Rented normally, it costs you £164 a month. That is £1,966 a year, every year you hold it.

What could kill thisThe checks

Cash buyers only — there is no mortgage on this one

The listing says no mortgage, and every figure on this page is worked with one.

2 problems found · 1 came back clear · 5 we could not check · 1 does not apply to this property

■ from the listinglisting last seen 17 Sep 2026

Will it pay?Calculator

You top up £164 a month — the mortgage takes 77p of every pound of rent

Borrowing £30,240 less would close that shortfall — which is £30,240 more cash at the start, on top of the deposit.

£914 mortgage

£1,181 rent in£164 short

◧ market rent £1,181 · 59 comps2 empty weeks a year assumed

What if I change my assumptions?The dials

At the asking price, 25% deposit, 6.50% charged

Change any of these 16 and every card on this page changes with it. The 6.50% is the 5.75% quoted plus a company premium.

◧ worked out from local rents

What will it cost me to buy?Breakdown

£75,575 + refurb costs

And about £9,828 more over five years, because it loses £164 every month you hold it — before any repair. That already assumes the rent never falls.

£75,575 to buy it

~£29,406

deposit · stamp duty · solicitor · feeswe haven’t been inside

□ works not inspected

What would have to be true?The working

£40,000 off and it stops losing money

At the asking price you feed it £164 a month. At £184,658 the rent covers everything — leaving stamp duty of £10,426 at that price.

offer £184,658

asked £225,000

◧ worked back from the rent■ stamp duty re-bandedrounded down to £5,000 — the rent it works back from is an estimate

How big is it, really?The plan

One figure, and nothing checking it 1,076 sq ft

Only the agent’s figure exists for this house. Open for what that means.

□ area unchecked — agent’s own

Is it a good location?Open the map

No school rated Good or better in this postcode area

1 school in this postcode area, none rated Good or better and flood risk checking… — open for the map, the schools and the rest.

Article 4Not assessed for this address

■ postcode area, not this address

Which strategy wins?The ways to run it

Short-stay let beats Rent by the room by £1,238 a month

Your controls are set to Standard rental — £1,399 a month behind Short-stay let.

Short-stay let+£1,235 · £104,981 in

3 nearby short-lets within 11.1 km · low confidence

Rent by the room−£3 · £134,981 in

Standard rental−£164 · £104,981 in

Guaranteed council rent−£341 · £104,981 in

Housing-benefit rent−£519 · £104,981 in

Each row: money kept a month, then the cash it ties up. Not compared: Do it up, then remortgage (pays back at the remortgage) · Buy, improve & sell (pays out on sale)

◧ 5 ways, one measureranked on money kept each month, at the asking price

What would you walk away with?The five-year sums

−£21,594 after five years on the cash you put in, before tax on the sale

Less than the same cash would have made in a savings account, after tax on the interest. The savings account’s capital is not at risk; the property’s is. A fall of about 29% in the price would leave nothing from a sale after selling costs, and you would still owe the lender any shortfall. That is the £104,981 you put in. The 5-year fix runs past this 5-year hold, so the rate reset comes after it.

◧ 2.0%/yr growth assumed