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Year 5 disposal
BMV -2%
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0/ 100
Weak
4.41% return before costs — market rent unverified, verify rent + comps locally.
Why it works
- EPC C — MEES compliant
Why to be cautious
- Monthly profit −£786/mo — heavily negative — needs monthly capital injection
- -5.4% 5y IRR — capital outlay disproportionate to returns
- No rent comparables — estimate is a rule-of-thumb fallback, not market data. Verify the rent locally before offering.
Property research tool — not a regulated financial service. Numbers are point-in-time estimates; how we decide →
Monthly cashflow
−£786/mo
You top up £786/mo
Price
£525K
Around comparable sold prices
Return · IRR
-5.4%/yr
Loses money over 5 years
Cash to get in
£207K
Deposit + fees + refurb
Return before costs on price 4.41%5-yr return on cash -18%Rent est. £1,930 (£1,741–£2,140)
How we define each return: On price — gross yield = annual rent ÷ purchase price. On cost — net yield ÷ total project cost (price + refurb + fees). On cash — cash-on-cash & ROI ÷ the actual cash you put in (deposit + costs).
What-if calculator
Rates as of 20 May 2026Buy-to-Let. Standard rental on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. Single household, market rent, paid monthly direct to landlord (or via agent). (hover any strategy tab for pros + cons)
Offer (£)
Monthly rent (£)
Local comp range: £1,741–£2,140/mo · n=37
Financing
DepositYour cash in — the rest is the mortgage25% · £131,250
Standard 75% LTV for BTL
Mortgage rate5y fixed5.8%
5-year fixed at 75% LTV — 5.75% (as of 2026-05-20).
Mortgage term (years)
Stress rate6.5%
BoE base + 2pp stress (6.5%)
Acquisition costs
Refurb (£)
Per-property refurb estimate from the element rate-card model (£15,741–£29,383 range), VAT-inclusive
Legal + survey (£)
Standard house — £1,900 legal + £1,000 survey
Mortgage fees (£)
2% product fee on £393,750 loan + £1,000 booking fee
Running costs
Management10%
Typical BTL agency rate
Void weeks
Typical voids for BTL
Insurance (£/mo)
Typical BTL building+landlord cover for £400K+
Maintenance (£/mo)
Semi/flat: £67/mo proxy
Leasehold costs
Result · Rent it out
Monthly profit
-£786
after mortgage, operating costs & tax
Rent in£1,930/mo gross
£1,856/mo collected · £74/mo lost to voids
Where it goes
£2,133Mortgage£509Costs
Outgoings exceed rent — you top up £786/mo
Mortgage£2,133
Costs£509
Management£193
Maintenance£67
Insurance£40
CapEx reserve£97
Voids + council tax£8
Ltd co. accounts£104
Tax—
Shortfall−£786
Returns
Return before costs on price4.41%
Cash return on cash-4.57%
Gross margin£1,347
Cash needed£206,513
Monthly profit paybackn/a (monthly loss)
Data confidence
Lender stress test
Rent-covers-mortgage check @ stress0.87
Rent-covers-mortgage check FAIL · stress 6.5% (need ≥ 1.45)
Year-by-year Monthly profit (5-yr horizon)
Net Monthly profit after tax. Rent + costs compound at their growth rates; mortgage principal amortises year-by-year for repayment loans.
Mortgage paydownRent profitbefore price growth
Full year-by-year breakdown
| Year | Gross Rent | Op Costs | Mortgage | Equity Built | Tax | Net | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £23,160 | £6,105 | £25,594 | £0 | £0 | -£8,539 | -£8,539 |
| Year 2 | £23,855 | £6,288 | £25,594 | £0 | £0 | -£8,027 | -£16,566 |
| Year 3 | £24,570 | £6,477 | £25,594 | £0 | £0 | -£7,500 | -£24,066 |
| Year 4 | £25,308 | £6,671 | £25,594 | £0 | £0 | -£6,957 | -£31,023 |
| Year 5 | £26,067 | £6,871 | £25,594 | £0 | £0 | -£6,398 | -£37,421 |
Disposal gain (gross)-£26,237
CGT£0
Net Disposal proceeds£565,151
What we verified
What we verified
60066 ok · 0 caution · 0 fail · 6 unknown
Legal & planning
LeaseholdFreehold
Tenure & planningFreehold
Legal & planning
1 checks- TenureFreehold
Council planning restrictionUnknown
Council planning restrictionRent by the room conversion gatePlanning data
Rent by the room restriction
C3 to C4 conversion
Unknown
Confidence
low
Source
No LPA data for this prefix
⚠️ Selective Licensing in scope
Additional HMO — district-wide
Rates as of May 2026
Building condition
Energy ratingC
EPC& 2030 deadlineEPC register
▼
ABCDEFG
Current rating
From listing descriptionBand C
MEES 2030 compliance
C required for new tenancies
PASS
EPC band from listing · verify certificate before exchanging
Find EPC certificate →Cladding safety certificateNot stated on the listing
HeritageNot stated on the listing
Heritage& planning constraintsNHLE register
We don't ingest the NHLE bulk register, so we can't flag listed-building or conservation-area status for this address from our data alone. Use the official registry to verify before exchanging.
