Skip to main contenthow this is calculated →
Year 5 disposal
⊞ View all 21
0/ 100
Weak
1.60% return before costs — market rent unverified, verify rent + comps locally.
Why it works
Why to be cautious
- EPC D — must hit C by 2030 (~£3,000–£7,000)
- 1.60% return — below most lender Rent-covers-mortgage checks
- Monthly profit −£5,170/mo — heavily negative — needs monthly capital injection
- -12.4% 5y IRR — capital outlay disproportionate to returns
Property research tool — not a regulated financial service. Numbers are point-in-time estimates; how we decide →
Monthly cashflow
−£5K/mo
You top up £5K/mo
Price
£1.65M
No local sold comps to compare
Return · IRR
-12.4%/yr
Loses money over 5 years
Cash to get in
£684K
Deposit + fees + refurb
Return before costs on price 1.60%5-yr return on cash -44%Rent est. £2,206 (£1,989–£2,447)
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: £1,989–£2,447/mo · n=14
Financing
DepositYour cash in — the rest is the mortgage25% · £412,500
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 (£36,102–£67,390 range), VAT-inclusive
Legal + survey (£)
Standard house — £2,400 legal + £1,300 survey
Mortgage fees (£)
2% product fee on £1,237,500 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)
Detached: £100/mo proxy (more roof + grounds)
Leasehold costs
Result · Rent it out
Monthly profit
-£5,170
after mortgage, operating costs & tax
Rent in£2,206/mo gross
£2,121/mo collected · £85/mo lost to voids
Where it goes
£6,703Mortgage
Outgoings exceed rent — you top up £5,170/mo
Mortgage£6,703
Costs£588
Management£221
Maintenance£100
Insurance£40
CapEx reserve£110
Voids + council tax£13
Ltd co. accounts£104
Tax—
Shortfall−£5,170
Returns
Return before costs on price1.60%
Cash return on cash-9.07%
Gross margin£1,533
Cash needed£684,336
Monthly profit paybackn/a (monthly loss)
Data confidence
Lender stress test
Rent-covers-mortgage check @ stress0.32
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 | £26,472 | £7,060 | £80,438 | £0 | £0 | -£61,026 | -£61,026 |
| Year 2 | £27,266 | £7,272 | £80,438 | £0 | £0 | -£60,443 | -£121,469 |
| Year 3 | £28,084 | £7,490 | £80,438 | £0 | £0 | -£59,844 | -£181,313 |
| Year 4 | £28,927 | £7,715 | £80,438 | £0 | £0 | -£59,226 | -£240,539 |
| Year 5 | £29,794 | £7,946 | £80,438 | £0 | £0 | -£58,589 | -£299,128 |
Disposal gain (gross)-£119,896
CGT£0
Net Disposal proceeds£1,776,190
What we verified
What we verified
51065 ok · 1 caution · 0 fail · 6 unknown
Legal & planning
LeaseholdFreehold
Tenure & planningFreehold
Legal & planning
2 checks- TenureUnknown
- Lease lengthUnknown
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
Rates as of May 2026
Building condition
Energy ratingD
EPC& 2030 deadlineEPC register
▼
ABCDEFG
Current rating
From listing descriptionBand D
MEES 2030 compliance
C required for new tenancies
FAIL
Upgrade to C
estimated cost
£3k–£7k
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 cohortCM1 4TD · 4 bed
Primary profile
Family let
Secondary profile
HMO / sharers
Nearest university
for student-let assessment
Queen Mary · 41.8 km
Reason
4-bed house in a suburban area — family-let demand dominates; larger property may also work as a sharer HMO.
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
4-bed · 4-bath · 3709 sqft
£84k–£161k
£ per sqft
building cost only
£23–£44
Per-item breakdown (4 lines)
- Kitchen · Full unit replacement£3,840–£8,640
- 4 × bathroom · Full strip + retile£13,300–£26,600
- Paint + decor£25,963–£48,217
- Flooring · Carpet on bedrooms + LVT/laminate downstairs£40,799–£77,889
Guide rates · UK May 2026
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
Sale price historythis address, HM Land RegistryPrice-Paid Data
Asking vs last sale
£938,000 in 2019 → £1,650,000 asking
+75.9%in 7y
- 2019£938,000—
HM Land Registry · Price-Paid Data (Open Government Licence). Growth percentages are nominal — not adjusted for inflation or local market movement.
