Expert articles, market analysis, and practical guides to help you make informed property investment decisions.
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) remain the highest-yielding residential property investment class in the UK, delivering gross returns of 8–12% compared to standard buy-to-let properties at 5–6%. This comprehensive guide explores advanced strategies for maximising HMO returns in 2025.
An overview of property crowdfunding in the UK, outlining the legal aspects and investor protections involved. The article explains the roles of crowdfunding platforms in equity and debt investments, and how they must adhere to Financial Conduct Authority guidelines to ensure transparency and safety for investors.
The article discusses the essentials of successful property development, focusing on creativity, strategic planning, and adaptability. It outlines key steps like defining objectives, understanding market needs, location analysis, and conducting feasibility studies. Crucial aspects such as budgeting, team building, compliance, and marketing are covered. The piece emphasizes the importance of financial management, value addition, and developing an effective exit strategy to overcome challenges and realize property development visions.
Property has of course been an established investment option for many years, and it appeals to many different types of investors. This is mainly because different property markets open up and market fluctuations present investment options with varying levels of appeal. Build-to-rent (BTR) is one of these property markets and is a relatively new concept. It started to gain traction after the London Olympics of 2012 when the athlete’s accommodation in the Stratford East Village became a purpose-built rental property scheme as an important element of the games’ legacy. Since then, BTR has grown rapidly and over the last decade has developed to present an option which changes the poor perception of the rental market, by redefining the quality of the housing stock available to the rental sector as well as changing how these properties are managed.
The student rental market has undergone a huge transformation in the past 10 years, more so than at any other time. Here we look at what's changed.
With inflation on the rise and hitting 40-year highs. We look at why property is a good way to protect your wealth.
Ever wondered how it works logistically to buy and sell a house at the same time, we look at how it's done.
What is conveyancing and how do you find the right person to help you through one of the biggest purchases you may ever make.
What cities in the north of England should you be looking at for student property investments?
We take a deep dive into the property investment market and look at the best places to invest in property in 2022.
We take a deep dive into the property investment market and look at the best places to invest in property in 2022.
A buy-to-let (BTL) landlord leads a very busy life. Having the right people to call on when things are not going smoothly can be the difference between losing sleep or feeling less stressed.
The immediate attraction of buy-to-let property investment may have faded in the last 12 months or so, but it still remains a popular field for budding property entrepreneurs. Despite a tax crackdown on landlords and restrictive stamp duty regulations, investing in residential property still appeals.
Buying a property at auction is not the most popular way to purchase a house, but it can be a great way to pick up a bargain if you know what you’re doing.
A house viewing allows you to get a closer look into all the nooks and crannies of a home, it allows you to ask questions, it enables you to properly visualise what you can potentially do with rooms and available space and it allows you to get a general feel for the ambience and atmosphere of a house.
Property is an asset that has always fascinated people who are looking to make money. There are many reasons for this; mainly because it can be lucrative, but also because it can provide a flexible lifestyle that you can largely control, it is accessible for self-starters and there are really no limits to how far you can take it.
Being a successful buy-to-let (BTL) landlord can be very lucrative, but equally, it can be time-consuming, and if you get things wrong it can be expensive, so there is an awful lot to consider if you are a novice landlord looking at renting their first property.
Whatever your motivation, and whether this is your first property purchase or your fifth, you need to ask the same questions when viewing a property and weighing up the inevitable pros and cons, because the same risks exist every time.
The ideal scenario is to buy a property when it is cheap and to sell it at a later date when it has increased to its optimum value. Sometimes that might be because you have invested money in developing and improving the property, but you really want it to increase in value because the area it is in becomes more appealing and more in-demand.
Every property is different in terms of size, location, value and character, but there is one common denominator with every property; if you are selling it, you want to sell it quickly. Delays in selling a property are rarely a good thing.
People have different lifestyles and changing circumstances and the property market needs to reflect that, which is why the emerging market for short term lets is gaining momentum, particularly in big cities.
