Hi,

I have been reading and reading and reading as I plan for my first BTL, which will be an university city HMO (property is currently in use as HMO)

However none of the websites I follow seem to provide good planning numbers ...

So I wonder if I could ask for some experience

* We are allowed 10% refurbishment as an allowable expense - in reality starting from a house and furnishings in good condition what %age would you allow for costs
* It seems that HMO Licensing costs are not significant, but I am worried about remedial work required. In practice how much "top up" is required
* I may have been looking at the wrong sites, but I not ready to provide specific details in comparison sites and can't find other numbers - so how much would I expect to pay for necessary landlord insurances for a 6 bed HMO costing £300K
* Letting Agents - I would be looking for a fully managed service while I am finding my feet. I have seen quotes "from 8%" up to 12%+VAT. I would be able to guarantee 2 years of good tenants (good chance of 3) so I would be looking at lower end
* Maintenance - what %age should I allow for outside jobs - eg windows, roofing, guttering

Hope you can help

Mark