Buying to Rent: The Key to Your Financial Freedom (Financial Times Series) [Paperback]

The needs of different people are catered for as the reader is taken through a pathway and encouraged to think about the subject from good first principles. It reviews some of the mental aspects required such as how the reader treats money, their spending habits, and their prior role models around money. It also addresses how to get started if you have little money.

Describing how 'buy-to-rent' can be a viable alternative to a pension plan and shining light on 'buy-to-rent' as an escape route into the state of financial freedom, where one is not reliant on a job to pay bills. The book warns the reader not to become another 'buy-to-rent' trend victim and grounds in the fact that 'buy-to-rent' investments are mainly for the long term. It advocates a realistic and well-planned strategy encouraging the reader to plan before doing. It illustrates how a portfolio can be built.

Highly recommended, a great book for someone who is new to 'buy to rent' property investing and a good book for those that have a few 'buy to rent' investments and are near to or have just achieved financial freedom like myself.

Thought provoking and insightful, the reader is challenged to explore their motivation and expectations before being guided through the process. Illustrated throughout with case studies of those who have already taken the plunge, the author is keen to highlight the variety of circumstances through which people buy to rent.

As one would expect, this is a specialist title and without listing the contents it is hard to impart what is covered. Those looking for information on finding, financing, buying and maintaining a small portfolio of investment properties will not be disappointed. As somebody who prefers to read for pleasure rather than reference, I was impressed at how easy it was to turn the page, rather than diving for the dictionary to make sense of jargon. The author's passion for the subject is infectious and difficult subjects have been thoughtfully presented with the non-specialist in mind.

Who am I to review this book?

I am not a financial adviser, have no property management qualifications and to date don't even have the money for our first deposit. My wife and I bought our first house two years ago and worry that our salaried income does not provide enough extra for the things we want to do now, never mind a comfortable retirement.

We have always liked the idea of owning further properties to provide for our future but lacked the knowledge and confidence to turn this dream into reality. Now that we have both read Buying To Rent, we are very excited about creating our own opportunities for the future. I am sure that there are many like us who would benefit from investigating the subject based on fact rather than hearsay.

Whilst I imagine that this book will provide less insight for the experienced landlord, the plentiful tips, checklists and sources of reference deliver a feast of information that could add value to any individual's procedure and strategy.

The author makes a point of highlighting the negative aspects of buying to rent, presenting a well-balanced argument for potential landlords to consider. With topics covered in a logical sequence it is easy to ponder on the areas of interest and skim through areas less relevant.

Perhaps it is ill considered to write a review in advance of acting upon the suggestions and experiencing their outcomes. However, I get the feeling that everything imparted has been well reasoned and there is no reason why even a complete novice like myself cannot build options for a flexible financial future - one house at a time!

I similarly look forward to reading other titles from this author and recommend Buying To Rent for the experienced investor and first time buyer alike.