Is Buy-To-Let a good long term investment?

Any advice on going this way?

It can be if you research properly. You need to look at your rental returns against the cost of the mortage, and calculate the income left over. Thus you can work out what rate of investment retrun you are getting. You need to factor in Tax on the income as well as ongoing repairs to the property. You must keep some rainy day money back to make allowances for periods when the property may not be let out, and choose a very reputable letting agent, who can take care of some of the admin and collection of rental income for you.
Make sure the property is insured properly, and check out clauses to do with multi let, and council paid tenants, as all will effect the policy. When you come to fund it, look for an interest only mortgage rather than repayment, as it will widen your capital gain when you come to dispose of the property in the future.
One thing to bear in mind, is that property prices are high at the moment, wheras stocks and shares are lower in their cycle. Good investment practise is to buy low and sell high, so by buying a buy to let now, you are actually doing the opposite.
Having said that, I am a Finance Broker, and we are still doing loads of buy to lets deals, so the market is still good. Mark H

No

Usually yes. It very much depends on the where, how much did it cost, how did you finance it and how will you exploit the property.

my advice on this is yes but:
As an landlord you have certains requirements you need to follow which cost money. So you need to sit down and do your homework weigh up the pros and cons take them away and there is your answer hope this helps.

Any property is a good long term investment, Although if you declare you are renting when you come to sell it you will lose 40% due to capital gains tax(if it is you second home),You can own two properties with being charged(maximum). Plus if you make any extra on the cost of the mortage that will be charged at the same rate!
If there is any way you could buy with out declaring the renting bit and rent privatly these charges will not happen!
All property is good, more the merry. Slow money in property but steady.

house prices are still going up at a high rate, its all to do with the quality and reliability of tenants, if you can find a company let who is reliable that is enough to pay the mortage plus repairs and leave a profit for you then it has to be good news

Hi, Yes and no - you really need to research the market, look for an older property that has a good price tag. A friend of mine bought a fab new flat to rent out, they were making next to nothing in rent for the first 2 years then when their mortgage changed were losing money so it has to be a property that you will make money on firstly in rent and secondly when you come to re-sell.Also choose a good agent - you dont want undesirable tennents that will trash the place. Best of luck xx

I can only tell you of my experience, which may be unusual. I still have more then 20 years to retirement but I have bought my retirement home, using equity from our current, large family house. It has been succesfully rented out for three years now, making just enough money to cover the mortgage and running costs of things like insurance, repairs and so on. When I retire, the mortgage will be paid off - by somebody else. Then we sell the three-storey, four bedroom house and the cash from that is a tax-free lump sum we can use for our retirement and the little retirement cottage by the sea is ours to move into. I keep looking for the hole in this plan but, so far I can't find it.

research the area.
ask local estate agents which type of property is most in demand (ie in my area it is 2 bed houses which would allow a well behaved pet)
view properties and buy one (think you need on average 15%deposit)
definately go with an agent - although you will have to pay them 7-10% of the rental income you don't get the 4am phone calls! and they credit score your tenants.

I think buy to let is always a sound investment, you have someone else paying the mortgage and then if you ever get in difficulties you can sell the property.

Watch out when house prices fall. Many countries are now overdue for a fall in house prices, including UK. However this also depends on the area you buy in.

I think its better to invest in funds using an ISA

buying to rent = to morgages = buy 1 house pay 25 for the value of 2. this will be especially true when the house is vacant without tenants. there are bound to be a few months that is house goes without a tenant and you will have to foot the loan/interest. property tax and capital gain tax will be about calculated after a relief band of 30k to 40k based on the house prices 30years ago, if adjusted to today's standard it should be in the region of 200-250k which the gov is happy to overlook. so the old saying that buying to rent is sound investment is really all said by the old timers. unless you have a lot of cash to burn, the tax will kill off most of the profits(buy without needing a loan and rent for 25 years is another story) put your money in 20 years roll on overseas bonds is my advise. it is not as easy as rent the house and get it for free at the end of the loan unless it is accompanied by periodic house price boom. TAX TAX TAX.