Experience Invest opens new office in South Africa

Welcome to Experience Invest blog. The London-headquartered company has established its new office to provide South African investors with direct access to property investment opportunities in the UK. Experience Invest's Cape Town office is located at Dock Road Junction, Corner of Stanley & Dock Road, 8001, South Africa. DaleAnderson, Head of Global Sales at Experience Invest, has relocated to South Africa to manage the new office.

The South African office will hold seminars, networking events and introduce new and existing investors to Experience Invest's products and services. With offices in London and Hong Kong, Experience Invest's latest office opening is part of its broader strategy to expand its global presence in both emerging and established markets.

The company will also be bolstering its presence in other countries throughout 2020, with its international expansion reflecting the significant levels of demand it is witnessing from overseas property investors. Dale Anderson, Head of Global Sales at Experience Invest, said: "I am delighted to announce the launch of our new South African office. It is another bold step as we expand into key global markets and it complements our existing European and Far Eastern hubs.

"There has been strong international demand for UK property for a long time, thanks largely to its ability to deliver both capital growth and healthy rental returns. This demand has increased notably over recent years, with real estate investors taking advantage of the weaker value of the pound to access the British market.

"As part of the launch, we will be running UK property investment seminars in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. The seminars will give current clients and new investors more information about the range of real estate projects Experience Invest is currently working on, and how they could be involved. Dates for these seminars will be announced shortly. There has been strong international demand for UK property for a long time, thanks largely to its ability to deliver both capital growth and healthy rental returns."

About Experience Invest

Experience Invest has over 15 years of expertise in providing UK property investment. With tailored solutions, every opportunity is designed to maximize returns and provide investors with a high-performing UK property. We believe in safe and secure property ownership and our properties are sold on a long leasehold agreement to provide investors with a tangible asset upon completion. With Experience Invest, each development is delivered to a high standard and is managed by an experienced and professional management company. Find out more about Experience Invest in the Experience Invest reviews page here. You can also connect with Experience Invest in Crunchbase here. Watch this video below to learn more:

Welcome to the Experience Invest blog. The Center for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) estimates that 14.5% of all deposits held are not protected by landlords or agents, while around 1.1 million tenancy deposits are unprotected. Landlords who fail to protect an assured shorthold tenancy deposit lose their right to evict and face court claims for compensation.

Given that the average new deposit is currently at £1,139, the penalty could be £4,556 per unprotected deposit. Around £1.2bn worth of deposits are not protected in tenancy deposit schemes.
Matthew Hooker, co-founder of Ome, said: “The reality is that the private rental sector is changing, and has been changing gradually through the formal introduction of deposit protection in 2006 and the subsequent launch of the more traditional protection schemes.

“It’s impossible to tell just how many deposits are still sat unprotected in the bank accounts of either rogue landlords or agents but based on market data we can make a conservative estimate that this total value runs into the hundreds of millions of pounds.

“We’d always advise tenants to check which deposit protection scheme your agent or landlord is part of and to make sure they give you the documentation confirming the deposit is protected. For landlords and agents that would rather not have to worry about the often arduous and risky process of managing a deposit, we’d recommend looking at products such as our own deposit replacement membership rather than hoping they don’t get caught. It removes the need to take cash deposits but keeps you protected should the worst happen.”

Financial firms appear pleased that the Bank of England opted to leave interest rates unchanged at 0.75%. Yesterday the Monetary Policy Committee voted 7-2 to keep rates on hold, which has been taken as an endorsement of the state of the economy.

Giles Coghlan, chief currency analyst at HYCM, said: “In many ways, the decision to leave interest rates at 0.75% is welcoming news. It also means that interest rates could rise in the coming months should the so-called ‘Boris bounce’ continue and confidence in the UK economy return."

“More generally, today’s announcement shows the Bank of England is erring on the side of caution – while the UK economy is in a stable position, there are still many unknowns on the horizon which could drastically impact investors, businesses and consumers. Brexit, of course, is chief among them.”

