Getting your money back.

Most new property investors are aware of the need to buy BMV (below market value) but many are not prepared for the additional costs that can come out of the woodwork just when you think its all done. Its not only the usual things like Solicitor, stamp duty, mortgage fee but if you are providing a furnished property then bed, sofa, furniture, and perhaps a microwave to reduce the wear and tear on the cooker, also unexpected things like travel and hotels if the property is a long distance from where you live and you need to visit it.

I have been investigating ways to not only get the lowest possible price for this additional expenditure but also get a percentage of your money back once the item has been purchased. My method is simply this:

1/ Use a price comparison site such as Pricerunner or Kelkoo to compare prices and establish the lowest cost retailer.
2/ Use a cash back referrer site such as Rpoints to get up to 10% of your low cost purchase refunded.
3/ Pay for the item with a cash back credit card (Amex Platinum and MorganStanley offer up to 3% for the first 3 months)

Obviously you need to exercise some common sense, don't buy an item you don't really need or use a more expensive retailer just to get the referral points. Identify the item, make sure you've got the lowest price, then see if you can obtain any cash back.

Bottom line is that it is good business sense if you have to buy the item to get the lowest price you can achieve.