Property management is hard enough by itself so choose the right software program to help you. No more hand scribbled notes and mountains of paper! Prices for property management software can range from £100 to £10,000 (or more), so don't buy more than you need and focus on what you are really looking for.

1.Buy software that matches the need

Do you need software to manage your properties and your home office too? Let your property management software do what it does best - manage property. For your home office accounting etc, there are plenty of inexpensive products that are perfectly good for both large and small businesses. . Additional features that may be included with different software that will add to the cost that you may not need include: Budgeting, double-entry accounting, asset and liability accounting, Tenant background checking.

2.Do not go for the cheapest alternative and get software that has defects and doesn't fit your needs

Anybody with some web software can make an impressive looking web site, but underneath may be a piece of junk software. Look for these items as a sign of a good quality product: Make sure you can run a full demo, and better yet a 'trial version' that allows you to 'try before you buy'. Make sure the software can do the basic things you need: Maintain a separate ledger for each Tenant; log payments via cheques and bank transfers; automatically post rents and management fees; has a good interface; can handle a mixture of single family homes, HMOs, and commercial units without having to buy extra modules and finally double check the cost!

3 Select handy features

Some things may not be critical in your property management software, but are great to have: A reminder system to keep track of appointments; the ability to log conversations and interactions with your tenants; a pop-up a list of tenants who owe you money; auto update of rent amounts; find a software that uses 'real' names for your accounts like 'Rent Received', instead of an account number; look for at least a 60 to 90 day free support plan as part of the purchase,

4.Beware hidden costs

If you spend a frustrating hour doing battle with your property management software, what is that worth in pounds? Difficult, unfriendly software costs you time so make sure your software program is easy to install, easy to use, and has plenty of help.Make sure you receive a printed user's guide with the program, a comprehensive built-in help file, and an online help page. Research the "update" costs which you could be forced to buy it even if you don't need the new features. What have the last 5 updates cost the user base? Will you still receive any technical support if you have an older version? These are important questions you should always ask when shopping for property management software.

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