Jerald Solis, director at London property investment service Experience Invest, said: “The Bank of England is cautiously optimistic about the future growth prospects of the economy, even with Brexit on the horizon.

“With interest rates hovering below 1% for over a decade now, the question on everybody’s minds is how long it will be before the Bank of England is prepared to increase the rate of interest to a whole percentage.”

Paresh Raja, chief executive at bridging lender Market Financial Solutions, said: “Investor confidence is returning, and we are likely to see the markets post a modest performance in the aftermath of this announcement.”

Despite the positive reaction, outgoing Bank of England Governor Mark Carney called for caution.
He said: “Although the global economy looks to be recovering, caution is warranted. Evidence of a pick-up in growth is not yet widespread.

“And any one of the known risks, such as a renewal of trade tensions, could reverse recent progress. The emerging threat from a new strain of coronavirus is a reminder of the need to be vigilant.”

Experience Invest has over 15 years expertise in providing UK property investment. With tailored solutions, every opportunity is designed to maximise returns and provide investors with a high-performing UK property. We believe in safe and secure property ownership and our properties are sold on a long leasehold agreement to provide investors with a tangible asset upon completion.
With Experience Invest, each development is delivered to a high standard and is managed my an experienced and professional management company. Find out more on the Experience Invest website. You can also connect with Experience Invest on Crunchbase here. Watch this video below to learn more:

Experience Invest has announced the launch of Yieldbase

Welcome to the Experience Invest blog. Experience Invest is a trusted source of knowledge and is a specialist provider of market-leading products to its ever-expanding database of over 120,000 clients.  Experience Invest has announced the launch of Yieldbase – an online platform dedicated to the buying and selling of income-generating rental properties.  The platform allows existing and prospective landlords to acquire and sell a range of investment properties, ranging from student accommodating to residential buy-to-let and commercial blocks.

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Yieldbase is one of the first platforms in the UK to offer property investors the opportunity to purchase and list full-managed rental properties. With a focus on new-build properties, each building listed on Yieldbase comes furnished and run by a management company, which is responsible for maintenance and arranging tenancy agreements.

The platform also ensures investors that hold buy-to-let property are able to liquidate their asset, by connecting sellers with buyers and therefore providing landlords with a clear exit route. Our fully managed UK property investments are completed and operational, so you know exactly what return to expect.

Commenting on the launch, Yieldbase director Jerald Solis said: “The UK’s buy-to-let market has long been sought after by both domestic and international investors. The launch of Yieldbase is going to simplify the marketplace – it will connect buyers and sellers of income-generating properties on a transparent, easy-to-use platform. This means they can enjoy the perks of being a property investor without the day-to-day hassle of being a landlord.”

Experience Invest is an established specialist property consultancy with a range of completed investments which are fully occupied and completed to a high standard. Check out Experience Invest website here and explore the benefits of investing in UK property. Read the latest Experience Invest news here. Alternatively, you can also read more Experience Invest reviews on the Experience Invest Reviews page here.

Experience Invest on the impact of political rumors

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Experience Invest shares the most exciting new addition to the UK PBSA market

Experience Invest on Extended UK Work Visas 

Welcome to the Experience Invest property blog. Experience Invest has been in business for at least a decade and has a wealth of information to share, whether you’re a first-time investor or a property connoisseur.  In today’s blog post we share about the housing finance reform.

The UK government this month provided some good news for international students planning to pursue their education in Britain, announcing a new two-year, post-study work visa that will help them get their careers underway after graduating. Overseas students are an important target market for investors in purpose-built student accommodation, partly because they are often willing to pay higher-than-average rents for housing that provides all the amenities they need and is in a convenient location.

The announcement of the post-study visa is the latest in a series of encouraging signs for this particular segment of the student population.

The two-year post-study work visa is part of the graduate immigration route, which will be open to all international students who have valid UK immigration status and have successfully completed their studies at the undergraduate level or above. It will allow eligible individuals to work, or seek work, at any skill level and in any subject.

