Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about BMV property investing, R2SA, how PropertyAlert's scoring works, and pricing. Don't see your question? Ask Maxe (the chat assistant on every page) anything in plain English, or see the full Help Guide.
How do I search for BMV deals in a specific area?
To search for below-market-value (BMV) deals, log into PropertyAlert with an active Investor plan or start a 7-day free trial (no credit card required). Then use the Postcode Search to enter a specific postcode (e.g. M1, M4, L4) — you'll see every property that sold 15% or more below the local average price per square foot in the last two years. You can also use the Deals Feed to filter by BMV and sort by Investment Score to rank the strongest deals first. Alternatively, check the BMV Hotspots page (no login needed) to see the top 100 investment postcodes nationally ranked by deal count.
How do I access exact property addresses, prices, and detailed analysis on PropertyAlert?
Exact addresses, precise prices, and full property analysis are only available after you sign in. Start a free 7-day trial at /register (no credit card required) to unlock the full listings, one-click analysis links, comparable sales, net yield calculations, investment score breakdowns, and Property Analyser reports for all properties.
What property types and price ranges are typical for BMV deals?
BMV deals vary widely by location but commonly include 1–4 bed terraced houses, semi-detached properties, detached houses, and apartments/flats. Price ranges typically span from under £50k for city-centre flats to £300k+ for larger detached homes, with gross yields often between 4–18% depending on property type and location.
What are the highest-yielding properties currently available?
The best-yielding deals on the platform are typically in Bradford (BD1), with gross yields hitting 24–26% on 1-bed and 2-bed flats under £50k. However, these highest-yield deals often have low Investment Scores (2–3), suggesting underlying issues. Better value combines high yield with strong investment scores: for example, BD1 1-bed flats with 22–24% gross yield and Investment Score 8, or Manchester (M8) 1-bed apartments with 20–22% gross yield and Investment Score 8.25, offer exceptional returns alongside solid BMV fundamentals.
How can I get notified when new BMV deals appear in my area?
Once you sign in with a free 7-day trial at /register (no credit card required), you can set up deal alerts for any postcode. The system checks every 30 minutes and will notify you by email or WhatsApp the moment a new BMV deal appears in your target area.
What is the BMV Hotspots page?
The BMV Hotspots page ranks the top 100 postcodes nationally by deal count and average discount, updated monthly. It's a quick way to identify which areas currently have the most BMV deal activity.
What does BMV mean in property investing?
BMV stands for Below Market Value -- a property listed or sold at a price below the median price per square foot for similar properties in its postcode sector. PropertyAlert's Investment Score is based on how big that discount is.
What is R2SA (Rent to Serviced Accommodation)?
R2SA means renting a property from a landlord and then subletting it as short-term serviced accommodation (like Airbnb or Booking.com) rather than a standard tenancy -- you don't need a mortgage or to buy the property.
What's the difference between R2SA and R2R (Rent to Rent)?
Both start the same way -- you rent a property from a landlord rather than buying it. R2SA means subletting it as short-let serviced accommodation (Airbnb-style), while R2R means subletting it as an HMO, room by room to multiple tenants.
What is an HMO (House in Multiple Occupation)?
An HMO is a property let to 3 or more tenants from different households who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom.
Is there a free trial, and do I need to enter a credit card?
Yes -- the 7-day trial gives full access with no credit card required. You're only asked for payment details once the trial ends, and if you do nothing your account simply pauses rather than being charged.
What is PropertyAlert's Deal Score?
Deal Score is a single 0-10 rating combining three things: Investment Score (50% weight), Motivation Score (30%), and Yield Score (20%) -- giving an overall sense of how good an opportunity a listing is.
What is an Investment Score?
A 1-10 score based on how far below its postcode sector's benchmark price a property is listed -- the bigger the discount to market value, the higher the score.
What is a Motivation Score, and what do the Motivation Bands mean?
Motivation Score (1-10) is based on keyword signals in a listing, such as "probate", "reduced", "cash buyers only" or a long time on market, that suggest how urgently the seller wants to sell. Scores are grouped into bands: Urgent (8-10), Active (6-7), Watch (4-5), and Standard (1-3).
What is a Yield Score, and what counts as a good rental yield?
Yield Score (1-10) is mapped from a property's gross rental yield: under 4% is Poor (1-2), 4-5.9% is Average (3-4), 6-7.9% is Good (5-7), 8-9.9% is Strong (8-9), and 10%+ is Exceptional (10).
