital appreciation potential.
You can also choose off-plan new-build properties to find investments at below-market value rates.
In the case of investment opportunities sold by RWinvest, all of our properties are new builds and therefore ready for tenancy straight away, while also offering prices from as low as £132,950.
If you’re investing with a property company, you’re in a better position to benefit from exclusive discounts and deals.
Be sure to enquire about any discounts available, and you could find that you’re able to spend a lot less than expected on a high-quality investment.
For instance, RWinvest offers free furniture packs on select properties worth over £5,000.
If you’re unable to pay the entire property price in full, spend some time finding out about possible finance options that are available to you.
While mortgages and mortgage deals are likely the first options to come to mind, there are also bridging loans to be aware of when you invest in the UK.
Be sure to research bridging loans to see if they are ideal for you, and shop around for the best mortgage deals before you decide to invest in the UK.
You can also chat with a financial advisor to explore all of your investment options.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide to investing money in property UK 2023.
Whether you’re looking at investing in property for beginners or are asking, “should I invest in property UK?” we hope all your questions have been answered.
The amount of money needed to invest in property can change a lot depending on government legislation like the Spring 2023 Budget, so be sure to keep on top of any property investment news.
If you’re interested in investing in UK property or want to learn more about the housing market or UK property investment in general, then get in touch with our sales team today.
Here at RWinvest, we are an award-winning property investment company with over 17 years of experience in residential and buy-to-let properties – knowledge that can almost certainly be used to find the best available investments possible!
If you’re an overseas investor interested in investing in UK property, we have guides on buying property in the UK from the USA, Hong Kong, the UAE, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia, which you may find helpful.
John is a property writer here at RWinvest. With a close eye on property market news and updates, John writes detailed and informative articles on a range of topics that are helpful for anybody looking to invest in UK property.
By submitting your details you agree to allow RWinvest to store and process the information submitted and receive product information and other communication, as stated in the privacy policy.
