Buy-to-let has come under the cosh recently but many still see property as an attractive investment at a time of low interest rates and volatile stock markets. 

But if you are considering investing in buy-to-let - or improving returns on a property you already own - its vital to do things right.

Below is Your essential guide to property investing and being a good landlord.

Make sure buy-to-let is the investment you want. Your money might be able to perform better elsewhere.

Investing in buy-to-let involves committing tens of thousands of pounds to a property and typically taking out a mortgage. 

When house prices rise, this means it is possible to make big leveraged gains above your mortgage debt, but when they fall your deposit gets hit and the mortgage stays the same.

Property investing has paid off handsomely for many people, both in terms of income and capital gains but it is essential that you go into it with your eyes wide open, acknowledging the potential advantages and disadvantages.

If you know someone who has invested in buy-to-let or let a property before, ask them about their experiences, good and bad.

The more knowledge you have and the more research you do, the better the chance of your investment paying off.

Looking for a shortcut or just a step by step plan, join me on my event in London.

Where in your town has a special appeal? If you are in a commuter belt, where has good transport? Where are the good schools for young families? Where do the students want to live?

You need to match the kind of property you can afford and want to buy with locations that people who would want to live in those homes would choose.

These questions might sound simple, but they are probably the most important aspect of a successful buy-to-let investment

In most cases people tend to invest in property close to where they live. 

On the plus side, they are likely to know this market better than anywhere else and can spot the kind of property and location that will do well. 

They also have a much better chance of keeping tabs on the property.

Yet it is also worth bearing in mind that if you are a homeowner then you are already exposed to property where you live - and looking for a different type of home in a different area might be a good move.

Finding your Goldmine Area, is key to having the right investment, my event next weekend, will be covering this as well.

Before you think about looking around properties sit down with a pen and paper and write down the cost of houses you are looking at and the rent you are likely to get.

Buy-to-let lenders typically want rent to cover 125% of the mortgage repayments and many now demanding 25% deposits, or even larger, for rates considerably above residential mortgage deals.

The best rate buy-to-let mortgages also come with large arrangement fees. Once you have the mortgage rate and likely rent sorted then you must be clinical in deciding whether your investment work out?

Don't forget to factor in maintenance costs.

What will happen if the property sits empty for a month or two?

These are all things to consider. Make sure you know how much the mortgage repayments will be and if it is a tracker allow for rates to rise.

Having the right tools to analyse this is essential. 

The only way you can avoid these problems is to educate yourself, making mistakes in Property can become very expensive.

Do not just walk into your bank and building society and ask for a mortgage. 

It sounds obvious, but people who do this when they need a financial product are one of the reasons why banks make billions in profit.

It pays to speak to a good independent broker when looking for a buy-to-let mortgage. 

They can not only talk you through what deals are available but they can also help you weigh up which one is right for you and whether to fix or track.

You should still do your own research though, so that you can go into the conversation armed with the knowledge of what sort of mortgages you should be offered.

Instead of imagining whether you would like to live in your investment property, put yourself in the shoes of your target tenant.

Who are they and what do they want?If they are students, it needs to be easy to clean and comfortable but not luxurious.

If they are young professionals it should be modern and stylish but not overbearing.

If it is a family they will have plenty of their own belongings and need a blank canvas.

Remember that allowing tenants to make their mark on a property, such as by decorating, or adding pictures, or you taking out unwanted furniture makes it feel more like home.

These tenants will stay for longer, which is great news for a landlord. It is also possible to take out an insurance policy against your tenant failing to pay the rent, usually known as rent guarantee insurance. 

This can cost as little as £50, and is available as a standalone product from a specialist provider, or as part of a wider landlord insurance policy.

Choosing the right Target market will determine how much money you can make from Property. 

There are certain target markets I personally would stay away from, this is only from my experience but that doesn’t mean it can’t work for you in your area.

This again comes down to knowing your area and knowing how to analyse the demand.

We have all read the stories about buy-to-let millionaires and their huge portfolios. 

But while you may expect long-term house price rises, experts say invest for income not short-term capital growth.

To compare different property's values use their yield: that is annual rent received as a percentage of the purchase price.

For example, a property delivering £10,000 worth of rent that costs £200,000 has a 5% yield.

Rent should be the key return for buy-to-let.

Most buy-to-let mortgages are done on an interest-only basis, so the amount borrowed will not be paid off over time.

Remember though, people rarely buy a home outright and they come with running costs, so mortgage costs, maintenance and agents fees must be worked out and they will eat into your return.

Most buy-to-let investors look for properties near where they live. 

But your town may not be the best investment.

The advantage of a property close by is being able to keep an eye on it, but if you will be employing an agent anyway they should do that for you.

Cast your net wider and look at towns with good commuting links, that are popular with familes or have a sizeable university.

It is also worth looking at properties that need improvement as a way of boosting the value of your investment. 

Tired properties or those in need of renovation can be negotiated hard on to get at a better price and then spruced up to add value.

A good rule to follow is the property developers' rough calculation, whereby you want the final value of a refurbished property to be at least the purchase price, plus cost of work, plus 20 per cent.

The next question is how do you find these kind of properties, you can go through agents or direct to vendor. 

There are different methods to both, mastering these skills and knowing how to source properties will completely change your life! 

As a buy-to-let investor you have the same advantage as a first-time buyer when it comes to negotiating a discount.

The reason why this is good is that you are not reliant on selling or buying a property and therefore not part of any chain, have no risk of a sale falling through.

So when negotiating with an agent or home owner for a discount, you are in a position to make low offers.

Knowing your market is key here, as you will need to know how low you can go on your offers and of course the other spectrum is not to pay too much.

Before you make any investment you should always investigate the negative aspects as well as the positive. 

House prices are on the up right now but growth has slowed and they could fall again. If property prices dip will you be able to continue holding your investment? 

Meanwhile, rates are low at the moment and that is encouraging people to invest with rent comfortable covering the mortgage, but what will you do when rates rise?

Consider too the standard variable rate you may move to after a fixed rate period. What will happen if you can't remortgage?

Even in popular areas properties can sit empty. One rule of thumb many buy-to-let investors apply is to factor in the property sitting empty for two months of the year - this gives a substantial buffer.

Homes often need repairing and things can go wrong. If you do not have enough in the bank to cover a major repair to your property, such as a new boiler, do not invest yet.

This probably sounds like a lot of barriers to you, which it did to me, until I learnt how to avoid these kind of problems or just to make them easier to manage.

One way is to find yourself Joint Venture Partners (JV) who can help you in this kind of situation. Teaming up with someone has always helped me to get further a LOT quicker.

JV is very important in my opinion and you also get a chance to learn a lot from them, doing JV allowed me to get a multi million pound Portfolio.

When you think about looking after your own property, does the picture above make you feel like that?

Managing Properties is not for everyone, but I would always recommend that you do it first and then give away to a managing company. 

This way you will know exactly what kind of problems you could face and have the solutions for them.

Agents will charge you a management fee, but will deal with any problems and have a good network of plumbers, electricians and other workers if things go wrong.

You can make more money by renting the property out yourself but be prepared to give up weekends and evenings on viewings, advertising and repairs.

Choosing the right agents can be tricky, as you will want them to look after your property, manage it well and put tenants who will pay you on time.

But if you want make good money, its all about building your team around you like plumbers, electricians, handy men. 

With all of this systemised, you have the capabilities of doubling your income. 

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