Area
Flood riskChecking…
FloodriskEA
Crime riskChecking…
Crimeriskpolice.uk
SchoolsChecking…
Schools& Ofsted catchmentGIAS register
No schools indexed for this postcode sector.
Investor
Tenant profileFamily let
Tenant profilelikely cohortRG4 8SA · 3 bed
Primary profile
Family let
Nearest university
for student-let assessment
University of Reading · 4.8 km
Reason
3-bed house in a suburban area — family-let demand dominates; check local school catchment ratings.
Heuristic from postcode + bedrooms + nearest-university distance · verify locally
Refurb costEstimate ready
Refurb cost& works budgetQ1 2026 rates
New kitchen + bathroom + light replumb + decor.
Total estimate
3-bed · 1-bath · 990 sqft
£25k–£49k
£ per sqft
building cost only
£25–£49
Per-item breakdown (4 lines)
- Kitchen · Full unit replacement£3,840–£8,640
- 1 × bathroom · Full strip + retile£3,325–£6,650
- Paint + decor£6,930–£12,870
- Flooring · Carpet on bedrooms + LVT/laminate downstairs£10,890–£20,790
Guide rates · UK May 2026 · sqft auto-estimated from beds
Tier-based bands — get a builder quote before exchanging.
Rent by the room licensingStandard rules
HMO licensing5-year licenceCouncil
Licence fee
5-year mandatory
£825–£1,500
Scheme type
Check council
The council's HMO page lists the current mandatory fee plus any additional / selective scheme that catches smaller HMOs.
Mandatory licensing applies to 5+ sharer HMOs (Housing Act 2004)
Find council HMO page →Price & sale history0d on marketno cuts yet
Strategy matrix
Council lease wins — -£703/mo · £82/mo ahead of Rent it out
| Strategy | Return before costs on price | Monthly profit | Cash needed | 5y Return on your cash on cash | Risk | Feasibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rent it out | 4.41% | -£786 | £206,513 | -18.1% | Low | Feasible |
| Housing-benefit rent | 2.96% | -£1,384 | £206,513 | -35.8% | Med | Feasible |
| ⭐ Council lease | 4.41% | -£703 | £206,513 | -17.9% | Low | Feasible |
| Refurb & refinance | 4.41% | -£786 | £241,158 | -15.5% | Med | Feasible |
| Short-stay let / Airbnb | — | — | — | — | — | Disabledno local short-let data |
| Buy, improve & sell | 0.00% | -£211 | £599,783 | 5% | Med | Feasible |
| Rent by the room | 5.21% | -£1,294 | £206,513 | -30.5% | — | Feasible |
Housing-benefit (LHA) scheme detailBRMA Reading · cap £1,296/mo
Housing-benefit rent scheme detail
- Rental Market Area (BRMA):
- Reading
- LHA monthly cap:
- £1,296
- Scheme type:
- other
- Premium:
- +700% premium over LHA cap
- Typical lease:
- 0 years lease
- Management:
- landlord pays agent (typical 10%)
Ready to move on this deal?
Generates an offer pack with your numbers & sources — take it to the agent.
Pro analysis — outcome range, stress tests & portfolio impact
Local lettings demanddays-to-let · supply now · trend
Rent by the room conversion upside
-£351/mo cash flow vs Rent it out if converted to Rent by the room
5.49% Return before costs on price converted vs 4.41% as-is
As-is Rent it out
Monthly profit-£687
Return before costs on price4.41%
Cash needed£143,148
If converted to Rent by the room
Monthly profit-£1,038
Return before costs on price5.49%
Cash needed£159,148
Δ vs Rent it out Monthly profit-£351
Show conversion detail
Conversion cost estimate
£60,000
Range: £52,500 – £70,000
Fire safety, plumbing, partitioning, licensing.
