£40k Bargain Investment Deal on Argyle Street in Darwen, up with YourMove - Estate and Letting Agents in Darwen, spotted by Paul Ainsworth Lord

Calling all Bargain Hunters! 

33% Discount on Argyle Street in Darwen

Well, I was just checking looking to see what bargains I could find on Rightmove this morning and guess what I stumbled across? Don't know why I hadn't spotted this beauty sooner.

It's up for sale with our friends at the YourMove Letting and Estate Agents office here in Darwen, across the road from me.

Reduced from £60k to £40k
Then again it might have been the original price tag of £60k that put me off. But since it's now up for grabs at a whopping 33% discount - only £40k it's certainly on my radar now!

What's the catch? 
Before you all start scrambling for your phones... what has gone wrong here? Should we not be smelling a rat, given the big discount?

I can only assume given the length of time it's been on the market (quite a while) and the number of price reductions there's clearly more to this than meets the eye, or is there?

Can't be much wrong with it?
Given I've been in the property business most of my life, and professionally for the last 15 years or so, even at £40k - there can't be that much wrong
with it, surely?

Can't be this bad?

At worst.... if it needs a 'full job' on it to restore it to a good standard, I've never spent more than £30k on a major refurb on this type of property. So at worst, after works etc it's only going to stand the buyer at say... £65k - which means its still a cracking deal. The asking prices on this street tells me this is a bargain waiting to be snapped up!

Here it is:

 http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/36504396?search_identifier=0b041af1fa1d072aa13f7ab2700178ba#GdBrGMTJFQsrq3pD.97

Bargain on Argyle Street, Darwen

Numbers.... I like the numbers..

Well, lets suppose you bag it for £40k and spend £30k on the refurb. It's going to stand you at £70k.

Given we have budgeted a for a top end refurb here I think we should get £500pcm for it quite easily (probably more).

That means you'd be getting a nice healthy 8.6% Yield. And if we got £525pcm it wood be a nice juicy 9%.

And on top of this you have Capital appreciation - the cream!


If you see any other potential bargains and would like a second opinion, you know where I am, call in for a coffee and a chat.

Paul Ainsworth Lord
Darwen's Local Property Expert

Ainsworth Lord Estates
49 Market Street
Darwen
Lancs
BB3 1PS

Tel 01254 760660

or ping me an email:

Paul@AinsworthLordEstates.com

£85k for 3 bed semi on Snape St (Top End) not bad? Refurb Renter opportunity here with Proctors - Estate and Letting Agents in Darwen, spotted by Local Property Expert - Paul Ainsworth Lord

Should I. Shouldn't I?

Finding decent refurb deals is getting harder and harder. Its famine or feast with these.

Now, this isn't a brilliant deal, but it's got potential..... as they say.

We've done loads this year for various clients, and helped many others with their own... just keeping them straight with a few tips here and there....

Could this be one for you?


Take a look, here it is, just click the link:

Potential Refurber to keep and rent out

3 Bed Semi Refurb & Keep?

It's not been on very long, and I doubt they'll be queuing round the block to snap this one up.

No Money in this? Or is there?

Most of the refurb investors/buyers like to get in do the work and get out again, take their profit and move on to the next one.But for these guys thee is no money on it when you look at what they bring when done up.

Here's Another Angle...

UNLESS however, you're one of those that is happy to buy, refurb and keep it and rent it out. If you are then this is probably one for you.


Purchase Price is £85k
Needs a healthy spend.. so lets say £15k
Stand you at £100k .

Rental income from his probably £600pcm depending on finish.

Yield: 7.2% 

That's not bad, given you shouldn't have (hardly) any maintenance going forward.

If you were down south you could get caught up in a fight for this sort of yield. Have I got you thinkng?

Second Opinion?
If you want to have a chat about this in more detail or hear a second opinion, why not give me a call or bob in for a coffee? I'm always happy to have a chat.... no obligation whatsoever..

Paul Ainsworth Lord
Local Property Expert

Ainsworth Lord Estates 
49 Market Street
Darwen
Lancashire
BB3 1PS

Tel: 01254 760660

or ping me an email:

Paul@AinsworthLordEstates.com

Snape Street Darwen offering 8% return, offered by YourMove estate agents in Darwen. But beware! says Paul Ainsworth Lord, Darwen's Local Property Expert.