Buying into property has been a traditional, long term goal for most people for many generations. After all, we all need somewhere to live, and most people recognise the value and potential in owning your own property compared to renting one.
When applying for a mortgage, the lender will assess an application using various criteria. This will include the applicant’s income, their job status and job stability, their age and health status and their credit rating. But the main factor that is used by lenders to assess the viability of a potential mortgage loan is what is known as the Loan-To-Value (LTV) ratio.
Buying a house is not like buying a shirt, or even a car, there are many associated costs involved in the process which require careful planning and consideration, mainly because, in the most part, these costs are unavoidable, and exist whether you are a first time buyer (FTB) or are purchasing a house for the fourth or fifth time.
The best way to form an opinion on a type of property investment is through direct experience, whether that is a good or a bad one. However, with flats, many people form an opinion without any direct experience.
However experienced you are in the buy-to-let investment market, rental yield is a critical factor that you can’t ignore.
One of the reasons that the property market is so popular for investors, is that it is accessible. Everybody has to deal with property at some stage of their lives and it is easy to pick up the vital skills that you need.
If you have an interest in property development and property investment, then you will have heard about HMOs and how they represent a potentially lucrative income, compared to the traditional buy-to-let market.
Many people have an ambition to make money from property, and this can be triggered by a number of different factors; a need or desire to boost your pension, a productive way to use some cash you have inherited or simply a career change and a vehicle through which you can build a business as a property investor.
Renting out a property is often a conclusion someone would come to if it suits a particular scenario; usually that you have an empty property and would benefit from some extra money. However, it is not quite as simple as making that decision and immediately opening up your home to prospective tenants.
The words ‘property’ and ‘pensions’ are almost constant factors in our lives from a very young age, in that everybody needs somewhere to live and everybody needs some kind of pension for when they retire. How we get there in each case is a very complex issue and very much down to our own financial circumstances.
Buying property always involves an element of risk, but that is particularly true if you are a property developer trying to build a property portfolio. Each different project involves different funding, different costs and possibly different structure to how you work and who you work with.
It is no exaggeration to suggest that choosing the right type of mortgage could be a life-changing decision. You can potentially save yourself thousands of pounds by choosing the product that best suits your circumstances, and being trapped in a deal that isn’t working for you can set you back a number of years in your financial development.
The common goal behind any form of investment is to build wealth; and the more wealth you build, the more secure you feel. Making the decision to invest money is not something you should take lightly, whether you are a business or an individual.
Taking the first step onto the property ladder is probably the hardest. Quite apart from the financial considerations and obstacles, there is the issue of understanding the property market and judging whether it is the right time to buy a house. This is all after you have thought about your current stage of life and is now a good time to buy a house?
Whilst everybody leads different lives and we all exist in very different circumstances, the majority of people have the same overall aim of building wealth over their lifetime. Within that there can be very contrasting ambitions however.
Property investment, and in particular, making money from buy-to-let investment, has become increasingly popular in recent years, as people become more ambitious and find that the property market is an accessible means through which to make money.
Adding value to a property is usually carried out for either short or long term reasons, and these can differ according to your ambitions and your justification for adding value.
You are new to property investment, so what kind of money do you need? The property market has changed dramatically in the last twenty years, gone are the days when a 95% mortgage and a deposit of about £5,000 would secure you a reasonably-sized semi-detached house. The new millennium has seen lower mortgage interest rates but much higher capital requirements, making it a lot harder to raise the funds to get on the property ladder.
Many people new to investing are looking to alternative finance products and passive investments as ways in which they can be more creative with their investment to make better returns.
The investment world is far-reaching, both physically and in terms of the many ways in which you can earn rewards. You might be a professional investor trying to earn an income, or you may be interested in investing as a hobby or to build a nest-egg for retirement.
Whether you are a property investor or simply someone navigating their way through life at their own pace, buying and selling property is a challenging arena which can have life-changing consequences, both good and bad.
Owning a second property is more popular than ever. It is estimated that one in ten people in the UK have a second home, but there can be many reasons why you would want one.
