Source and shortlist property investments anywhere in the UK, from your desk.

The 2024 property market has got off to a great start, with the sector full of positive sentiment. Back in the spotlight is investor activity, with signs that budding landlords and seasoned investors are more confident about buy-to-let prospects.   

When The Mortgage Lender questioned landlords about their views of the property market, 74% felt confident about how it would perform over the next 12 months, with 27% feeling very confident. When it came to how their own buy-to-lets would fare in 2024, 71% felt confident, while 78% of portfolio landlords (5+ properties) felt very confident. 

A renewed sense of optimism in buy-to-let is behind a separate study of landlord intentions. A survey by mortgage lender Together Money found a third (34%) of buy-to-let landlords expect to expand the size of their portfolios over the next 12 months. Those in London, the West Midlands and the North West of England are expected to be particularly active over the next year. 

With landlords feeling confident and an intent to purchase evident, thoughts turn to where the best yields can be achieved – and it’s not necessarily on your doorstep. At the end of December 2023, Zoopla revealed the top 10 UK cities, ranked by the highest buy-to-let yield. 

Sunderland took the top spot, with an average gross rental yield of 8.5%. The other nine places were taken by Dundee (8.07%); Burnley (7.96%); Glasgow (7.90%); Middlesborough (7.85%); Aberdeen (7.45%); Liverpool (7.43%); Blackburn (7.41%); Hull (7.30%) and Grimsby (7.07%). 

Each of the top yielding locations is firmly in the Northern half of the UK but that shouldn’t be a barrier for landlords, even if they’re located more southerly than Liverpool. The key is to think of out-of-area property investment as a business venture without emotional or local attachment. 

Viewber helps landlords make impartial decisions regarding individual properties wherever they are in the UK and wherever the potential investment is, based on unbiased reporting and observations. Here’s how:

Property search phase 

• View on my behalf: sending a Viewber to view properties on your behalf is an excellent way to see a longlist of investment possibilities without leaving your desk. A local Viewber can conduct the viewing, take photos and create a video – all accompanied by unbiased observations – so you can see the condition of the property. They can even conduct a Q&A live streamed walk-around, the very next best thing to visiting in person.  

• Point and shoot photography: if your primary concern is the condition of a property – or any work that may have taken place – a Viewber can visit and take basic photographs, inside and out, using a smartphone. 

• Specific & bespoke reports: if there’s a particular property aspect that needs checking – perhaps a communal area or certain room – just ask. Our reports can be tailored to suit a landlord’s exact needs. 

Tenant ready stage 

• EPC creation: every property to let needs a valid EPC bearing a minimum E rating and Viewber can make that happen. We offer affordable, fixed-cost EPCs, created by qualified energy assessors.  

• Full property listing pack: inc floorplans, 360 tour and edited photos. 

• Accompanied viewings: with a Viewber close to every property in the UK, you can ensure a potential tenant is always accompanied on a visit. Choose our key holding service and you’ll be the same vetted Viewber will show people around. 

• Key holding: landlords who live miles away from their investments find our key holding service invaluable. The same Viewber can be called in to open up for tradespeople, wait while it is complete and lock up after. They can also ‘sit and wait’ for deliveries, and let in energy assessors, inventory clerks, surveyors and agents, so the landlord doesn’t have to undertake unnecessary travel. 

Ongoing property management 

• Fire door, PCFRA & alarm checks: running a compliant let takes effort but Viewber can make easier by undertaking fire door, PCFRA and alarm checks. Book us for any UK buy-to-let and a Viewber will test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, with photo/video evidence where requested. For qualifying properties (usually flats in high rise blocks), we can undertake fire door checks and produce a Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessment (PCFRA). 

• Vacant property checks: a Viewber can visit a property when it’s empty in order to keep an eye on things and to ensure insurance policies are valid. It’s a great service for void periods, when tenants take extended holidays or during refurbishment works.  

• Key management: for landlords investing in the short and holiday let market, Viewber can offer a full suite of key management services. These include a ‘meet and greet’ with key hand over, end-of-stay key collection and even installing a key safe at the property.  

If you are looking to take your first step in property investment or expand an existing portfolio with an additional buy-to-let purchase, Viewber is ready to help make your next purchase more straightforward and much more efficient. 

With no contract, no minimum order and an ‘only pay for the bookings you make’ set up, there’s nothing to lose. Give Viewber a try when you next need to source and shortlist investment properties.