Snape Street is a popular rental street in Darwen.

I've never had any problems renting out on Snape St. and we have over a dozen on here. Demand is good because its a pleasant street in a decent location.

The rents I get on here vary from £395 to £445 and as you'd expect depend on the standard and finish being offered. These houses are generally good-sized 2 bedders.

Pseudo 3 Bedder....
 
I noticed this one that's a '3 bedder' and being offered for sale by our friends across the road at the Your Move office here in Darwen. They are claiming it has: '3 good sized bedrooms upstairs'. Now, I'm not one to diss other agents in my town, but in my world bedrooms that are only 6' wide do not count as 'good-sized' bedrooms.

Here it is:

Click Here for So called 3 bedder on Snape St Darwen

 http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-35303076.html?premiumA=true


Now you'd spot this straight away if you were to view it, but more importantly.... if you were to refurb this one and leave these bedrooms as they are you will struggle to find a tenant. I promise!

Beware...

Two - Bed Properties that have been poorly being marketed as '3 bedroomed properties' for sale or rent and priced as such are tough cookies to move. And this is more common than you think. Often innocently marketed by mistake by some of the estate agents in Darwen, Blackburn and other areas.

What people think is that by splitting one of the big bedrooms in two and creating 3 beds will not only increase rental returns, but also add capital values and in theory this should work, but when you create 2 box rooms that are neither use nor ornament you create a problem for yourself. Tenants aren't daft.

Often the result then is that you have a house that 'doesn't work' and struggles to rent, has high voids and doesn't deliver on returns.


Opportunity.....

Fortunately for us investors these come to the market - often because the landlord loses interest and decides to sell. This is where we can usually snap up a decent buy.


So how do we make good this little baby and deliver an 8+% yield? Well, I'd be happy to have a chat with you about this. Why not give me a call and we'll go through it.

My opinion?

I reckon this house is a good buy.. better at 35k!

This would make a good investment for either a new 'wannabe' landlord or someone

looking to add another renter to their portfolio.

But don't hang about, I know this has been on the market for a good while now (originally on at £45k) and was reduced to £40k about a month ago. Now I have written about it it will go, I'm certain!

You know where I am...








My office is...

Ainsworth Lord Estates
49 Market Street
Darwen BB3 1PS
(There's plenty of parking)

If you can't get down, give me a ring or ping me an email...

01254 760660
paul@ainsworthlordestates.com

Double Wammy Tip Off - Shop with Flat above coming to market soon. (I believe it's being sold for the bank). Chances are it will be a bargain, with 15%+ Yield potentially. from Paul Ainsworth Lord, Darwen's Local Property Expert

Get in there first.

'Double Wammy' Tip-Off

I've just heard about a property that's being sold for one of the banks and will be coming to the market very soon, and it's a cracker! (in more ways than one)

Double Wammy - New official straight talking term!

A 'Double Wammy' property (in my speak) is a property that offers a potential 'Double Wammy Return'. Put simply it means there's an opportunity to get (at least) two lots of rents from the one unit.

Given that this little baby is a shop with a flat above means you can rent the shop out to one tenant and the flat to someone else. Of course, there's nothing stopping you renting both parts to the same tenant. Either way, you'll get more rent by renting them separately than as one unit.

Super Yields & More Equity- we all want some of this.

It's all about the money!

These types of properties can deliver what's know as 'Super Yields'.

But not only that, it also reduces your income risk (and cash flow) as an investor. Which put simply means if one of the units is empty at least you'll have the rent from the other one.

And there is a second 'Double Wammy' with these properties too... once you have done the refurb work, the banks will value them much higher than you expect, especially if you have good tenants lined up or in place. Trust me the valuations will surprise you. The double wammy here being the equity you can create.

Silly Asking Price?

You'd think that properties like this would sell for silly money - a high price that is? Well, the reality is that they don't tend to fetch good money (usually).

