From idyllic coastlines to the rolling hills of the South Downs, historical towns and villages to modern bustling cities, there is sure to be something for everyone in Sussex. Whether you like to go for long walks, relax and sunbathe on the beach or shop ‘til you drop, you’ll find plenty to amuse yourself. With a huge range of different property for sale, there’s sure to be something to suit everyone’s needs. Here are just a few reasons why Sussex is a great place to live…

1. Scenery
Sussex is uniquely positioned between the coast and the South Downs, so you really get the best of both worlds. The beautiful coastline has beaches of all kinds, from the pebble beaches of Brighton and Eastbourne to the wide open sands at West Wittering or the stunning white cliffs at Seven Sisters and Beachy Head. If a day at the beach is not your style, there are endless options for walking on the Downs, with planned routes for walkers of all abilities to take in the scenery see some of Sussex’s many historical sights along the way.

2. Economy
So the whole country may be in recession at the moment, but some areas of business are still looking promising. Brighton is a buzzing hub for many of these internet-based businesses, and there is still work availableif you know where to look. Property for sale in Sussex is still amongst the highest valued in the UK, and with numerous new developments of residential property in towns still going ahead despite the recession it’s looking like Sussex could be one of the first areas to bounce back.

3. Family
Sussex is a really good place for kids to grow up. Too many children have never left the city or seen the sea but even if you live in the centre of Brighton you have both the beach and the countryside at your disposal. There are loads of family attractions and activities, from historical sites that offer the opportunity to play and learn, to exciting adventure playgrounds, parks and zoos.

4. Culture
The arts have always played a major role in life in Sussex, with hundreds of small galleries and studios throughout the county. There are also loads of theatres and venues of all sizes that show all sorts of performance from drama and dance to comedy and music. Check out the Brighton Festival in May for a unique experience – second only to Edinburgh festival!

5. Location
It’s not just the proximity to both the beach and the countryside that makes Sussex such an attractive location. It’s brilliant for transport links – Gatwick Airport is the UK’s second largest after Heathrow, and it’s not far to drive along the coast to the channel tunnel. London is within easy reach – a train from Brighton to London takes under an hour – so it’s an easy commute and all the attractions of the capital are available without the cost or of living in the city.

When it comes to making a profit in the business of flipping houses and other real estate investments you will find all kinds of do’s and don’ts along the way. The truth is that these are extremely useful whether this is your very first flip or you have been flipping properties for 35 years. As a matter of fact you might just find that you can learn something new by reading lists such as this, even if you’ve been flipping houses for 30 years and have completed many successful flips.

1) Don’t forget to check out the neighborhood before you buy. You will want to make sure that the property you are considering is a good fit for the neighborhood. You should also make sure the plan you have drawn out for the property will match with the other neighborhood properties in order to make a quicker sale.
2) Don’t blow your budget without just cause. Your budget is what you used to determine whether or not the house would be a profitable venture. If you spend your budget and cannot recover the money you’ve spent in the selling price of the house you will have cut into your profits, if not cut them all together. The goal in property flipping is to get in and out quickly and spend as little money as possible in order to make as much money as possible.
3) Don’t forget to set daily goals and hold yourself accountable to those goals. If you don’t reach your goals for the week it can set the entire project back as much as 3 weeks depending on the goals and what has to be rearranged as a result. Stick to your timeline and your daily schedule in order to avoid potentially costly delays in time and money.
4) Don’t neglect the exterior. Curb appeal is what brings buyers into the house. If you spend all your money, time, and effort making improvements to the interior of the home you will have very little left to make the outside appealing to potential buyers. A homebuyer is in the market for the whole house, not part of it. A home that looks run down on the exterior leaves the lasting impression of being neglected on the inside and many buyers will never walk inside the house, if the outside looks bad.
5) Don’t spend money you don’t need to spend. While it would be great to put in granite countertops and stainless steel appliances into the kitchens of every home it isn’t always practical and this is often money that you will not receive back on the sell of the property, particularly in homes that are in lower to middle class neighborhoods. If you want to get the most for your money avoid costly expenses that aren’t exactly necessary for the successful completion of the flip. Resurface bathroom fixtures rather than replacing them if possible and use new cabinet doors or hardware rather than adding new cabinets all together to cut down on expenses. In other words, salvage what you can, fix what needs to be fixed, paint what you can, and add a few cosmetic touches before moving on.

The real estate market is a very fickle market. Avoid risking too much time and money on a property that isn’t going to recover those added touches and expenses. Instead hold onto those ideas for higher end flips once you have a few successful flips under your belt.

While many people have very specific dreams of enjoying the bountiful profits that can be made from flipping houses very few people put too terribly much thought into the process or any formulas that might be pertinent to success when it comes to flipping houses as a real estate investment venture or for the sake of building a nice comfortable lifestyle or retirement. You will hear a lot about the things not to do when it comes to flipping houses but very few people take the time to mention the things you absolutely must do in order to successfully flip a house and thus begin your ride on the road to real estate investment riches.

1) Do put everything to pen and paper and plan it out carefully before you begin. If you are going to enter into this to make money you need to treat it like a business. This means you need to have a plan of action and make every effort to work towards carrying out that plan.
2) Do establish a budget for the entire project. You need to have a plan for how much money you are willing to invest in the property itself, how much for renovations, and how much money you need to make in order to be a worthy investment for your time and labor. A house flip is a lot of work in order to pull it off successfully. You want to have a good idea of how much homes in the neighborhood are worth, the value of your property as is and the estimated value of the property once improvements are made. In addition you should also have a pretty firm grasp of the costs involved in making the repairs in order to create a realistic budget for the entire project.
3) Do have an inspection–It is a must!!. This is the most important detail that will save you alot of time, money, and dispair when everything is said and done. Be prepared to walk away from the deal if the inspection determines that there is to much more work needing to be done than simple cosmetic repairs. You want to make visible changes that people can see because those are the changes that raise the value or the cost of the house. You want to avoid needing to make changes and improvements that aren’t visible but are very necessary. If you need to invest a lot of money and labor into the house you need to seriously consider the realistic profit potential the property offers. If it isn’t significant then you need to walk away before the property becomes a real estate investment money pit.
4) Do get to know the neighborhood and plan your deal according to the needs of the area, rather than considering your personal tastes and needs in a home. This is another thing that many first time flippers forget. This is not a personal project it is a business project and you need to treat it as such. Keep your costs down and your feelings out.
5) Do remember that you are in the market to make money not waste money when it comes to establishing an asking price for the property. You’ve poured blood, sweat, and probably more than a few tears into your flip but you cannot set the value of the property by the effort you’ve placed into it. Have realistic expectations of how much you stand to earn from your efforts and how much you are willing to go down on the price in order to walk away with some profit in your pocket.

You should take a moment to think about the fact that many first time property flippers actually lose money on their first deal. If you make money at all, even a small profit you learned many valuable lessons that you can carry onto future deals and make more profit. More importantly the lessons you learn from your first flip are lessons that money really cannot buy so it is worth a lower profit or even taking a slight hit if your experience makes you even more money in the future as you continue along your real estate investment path.