If I were a buy to let landlord in Telford today, I might feel a little bruised by the assault made on my wallet after being (and continuing to be) ransacked over the last 12 months by HM Treasury’s tax changes on buy to let. To add insult to injury, Brexit has caused a tempering of the Telford property market with property prices not increasing by the levels we have seen in the last few years. I think we might even see a very slight drop in property prices this year and, if Telford property prices do drop, the downside to that is that first time buyers could be attracted back into the Telford property market; meaning less demand for renting (meaning rents will go down). Yet, before we all run for the hills, all these things could be serendipitous to every Telford landlord, almost a blessing in disguise. Telford has a population of 141,708, so when I looked at the number of people who lived in private rented accommodation, the numbers astounded me …

Telford – Accommodation Type and the Number of Occupiers
Owned outright – Telford	Owned with a mortgage – Telford	Shared ownership (part owned and part rented) – Telford	Social rented (aka Council Housing) –  Telford	Private rented – Telford	Living rent free – Telford
28,437	60,030	587	27,445	24,016	1,193
20.1%	42.4%	0.4%	19.4%	16.9%	0.8%

        Yields will rise if Telford property prices fall, which will also make it easier to obtain a buy to let mortgage, as the income would cover more of the interest cost. If property values were to level off or come down that could help Telford landlords add to their portfolio. Rental demand in Telford is expected to stay solid and may even see an improvement if uncertainty is protracted. However, there is something even more important that Telford landlords should be aware of: the change in the mindset of these 20 something potential first time buyers. I have just come back from a visit to relations after a family get together. I got chatting with my brother in law and his partner.  Both are in their mid/late twenties, both have decent jobs in Telford and they rent. Yet, here was the bombshell, they were planning to rent for the foreseeable future with no plans to even save for a deposit, let alone buy a property. I enquired why they weren’t planning to buy? The answers surprised me, and it will you. Firstly, they don’t want to put cash into property, they would rather spend it on living and socialising by going on nice holidays and buying the latest tech and gadgets. They want the flexibility to live where they choose and finally, they don’t like the idea of paying for repairs. All their friends feel the same. I was quite taken aback that buying a house is just not top of the list. So, as 16.9% of Telford people are in rented accommodation and as that figure is set to grow over the next decade, now might just be a good time to buy property in Telford – because what else are you going to invest in?  Give your money to the stock market run by sharp suited city whizz kids – because at least with property – it’s something you can touch – there is nothing like bricks and mortar! For more views and opinions on the Telford Property Market – visit the Telford Property Market Blog www.telfordpropertyblog.com