Buildings and properties are central to pretty much every aspect of our lives, but have you ever wondered how they got there? Whether they are residential, commercial or industrial, properties play a significant role in how we live our lives.
It is often said that the process of buying a house is a minefield, and that analogy comes from the fact that so much of the process is beyond your control, and there are numerous unanticipated problems that you can become bombarded with at any time. And this is the same whether you have been buying and selling properties for forty years or whether you are a first time buyer. This is why buying a house is one of the most stressful and frustrating things you will ever do.
The buy-to-let sector is one of the most potentially lucrative in the arena of property investment, but the build-to-rent sector is a step up from private landlords making decent money from a relatively small investment.
The student market has been a very popular segment of the buy-to-let sector for a long time, but the reputation of students has evolved. For many years it was considered that students had very low expectations of a property and their unfussy nature was there to be exploited by landlords. They were also liable to have 24/7 parties and cause never-ending public nuisance and untold wear and tear on a property.
Every landlord faces an element of risk when they take on a property and attempt to fill it. A lot of planning and consideration goes into buying a property, particularly if you have an express interest in renting it out. This is your property and in many cases this could also be your business and your career, so you need to ensure that you are filling the property first and foremost, but also that you are filling it with the right type of tenant.
Much has been made of the Government putting a squeeze on the profits of buy-to-let (BTL) landlords with regulatory changes and tax reforms, and yes the BTL market does appear to be changing, but landlords have always been looking to buy and sell properties. That is what property investment is all about.
One of the most common disputes relating to rental properties surrounds damage or wear and tear to furniture, fixtures and fittings. These disputes will centre on the degree of damage, who is responsible and in some cases, who actually owns the item in question. In terms of fixtures and fittings ownership is usually quite straightforward, but furniture and household items brought to and used in the property can sometimes be the focus of arguments, and minor disagreements can often fester into major disputes.
There are many costs involved in being a landlord, after all, it is a business like anything else. And just like the price any business will charge for a product or service is dictated by market forces, so is the amount a landlord should charge for rent of a property.
Renovating a property strictly for profit is not something you would ordinarily do for your own home, this is a business transaction and needs to be viewed as one. Of course we do aim to add value to our own home in the hope of selling at a profit one day and moving up the property ladder to a bigger home, this is often dictated by the market changing over time, whilst we also modernise and decorate the home in the meantime, to suit our tastes and quality of life.
Tracey is Director of Daletech Electronics. She has commercial property investing experience but doesn't have the time to be a hand on property investor whilst running a company. She chose UOWN because she wanted to invest in property without the headaches.
UOWN has enjoyed rapid success since it's inception. In November Shaan and Haaris - UOWN's founders were invited to Malaysia to speak about property crowdfunding and give their opinion on the recent property crowdfunding plans announced by the Malaysian government.
Buckingham Palace may be one of the most expensive properties around the world but is that because of its location? We have taken 8 homes of the rich and famous and relocated them across the UK to see how much the price differs based on the price per square foot in each area. How much would Buckingham Palace be worth if it was in Blackpool or if Beyonce and Jayz's 30,000 ft LA mansion was actually located in Doncaster?
The UK property market in 2025 offers diverse investment opportunities, from traditional buy-to-let to emerging strategies like property crowdfunding. Strategic investors can achieve strong returns through careful strategy selection and location choice.
This is the story of UOWN's first development: Village Street.
What options are available to you if you don't have piles of cash to save? There are a plethora of options to suit all investors, find out what suits your situation in this in depth look.
Buying and selling property is nothing new, but as a means of specifically making money as opposed to facilitating a place to live, flipping a house is an increasingly popular tactic. If done right it can certainly make you a lot of money very quickly, but like anything in the property business, there is an awful lot to consider.