The reason being.... most people are put off by ignorance and fear of moving out of their comfort zone, the need to find bigger deposits if borrowing money to make the purchase, and they do often cost a few quid more to refurbish.

But don't let any of this put you off. It's not a scary as it seems, in fact it's dead easy and if you have someone (like myself) that's handled plenty of these kind of jobs it's easier than ever.

So where is it?

I could hear you asking this....

Well, all I can tell you just now is that it's in Darwen (south side) and in a good renting area and the shop has been a shop as long as I can remember.


How much will it be?

Well an obvious question and quite right too.

I don't know how much it will be at the moment, but my sources tell me it will be 'right money'.

Remember, this property is not on the market yet.

You can be the first to view it.

Interested? (You should be)

Best thing to do now would be drop me an email to paul@ainsworthlordestates.com stating your interest. Don't forget to give me your phone number etc so I can call you once I have a bit more info and can get you one of the first viewings.

However, if you want to have a chat about this and other deals I hear of before they come to the market (and some don't always come to the market) why not call in for a chat and a coffee so we can discuss what you're looking for?

Or you can ping me an email or give me a ring....

You know where I am...

Ainsworth Lord Estates
49 Market Street
Darwen BB3 1PS

(My office is opposite Boots Chemist in the town centre, there's plenty of easy parking)

my email address is:

paul@ainsworthlordestates.com

Tel: 01254 760660

Make sure you register for my regular emails with details of deals in and around the Darwen Area, and updates (top right hand corner of page).

Commercial Investment Opportunity in Darwen up for grabs with Proctors, Estate Agents in Darwen

Investment Commercial Property Darwen- It's got potential....

I don't often highlight commercial properties. But this bobbed up on my radar and I think it's worth a punt.

On the market with one of the Estate Agents in Darwen at a sensible £35k, this mid-terraced commercial property seems right money to me.

Needs a fair bit of work

There is a catch though... I believe it need a good spend on it, as it needs a full refurb. Now sometimes with commercial properties this can be expensive.

Given it's been advertised at an attractive price (some agents do this to get lots of interest) I dare say there will be some serious interest in it and you could end up paying too much for it, so be careful.

Lets's say you paid £45k for it and it needs £20k spending on it.
This means it will stand you at £65. This in turn means we'd need to get a decent rent on it to make it a worthwhile investment. An ideal addition to a portfolio to add some diversity.

Still worth checking out though.

Here it is:

Commercial Property for Sale on Duckworth St. Darwen

If you see anything interesting, let me know and I'll let you have my thoughts...
I'm always happy to offer a second opinion.

Paul@AinsworthLordEstates.com
Tel: 01254 760660

7%+ Yield on Richmond Terrace in Darwen. Needs a bit of work though. A good buy and hold?

I see that our friends at Proctors, one of the Estate Agents in Darwen, have just listed for sale this garden fronted terraced property on Richmond Terrace in Darwen.

Asking Price £55k - not bad, in fact - not bad at all. 

Needs a bit of work

Check it out, click here:  Richmond Terrace Darwen

"Looks a good buy to me for £55k"

I see from the pictures and description it has had a new roof not that long ago, so that's good news. But it does need a decent spend on the rest of the house.


Needs some work...

I reckon it needs a minimum of £10k spending on it, that's if you can do the work yourself? If you have to pay contractors then you can double it at least.

So £55k Plus £10k - it'll stand you at £65k And we'd get you a rent of anything from £400 - £450 depending on how good a job you do.

Rental Values:

At £400 that would be a yield of 7.3%

At £450 that would be 8.3%

As the figures suggest, it's always best to do a proper job, and they rent much better, quicker and tenants stay longer.

Rental Demand for this area?

Strong Rental Demand Area

Richmond Terrace is just up past the railway station, so it's great for commuters who want to get to Manchester or Blackburn etc... It'd dead handy for town too - only a short walk away. And parking is ok up here too.

Good Capital Return
The area as a whole is on the up which means the capital return on your investment is pretty secure. In fact in 10 years time you'll be saying to yourself... "we should have bought next door too".

Seen something else?
If you have your eye on anything else, or looking to sell any of your renters, just give me a call and we can chat some more.

