Put up to four areas side by side, with a typical price, a typical rent, gross yield and your own scores for the things that matter to you. The result is one A4 landscape page you can print, share with a partner or keep with your notes. It is an Excel workbook. Google Sheets: import the .xlsx; most features work.
It is a planning aid, not investment advice. It does not tell you which area is best. It helps you set out your own judgement clearly, with the source for each score.
What the template does
- Up to four areas on one sheet, each with a typical price and a typical rent that you type in.
- Gross yield for each area, worked out from those two figures.
- Your own scores, 1 to 5, for factors such as crime, schools, transport, demand and local plans, each with a column for the source you used.
- Weights you choose, which must add up to 100%, so the factors you care about count for more.
- A relative ranking of your four areas, based on your scores and weights. It is not a published rating.
- A one-page printout, set to fit A4 landscape.
How the scoring works
Each factor gets a score from 1 to 5. You decide what a 5 means for you, write it down once, and apply it to every area in the same way. The template multiplies each score by its weight and adds them up, so two areas can be compared on the same terms.
Because the scores and weights are yours, the ranking reflects your priorities. A family-let investor might weight schools heavily. A city-centre investor might weight transport and demand. The template does not set the weights for you.
No live data, by design
The template does not pull in prices, rents or crime figures from the internet, and it has no postcode database. You type each figure in yourself, from sources such as:
- HM Land Registry Price Paid Data for sale prices in England and Wales
- the ONS private rent and house prices bulletin for rent trends
- data.police.uk for crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
- school inspection reports from the inspectorate for each nation
Typing the figures in means you know where each one came from, and you can update them when you look again. Our guide on how to compare areas for buy-to-let explains which sources to use for each nation.
Licensing: check with the council
Some areas need a property licence, for example for houses in multiple occupation or under a selective licensing scheme. The template has a column to record what the council told you, but it does not decide for you. Find your local council and check with it before you buy. The gov.uk pages on houses in multiple occupation and selective licensing explain how schemes work in England.
What is in the download
- The Excel workbook, with the comparison sheet set to print on one A4 landscape page.
- Google Sheets: import the .xlsx; most features work.
- A filled copy with four fictional areas, labelled EXAMPLE DATA, and a blank copy.
- A quick start.
Who it is for, and who it is not for
It is for landlords and first-time buy-to-let buyers who have a shortlist of areas and want to compare them clearly before they look at individual properties.
It is not a list of the best areas to buy, a live data service or investment advice. When you have a front runner, test a real deal in the yield calculator.
FAQ
How do I compare areas for buy-to-let?
Pick the factors that matter to you, score each area from 1 to 5 on the same scale, weight the factors and compare the totals alongside gross yield. The template sets this out on one page.
Can I see rental yield by postcode?
Yes, if you type in a typical price and rent for each postcode area. The template works out gross yield from your figures. It does not include a live postcode database.
Does the template tell me the best area to buy in?
No. It ranks your shortlisted areas against each other using your own scores and weights. It is not a published rating or investment advice.
Which sources should I use for my scores?
Use primary published data where you can, such as HM Land Registry for prices, the ONS for rents, data.police.uk for crime and the school inspectorate for your nation. Record the source next to each score.
Buy the template
The Area Comparison template is £9.99. Buy on Payhip
It is also part of the Landlord Starter Kit, with the yield calculator and the tenant screening pack.
Sold by Shane Stanford trading as Ashlar Ledger. Not financial, tax or legal advice. Back to home
Ashlar Ledger: figures you can build on.