The figures show that over 40% of respondents would consider buying a property to let out, with a massive 98% of people viewing an investment property as no more risky than stocks & shares and almost 70% thought it was less risky.
Commenting on the figures, David Hollingworth of L&C said, "the great appeal of buying a property to let out is that it provides both an extra source of income and a lump sum when the property is eventually sold. This research clearly indicates that very few people fear a property crash so buying to let is still highly attractive."
According to the research one in twenty people has already entered the buy to let market; hardly surprising considering the poor recent performance of equities in recent years and the kind of returns available on buy to let homes. Hollingworth explains: "Using £15,000 as a deposit on a £100,000 property means the growth power is higher, because the stake is that much greater: 3% p/a growth on the property over 5 years gives a final profit of almost £16,000, whereas you’d need growth of 15%+ p/a to achieve this by just investing £15,000 elsewhere."*
