Skip to content

A Guide to Investing In Student Property

Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/rgJ1J8SDEAY
image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/rgJ1J8SDEAY

Investors are showing a lot of interest in student properties in Australia today because of the increasing number of college students who prefer to live near their universities, instead of spending time travelling to and from school. The increasing number of foreign learners also increases the demand for this type of housing.

People who wish to invest in student property must research it before spending their hard-earned money. This article lists some of the considerations in buying the best property investments for student accommodation.

Choose the Best Location for a Student Property

In choosing a student property, location is essential because some areas fare better than any student housing. For instance, a house in a suburb won’t attract students better than a room or apartment in the city. This setup would have been attractive years ago because learners want to live in a shared house away from the centre, but they now want to live where there’s a lively nightlife and near their campuses.

Students also opt to live in a city where they can have part-time jobs. Even if they have loans to finance their studies, they need to work to have money for their everyday expenses and monthly rentals for their accommodations. They have less time to study, so they may opt to go to paper writing service for their assignments. Australian learners may decide to take advantage of the essay service for their writing assignments.

College essay writing requires a lot of time, and working undergraduates prefer to hire someone else to do custom writing for them. They have to juggle their time between their studies and jobs to ensure that they’re able to finish school as soon as possible.

Investors who purchase student accommodation in a smaller town with a few thousand students won’t earn a passive income. Property investing in the city is thriving because of the tremendous number of learners, but if there are existing housing developments, buying a high quality property may no longer be profitable because of too many competitions. It’s essential to also research on the expansion plans and rate of growth of universities in the area before deciding on the best place to invest in property for student housing.

Consider Universities with a Growing Population

Choosing cities with universities will provide a better-earning prospect for secure resale value and rental growth. An excellent strategy is to opt for a city with universities that have an increasing population. Overseas learners are likely to opt to study at a reputable university; therefore, having a large and growing group of foreign learners must be a top priority in deciding where to invest. They often search for a student flat to rent near their schools.

Estimate Completion Time of the Student Accommodation

If the property is under construction, it’s completion date is crucial because it has to be ready before the start of the school year. Learners like to move into new accommodation before their classes begin. If the housing isn’t ready by that time, it’s highly improbable for learners to want to move into it at the middle of the school calendar. It’s possible not to earn any income for several months because students don’t consider moving out of their chosen home for years.

Determine the Accommodation Type

A House with Multiple Occupation (HMO) is the top choice of students because of its affordable prices, and these learners don’t care about the location. Since instituting reforms in HMO licensing, it’s no longer a feasible option. Purpose-built student accommodation (PSBA) is a prevalent alternative for investors who wish to buy student accommodation because a management company is responsible for the upkeep of the student property. Property owners also have fewer licensing restrictions.

Know the Required Capital

Unlike the regular buy-to-lets, student housing has a lower entry rate, but there are disadvantages to this type of student property investment. Many lenders won’t offer mortgages on PBSA units because of its size and commercial nature. Investing in this type of student housing means the investors must pay in cash or negotiate a flexible payment plan with the developer.

Determine Goals for the Investment

PSBAs can’t provide high levels of capital growth because their attractiveness depends on the rental yields, demand, and low maintenance nature of the apartment or pod. Investors can’t get a high resale value for the unit. They can opt to invest in buy-to-lets if they want to achieve high capital growth levels, but they have to keep it over the long term. Prices fluctuate in the short term because of demographic changes and political upheavals.

Student property investing for beginners doesn’t have to be challenging. It’s true this type of investment is seasonal because it depends on the opening of the school year, but performing due diligence before buying student accommodation for sale can somehow reduce its investing risks.

Related