Or better still bob in to see me and we can discuss it over a coffee (we only do nice coffee you know).

here's my details...

Paul Ainsworth Lord

Tel 01254 760660
Paul@AinsworthLordEstates.com

Real Investment Opportunity - This property looks cheap, on Redearth Rd Darwen.

Real £55k Bargain, but avoid using Blue....

To Cheap? or Too Good to be True, or is it the Blue Paint?

I've always said that Blue is the worst colour to use in our job, it just doesn't help sell or rent houses.



So why hasn't this one sold? Now whether I can blame the use of blue paint on this one might be stretching it a bit?

Avoid using Blue!

Have a look for yourself, here's the link...

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35971307?search_identifier=d6fd6c14e386be8f43fbc90e46792b8a#hye8HH7HeotCadeK.97

Up at £55k with our friends at Proctors, this property up Redearth Road in Darwen, just up from the town centre, looks like a real bargain to me.

Now I have to qualify that a bit because there are no photos with this listing, other than the front picture, AND I haven't been or seen in side it, so it could be a real mess?

Probably needs a good spend....
 
That said, Ive seen some messes in my time and 20-30k will go an awful long way on a refurb, and a proper refurb at that! (that includes the £100 to repaint the front a different colour)

So if I bought it and had to spend £30k on it it would be a mint job and be worth a lot more - and pull a very handsome rent too. So at worst it still looks a very good buy.

Get the refurb right - get the right profit.

Getting refurbs right is important and shouldn't be ignored.
Whilst in my job I see some real wrecks that need refurbing, I also see some shameful refurbs that cost the investor a fortune - and that's not as uncommon as it sounds. Bad tiling, bad decorating, bad kitchen fitting, and the rest.

Getting the refurb right is where the profit is, and you might have hear me say... 'the money is (always) in the detail', try to remember this.

I have huge portfolio of refubs I can show you if you get chance to call in. Some from as low as £7k (mini refurbs) and others over £100k.

So what's so good about this one?

So what else makes this one a good buy, surely it's 'just another' fifty grander in Darwen? I hear you ask...

Well, I know Darwen like the back of my hand, and we have several other properties on Redearth Rd. and this block in particular and they all pull in decent rents.

These bay window, garden fronted ones are 'huge' inside. Plus they have big cellars too and so appeal to a wide audience house hunters - both for renting and buying.

Also, they do bring good prices on this row, and we get premium rents on this block just because of the size of them.

PS.. Debs in our office sold one on this block not long ago and got over £75k for it - and that needed a full refurb.

My Opinion - Buy (But do view it first)

Hopefully you haven't missed it.

If you want me to view it for you give me a ring, or ping me an email. I'd be more than happy to. I could give you a 'ball park' on the works needed and get our contractors to price up the job if you buy it.

Or of course, just bob into the office for a coffee and a chat.

(I'm also happy to discuss and offer a second opinion on anything else you might have seen in Darwen.)

Paul@AinsworthLordEstates.com
Tel 01254 760660

49 Market St 
Darwen
BB3 1PS
(There's plenty parking)

Two Refurb Bargains in Darwen for the Serious Investor

I went to look at a couple of Bargain Properties for one of my clients last week. He'd called me to say he'd seen a couple of properties come up for sale on my patch, with a Blackburn Agent, and wanted to know what I thought of the streets and if I knew the properties?

As soon as he said one was on Westwell St and the other was on Gillibrand St, I knew exactly which properties he was referring to. In fact, I was one step ahead.... I'd already got my viewing booked, just to see if they were worth buying. Afterall, if they were I would make an offer anyway (I can buy do-er uppers for some of my clients without them even seeing them).

Attractive Prices
The Guide Prices were very attractive.
The one on Westwell St was offers over £35k, and the Gillibrand St was offers over £25k, and on the face of it both look like bargains. So of course I wanted to see them.

I suspected they were Compulsory Purchase Properties being sold on by the council and this was confirmed by the Agent. This in itself is not good news!

Anyway, you can see them here:

12 Westwell St. Darwen
http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35875072#DMEIyjHclBivulDI.97

40 Gillibrand St. Darwen
http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35875001#PsLIJVTGW02rgc4J.97

Anyway, I'm writing this after having viewed them both.