One of the key aims of the initiative is to bring more valuable international talent into the UK, cementing the country’s status as a “science superpower” and a world leader in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) sector.

Experience Invest Talks about Boris Johnson's Northern Powerhouse project

Experience Invest in Quarter of UK investors Stuck with Illiquid Investments

Experience Invest on UK Investors Investment Exit Strategies

 Experience Invest Talks About the Evolution of Student Accommodation

Experience Invest Shares UK's Best Property Hotspots 2019  

Welcome to the Experience Invest property blog. In today's blog post we delve into the UK property market according to Halifax’s House Price Index. Read on to find out more.

The UK property market was slow in 2018. With the effect of Brexit having a negative effect on the market, many will shy away from investing altogether in UK assets amid fear that investments will continue to fall in value.

Data from Halifax’s House Price Index house prices across the country increased by an average of 1.3% in 2018. Amidst political deadlock in Westminster and the prospect of a no-deal Brexit on the horizon, such growth is impressive. Delving into the performances of individual regions, however, there were some clear highlights. Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham, for instance, all experienced house price growth at around 6%. House prices are an effective measure of capital growth and are determined by market demand. For this reason, we asked investors which UK region they are considering as part of their property investment strategies for 2019. The results reaffirmed what has been unfolding across all the major house price trackers; namely, while London still holds great appeal, more and more investors are looking outside of the capital for bricks and mortar assets.

• Greater London 37% 
• North West 30% 
• Midlands 23% 
• South East 22% 
• Yorkshire 21% 
• North East 18% 
• South West 17% 
• Scotland 8% 
• Wales 5% 
• East Anglia 4% 
• Northern Ireland 2%

Bottomline.

Seek value in the market. Identify an investment that is receiving growth and is also in a high-demand area (think the North). Consider also diversifying your property investments, putting all of your metaphorical eggs into one basket is ill-advised. Consider investing in a variety of property types, if this is within your means to do so, as this will spread the risk of losing money on a single investment. The property market, as stated, will be difficult to forecast for the coming year. Focus on your long-term strategy, and with the advice above, we are confident you will make a return.

Experience Invest on UK property Investment

Experience Invest Talks about UK Buy to Let

What changed? Before April 2017, private landlords were able to benefit from significant tax relief by deducting their mortgage interest payments from their rental income, meaning their taxable income was lower and they didn’t have to pay as much to HM Revenue & Customs. Since the new system was introduced two years ago, the amount of mortgage interest buy-to-let property owners have been able to offset against their rental income has steadily reduced, falling to 75 per cent in 2017-18, 50 per cent in 2018-19, and 25 per cent in 2019-20. From April 2020, this form of tax relief will be removed altogether.

Instead, landlords have been able to claim a flat 20 per cent rate of tax relief on their mortgage interest payments. While this means people who are in the basic 20 per cent income tax bracket should be no worse off, higher earners in the 40 per cent tax bracket will face bigger tax bills. This is clearly a big change, and existing landlords and prospective investors alike should be fully aware of how it affects them. As far as the UK buy-to-let sector as a whole is concerned, it’s clear there are still many opportunities for buyers to turn the latest trends in the market to their advantage.

Experience Invest also highlighted the potential of regional property investment markets in a recent report based on a survey of more than 500 investors. While Greater London topped the list of regions investors are considering in 2019, the north-west wasn’t far behind. One in three respondents (33 per cent) said they were thinking about buying in Manchester this year, while one in four (25 per cent) were looking at Liverpool.

 The gradual removal of mortgage interest tax relief is an important consideration for buy-to-let property owners, but investors can also take reassurance from the wide range of products currently available on the mortgage market. According to research by Moneyfacts, the number of buy-to-let products available in February 2019 was at its highest level for over a decade, with landlords able to choose from 2,162 products. This is higher than at any time since before the 2008 financial crisis. Moneyfacts noted this increase has come “despite the tax and rule changes imposed on the BTL sector over the last few years”.

