A farmer, Marie was not particularly paid in real estate but the crisis in the sector, in the early 1990s, gave her ideas. “Looking at the announcements in the local press, in Haute-Savoie, I came across a studio At the ridiculous price of 140,000 francs (32,000 euros), I bought it to rent it ”she recalls to Capital. An acquisition financed on credit but the rental income easily reimburses the monthly payment of the loan. In 1995, when his son is preparing to enter Facs in Lyon, it is impossible to find him an apartment, “The rental market was already very tense”recalls Marie. At the time, “The price of real estate was however cheap”she underlines. Neither one nor two, Marie buys a studio in Lyon to house her son, with the idea of renting him when he has finished her studies.
About thirty years later, here she owns 14 rental goods, including large studios in Lyon and houses in villages around, which she divided into apartments from two to three bedrooms. “In the countryside, it is difficult for families to find apartments”explains Marie, who can therefore boast of having “Strong demand”. And to be therefore very busy, she who does not already unemployed by being a farmer: “What many people often underestimate is the time that irental Takes on a daily basis. I devote on average two hours a day because, out of 14 goods, beyond visits and keys, there is always a problem of water heater, flight orunpaid.»»
“Rental investment remains very profitable”
Unpaid rents, Marie had “enormously”. A phenomenon that she puts in particular on the account of “The impoverishment of tenants”. “This year, I had to manage four procedures (recovering of rents) with bailiffs”she illustrates, while recognizing that, “Usually, it’s a procedure per year”. “When you rent 14 apartments, there is always an unpaid”she warns. The one who “Could write a book” With its 30 years of rental investment has also been faced with tenants victims of Diogenes syndrome, which leads to accumulating garbage in housing. “There were some to the ceiling, I took six months to recover the apartment”depicts Marie. Philosopher, she recalls that we “Always choose a tenant on his good look because a file can be falsified”.
Despite these misadventures, and although “The yield of 15% to 20% of 20 years ago” are no longer relevant, “Rental investment remains very profitable”she says, citing two goods of 70 and 80 square meters, bought 130,000 euros in total, or 65,000 euros each, which she rents 620 and 720 euros respectively per month. “We work very well”estimates Marie, who rents half of her property furnished and the other in naked. On condition, she specifies, of “Not to delegate, if not, is the guaranteed death of profitability, because of the commissions” taken by real estate agencies.
Do not confuse rents and benefits
Its other recipe, for profitable investments, is to be “resourceful”. For example, quickly understanding that renting a student is generally a good plan because his parents are guarantor. But that it is better to rent to students of 2 or 3rd year because “Many young people in the 1st year fail their exams ” And often leave their rental to return to their parents or to go to another city.
Finally, “Do not confuse from money and benefits”she alerts, giving up taxes to pay on rental income, renovation work to be carried out regularly and the famous rent unpaids with associated legal costs. “As a rental investor, you sometimes feel envied and despised when you are not rentiers, it’s a job!”proclaims Marie.