Strategy matrix
Rent it out wins — -£5,170/mo · level with Refurb & refinance
| Strategy | Return before costs on price | Monthly profit | Cash needed | 5y Return on your cash on cash | Risk | Feasibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Rent it out | 1.60% | -£5,170 | £684,336 | -43.7% | Low | Feasible |
| Housing-benefit rent | 1.05% | -£5,885 | £684,336 | -50.1% | Med | Feasible |
| Council lease | 1.05% | -£5,574 | £684,336 | -48.3% | Low | Feasible |
| Refurb & refinance | 1.60% | -£5,170 | £786,090 | -38.1% | Med | Feasible |
| Short-stay let / Airbnb | — | — | — | — | — | Disabledno local short-let data |
| Buy, improve & sell | 0.00% | -£244 | £1,915,340 | 4% | Med | Feasible |
| Rent by the room | 2.04% | -£5,780 | £684,336 | -48.1% | — | Feasible |
Housing-benefit (LHA) scheme detailBRMA Chelmsford · cap £1,446/mo
Housing-benefit rent scheme detail
- Rental Market Area (BRMA):
- Chelmsford
- LHA monthly cap:
- £1,446
- Scheme type:
- leasing
- Premium:
- +0% premium over LHA cap
- Management:
- management covered by council
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
-£575/mo cash flow vs Rent it out if converted to Rent by the room
1.75% Return before costs on price converted vs 1.60% as-is
As-is Rent it out
Monthly profit-£4,858
Return before costs on price1.60%
Cash needed£424,398
If converted to Rent by the room
Monthly profit-£5,433
Return before costs on price1.75%
Cash needed£440,398
Δ vs Rent it out Monthly profit-£575
Show conversion detail
Conversion cost estimate
£22,000
Range: £16,000 – £30,000
Fire safety, plumbing, partitioning, licensing.
Rates as of Apr 2026
£161,255–£300,165full refurb + room split
What's in this cost
- Kitchen£8,640–£17,280
- 4 × bathroom£22,800–£41,800
- Rewire£14,836–£25,963
- Replumb£11,127–£22,254
- Windows£37,090–£66,762
- Paint + decor£25,963–£48,217
- Flooring£40,799–£77,889
Comparables
sold within 0.5 miLoading nearby sold…
Location & area intelligence
Transport score100 / 100
On the map
- Registered HMOs
- Approved HMO conversions
- Pending HMO applications
Schools & catchment5 schools nearby
Nearby schoolsOfsted-rated, nearest first5 of 5
- GoodNewlands Spring Primary and Nursery SchoolPrimary · Academy converter · CM1 4UU
- GoodRoxwell Church of England Primary SchoolPrimary · Academy sponsor led · CM1 4PE
- Not ratedLift ColumbusNot applicable · Academy special converter · CM1 4ZB
- Not ratedSt Pius X Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Academy converter · CM1 4HY
- Not ratedSt John Payne Catholic School, ChelmsfordSecondary · Voluntary aided school · CM1 4BS
Ofsted · postcode-area match. Catchment areas vary year to year — verify with the local council before relying for school admissions.
Tax treatment
Annual gross rent£26,472
Section 24 credit£0
Annual tax due£0
Post-tax Monthly profit annual-£62,044
Exit costs
Projected sale price (5y · 2%/yr growth)£1,821,733
Capital gain (pre-CGT)£171,733
Sale costs (~2.5%)£45,543
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-£299,128
Rates as of Oct 2024
Acquisition costs
£684,336cash neededPurchase price£1,650,000
Deposit (25%)£412,500
Stamp duty+5% additional-property surcharge£194,250
Refurb£48,136
Legal + survey£3,700
Mortgage fees£25,750
Total cash neededdeposit + costs (loan covers the rest)£684,336
Green = verified data. Amber = market typical. Red = our estimate — verify before offering.
About this propertydescription · rightmove
Description& agent copyRightmove
The Bells is a truly impressive detached home, masterfully extended and refurbished to create a seamless blend of characterful charm and contemporary living. A wealth of exposed timber beams and period fireplaces complement the more modern additions, while the approximately 3,000 sq ft of accommodation provides a flexible and exceptionally bright living environment.
