My 2026 Property Resolution: The One Metric I’ll Track Instead of Net Worth

Happy New Year.

I decided to reread The Psychology of Money over Christmas and I had a realization and a refocus entering 2026.

Like most investors, my portfolio net worth - the total value minus the debt was a number I was becoming obsessed about. It’s the one that supposedly proves your winning.

But were going to look at why that is a problem and refocus on a metric far more helpful. (Also sharing a Playbook calculator so stay tuned).

Let’s dive in.

In this newsletter, you'll find...

• This Week’s Biggest News…….

• My 2026 Property Resolution: The One Metric I’ll Track Instead of Net Worth

• Property Listings

• Your 2026 Resolution

• What's Next?

• Feedback

This Week’s Biggest News…….

1. Average mortgage rates tumble to lowest level since September 2022.

2. What’s going to happen to the UK housing market in 2026?

My 2026 Property Resolution: The One Metric I’ll Track Instead of Net Worth

In a flat market, net worth is a vanity metric.

When house prices are growing at 2% annually and your mortgage is costing you 5%, watching your net worth barely tick up is demoralizing.

Worse, it distracts you from the number that actually matters: Monthly Cashflow.

Why Net Worth Is Misleading (And What Actually Matters)

Let’s be honest, net worth feels good when the market is roaring. In 2020-2021, I refreshed my Zoopla estimates weekly. Every refresh added £5,000-£10,000. It was addictive.

But 2025 was different. Prices stagnated. My property up North actually dropped in value. My net worth went sideways for 12 months, and I started questioning whether I was still a "successful" investor.

Then I read Morgan Housel’s line: “Getting wealthy and staying wealthy are different skills.”

Getting wealthy requires taking risk. Staying wealthy requires avoiding ruin. In 2025, I realized I’d been measuring the wrong skill.

Monthly Cashflow Per Property measures staying wealthy. It’s the gap between rent and mortgage that compounds silently while you sleep. It’s the engine that funds your next deposit, covers your voids, and eventually buys your freedom.

The Metric: Monthly Free Cashflow Per Property

Here’s how I calculate it:

£1,000 (Rent)

− £580 (Mortgage)

− £150 (Expenses – 15%)

= £270/month cashflow

That £270 is what matters. Not the £20,000 paper gain that may or may not materialize. Not the Zoopla estimate.

The £270 that hits my account every month, rain or shine.

My 2026 Target: £350/Property/Month

I’m setting a simple goal: increase my average free cashflow from £270 to £350 per property by December 2026.

How? Three levers:

1. Let rents rise (they’re growing at 4.4% annually)

2. Refinance at lower rates (the BoE cut to 3.75% will help)

3. Sell the duds (what’s not making money, sell and be prepared to reinvest)

If I hit £350 across 8 properties, that’s £2,800/month in truly passive income. That’s a salary. That’s freedom.

How This Saved Me in 2025

In September, I almost sold my property up North. Zoopla said it was down £8,000. My net worth took a hit. I panicked.

Then I checked my cashflow: £320/month free cashflow, up from £280 in January. The rent had grown. The mortgage was frozen. The gap was widening.

I kept it. Best decision I made all year.

This is why net worth is dangerous, it’s volatile, emotional, and often wrong. Cashflow is truth.

Property Listing

Your 2026 Resolution

Your 2026 Resolution

Pick ONE property. Calculate its free cashflow. Track it monthly. Watch it grow.

Don’t worry about Zoopla. Don’t refresh Rightmove. Just ensure rent increases at the annual rent growth, refinance to a better deal and trim expenses (renegotiate everything).

By December 2026, you’ll have a property portfolio that is growing and actively making you wealthier, even if the market is "boring."

Have a cashflow-positive New Year.

What’s Next?

Stop guessing. Start calculating.

I’ve built a playbook calculator to help you crunch the numbers and see whether your property is hitting your cashflow target.

But the real question is: will your portfolio work in 2026?

Instead of guessing, we've built something that can crunch those numbers.

Download the Playbook Calculator for free to see your required down payment, factor in running costs, and measure your true ROI against rental income.

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