The average age for a first time property buyer across the whole of the UK is now 36 and it usually takes around five or more years to realise any substantial equity gain from rising property values. As such, many people who start out with property investing by using equity release from their own home often tend to be in their forties unless they have either inherited a lump sum or created an investing buying 'pot' of money from a trading business.

So it was really quite refreshing to meet up recently with a young enterprising couple who started investing in property at a much earlier age and to hear how and why they have created a property portfolio while being based in a relatively small town in middle England. 

I met up with Kelly Lemon and her partner James and asked them how and why they first started out with their property investing activities. With her career background as a television reporter it would appear Kelly is not often lost for words, so she promptly responded.

"James and I bought our first residential property when I was just 18 and we'd moved to South Wales so I could attend University. We improved the cosmetics of the property, sold it and then bought another one. Whilst my classmates were often busy drinking, I decided I wanted to learn more about investing in property and during my final year at University we used the profit from our first residential sale to buy a student HMO.

"At the time I didn't realise the implications of buying and running a HMO property, however, after self-managing the property and the tenants I soon learnt. After achieving a first class honours degree and a post-graduate diploma at University I then moved to London to pursue a career in broadcast journalism.