A buy to let property can work well as a component of your investment portfolio. As a long-term investment, it's important to balance your buy to let property carefully against your other investments - both short and long-term.

Whether you will receive both an income and a final lump sum from your investment depends on the size of your initial deposit and the level of your mortgage payments. If the market is over-supplied or mortgage rates rise, you could even find yourself having to take a loss on your property - hence the importance of a longer term view.

If you already have an extensive investment portfolio, it is often best to speak to a mortgage adviser about how a buy to let property might fit into this portfolio. If you've already invested in a buy to let property as part of your investment strategy, the adviser can also check that you are paying a competitive rate of interest. With fluctuations in the Bank Base Rate you could be paying more than you should - and your rents could be too high as a result, making your property less appealing to potential tenants.

The key point to remember is that buy to let is a long-term investment - you shouldn't get into property investment looking for short-term gain.

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Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other loan secured on it.