Rates as of Apr 2026
£67,470–£119,955full refurb + room split
What's in this cost
- Kitchen£9,900–£19,800
- 1 × bathroom£6,750–£12,375
- Rewire£5,775–£9,240
- Replumb£4,620–£8,085
- Windows£12,705–£21,945
- Paint + decor£11,550–£19,635
- Flooring£16,170–£28,875
Comparables
sold within 0.5 miWide · CV 31.7%Med confidence
Loading nearby sold…
Location & area intelligence
Transport score100 / 100
On the map
- Registered HMOs
- Approved HMO conversions
- Pending HMO applications
Tax treatment
Annual gross rent£23,160
Section 24 credit£0
Annual tax due£0
Post-tax Monthly profit annual-£9,430
Exit costs
Projected sale price (5y · 2%/yr growth)£579,642
Capital gain (pre-CGT)£54,642
Sale costs (~2.5%)£14,491
CGT due (Ltd Co 25%)£0
No personal CGT — the gain is taxed at the company level (corporation tax) when the SPV disposes of the property.
Net 5y Monthly profit after CGT-£37,421
Rates as of Oct 2024
Acquisition costs
£206,513cash neededPurchase price£525,000
Deposit (25%)£131,250
Stamp duty+5% additional-property surcharge£42,500
Refurb£20,988
Legal + survey£2,900
Mortgage fees£8,875
Total cash neededdeposit + costs (loan covers the rest)£206,513
Green = verified data. Amber = market typical. Red = our estimate — verify before offering.
About this propertydescription · zoopla
Description& agent copyZoopla
A beautifully presented, extended, end-of-terrace property situated in this popular Emmer Green location. The light and spacious accommodation comprises; entrance hall, 16ft sitting room, WC, 17ft refitted kitchen/dining room, playroom, 3 bedrooms and modern family bathroom. Externally the property benefits from a private, enclosed rear garden and off road parking for 2 vehicles.
Buckingham Drive is ideally located just 1 mile from Caversham Centre and approximately 1.8 mile…
Floor plans
Listing metazoopla · Walmsley Estate Agency
About this listing
ZooplaPrice history
5-year price trend
Monthly profit
−£786
Cash needed
£207K
Return after costs
-4.57%
IRR
-5.37%
Buckingham Drive, Emmer Green RG4
semi_detached · 3 bed · 1 bath
£525,000
est £1,930 · 4.41% gross
EPC C
Priced below market
1 / 33
0/100
Marginal
4.41% — verify the rent + comps locally.
4.41% Return before costs — around the area average for this property type.
Monthly profit −£786/mo at the default 25% deposit @ 5.5% — open the calculator to stress-test.
Energy rating C — Min. energy standard 2030 compliant.
Price
£525K
2% below sold comps
Return before costs
4.41%
est rent £1,930/monot enough comparablesRange £1,741–£2,140/mo (Q1–Q3)
Bedrooms
3
1 bath
Energy rating
C
Energy rating
Run the numbers
What-if calculator
Rates as of 20 May 2026Buy-to-Let. Standard rental on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. Single household, market rent, paid monthly direct to landlord (or via agent). (hover any strategy tab for pros + cons)
Offer (£)
Monthly rent (£)
Local comp range: £1,741–£2,140/mo · n=37
Financing
DepositYour cash in — the rest is the mortgage25% · £131,250
Standard 75% LTV for BTL
Mortgage rate5y fixed5.8%
5-year fixed at 75% LTV — 5.75% (as of 2026-05-20).
