Eimear Gourley

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[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

A £240k house with £1,100 rent might look solid until you run the numbers.

£77,100 in just to buy it, before refurb costs, for roughly 3.33% ROI.

For us, that’s nowhere near enough. We generally want around 8.5% minimum.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

A £120,000 investment property does not just require a £30,000 deposit.

Example costs:

Deposit: £30,000
Property tax: £6,000
Legal fees: ~£1,500
Surveys and mortgage fees: ~£500
Renovation: £8,000 to £12,000

Total budget: roughly £46k to £50k.

The deposit is only the start.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

Most refurbs look great online and terrible on a spreadsheet.

Paint and flooring usually make sense.

Fixing layout problems can add real value.

Kitchens and bathrooms work when they actually need done.

Fancy finishes and over-refurbing the area?

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

Best business advice?

Do it now.

Do not wait until you feel fully ready.

You can build a business, have a family, and still make it work.

Waiting for the “right time” is usually just fear dressed up as logic.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

How many properties do you need to stop working?

For many people, the target is roughly £3,000/month.

That could mean around 6 strong buy-to-let properties.

But the number of houses is not the point.

The real question is how much monthly cashflow they produce after costs.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

The cheapest house on the street can become the most expensive mistake.

Lower price does not always mean better value.

Cheap can mean harder to rent, more repairs, weaker tenants, and a harder resale.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

This rental has had a full lift.

New kitchen, two bathrooms, new flooring, fresh plastering, updated plumbing, some new windows, new front door, and fresh exterior work.

It was not terrible before.

But now it feels properly finished and ready for a good tenant.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

BRRR means:

Buy
Renovate
Rent
Refinance
Repeat

The goal is to buy a property, add value, rent it out, then refinance based on the higher value.

That can release money back out for the next deal.

Simple idea, but the numbers need to actually work.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

The best property investment is not always on the nicest street.

By then, the price has usually already moved.

The real opportunity is often in the up-and-coming area:

New roofs.

Renovations.

Do not just buy where everyone wants to be.

Buy where they are going next.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

Interest-only vs repayment mortgages:

Interest-only usually suits investors who want stronger monthly cashflow and faster portfolio growth.

Repayment usually suits investors who care less about monthly income now and want mortgage-free properties later.

Neither is “better.”

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

Never raising rent sounds kind.

But if costs keep rising and rent stays frozen, the numbers eventually break.

Then the landlord either takes a massive hit or shocks the tenant with one huge increase.

Small, steady, fair rent reviews are usually better than years of avoidance.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

How a £122,500 house can leave around £27k in the deal:

Purchase price: £122,500
Initial money in: ~£48,000
New value after renovation: £150,000
Refinance at 75%: £112,500
Cash released: ~£20,625
Money left in: ~£27,375

The numbers matter.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

Expats with no landlord experience may have limited mortgage options when buying through a limited company.

One route is buying in cash first, renting it out for 12 months, then looking at refinancing.

Message **Invest** and we’ll talk you through it.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

Your mum, auntie or friend might mean well, but “it looked nice” is not due diligence.

We look at rewiring, damp, roofing, plumbing, rental demand and whether the deal actually works.

Message Invest and we’ll take it from there.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

Your accountant saying you have too much cash in the business is not the finish line.

It’s the warning sign.

Idle cash adds risk, but property takes time to execute properly.

We find, negotiate, refurb, and hand it over to management.

Message INVEST to see how it works.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

A £135,000 investment property does not mean £135,000 cash.

Example costs:

Deposit: £33,750
Legal/survey: £2,480
Renovation: £10,000
Total needed: around £53,000

With £150k cash, you could buy one outright, or potentially nearly three using mortgages.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

The deal isn’t made when you buy, it’s made in the refurb.

Your builder either protects your margin or destroys it.

Delays, overruns, poor work, that’s where profit disappears.

Sourcing creates upside, execution realises it.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

People are often surprised by how repetitive my days are.

School run. Office. Property searches. Refurb planning. Tenant checks. Repeat.

But that repetition is the job.

You get what you pay for.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

You don’t need £175,000 cash to buy a £175,000 investment property.

With a buy-to-let mortgage:

Deposit: £43,750
Stamp duty: £9,750
Legal/survey: £2,480
Refurb: £0

Total: £55,980.

This is why understanding leverage matters in property.

[Eimear Gourley @NIPropertyGirl]

Most people try to do property alone.

They stay busy, but don’t build momentum.

You didn’t grow your business that way.

Property is no different.

The right people find better deals and handle execution.

So you focus on decisions, not problems.