10/10/2026
It might sound like a strange question โ but if your rental property came onto the market today, would you buy it again?
Many landlords have owned their investment properties for years. During that time, property values, rents, mortgage costs, maintenance expenses and legislation have all changed.
Yet it is surprisingly easy to continue doing exactly what you've always done without stopping to ask whether the property is still working as hard as it should for you.
October is a good opportunity to take a fresh look at your investment.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
Whether you bought your property five, ten or twenty years ago, its current value is what matters when assessing where you stand today.
If the property has increased significantly in value, you may now have a substantial amount of equity tied up in it.
That doesn't automatically mean you should sell. But it does mean it's worth understanding what you own.
Knowing the property's approximate current sale value alongside its rental income gives you a much clearer picture of your investment.
๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด?
Rent is only one part of the equation.
Consider what you spend over the course of a typical year on maintenance, insurance, management, mortgage costs and improvements.
Some properties require relatively little attention, while others seem to produce one repair after another.
There will always be maintenance involved in owning property, but if costs are consistently increasing, it is worth looking at the bigger picture rather than considering each bill in isolation.
๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ ๐จ๐ฝ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐?
A property that hasn't been updated for a number of years may still let perfectly well, particularly with a good long-term contract holder.
But eventually kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, decoration and fixtures begin to show their age.
That doesn't mean landlords need to continually refurbish properties. In fact, spending money unnecessarily can be just as damaging to an investment as failing to maintain it.
The key is knowing when an improvement could help protect the property's rental appeal and long-term value โ and when it is simply unnecessary expenditure.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ช๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ณ ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ง๐ผ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ผ๐?
This is another useful question to ask.
Would you immediately re-let it?
Would you refurbish it first?
Would you consider selling?
Or would you genuinely not know?
You don't need to wait until a contract holder gives notice to start thinking about these things. Having an idea of your preferred strategy beforehand makes those decisions much easier if circumstances change unexpectedly.
๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ง๐ผ๐ผ
A good investment isn't simply about the property โ it also needs to fit your circumstances.
Your priorities today may be very different from when you originally became a landlord.
Some landlords are focused on building their portfolio, others want dependable long-term income, while some are beginning to think about releasing equity or gradually reducing their property commitments.
There isn't one correct answer.
But occasionally asking yourself โWould I buy this property as an investment today?โ can be a surprisingly useful way of looking at an asset you've owned for years with fresh eyes.
๐ช๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ
Because Luscombe & Co works across both lettings and sales, our managed landlords can speak to us about both sides of their investment.
We can provide an updated rental assessment, discuss the current sales value of your property and talk through its condition and likely market.
You may decide that continuing exactly as you are is the right option โ and that's useful information in itself.
But if you haven't reviewed your investment for a while, October could be the perfect time to find out exactly where you stand.