This has fuelled other trends such as the growth of the build-to-rent sector, which is delivering more developments earmarked specifically for the private rental market. Considering other key factors, such as the powerful appeal of UK higher education and consequent demand for student rental accommodation, it’s clear there is still huge potential in the buy-to-let market for investors to achieve regular yields and long-term capital growth.

With 39 per cent of respondents to Experience Invest’s survey saying they plan to expand their property portfolios this year, it seems the mortgage tax relief changes haven’t stopped people from wanting to invest in UK real estate.

Experience Invest approach to any of these student accommodation projects is to always work closely alongside the universities, where possible, to provide internships or some awareness campaign within the university. Not only is Experience Invest a sales and marketing organisation but they are also a developer and a management company. Stay updated with the latest in the property market by reading about Experience Invest online here. You can also visit  Experience Invest  Crunchbase page here and follow the official Experience Invest Twitter here.

Experience Invest talks about the UK property market 

Welcome to the Experience Invest blog. Experience Invest is the master agent for all of its high performing property investments. In today's post, we'll talk about the UK property market, and the buy-to-let sector, in particular. Read on to find out more.

Recent years have raised some challenges for the UK property market, and the buy-to-let sector caused by Brexit and the increased stamp duty on second homes introduced in April 2016. Investors have also had to contend with the gradual phasing out of buy-to-let mortgage interest tax relief, which is being replaced by a 20 per cent flat-rate tax credit. Despite these considerations, there are reasons to be positive about UK property and the mortgage market at the moment, one of which is the favourable interest rate environment.

RATES STAY LOW

The Bank of England made its latest monetary policy announcement at midday on Wednesday, May 2nd, confirming, as expected, that the base rate of interest would stay the same at 0.75 per cent. That means mortgage borrowers on tracker or variable-rate deals don’t have to worry about their payments going up in the short term. Furthermore, the central bank is currently anticipating just one increase in interest rates by 2021.

A BRIGHTER ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Questions about Brexit will continue to cause a degree of uncertainty in the near future, but for investors looking for opportunities in the UK, the favourable interest rate environment and positive trends in sectors such as student accommodation suggest there are still major gains to be made in the property market.

What does this mean for the property industry? For property investors, today’s announcement provides a silver lining for property investors who have experienced a wave of tax changes over the last few years. Commenting on the Bank of England’s announcement, Jerald Soils of Experience Invest said:

“It’s not surprising the Bank of England has decided to keep interest rates on hold. Since the global financial crisis, the BoE has taken a very cautious approach to the interest rates, and Brexit uncertainty has made things even more complicated. However, it is positive to note that the BoE is also more optimistic about the future growth prospects of the UK economy, demonstrating that Brexit is not undermining national productivity in the long-term."

Experience Invest on UK Hotel Sector Investment

Welcome to the Experience Invest blog. Experience Invest is a trusted source of knowledge and is a specialist provider of market-leading products to its ever-expanding database of over 120,000 clients. UK’s hotel sector continues to grow despite having to navigate various challenges and times of uncertainty, the UK hotel sector has witnessed consistent growth in recent years. The resilience that the UK’s hotel sector has shown in recent years has attracted investors from across the globe, who wish to diversify their portfolio without compromising on their rental income. New alternative asset report ranked hotels second among the niche sectors being considered for investment in 2019.

How does Investment Work?

Investors purchase one or more studio suites that are leased back to a well-established management company on a rolling agreement so the building, in its entirety, can be let as student accommodation. The managed turnkey nature of the investment allows investors a fully managed approach, whilst taking advantage of yields much higher than traditional ‘buy-to-let’ investments.

Assured Income

UK hotel suites offer some of the highest assured rental returns on the market. Returns are paid NET of all costs, allowing investors to receive a reliable income stream.

Fully managed

To maximise the performance of the opportunity, a specialist management company will operate the hotel upon completion. All suites are delivered fully furnished.

