Amateurs told to avoid commercial buy-to-let

Commercial property is a risky proposition for amateur investors and best left to professionals, an industry expert has claimed.

Tom Entwistle of Landlordzone.co.uk. said it was best avoided as "you’ve got to know exactly what you’re doing".

UK domestic property has seen falling growth rates but investors looking to diversify into the commercial property market have been advised to look elsewhere.

"There’s not as much need for large amounts of office space now with more people working from home," explained Mr Entwistle.

Both markets have struggled from tighter borrowing conditions and a shortage of available cash.

Citizen’s Advice reported it has received a record number of enquiries because of escalating mortgage debt. On the commercial side, some property funds have struggled to return cash to their investors.

He advised that people considering the switch should look away from the new offices in London to smaller developments.

"There are a lot of commercial property investments in the secondary and tertiary markets," he explained.