I didn’t choose Rent-to-Rent because it was trendy. I chose it because it was the ONLY thing I could actually afford.

When I first looked at Buy-to-Let, everyone around me made it sound like the “proper” path. Save a big deposit, buy a house, pray the rent covers everything. But when I ran the numbers… reality hit me.

A BTL in the North East usually needs £25k–£35k upfront, and the cashflow is around £250–£400/month (approx figures)

At that time, I didn’t have £25k spare.

I barely had £3k.

Literally.

My first ever 1-bed deal — fully set up, furnished, supplies, TV, deposit, everything — cost me £3,000 in total (I'm still amazed how I pulled this off)

That one deal changed my entire direction.

And when I compared it to the cashflow… again, it shocked me:

£350–£550/month from a Rent-to-Rent SA that cost a fraction of a BTL deposit. Same cashflow. 7–10x less capital. (I don't enjoy the appreciation though)

For someone starting with almost nothing, that was life-changing.

I still respect Buy-to-Let.

I still buy when the deal makes sense.

But the truth is… Rent-to-Rent is what gave me a shot.

It’s what allowed me to learn fast, make mistakes cheaply, and build momentum without waiting years to save a deposit.

Both strategies work.

But for me, R2R wasn’t a “business model.”

It was a lifeline.

A doorway into property when everything else felt out of reach.

👉 What did you start with — BTL, R2R, or something completely different?

P.S.

*In this picture, I had to walk for 2 miles like that, and do 2 more trips.