Like many questions, there lie within it many others, as the subject is so much more complex than it first appears.
There are many ways of deriving an income from property and also many ways of investing in the stock market.
In both cases, it depends on how much effort and expense you are willing to go to, and the desired return. What people also forget to factor in is the all-critical time horizon and need for access to their money.
Seasonal rents and chambres d’hôtes, for example, will usually make a better return than long-term rental, but require that much more effort, unless you engage people to do the work, but then the expense increases.
I recently spoke to someone who said that they would never invest in property again, having had a very bad experience with one property, which had caused them to lose money.
They were surprised to have someone who advised on financial investments explain why property can be a great investment and that the property itself was probably not the creator of the loss.
The issue with property is the lack of liquidity.
Being able to access capital is often a problem. The person I spoke to, who hated property, simply needed the money and so was forced to sell at a time when markets were bad. This is not a great position to find yourself in, no matter how your capital is invested. Selling out in a buyers’ market will always lead to loss.
Before advising on property versus financial investments, it is important to find out what the objectives are. We come across many people who are semi-retiring to France. They have stopped their career, but want something to do when they are here, preferring to be busy.
Renting property often gives people the ability to be busy, meet people, and provide an income.
There are also many who have no wish to do anything remotely workwise, as they have been exhausted by a tiring career and want to relax.
Running seasonal rents or chambres d’hôtes is probably not the way to go. Even long-term rents can provide issues. I have seen rent unpaid, property seriously damaged, and tenants suing landlords for all kinds of false/exaggerated misdemeanours that have landed them in court.
No problem for someone who views this as their day job, but not great for those who wish to lead a more relaxing way of life.
Similarly, stock market-based investments have their own dynamic. One can operate as a day trader, buying and selling shares, managing an active portfolio. This, however, is often a full-time occupation, and contrary to engaging a financial professional to ensure things are managed in a way that suits them with little effort.
Then there is the question of risk.
I had a client who bought several apartments in a university town with a high-speed rail link, confident that income was guaranteed.
The railway station moved to another town, the university closed its main campus, and they were left with properties no one wanted which were eventually sold for half the buying price.
Likewise, buying shares in a single company means bankruptcy results in total capital loss. Buy 10 companies and, with one bankruptcy, 10% of the investment is gone; buy 100 companies, 1% is gone; 1,000 companies, just 0.1%. Diversification is key for any investment, be it property or shares.
Buying one big property or shares in one big company adds risk and reduces flexibility.
From a returns perspective, it is impossible to say which one will perform better and often having both is a good balance, but lifestyle matters a great deal, as this is often the great motivator for most people moving to, or living in, France.
My advice, whether investing in property or the markets, is to consider the following:
1) How much time do you want to commit to your investment?
2) Do you have the expertise to do this in the best way possible?
3) The cost in engaging any outside expertise.
4) What are your expected returns?
5) The level of risk you are prepared to accept and to limit that risk.
6) Give serious consideration to time, and plan when and how you want to access the capital.
There may be many other things to consider, but these are key. Whatever you do with your money, it should not cause you anxiety or worry, but enable you to enjoy your life in France.
This column was written by Robert Kent of Kentingtons financial advisers. Seewww.kentingtons.com
