Women are taking control

Women are playing an increasingly important role in the investment property
market, and in recognition of this Bradford & Bingley has launched its
Property Woman of the Year Awards. So why not put yourself in the frame?

When it comes to purchasing and investing in property, women are sometimes perceived to be involved as far as choosing paint colours and soft furnishings and that's it. But a new study has revealed that when it comes to property investments, women are master multi-taskers, as ambitious and switched-on as their male counterparts.

The survey of over 1000 women in property, commissioned by Bradford & Bingley, revealed that over three-quarters (76%) are successfully holding down day jobs, in addition to managing their investment properties. On top of this, 42 per cent take on much of the renovation/improvement work themselves, proving they're not afraid to get their hands dirty.

But unfortunately, this can come at a price. Of the 90 per cent of women who deal personally with trades people, 48 per cent feel that they get quoted higher prices just because they're a woman. However, despite occasional setbacks like these, a quarter of the women surveyed intend to invest in further properties within the next 12 months.

This research marks the launch of the Bradford & Bingley Property Woman of the Year Awards. The awards, which recognise the success of women in the property investment market, are endorsed by actress Fiona Fullerton, who is now a highly respected and successful property investor. Women in property are here to stay.

Independent women are increasingly seeing the value in property in order to support their financial futures earlier in their careers, with a third of women in property being 30
or under when they bought their first investment property, bucking the national average of 34. In fact, 59% cite investment potential as a key motivator to buy, while 47% see property as a pension replacement.

Once the properties are purchased, women seem to be keen on getting involved with refurbishment and improvement work, and we're not just talking about hanging curtains. Seventy-one per cent say they have or would take on much of the renovation and improvement work themselves. Many said they had fitted kitchens, knocked down walls, would do their own plumbing and even rewire their property. And they are definitely reaping the rewards with the financial returns are proving a strong incentive to women who invest.

Ten per cent have made £50,000 or more when they sold their properties, nine per cent earn £10,000 a year or more on their property investments and 43 per cent of women pay for holidays from the return on their property investments

Fiona Fullerton, who owns investment properties to the value of over £2 million, says: “Women are taking control by buying and renovating properties and are being hugely successful at it. Many women have a strong business sense and when combined with an innate ability to multitask and a key eye for design, it can often create a winning formula.”

And so to the search for the Bradford & Bingley Property Woman of the Year. Winners from each region will be selected as well as an overall national winner, which will be announced at an awards reception in March. So get involved - nomination forms can be found within all Bradford & Bingley branches across the UK or online at www.propertywomanoftheyear.co.uk

Fiona Curtin, buy-to-let expert at Bradford & Bingley, told Your new home exclusively: “The last few years have seen a huge growth in the number of women investing in property. These awards recognise their successes, the challenges they've overcome and ultimately act as an inspiration for more women to become part of this growing property sector. It is inspiring to see such a growth in female property investors, especially in a market that for many years has been perceived as male dominant.

These savvy females view their buy-to-let properties as security for their futures and are investing in property for the long-term capital appreciation. Buy-to-let tends to suit the juggling lifestyles of many women's lives, enabling them to manage their property investments in-between their work and family commitments.

“Many women who have taken time out from work to look after their families are also likely to look at buy-tolet as a means of supplementing their pension. Indeed, buy-to-let works on various levels to suit the needs of women of all ages.”