And it has to be said, YES there is some good money to be made on these for sure - providing we get them.

Potentially £50k Profit on these deals combined
The one on Gillibrand St will fetch anything between 80 & 90k if done nicely, and the Westwell one could well sell for a similar figure (pity it wasn't on the opposite side of the street as they fetch roughly £10k more)



They are both in need of some serious work.. very serious! but that doesn't phase me or the guy that called me in the slightest, I often say we like them rough - the rougher the better!

So..  offers have been submitted on both, in time for the cut off date (typical of Council Property Sales). The offers I've made are sensible and take account of the big spend that is needed, and take account of the important fact we have to  make a decent profit on them otherwise there's no point bothering as there are loads of good deals about at the moment.


Council Sales are a Unpredictable at best!
But here is the problem (apart from the other investors that have submitted offers)..... as these are council sales we have no way of knowing how this will pan out. The council use a bizarre method of deciding which offer to accept, a formula unknown to anyone else and without logic or any sense at all. Price doesn't come into it either. It's a lottery and that's how it has to be viewed. AND it can take literally months for them to decide, so it's now a case of waiting.

Tip...
If you find yourself in this situation and your offer is eventually accepted on one of these type of sales, it's worth remembering that you're quite within your rights to pull out if you find something else in the mean time. So don't let this sort of thing stop you looking at other deals and offering on others in the mean time.

So if you want a second opinion on a property you've seen, give me a ring. Chances are I'll know which one your looking at and who knows if I've made an offer on it your timing might be bang on to bag it before I give it to one of my other investor clients.

If you want to chat to me about my sourcing service you know where I am.

Why not bob in for a coffee (I only do nice coffee), or alternatively ping me an email: Paul@AinsworthLordEstates.com or give me a ring on 01254 760660 I'm always happy to chat and share what I know.....

Over £30k Profit up for grabs on this refub opportunity on Gillibrand St Darwen, from Estate Agents in Darwen

Another Golden Nugget found in Darwen

Well... Debs told me about this golden nugget she got today. 'I've got a cracker for one of your Investors' she said. So naturally, I wanted to know more.

And guess what, she's absolutely right! Vendor wants a quick sale, and looking at this little beauty, that won't be a problem!

So, let's take a look, and do the numbers....

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/36089047

Golden Nugget on Gillibrand St Darwen

It's nothing fancy at the moment, and does certainly require a full refurb. But that shouldn't put off the experienced investor or tradesman wanting to embark on their first do'er-upper.

The potential returns on this one make it a bargain (or golden nugget, as I like to call them).


Needs to be a 3 bedder
Once done up to a 'nice' standard (not a cheap or bad job!) the resale price on this could be as much as £85k, but even more if made into a nice 3 bedder - finished well.

You'd be best speaking to Debs on any plans you might have for a job like this, and listen to what suggestions she has in order to get the best price on re-sale. Our general thinking is this needs to be made into a 3 bed house (it's big enough), as this is where the big bucks are!

Over £30k Profit - lets do the maths...
It's on the market for Offers Over £30k. So let's say you were a cash buyer (very important for these kind of deals), and bagged it for £32k. Then spent £25k on the refurb and then Debs got you £90k, this means you'd be left with a nice tidy profit of £33k.

Now do you see why it's a golden nugget? Do two or three of these a year and it's happy days.

My Verdict: Get it bought!

Derelict Property - Investment Opportunity In Darwen for the Experienced? Too Risky??

Two-For-One Derelict Property Deal.
If I had a quid for for every time I've been asked about this one, I'd be a millionaire by now! well not quite, but you get what I mean.... but no-one seems to have the guts to take it on.

Serious Refurber - only for the experienced Investor

Its a pair of terraces on a gable end, in pretty bad shape, being offered for sale by our friends at Thomas Shaw & Co in Blackburn.

So what would I do with this one? And why hasn't it been snapped up yet?

