But since then, that admission has grated with me. It’s not that I don’t want to be a landlord, I’m just fed up of trying to be a good landlord in this toxic environment.
I pay more than my fair share of tax; I abide by a gazillion rules and still they want to leech my soul.
That got me to thinking: how do you know when it’s the right time to sell a property investment? I think it boils down to three main reasons:
Personal
This is perhaps the most controversial, and the most painful. Everyone has their own stuff going on.
Landlords are not immune to breakdowns both mental and marital. They’re not immune to employment woes and financial stress. They’re also not immune to health problems and ageing.
With the endless policy changes and constantly evolving regulatory requirements, being a landlord means you need to always be on the ball.
That means always keeping yourself updated and ensuring every box is ticked and every base is covered.
It’s a gruelling checklist and life, as we know, is short. Being a landlord isn’t the most rewarding job, and in this hostile environment it’s understandable to think, “the aggro isn’t worth it”.
Market conditions
No matter what crystal ball we use, we can never know the future. I remember when I first started there was a claim that property prices doubled every seven years.
