Niziol’s mission to make property matter

The English Housing Survey’s Headline Report for 2017-18 shows that the number of owner-occupiers in the UK remains broadly unchanged at 64%, or 14.8 million households of an estimated 23.2 million houses. Surprisingly, despite the gloomy news headlines that surround first-time buyers and the ability to get on the property ladder, the report also shows that there has been an increase of 5% of those aged 35-44 who were owner occupiers at 57% compared with 52% in 2016-17.

Notwithstanding the continuing desire to purchase a property and the associated stability that owing a home gives you, there has been a considerable increase in the proportion of 35-44 year olds in the private rented sector (from 13% in 2007-08 to 28% in 2017-18 according to the same report.

So what does this tell us – is investing in property a way to generate an income for your retirement, an alternative to a pension or a means of providing your children with a home in the future? We caught up with Michelle Niziol who is passionate about all things property. Having started out as a mortgage adviser, she opened her own brokerage in 2005 and winning several industry awards, including Top UK Broker from Barclays Bank. After building her own successful property portfolio, she was inspired to do the same for her clients, providing a bespoke property solution. Michelle founded IMS Property Group in 2008. The group of companies offers a complete property service from lettings, to estate agency, property refurbishment, development and finance.

She is recognised as one of the UK’s leading property and finance specialists, providing regular commentary for The Telegraph, Financial Times, Guardian and Daily Mail. She also has her own columns in industry magazines, such as What Mortgage?

In response to the question as to whether property investment remains a good option Niziol commented:

“Yes, when compared to other investment vehicles such as stocks and shares, property is one of the best asset classes to invest in, due to the capital appreciation over the long term.

Whether you’re looking for a single property to live in, or have a dream of developing a successful buy-to-let portfolio, property investment can be an exciting, but daunting proposition.

Buying a house is still seen as the ultimate sign of adulthood and maturity. Many people strive for years to save enough money to purchase a place they can call home, but sadly many potential home buyers approach this process without proper knowledge on their mortgage and financing options, making it all the more difficult. Knowing how much money you need to save, what kind of credit history you require, and which financing schemes work best for you can make buying your first home something to look forward to, instead of dread!”

Another report by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – the English Private Landlord Survey 2018 published in January 2019 reveals some interesting statistics in that while almost half of private rental sector landlords own just one property, half of private rented sector tenancies are let by the 17% of landlords with five or more properties. It seems that you either get the bug or you don’t.

According to the report, the average (median) gross rental income (before tax and other deductions) is £15,000. Three in five (61%) landlords had gross rental income of less than £20,000, while a further quarter (26%) reported between £20,000 and £49,999. Thirteen percent reported a gross rental income of £50,000 or more.

Whatever the reason for considering becoming a landlord in the private rental sector, it is important to ensure that you do your research and go in with your eyes fully open. For that reason, Niziol recently organised a Landlord Event in Bicester aimed at delivering key insights from a team of market leading professionals on the best property investment and management strategies:

“The future of the UK landlord and lettings market is full of profit potential, which is why at Michelle Niziol Ltd. we are excited to both reinvigorate the local property market and make our clients healthy profits while doing so.”

Niziol has also organised a similar event which catered for those looking for their first home where over 100 property hopefuls  had access to valuable information from a number of property experts; including property developers, financial advisers, legal experts and mortgage brokers. Clearly Niziol loves property, but at the heart, what she loves most is working with people, freeing them from the financial stresses that many in today’s economy find themselves in:

 “One of the greatest joys I get from work is being able to look my clients in the eye and say, ‘Congratulations, you’re retired!’”

And what of her own journey? Starting as a 12-year-old selling goods at weekend market stalls and car boots, Niziol quickly learned that she had a deep passion building and running her own business. This independent streak drove her to work three jobs to save for her first house by age 18, quickly followed by her first Buy To Let property the following year. As well as running her property group and writing for the press, she has recently signed onto and showcased on two Sky TV Shows within two months, all at the same time as being able to maintain a healthy family/home life. The secret to being able achieve this balance is, according to Niziol:

“Everyone asks me all the time ‘how do I do it’, but when you are passionate and love what you do, I don’t see it as work, it’s just my life.”

Suzanna Bailes
Correspondent

This interview was featured on Key Women in Business