Well, to someone from out of town it looks a bit of a bargain, and I'm sure its gonna go soon. But us local folks know that Green Street East in Darwen is a tough street and the properties in this area don't fetch much money on a sale or when up for rent - even when done to a fairly good standard.
Because it's tough, unless you're up for a challenge and have a clear plan, a good refurb team behind you this is one to probably stay clear from.

Gable End Refurber - Green Street East Darwen

Thing is, a lot of the people I speak to just want the easy stuff - the straight refurbers or easy renters and projects like this scare most folks.

Having said that, anyone who knows me knows I like a challenge! So can I see the money in this one?

My answer is yes! and some good money too, but you need to have a plan and know what you're doing!

Up for the challenge on this one?

If you also like a challenge and are up for a chat, then give me a ring and I'll talk some more. Here's the deal..... I'll make the coffee, you bring the cream cakes!

I can see a nice little return on this ugly baby! I bet most folk won't.

Here it is...


Derelict Property on Green Street East Darwen

Nice Refurb Opportunity Lynwood Avenue, Darwen. £15k for a couple of months work? Not bad!

I'm always being asked for refurb deals, and to bag nice deals it's not always easy as they tend to get snapped up pretty quick.

But just scouting round on Rightmove and Zoopla this morning I noticed a decentish property that looks as though it could well be a nice little earner. Its not gonna make you rich overnight but it looks to me like one worth picking up to keep you refurbers busy for the next couple of months......

It's up with two Darwen Estate Agents - YourMove Darwen and Ainsworth Lord Estates. It's been on the market since middle of October which is over a month now, and not snapped up... so it needs a good looking at with a critical eye cos something that's been on for a over a month and not sold may have issues?

Reduced by £10k
Then just looking at it again, I notice it's been reduced from its original asking price of £75k... so its been dropped twice - £5k each time to £65k- that could well explain why its not gone yet mmmmmm?

Here's the baby....

and here's the link..
Potential Refurb Deal on Lynwood Ave Darwen

So what would it be worth when its been refurbed to a 'good' standard? Well I asked Deborah our sales director who is one of the agents selling it and she reckons with a nice refurb job done on it it's worth around the £100k mark. But she also stressed it neds to be a nice job, not a cheap job!

£10-£15k for a couple of months work? 
So I reckon a fat £20k spend on it should do the job. Given it's been dropped form £75k to £65k with a £20k spend will mean it stands you at around £85k. So if Debs got £99k for it you woud walk away with between £10-£15k profit. Not bad for a couple of months work (tax free if you box clever)?

So go have a look and make the offer, see if you can get it for £65 or thereabouts. I should imagine with the price reduction the interest levels have spiked a bit. Certainly don't go over £70k as the risk becomes a bit too fine, and I always say refurb deals aren't worth bothering with if you can't clear £10k min.

Remember if you see anything worth looking at drop me an eamil or call in to my office on Market St in Darwen. Always happy to chat and offer a second opinion. Debs will usually be around to offer her advice too. my email is paul@ainsworthlordestates.com
Happy hunting!

Nice little Darwen cracker here... 20%+ yield

Well, just been checking out what our friends at YourMove Darwen have got on their books, got to keep an eye on the competition :-).... anyway, stumbled across what is potentially a nice little deal here......

Great Darwen Investment Property

Dead Duck or Gold Mine?

Refurbishment Project for Darwen Investor

 Mucky Job?

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/34852350#ouo8BeQJkqdrRRx7.97

Stuff like this will be seen by most people as a dead duck, or load of hassle. But in my book it's a golden nugget and I'm always looking for properties like this for my clients, and that's another reason I have to keep checking out what the other estate agents in Darwen are getting on their books.

So where's the money in this I hear you ask?

Well first of all, we don't want to be paying 40k for it! It's worth putting in a cheeky offer on something like this. So let's start at 20k (probably won't be accepted, but you never know!) In all honestly they'll probably throw you out of the office... but hey ho! so, I'd expect to pay about 30k for it. Then it's gonna need a decent spend on it of course. I'd budget about 25k for what I'd do.

There is strong demand in Darwen, with what I'd do with this one, and the returns on it are staggering - not just in terms of rental yield, but capital too. (Despite where it is).