The accommodation flows from a welcoming reception hall into the principal reception spaces. The light-filled,…
Floor plans
Listing metarightmove · Strutt & Parker
About this listing
RightmovePrice history
5-year price trend
Monthly profit
−£5,170
Cash needed
£684K
Return after costs
-9.07%
IRR
-12.38%
Chignal Smealey, Chelmsford, Essex
detached · 4 bed · 4 bath · 3,709 sqft
£1,650,000
est £2,206 · 1.60% gross
EPC D
1 / 21
0/100
Marginal
1.60% — verify the rent + comps locally.
Energy rating D — must hit C by 2030 (~£3,000–£7,000)
Price
£1.6M
Return before costs
1.60%
est rent £2,206/monot enough comparablesRange £1,989–£2,447/mo (Q1–Q3)
Bedrooms
4
4 bath
Energy rating
D
Energy rating
Deal flags1 issue
EPC D — upgrade by 2030
Must reach EPC C by 2030 to let on a new tenancy
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: £1,989–£2,447/mo · n=14
Financing
DepositYour cash in — the rest is the mortgage25% · £412,500
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 (£36,102–£67,390 range), VAT-inclusive
Legal + survey (£)
Standard house — £2,400 legal + £1,300 survey
Mortgage fees (£)
2% product fee on £1,237,500 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)
Detached: £100/mo proxy (more roof + grounds)
Leasehold costs
Result · Rent it out
Monthly profit
-£5,170
after mortgage, operating costs & tax
Rent in£2,206/mo gross
£2,121/mo collected · £85/mo lost to voids
Where it goes
£6,703Mortgage
Outgoings exceed rent — you top up £5,170/mo
Mortgage£6,703
Costs£588
Management£221
Maintenance£100
Insurance£40
CapEx reserve£110
Voids + council tax£13
Ltd co. accounts£104
Tax—
Shortfall−£5,170
Returns
Return before costs on price1.60%
Cash return on cash-9.07%
Gross margin£1,533
Cash needed£684,336
Monthly profit paybackn/a (monthly loss)
Data confidence
Lender stress test
Rent-covers-mortgage check @ stress0.32
Rent-covers-mortgage check FAIL · stress 6.5% (need ≥ 1.45)
Housing-benefit (LHA) scheme detailBRMA Chelmsford · cap £1,446/mo
Housing-benefit rent scheme detail
- Rental Market Area (BRMA):
- Chelmsford
- LHA monthly cap:
- £1,446
- Scheme type:
- leasing
- Premium:
- +0% premium over LHA cap
- Management:
- management covered by council
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 | £26,472 | £7,060 | £80,438 | £0 | £0 | -£61,026 | -£61,026 |
| Year 2 | £27,266 | £7,272 | £80,438 | £0 | £0 | -£60,443 | -£121,469 |
| Year 3 | £28,084 | £7,490 | £80,438 | £0 | £0 | -£59,844 | -£181,313 |
| Year 4 | £28,927 | £7,715 | £80,438 | £0 | £0 | -£59,226 | -£240,539 |
| Year 5 | £29,794 | £7,946 | £80,438 | £0 | £0 | -£58,589 | -£299,128 |
Rent by the room upside
What we verified
5106
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▾
EPC~£3,000–£7,000 to upgrade to CD
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 miLoading nearby sold…
Location & transport
Tax & exit
Tax bandLtd Co 25%
Mortgage-interest tax rule credit£16,088
Annual rental tax£0
CGT yr 5£0 · company level
5y net total-£299,128
Acquisition costs
25% deposit£412,500
Stamp duty£194,250
Refurb£48,136
Legal + survey£3,700
Mortgage + broker£25,750
Cash needed£684,336
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 copyRightmove
The Bells is a truly impressive detached home, masterfully extended and refurbished to create a seamless blend of characterful charm and contemporary living. A wealth of exposed timber beams and period fireplaces complement the more modern additions, while the approximately 3,000 sq ft of accommodation provides a flexible and exceptionally bright living environment.
The accommodation flows from a welcoming reception hall into the principal reception spaces. The light-filled,…
Floor plans
Listing
Sources: Rightmove · HM Land Registry · Ofsted · EA Flood Zones
Estimates not financial advice
Estimates not financial advice