What is a postcode sector?
A postcode sector is the first part of a UK postcode plus one extra digit -- for example "WD17 3" from "WD17 3JT". PropertyAlert uses postcode sectors as the standard geographic unit for its price and yield benchmarks.
How often is PropertyAlert's property data updated?
The live deal feed is updated nightly, so scores and listings reflect the latest scrape rather than a static snapshot.
What is Maxe?
Maxe is PropertyAlert.uk's built-in AI assistant, available on every page of the site. You can ask it how a tool or score works, or search in plain English -- for example "3-bed houses in WD17 under 6% yield" or "any BMV deals in Manchester?"
What does gross yield mean and what counts as a good yield?
Gross yield is annual rent divided by purchase price. A good gross yield depends on location and strategy: 4% net and above is viable Buy-to-Let in Northern cities (Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle); 3–4% net is acceptable in high-growth areas (Bristol, Cambridge); below 3% net is challenging after mortgage costs. Important: net yield deducts void periods (4–6 weeks/year), letting agent fees (10–15%), maintenance (1–1.5% of value/year), buildings insurance, and service charges. A 6% gross yield typically becomes 3.5–4.5% net depending on property type. For Serviced Accommodation, gross yields can be 2–4× higher than standard BTL but come with higher management overhead (12–20%) and sensitivity to occupancy rates.
What is R2SA and how can I find R2SA opportunities?
R2SA (Rent to Serviced Accommodation) is a strategy where you rent a property from a landlord and sublet it on a short-let basis to generate cashflow from the difference (spread). PropertyAlert identifies R2SA opportunities and shows estimated spreads and Article 4 risk for each listing. To find R2SA deals, log into your Investor plan or start a free trial, search for specific postcodes (e.g. LS1, LS7 in Leeds), and filter deals to see rental opportunities with spread estimates and planning permission risks flagged.
Can I browse all properties on PropertyAlert sorted by price?
Yes. On the Buying Deal Feed (propertyalert.uk), click the Price column header to sort every active deal nationwide from lowest to highest price (click again for highest to lowest) -- this isn't limited to one postcode or region, it sorts the full nationwide feed. You can also just ask Maxe directly, e.g. "show me the cheapest deals nationwide" or "sort BMV deals by price", and it will run a nationwide, price-sorted search for you.
How does PropertyAlert identify BMV (Below Market Value) properties?
PropertyAlert identifies BMV properties by comparing actual sold prices to the local average price per square foot for that property type in that postcode sector. A property is flagged as BMV if it has sold at 15% or more below the local average. The platform compares each property type only to similar properties that sold recently in the same area, ensuring you're seeing a genuine discount relative to the market.
What does the Property Analyser show?
The Property Analyser provides one-click analysis including: exact address, precise price, gross and net yield, investment score breakdown, comparable sales data, estimated rental income, SDLT calculations, mortgage feasibility, planning data, and exit strategy projections.
What does CCOD mean and why does it matter for property investors?
CCOD stands for Compulsory Strike-Off / Dissolution — the legal process by which Companies House forcibly removes a company from the register. When a company enters CCOD proceedings, its directors have a fixed, non-extendable timeline to wind up the company's affairs, including disposing of any property assets. This creates time pressure and high motivation to sell quickly, often below market value. PropertyAlert tracks CCOD properties on two dedicated pages: CH Sellers (limited companies with financial-distress signals) and CCOD Properties (properties owned by companies in Compulsory Strike-Off or Dissolution). Important: purchases from companies in dissolution may require additional legal steps, so always instruct a solicitor experienced in distressed corporate sales and verify ownership via Land Registry before proceeding.
What is marriage value in a lease and how does it affect property investment?
Marriage value is the extra value released when extending a leasehold property's lease, particularly when the remaining term drops below 80 years. When extending a lease with fewer than 80 years remaining, the freeholder is legally entitled to claim 50% of the uplift in property value created by the extension. This shared value significantly increases extension costs — a lease extension below 80 years can add tens of thousands to the cost. Additionally, most BTL lenders won't lend on leases with fewer than 70 years remaining, making these properties harder to finance. PropertyAlert identifies properties with under 85 years remaining on the Short Leases page and calculates an estimated extension premium in the Property Analyser, so you can factor this cost into your investment decision before making an offer.