So, you might have noticed, I haven't fully revealed where the money is on this one? But if you're seriously interested in knowing more about how I'd monetize this one, just pop in to my office for a coffee and a chat (bring cream cakes!) and I'll give you my angle on it....

My office is in Darwen town centre, just opposite Boots (and YourMove's office).

Well, better crack on and make a few phone calls. I know several clients that should buy this one!

Laurel Avenue, Darwen - BTL sub-£25k -- PROJECT

Ok, I must declare, this property is on the market with us, but it is a genuine buy to let bargain.

£24,950 for a two bed terraced .. needs everything doing to it

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/34743427

Great Investment Project Darwen

Olive Lane Darwen, Reduced by 15% Another Investment Opportunity? from Paul Ainsworth Lord, Darwen Property Expert

I'm always on the lookout for potential deals for Landlords that call me asking for my opinion on whether or not they should buy this house or that, which is great.  But the thing is I often get really enthusiastic new landlords or 'wannabe' landlords looking for properties but just not sure what to buy or where, and this is where local knowledge comes in handy.

Local Knowledge is Paramount
Luckily for me, I have lived in Darwen all of my life (except for a 5 yr stint at Uni) so I can happily say I know every street in Darwen - and just as importantly, know the difference between one end and the other - and there can be big differences.


Take Olive Lane in Darwen for example. Talk about a mixed bag! You see, there are some partsof Olive Lane that work for some investors and other parts that don't. For a variety of reasons.

Reduced by almost 15%
Anyway, on the subject of Olive Lane, I noticed that Proctors Estate Agents have this terraced on the market (still), which has been nicely reduced by almost 15% from when it was put up for sale last November! So it gets my attention.

First of all, it should have been snapped up by now IMHO. So let's take a look at it on Rightmove...


Ugly Pictures are Good!
Ok, it's not very pretty (or at least the Darwen Estate Agent's listing isn't). But as a landlord, this can be a good thing, because the chances are joe punter will think so too. In turn there will be less interest in it (hopefully) and this could well be the reason why it still hasn't sold?
But then again, if you check out the house next door you'd be forgiven for thinking this might be a rough area. Afterall, if next door's had the front door kicked in why on earth would you want to buy a house next door to that? And more importantly is it going to rent out if it was done up and made nice and presentable?

Landlord's Investment Deal on Olive Lane in Darwen.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-41595163.html

Well, here's my view on this...

The property game should be seen as a long term business
We have to remember the property game, or at least for landlords and wannabe landlords, should be viewed as a long game, and not a business to get into if you want to make short term quick wins (however, such a strategy is fine, but requires a different approach with a different game plan).

So as a medium to long term plan, and with that firmly in mind, this one fits the bill nicely.

Firstly I see an opportunity to add value here, and secondly, I expect to get it for even less than they are trying for. I'd probably chuck in a cheeky offer at 20k with a view to getting an offer accepted at somewhere between 25-30k. But any reduction in price at this sort of level has to be seen as a win.

It's then reasonable to assume, given there is a lack of internal pictures, that it's gong to need a decent spend. Assuming you can do a bit of the work yourself, or have access to some lads that can do a good job at the right money, let's allow say... a 15k refurb budget.

'No Money Left In' Deal
So at worst you pay 30k for it, spend 15k refurbing it, it then stands you at 45k. So long as you followed the refurb advice of an agent that can get you a top rent, I see no reason why you wouldn't be able to add equity and still deliver a double digit yield on this little baby, and pull out all your money again remortgaging it on a sensible BTL mortgage? (and still make a profit on the monthly cashflow).

In summary what we have here is a 'no money left in' deal that will cashflow nicely.

Doubled in price
And not forgetting this is a mid to long term business, if property prices continue to double every 12 years or so, like they have over the last few hundred years, given time you'll double your money too.

Bit of a no brainer really. Perhaps I should buy it myself???

If you see any other like this little baby and want to discuss if it's right for you, why not give me a ring, or better still cal in for a brew? I'd be more than happy to have a chat. My office is right in the town centre, Ainsworth Lord Estates 49 Market St Darwen BB3 1PS Tel 01254 760 660 - ask for Paul.