Property over Other Assets There are at least two concerted efforts ongoing just now - online of course - aimed at landlords either teetering on the brink or heading in that direction: Sell now - no delay - move on with life and remove all the hassles etc - guaranteed buyer[s] Sell now and re-invest into something more rewarding Neither discusses the immediate impact of this initial step as that might put you off. A potentially substantial capital gains tax bill [I've seen posts encouraging action now to avoid the 'Streeting Plan' to equalise income and capital gains tax] After tax, and mortgage redemptions - plus any penalties etc - what's left is either deposited to boost bank profits or re-invested to boost financial service sector profits. I am grateful to a landlord whose positive post I read over the weekend; it stood out because it was so positive! The post highlighted the plus points of property over other investments, namely: It belongs to you - either in your own name or in your company's name You can rent it out - to persons of your choosing You can restructure borrowing arrangements to either reduce costs or finance new projects - or both You can decide to diversify into other aspects of property - flipping, HMO, serviced and holiday accommodation, commercial, overseas and so on You can sit tight and ride out negative market conditions Time - often regarded as the enemy but also a friend in helping put right past mistakes. This past weekend I have seen numerous posts regarding the attractions of "offshore bonds" with focus on "gross roll-up" - capital gains tax free investment...bit like a pension but with far higher charges, commissions and severe costs should you need to cash in. Unlike a pension, an offshore bond cannot invest in BTL investment property. What the offshore - or onshore bond does require is that the investor pick/be advised to pick a range of regulated investment funds over which you have no input, influence, control but are totally reliant on the 'expertise' of a giant insurance company/investment management group. Bit like ISAs.  People will always need somewhere to live. Issues like S24 are relatively easy to deal with and there is no need to change legal title which is so costly. Tenants now have similar rights to financial services customers; the FS industry managed the changes brought in back in 1988 [FSA 86] and landlords will cope with all recent measures - or choose not to. If you do decide that 'enough really is enough' beware of where you go next. There is a ferocious machine waiting for you on the other side!

Posted by Chris Haley at 2026-06-01 08:53:15 UTC