There are many advantages to investing in new build off plan. Predominantly, when buying so early on in the development process the developer offers very competitive value because the property does not exist yet and, it is sold against today’s value when completion and settlement can be a further 18 months away.

When selling apartments off plan, the developer is much more concerned with what it costs to construct, rather than pushing the demand / supply calculations to receive the maximum price.

If it is possible to minimise the risk and effort, to make profit and be able to move straight on to the next deal without the finance restrictions of not having released capital from the last. The units can be sold at a discount and over a period of time, the developer sells cheaper and makes more profit.

When Gillmark buys properties, the developer is not subject to marketing expense such as a show apartment and full time staff. Eventually, it is always the buyers who pay for this service.

Larger schemes take longer to construct and can be difficult to sell all in one go on completion. By selling some now and some later, they reduce their risk and being able to buy early can allow a lot of time for capital growth for the buyer.

Moreover, better prices can be obtained from off plan properties because they do not exist yet and thus are generally not sold to owner-occupiers who pay the highest prices. Owner – occupiers need somewhere to live now, not in 18 months time and developers know investors need to see profit to generate their interest.

It is beneficial in any market, to be able to secure a product at today’s price without paying for it for 18 months. With only a deposit required to secure off plan property, it is an obvious advantage to make the same profit with less outlay.

With any property a buyer must be aware of the market risks involved with property investment, and these determine the amount the value will go up or down. Off plan properties incur the same market risks as with existing properties; however, they can not cause expense through maintenance charges, mortgage repayments, letting fees or tenant damage during the construction process.

Investing in property for capital growth in the future is speculative and can be risk, however, money can be made on the way in by getting a good acquisition price. When comparable properties in the vicinity are achieving £10,000+ more, you have already made profit and this is most often possible when buying off the plan.

Buying off the plan allows plenty of time to prepare for extra mortgage repayments, interior design options, sale and tenant finding.