Most new investors look at property listings emotionally.
✅ “Nice kitchen.”
✅ “Good area.”
❌ No financial analysis.
Successful property investors do the opposite.
They analyse deals like an investor, not a consumer.
This is the exact 10-minute framework we use inside the PropertyWealth Blueprint to determine if a property is worth pursuing.
🧮 Step 1: Quick Rental Check (Rent = Revenue)
Use:
- Rightmove
- Zoopla
- SpareRoom (if HMO or room rental)
- OpenRent (for real advertised rents)
Search:
“2-bed terrace in NG7” (or your postcode/area)
You want:
- Real achievable rent
- Recent listings (last 30 days)
- Evidence — not guesswork
Average time: 2 mins.
🧾 Step 2: Calculate Running Costs (Expenses)
Standard Buy-to-Let (single let) Costs
| Cost | Rule of Thumb |
| Mortgage | Real quote or use 6% stress test |
| Letting Management Fee | 12%–15% |
| Maintenance | 5% of rent |
| Buildings Insurance | £20–£30 / month |
| Voids | 5% of rent |
✅ If monthly running costs exceed rent — walk away.
❌ Never “hope” for the numbers to work.
Average time: 3 mins.
💰 Step 3: ROI Calculation (Your Return on Cash)
The simplest formula:
ROI % = (Annual Profit ÷ Cash Invested) × 100
Example deal:
| Item | Amount |
| Purchase price | £145,000 |
| Deposit (25%) | £36,250 |
| Refurb & fees | £8,000 |
| Rent (monthly) | £925 |
| Monthly running costs | £687 |
| Monthly profit | £238 |
| Annual profit | £2,856 |
| Cash invested | £44,250 |
ROI = 6.45%
Rule of thumb:
✅ Target 6%+ ROI for BTL in strong rental areas.
🔁 Bonus Strategy: BRRR = Create Equity + Pull Cash Out
Buy – Refurb – Refinance – Rent
Example from one of our East Midlands investors:
| Stage | Value |
| Purchase | £128,000 |
| Light refurb | £12,000 |
| New valuation (post-refurb) | £185,000 |
| Cash pulled back out | £33,750 |
→ Investor holds the asset with very little money left in the deal.
🕒 Time Check
✅ 2 mins — rental comps
✅ 3 mins — expenses
✅ 3 mins — ROI
✅ 2 mins — decision
10 minutes to know if a deal is worth pursuing.
Most investors spend weeks thinking about a property instead of analysing it.
🚫 Warning: Don’t Use “Hope as a Strategy”
The biggest mistakes I see:
- Using top-of-market rent instead of realistic rent
- Forgetting maintenance and voids
- Falling in love with the property instead of the numbers
The numbers are the truth.
🧠 The Investor vs. Consumer Mindset
| Consumer thinks… | Investor thinks… |
| “I like the kitchen.” | “What’s the ROI?” |
| “It’s near a Starbucks.” | “What’s the rental demand?” |
| “It feels nice.” | “Does it cashflow?” |
📌 Why most investors still don’t do this
Because they:
- Don’t know what numbers matter
- Fear making the wrong choice
- Don’t have deal flow
Inside PropertyWealth Blueprint we:
✅ source off-market deals
✅ negotiate on your behalf
✅ run all financial modelling
🚀 Want me to analyse deals for you?
If you prefer:
- Real opportunities
- Clear financial justification
- A hands-off buying experience
Then you’ll like our Done-For-You Deal Sourcing Service.
Book a strategy call here (direct link — normal URL):
➡️ https://app.apollo.io/#/meet/paulyata
