Why 2017 is the year for property investment
Thinking of investing in property? Well, 2017 could be the year to do it, read on to discover why.
Diversification
First and foremost, investing in property will diversify your investment portfolio, making it more robust and secure. Property will help you to hedge against the uncertainties of the stock market. Invest in property, and your investment income won’t be wholly dependent on the performance of the few companies in which you own shares. So, as the adage goes, don’t put all your eggs in one basket — mix things up and diversify.

Stability
Shares can be notoriously volatile, with their value going up and down dramatically at times. However, invest in property and yes it can go can up and down in value, but looked at longer term; it tends to hold its value and have greater stability.
Regular income
In addition, invest in property, and it has the potential to bring in a steady (and additional) stream of income for you.
Physical asset
Moreover, not only will you have the potential for a regular income, but you’ll also own bricks and mortar — a physical asset.
Growth in value
Property can also prove to be an asset that grows in value as well as brings in a regular income. Recent figures show that house prices in Britain have grown by 3.3% over the last year. Since 2006 (before the recession), houses have increased in value by 29% nationally and a staggering 93% in London. So although figures may show the number of sales dropping, the properties themselves are retaining their value and indeed have grown in value over time.
Growth in demand
Moreover, the demand for rental property is growing, so it’s a good area in which to invest. Accountancy firm PwC has found that the proportion of people living in rented accommodation has doubled from 10% to 20% since 2000. Moreover, amongst 20 to 39-year-olds, this proportion is much higher increasing to 50%, so moving forward the proportion of people living in rented accommodation is likely to rise to 25% by 2015. So invest in rental property, and you’ll be investing in a growth area.
Choice
Investing in property also gives you a choice regarding how directly or not you are involved. You could invest in a property that you own wholly and directly or in which you merely have an interest. It could be a property of which you become a hands-on landlord, managing the letting and undertaking the repairs yourself. Conversely, you could use an agent to manage the letting side of things of you. So, invest in property, and you’ll have a range of options available to you.
Just like any investment, property can go up and down in value, there are no guarantees, and you do need to research the market carefully before you commit. However, that being said; property has been shown to hold its value over the years and to grow in value too. So for an investment that is “safe as houses,” as the saying goes, invest in property in 2017.