Proven Returns

The UK’s hotel market has shown consistently positive performance and growth. Hotels are ranked the second choice for investors expanding into niche sectors.

UK hotel suite investment in Luton

Hotel suites are very attractive and lucrative investment opportunities that were traditionally only available to large institutional investors and funds. Due to the rarity of this type of opportunity, hotel investments tend to sell out very quickly. For example, our investment opportunity in Luton, The Epic Hotel and Residence will feature a selection of luxurious hotel rooms which will generate a 10% NET rental return per annum assured for 10 years.

Boasting river and city views, the Epic Hotel and Residence is the first luxury hotel to emerge in Liverpool’s trendy Baltic Triangle. Guests will enjoy the convenience of the city centre location, with all the city’s iconic tourist attractions just moments away. This investment will be delivered fully furnished and will be fully managed by Epic. With just 220 Hotel Suites available, investors are encouraged to act quickly to secure the best pricing and to pick the best units. Find out more about the Experience Invest Luton investment on the Experience Invest website here. Read the latest Experience Invest news here. Alternatively, you can also follow Experience Invest on Behance here.

Watch the Experience Invest video here

Experience Invest talks about Off-plan property investment

UK property has long been an attractive market for international investors seeking out lucrative assets and opportunities on the global stage. For those planning to invest in British real estate in 2019, some of the strongest prospects can be found in the luxury sector. High-end property features and amenities give landlords greater scope to maximise their yields through higher rents, which could prove particularly valuable in areas where demand for desirable accommodation is high.
Luxury appeal

Appealing to the luxury market – whether it’s through a property’s location, exterior look or interior design touches – will always be a powerful advantage for buy-to-let investors keen to secure the best possible returns from their assets. Tenants are often willing to pay a premium for desirable features and unique add-ons that might not be available in other properties.

Experience Invest Brexit on Construction Industry

Welcome to the Experience Invest blog. Experience Invest is an established specialist property consultancy, we have a range of completed investments that are fully occupied and completed to a high standard. Brexit continues to dominate public discourse, and with all eyes locked on 29th March, people are keen to understand just what the UK’s departure from the EU will mean for the economy. However, despite the tumult surrounding Brexit, it is important not to let this overshadow some of the longer-term challenges facing the UK, the most prominent of which is the housing crisis.

There is a chronic undersupply of residential properties available on the market, and with demand continuing to outpace supply, there are concerns that more potential buyers will not be able to access new housing opportunities. Positively, the Government has recognised the severity of this issue. As a result, the Government is aiming to add 300,000 new homes to the market each year by the mid-2020s as part of its strategy to address the demand-supply imbalance.

Such a pledge places immense importance on the UK’s construction industry: the firms tasked with building the residential properties that are so sought after across the country. And so we return to Brexit, and in particular, the question of how we can ensure the construction sector is positioned to effectively deliver enough new-build properties after 29th March.

For one, attention and resources need to be directed towards supporting the skills necessary to deliver the long-term housebuilding needs of the UK. It is estimated that 7% of workers in the construction industry are EU nationals, with this number jumping to 28% in London.

While we await greater detail about future visa arrangements of EU nationals following Brexit, a skills shortage could pose significant challenges and undermine the overall construction capabilities of developers both large and small. Furthermore, physical materials and investment into infrastructure are two other areas that must be addressed as we head for Brexit.

Experience Invest is a leading provider of high performing UK investment properties established in 2004. Find out more about our services and the latest news about the property investment by reading about Experience Invest online here. Show your support online now by following Experience Invest official Twitter page here. You can also connect with Experience Invest in Crunchbase and join our network here.

Experience Invest has launched its 2019 UK Student Property Investment Guide, providing a range of resources and expert insights on the student accommodation sector.

Now it is the sixth year, Experience Invest’s UK Student Accommodation Investment Guide is a valuable resource for investors who wish to generate an income from Britain’s number one performing asset class.

UK’s no.1 asset class