Mortgage term (years)
Stress rate6.5%
BoE base + 2pp stress (6.5%)
Acquisition costs
Refurb (£)
Per-property refurb estimate from the element rate-card model (£15,741–£29,383 range), VAT-inclusive
Legal + survey (£)
Standard house — £1,900 legal + £1,000 survey
Mortgage fees (£)
2% product fee on £393,750 loan + £1,000 booking fee
Running costs
Management10%
Typical BTL agency rate
Void weeks
Typical voids for BTL
Insurance (£/mo)
Typical BTL building+landlord cover for £400K+
Maintenance (£/mo)
Semi/flat: £67/mo proxy
Leasehold costs
Result · Rent it out
Monthly profit
-£786
after mortgage, operating costs & tax
Rent in£1,930/mo gross
£1,856/mo collected · £74/mo lost to voids
Where it goes
£2,133Mortgage£509Costs
Outgoings exceed rent — you top up £786/mo
Mortgage£2,133
Costs£509
Management£193
Maintenance£67
Insurance£40
CapEx reserve£97
Voids + council tax£8
Ltd co. accounts£104
Tax—
Shortfall−£786
Returns
Return before costs on price4.41%
Cash return on cash-4.57%
Gross margin£1,347
Cash needed£206,513
Monthly profit paybackn/a (monthly loss)
Data confidence
Lender stress test
Rent-covers-mortgage check @ stress0.87
Rent-covers-mortgage check FAIL · stress 6.5% (need ≥ 1.45)
Housing-benefit (LHA) scheme detailBRMA Reading · cap £1,296/mo
Housing-benefit rent scheme detail
- Rental Market Area (BRMA):
- Reading
- LHA monthly cap:
- £1,296
- Scheme type:
- other
- Premium:
- +700% premium over LHA cap
- Typical lease:
- 0 years lease
- Management:
- landlord pays agent (typical 10%)
Year-by-year Monthly profit (5-yr horizon)
Net Monthly profit after tax. Rent + costs compound at their growth rates; mortgage principal amortises year-by-year for repayment loans.
Mortgage paydownRent profitbefore price growth
Full year-by-year breakdown
| Year | Gross Rent | Op Costs | Mortgage | Equity Built | Tax | Net | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £23,160 | £6,105 | £25,594 | £0 | £0 | -£8,539 | -£8,539 |
| Year 2 | £23,855 | £6,288 | £25,594 | £0 | £0 | -£8,027 | -£16,566 |
| Year 3 | £24,570 | £6,477 | £25,594 | £0 | £0 | -£7,500 | -£24,066 |
| Year 4 | £25,308 | £6,671 | £25,594 | £0 | £0 | -£6,957 | -£31,023 |
| Year 5 | £26,067 | £6,871 | £25,594 | £0 | £0 | -£6,398 | -£37,421 |
Rent by the room upside
What we verified
6006
Legal & planning▾
Article 4HMO restriction lookupUnknown
Rent by the room licensingMandatory if 5+ unrelatedCheck LPA
TenureTenure typeFreehold
HeritageListed building / conservation areaNot stated on the listing
Building condition▾
EPCEnergy efficiency ratingC
EWS1External wall safety (cladding)Not stated on the listing
Refurb costBased on beds + baths + sqftEstimate available
Area▾
Crimepolice.uk · monthlyChecking…
SchoolsGIAS · OfstedChecking…
FloodEA Flood Map · England onlyChecking…
Investor profile▾
Tenant profileBeds + postcode heuristicFamily / Rent by the room
Rent by the room feasibilityMin 3 beds for C4 routeFeasible
Comparables
sold within 0.5 miWide · CV 31.7%Med confidence
Loading nearby sold…
Location & transport
Tax & exit
Tax bandLtd Co 25%
Mortgage-interest tax rule credit£5,119
Annual rental tax£0
CGT yr 5£0 · company level
5y net total-£37,421
Acquisition costs
25% deposit£131,250
Stamp duty£42,500
Refurb£20,988
Legal + survey£2,900
Mortgage + broker£8,875
Cash needed£206,513
Green = verified data. Amber = market typical. Red = our estimate — verify before offering.
Make an offer
Pro analysis — outcome range, stress tests & portfolio impact
Your notes
Description& agent copyZoopla
A beautifully presented, extended, end-of-terrace property situated in this popular Emmer Green location. The light and spacious accommodation comprises; entrance hall, 16ft sitting room, WC, 17ft refitted kitchen/dining room, playroom, 3 bedrooms and modern family bathroom. Externally the property benefits from a private, enclosed rear garden and off road parking for 2 vehicles.
Buckingham Drive is ideally located just 1 mile from Caversham Centre and approximately 1.8 mile…
Floor plans
Listing
Sources: Rightmove · HM Land Registry · Ofsted · EA Flood Zones
Estimates not financial advice
Estimates not financial advice