Student finance can be a minefield with plenty of places that are easy to trip up. We put together a guide for parents and prospective students to help ensure that you don't fall into some of the most common and overlooked
The use of crowdfunding as an alternative source for raising capital has been fast gaining popularity among both entrepreneurs and investors over the last several years. Many people today are now taking advantage of crowdfunding as a means of financing their projects or expanding their business operations.
Demand for buy-to-let has had a roller coaster year with multiple rule changes causing artificial peaks and troughs in activity. London rents have calmed down as buyers looked to get in before a 3 per cent surcharge was levied on all buy-to-let purchases in April 2016, whilst Leeds is still experiencing strong growth.
Saving for your first house, here in the UK at least, can often seem like a monumental and impossible task. With the UK housing market becoming more and more difficult to get into, a staggering 62% of under 35s receive help from “The Bank of Mum and Dad” to help them get on the property ladder!
Getting your child ready for life away from the proverbial nest is something that takes a long time, but as the time fast approaches there are a few things you can do to get them and yourself ready for the big day.
Over recent times, property crowdfunding has become the hottest way of turning savings into profits through shrewd investments – particularly for the millennial generation.
The initial strip out of Harold place has begun. We are updating investors and have a number of images and videos to show the progress.
When considering active vs passive investments, the biggest influencing factors are your investment objectives, your personal circumstances and your personality. These all combine to send you down a certain path, but first of all we need to understand the fundamentals of what active and passive investments are.
Investing in property is a long established method of earning regular income and accumulating assets, but you can also accumulate problems. The property market can be a difficult arena and one where you only have limited control. One of the main factors you need to consider is whether you wish to invest in commercial or residential property.
Want to know what the best student accomodation in the world looks like? We look at the worlds most mad and wonderful student accomodation!
This article give an insight into the works that we udertake in a project such as Village Street and keeps investors up-to-date on the project itself.
Bruno is a Portuguese Nurse, after spending 16 years in the Portuguese Navy he came to England to work for the NHS. He first began investing in Portugal where he overcame the initial fears he had. He now looks for investments with values he feels are important and that resonate with him.
In the property crowdfunding market, investors have a huge range of property types to choose from. One property type that has always divided opinion is student property.
The number of people that own their homes has dramatically dropped. With UOWN you can get onto the property ladder and make sure you don’t get left behind.
If you have the option of investing a lump sum in one go or drip-feeding this pile of money into an investment portfolio over a longer period, there are definitely pros and cons you need to have a strong grasp on.
With the launch of Causes on the UOWN platform, we take a look at why we should contribute to housing in Malawi.
What rate of interest do parents charge their children? We surveyed 2500 parents to find out.
UOWN is a financial product and it is important that we know you understand what is involved when investing with UOWN. The test ensures that potential investors understand some of the key risks associated with investing with UOWN.
This article gives an in-depth look at how UOWN select developments and structure them.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPC for short) are a requirement when buying, selling or renting a home. What are they, what do they show and why should you care? Find out all this and more in our guide.
UOWN has partnered with Islamic Relief for our first cause. Funding the construction of five houses in Malawi. Find out a little more about our partner.
As of 1st April 2016 there were a raft of changes to the buy-to-let market. Covering stamp duty, wear and tear allowances and finance cost relief we look at what this means for investors and why you may be better placed looking at alternatives to make your returns.
Pensions are vital when it comes to retirement but increasingly people are becoming disillusioned with the pension industry and are looking into the alternatives. We have compiled a list of various vehicles that can be used for retirement and given you the lowdown on what each may be able to do for you.
Becoming a private landlord for the first time can be a stressful and protracted process. We look at what it takes to go from a desire to be a private landlord through to becoming one for the first time. We then see how this measures up against property cordfunding with UOWN.
Gillian is a PHD student at Leeds University. After tragically losing her father she inherited some money that she wanted to use in a way that she feels he would approve of. A rather unknown fact about Gillian is that she is a GB snowboarder and likes to spend any time she can find on the snow. She plans to use the potential returns she will generate to allow her to travel as much as possible with her Mum.
