Let’s face it — property investing isn’t as glamorous as Instagram makes it look. We’ve worked with hundreds of investors, from brand-new landlords to seasoned BRRR junkies, and we see the same costly mistakes over and over again.

Most of them are avoidable.

This post isn’t meant to scare you — it’s to give you the upper hand. Whether you’re buying your first deal or your fifteenth, here are the five property investment mistakes we see every single week — and how you can avoid falling into the same traps.

1. Chasing Deals Without Knowing Your Numbers

Here’s the deal: numbers don’t lie — but investors often lie to themselves.

One of the most common mistakes we see is chasing shiny deals without properly analysing whether they actually stack. People fall in love with the idea of the property, not the investment.

Common red flags:

Relying on estate agent “potential yields”

Underestimating refurb costs

Overestimating end value (GDV)

What to do instead:
Build your deal calculator and stick to it religiously. Factor in:

True comparables

A realistic refurb budget (+10% buffer)

Costs like stamp duty, legals, and sourcing fees

If the deal doesn’t work before the refurb, it won’t work after it either.

2. Underestimating Refurb Costs (and Timelines)

We’ve seen investors budget £5k for a light refurb… then call us in when they’re £12k deep with no bathroom or kitchen fitted.

Even with a good builder, projects go over budget or get delayed. That’s the nature of the game. And if you don’t have proper contingencies or clear spec sheets, it can eat your ROI alive.

What we recommend:

Get a refurb quote from someone who’s seen the property in person

Build a scope of works before completing

Always add a 10–15% contingency buffer

Bonus: if you’re working with us, we manage this whole process for you.

3. Focusing on Price, Not Strategy

Cheap doesn’t mean good.
We’ve seen people buy £40k houses that sit empty for 12 months — and £100k properties that turn into goldmines.

The key is strategy alignment.

Ask yourself:

Am I flipping, BRRR-ing, or holding long-term?

What’s the tenant demand in the area?

What exit options do I have if the market shifts?

A £10k discount means nothing if the property is in the middle of nowhere and can’t be rented or sold.

You should only buy a property when it’s crystal clear how you’ll make money from it — and when.

4. Not Factoring in Finance (and the REAL costs of money)

Finance can make or break a deal — and too many investors misunderstand it.

Whether you’re using bridging, buy-to-let mortgages, or angel investors, you need to understand the cost and structure of your funding.

Mistakes we see:

Assuming you’ll refinance at full market value, instantly

Not factoring in broker fees, exit fees, valuation delays

Thinking a 6-month bridging loan is “plenty of time”

What’s the fix?

Model best-case, realistic, and worst-case scenarios with your finance. Know your interest charges and what happens if refinance takes longer than expected. Don’t let optimism ruin your margins.

5. Trying to Do Everything Yourself

This is the big one.

Property investment is a business — not a side hustle. And if you’re trying to source, negotiate, refurb, let, and refinance your deals while working a full-time job… you’re going to hit a wall.

We see it all the time:

Deals dragging on for months

Refurbs left half-finished

Agents ghosting because no one’s managing them

Here’s the truth:
Smart investors don’t try to do it all — they build a power team.

That might mean:

A property sourcer (hi 👋)

A trusted builder and project manager

A decent mortgage broker

A lettings agent you can actually rely on

The less you try to juggle, the faster you’ll grow your portfolio.

Real Talk: One Missed Step Can Kill a Deal
We’re not here to sell fairy tales.

We’re here to deliver real, profitable deals that stack — because we’ve seen what happens when they don’t. And it’s brutal.

That’s why every property we source comes with: 

✅ Verified numbers
✅ Refurb costs up front
✅ Area rental data
✅ Resale potential
✅ Exit strategy options

We do this so you don’t waste your money — or your time.

Want to Avoid These Mistakes Completely?
We’ve helped investors buy deals in Liverpool with:

£30k+ equity uplift

8–10% rental yields

£0 left in the deal after refinance

And they didn’t lift a finger.
We did the heavy lifting — they got the results.