5 terrible mistakes people make when investing in real estate

However, just like any other investment, there are right and wrong ways to go about it. Sometimes putting in your money in real estate can be intimidating for beginners due to fear of the unknown.

It requires experience and patience to turn investing in property into a lifelong pursuit to secure your financial future.

That said, here are some common mistakes people make when investing in real estate:

1. Buying overvalued properties

Some real estate investors do not make any money simply because they pay too much for the properties. If a property is overvalued, then the profit is locked in once the investor buys it.

It is critical to properly analyse the market in order to identify the range of the market values in the area that you are interested in. Seek professional advice in case you do not know how to go about it.

Likewise, very optimistic buyers look to acquire overvalued properties in the hope that prices will keep going higher.

In as much as this is possible, it is better to buy cheap and sell expensive than buy expensive and try to sell for more. Making a good initial purchase will minimise your risk and maximise your expected returns.

2. Expecting to get rich quickly

Most people have the notion that the property market is a 'get-rich-quick' scheme hence find the allure of buying property today and selling it after a short time hard to resist.

Like any other investment, the real estate markets always has an element of risk involved hence such attitude is discouraged.

It takes sheer hard work for one to make a fortune in the real estate sector coupled with taking time to understand how the market works.

3. Failing to plan, planning to fail

Some investors buy a property because they think they got a good deal and then try to figure out what to do with it. That’s working backwards.

First, find the plan, then know what you expect from your investment, and then find the property to fit the plan.

Pick your investment model and then go find the property that matches that. Don’t find the strategy after you find the property.

4. Lacking experience and knowledge

Before investing in the property market, it is worthy to educate yourself before putting your family’s financial security on the line.

Do as much research as possible and attend seminars while at it in order to stay up to date.

Avoid investing in real estate if you lack the knowledge on how the market works because it takes a lot more than just money to make a profitable investment.

5. Having the wrong estimates

With regards to estimate expenses, real estate investors tend to calculate everything on the lower side while when it comes to profit projections usually the estimates are too optimistic.

One should go for an investment that looks lucrative even under a bad case scenario. So increase the estimated expenses to the maximum and add an extra 10 to 15 per cent unpredicted expenses.

Lower your expected returns using the minimum numbers and deduct another 10 per cent for unexpected market conditions to see if you can make some good cash.