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Gaining financial freedom through your home, Tina Jesson, Allison & Busby, £9.99. ISBN 0-74900-634-X
Whether you let your house out to a lodger, show your garden to the public, or run a B&B, there are many ways that Mr or Ms Average can make money out of property, argues author Tina Jesson, who is well-known for media appearances as a property expert, and for her property business, ‘HomeStagers.’
Jesson says at the outset that her book is intended for ordinary people with ordinary wallets - first-time buyers, single homeowners and people with a small portfolio of property who want to maximise their profits. There is undoubtedly some useful advice here for this audience, including Q&As on common DIY projects, and the telltale signs of a problem property, that you can spot before forking out on a surveyor.
However, where this book falls down is in its attempt to be right up-to-date, to give advice on the latest hotspots and the current state of the market.Firstly, and most obviously, in the fast changing world of property, such advice will quickly date this book – even though it is a new release, How to Play the Property Game could well seem old hat by Christmas.
Secondly, if you are trying to give a summary of the present state of affairs in property, the question of journalistic bias comes in. Jesson has chosen estate agents to give their expert summaries on the 2003/2004 market, and unsurprisingly, they are confident and positive.
Yet any casual reader of the property pages will have seen many pessimistic accounts of the state of the housing market, as well as the positive predictions. No single opinion should be taken as reliable for property dealing, and you’d be wise to also consult up-to-date magazines and newspapers which give a wider range of opinions.