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The shopper has recently been left some inheritance and is thinking about investing in a home in Elie, Fife, with a plan of moving there in the future. He has a deposit of £20,000, earns a salary of £25,000 and is considering applying for a buy-to-let mortgage. He has no problems with his credit rating and wants to know whether he can get a buy-to-let mortgage and what options are available to him.

BLT Financial Services Ltd

Cupar, KY15

www.bltfinancialservices.co.uk

Speed of response: Time of call: 2.54pm. The call was answered by a very friendly receptionist after two rings and the shopper was quickly transferred to an adviser.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Telephone manner: The adviser was polite and professional, yet still friendly and amiable.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Qualifications: No qualifications were discussed.

Rating: 0/5 stars

Payment Method: Payment was not mentioned in the conversation.

Rating: 0/5 stars

Guidance: The adviser talked the shopper through the buy-to-let market. He explained Scotland has slightly different property laws to England and getting a buy-to-let mortgage is a completely different investment. The adviser said a lender would probably expect at least 85 per cent loan-to-value on a buy-to-let mortgage. He explained mortgage premiums and rental incomes and how the rental income was usually decided on by a valuer. The adviser also warned the shopper to be aware of voids or the periods of time when there is noone renting the house but it is still up to the landlord to pay the mortgage. The adviser suggested finding somewhere nearer to home to invest in or putting the money into a high interest savings account instead.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Knowledge: The adviser seemed to have a substantial knowledge of the buy-to-let market.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Verdict: Although the adviser was clearly knowledgeable in this area and gave the shopper a general overview of the market, he did manage to omit a few important details. For example, he did not mention his qualifications or how he would expect to be paid. He did give the shopper sound overall advice, however, even though it was probably in the shopper's best interests he focused on the other options available to the shopper rather than buy-to-let mortgages.

Rating: 14/30 stars

Spring Hill Asset Management

Glenrothes, KY7

www.abbeyspringhill.co.uk (Currently not working)

Speed of response: Time of call: 15.12pm. Answered by a strangely cautious receptionist after three rings who transferred the shopper to an adviser.

Rating: 2/5 stars

Telephone manner: The adviser was very professional yet at the same time seemed to be slightly grumpy and serious.

Rating: 2/5 stars

Qualifications: The adviser did not mention any qualifications.

Rating: 0/5 stars

Payment method: No details on how the adviser expected to be paid were discussed.

Rating: 0/5 stars

Guidance: The adviser asked the shopper lots of sensible, basic questions and then gave an brief explanation of buy-to-let mortgages. He explained how the rental income would be decided on by an independent valuer and it would probably be 125 per cent of the mortgage premium. The adviser explained to the shopper Elie was quite an expensive area, where he would struggle to find somewhere affordable and the shopper should scout around first. He also informed the shopper Elie is more of a seasonal town and to avoid void periods it would be better for the shopper to invest in a place that would be in demand all year round.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Knowledge: The adviser seemed to know what he was talking about when it came to buy-to-let mortgages however he did not talk to the shopper for long enough.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Verdict: The adviser was a bit short with the shopper who did not feel that relaxed when speaking to him. He was authoritative and seemed to know the market pretty well, although he did not seem to have much time for the shopper to explain anything fully and instead seemed to concentrate on putting the shopper off the idea of investing in property in Elie.

Rating: 10/30 stars

WAW Financial (Positive Solutions)

Glenrothes, KY7

www.thinkpositive.com

Speed of response: Time of call: 15.22pm. The call was answered by an adviser after five rings.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Telephone manner: The adviser was very friendly and chatty. He made the shopper feel very much at ease and listened carefully.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Qualifications: Although the adviser did mention he was able to give advice on buy-to-let mortgages, he did not specify any qualifications.

Rating: 1/5 stars

Payment method: The adviser did not go into any detail regarding payment options, although he did mention how the initial consultation would be free.

Rating 1/5 stars

Guidance: The adviser was extremely friendly and explained even though the shopper was looking at an expensive area where property was highly sought after, he believed the investment was feasible. He asked the shopper for his income and expenditure details and explained most lenders would want a rental income of roughly 125 per cent of mortgage rental requirement. He did some quick sums to give the shopper some examples and explained about interest-only mortgages and capital repayment options. He gave the shopper his contact details and told him to go away and digest all the information available before making a commitment.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Knowledge: The adviser knew a lot about the buy-to-let market and even told the shopper he had a buy-to-let mortgage himself. He was able to answer the shopper's queries fully and concisely.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Verdict: The adviser was extremely friendly, funny and knowledgeable, which made the shopper feel very much at ease. He was willing to chat to the shopper for a long while and gently walked the shopper through the complexities of the market. The shopper felt confident and happy to take his advice and would definitely call again for more help.

Rating: 20/30 stars