As my first tenants move out, I reflect on what I've learned...
It's two and a half years since I became an accidental landlord. We needed a bigger house but we were unwilling to sell our first home, which had lost around £30,000 in value thanks to the housing market crash, which I wrote about in Should I get a buy-to-let mortgage.
This week our first tenants left, and we've been back inside the property repairing and cleaning ready for the next couple who move in on Monday. It's been a bit of a wrench seeing my former home looking so shabby, and it's made me reflect on what I've learned as a landlord, that I wish someone had told me at the start.