As you might expect from a property crowdfunding start-up, Monopoly is by far our favourite board game at UOWN. Not only is it the perfect test of tactics and financial acumen, but it was also first printed down the road from us in Leeds and our sister company Parklane Group is also a nod to one of the most exclusive properties on the board.
The buy-to-let market has been seriously squeezed in the past few years by extra government regulations. It’s no wonder more than 500,000 landlords ditched their rental properties in the past year – with many turning to property crowdfunding as a way of taking the hassle out of investing.
We take a look at why you should consider investing in student property. There are a number of things to consider and we help you navigate the pros and cons.
Seth is an emergency medical technician with the Yorkshire ambulance service. He was first attracted to save with UOWN due to the low minimums. After investing in a few platforms he settled with UOWN due to it's ease of use, low minimums and because of the potential returns.
Getting into property development can be difficult, with lots of potential pitfalls. Here is our guide on how to break into the industry and common mistakes to avoid.
In this two part series, we sit down with Naveen Ahmed MD of The Parklane Group of companies to discuss all things Property. The Parklane group of companies includes: Roomzzz, aparthotel; Iconinc, luxury student accommodation; Inc, vertical cities; Livinc, co-living; Workinc, co-working; Parklane, PRS; UOWN, crowdfunding developments (The Parklane Group own a 50% stake in UOWN).
Property and stocks and shares have been popular investment vehicles for a long time. But which one is right for you? We've rounded up the pros and cons of each to help you decide.
It might sound obvious, but there is very little point in owning a rental property if you haven’t got any tenants for it. And finding tenants might not be as easy as you think. So how do you find tenants? And how do you find the right tenants?
Most of us have bought a property before and are aware of the pre-requisites, the process and the pitfalls. Whilst property investment is slightly different from buying your family home, many of the same disciplines can be applied, which is great for beginners.
In this two part series, we sit down with Naveen Ahmed MD of The Parklane Group of companies to discuss all things Property. The Parklane group of companies includes: Roomzzz, aparthotel; Iconinc, luxury student accommodation; Inc, vertical cities; Livinc, co-living; Workinc, co-working; Parklane, PRS; UOWN, crowdfunding developments (The Parklane Group own a 50% stake in UOWN), and Broadleys, construction.
James is an Analyst for the NHS. He has some experience of P2P Lending and other crowdfunding platforms but wasn't happy with the less than stable returns. He was attracted to UOWN because of our unique ability to pay rent even as we raise money for the property in question. He also has a lot of faith in the student rental market in Leeds.
78 St Annes drive is a 5-bedroom detached HMO student property located in Leeds. It is a proven performer property with a track record of producing high yields and income. It was valued at £245,000 in February 2018 and is currently let out and tenanted generating a gross rent of £24,765 pa.
Autumn 2018 is set to see a revision of the standard requirements for Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) with the Licensing coming into effect on October 1st. Here we run through everything that you need to know about these legislative changes.
For years London and the Home Counties have been a property investor’s paradise. Those shrewd enough to buy a property in Hackney in 1997 would have seen a 753% increase in its value over the past 20 years.
Looking for a way to make some extra income on the side? Look no further! This ultimate list is packed full of ideas that you can try to earn some more cash in your spare time.
Joe is 19 and studying at Leeds' College of Music. His aim is to save up to buy a vintage saxophone from the 1930's. He had never invested in anything prior to using UOWN and started out by putting in the minimum amount. After seeing returns come in after the first month he chose to save some more money that he had set aside. He really likes how inclusive crowdfunding is.
Each UOWNer has their own unique reasons for investing. We spoke to a few to hear their stories and why they chose to invest with UOWN.
There’s a better way to develop and manage property than current conventional approaches to the renter economy. Here at UOWN, we’re pioneering positive, democratic ownership and investment, and we’re excited about how our work can align with other progressive property projects around Yorkshire.
Technology continues to revolutionise the property sector, with buy-to-let landlords now having access to AI-powered platforms, smart home integration, and predictive analytics. These innovations save time, reduce costs, and improve tenant satisfaction.