How to secure future when live in employment accommodation

RoseDavid1

Hello,
Looking for advice.

My husband is very lucky to get rent free accommodation included with his job. We have lived here 18 years. We have been sensible and been saving monthly since we moved in. We are now 40 and would like to spend the next 25 years (or less if possible) getting us to a position where we can own our own property mortgage free by time we are 65 so we do not have to suddenly have to start paying rent when we retire. 

We have a £150k saved. First idea was to do a buy to let on 25 year mortgage. However we are first time buyers and not attractive to mortgage companies for a BTL mortgage.
Another option is to buy outright much further away and rent out or holiday let. 

I also have a worry I will find being a landlord stressful. 

Alternatively we keep saving. 

We are lost to how we get to our end goal. We have all the key ingredients but I can’t seem to get the recipe right! 

For context, we live in Greater London and have two children 15 & 18 years. 

Any advice / ideas gratefully received 

thank you 

willowparrett

I’ve no particular advice on getting to your end goals, but both my partner and I rent out the first houses we owned before moving in together - I was similarly worried about the stress levels!  I’ve found it is short peaks of stress if something needs fixing/repairing - and then it needs a lot of focus and time, but away from those windows, it isn’t stressful at all.  That said, I think it depends hugely on your tenant, the type/size of house, and the area you’re in.  

I love my tenant and hope she stays forever (single older lady) - she loves the house and has made it her home.  It’s a small, basic house, and a solid old/character property with nothing too ‘snazzy’ to go wrong.  And it’s in a quiet rural area.  The only frustration is that it’s quite a long way from me, so I (nearly) always have to pay someone for basic repairs. 

My partner’s house is city centre, and he rents it to young couples or young families who outgrow it in a couple of years, so the stress/cost of finding a new tenant every year or two is a lot greater.  It’s very much a starter home, and not one you’d want to stay in long-term.  It’s also a larger house from the 90s, and he’s found the build quality to be poor.  The cost of replacing a large kitchen and bathroom, new windows, carpets etc have been significant.  BUT his rental income is a lot more than mine.  

So, my advice would be to think about who you want to rent to, how much of the upkeep you want to do yourself, etc.  The other thing to be aware of is the EPC requirements that are rolling out for rental properties over the next few years.  We’ve both needed to make upgrades to ensure we fall within the requirements - so just be mindful if looking at an inefficient/older property that might need a lot of work to bring it in line with the requirements over the next few years. 

Best of luck! 

WPx