Times: Is it still possible to make money from property?

If you believe the headlines, now does not seem the most obvious time to be investing in property.

Try telling that to Eric Potts. Since 2002 he has amassed an £8m portfolio of 41 properties, and is considering a 42nd. “There is always money in property,” he says. “You just have to feel in your stomach that it’s a good deal."

Stuart Law, managing director of Assetz says Britain's long-term inability to build enough houses to satisfy demand will, over time, push prices back up. He would still consider buying in cities such as Manchester. “All new schemes in Manchester have ceased,” he says. “At some point in the future, there will be a dire shortage of city-centre flats.”