Which areas have a healthy rental market place?
One rule of successful business - find out what people want and give it to them. So it makes sense to do your homework and tailor your rental property to the marketplace. Sites such as LetaLife can give you a fair indication of supply and demand in many areas across the UK. View UK property adverts in your area.



Do you have a working knowledge of building maintenance specialities?
Whilst good tenants may often need the kid gloves approach, building professionals are often more responsive to a more robust style. Like their distant cousins the motor mechanics they are instinctively able to scent ignorance of their methods. You can lose a lot of money to an unscrupulous builder, electrician etc Not only on paying above the odds for work, but in void periods and other ways if their work is shoddy or just takes too long to complete.
If you don't know the difference between a lintel and a joist, you either need to do some reading up on the subject, or employ a trusted professional who can liaise for you at these times. One piece of advice - never employ a 'professional' to do work on your property without first having sight of their up to date insurances.

Are you good at dealing with plumbers, electricians, joiners and the myriad other building professionals you may need?
As well as having some knowledge of various trades, you also need some management skills in order to keep them in line. Many people use friends and relatives as cheap sources of labour, but in the long run this can cause more problems than it solves. A proper contractual relationship means you have some recourse if things go wrong and you don't end up losing friends or fracturing family relationships if problems crop up or they begin to feel taken advantage of. Plus 'cheap' labour often means slow - and the sooner works are carried out, the sooner you can be asking the best rental income possible for your property.
Remember money spent on professionals is tax deductable - so it may be less expensive than you would think in the long run