Buying in an area you're unfamiliar with is scary enough – but David Barker bought his first without seeing it, and his next was a complicated five-unit site in a town he'd never been to.

Both had happy endings, but were very different experiences along the way. I spoke to David to learn how he got the courage and confidence to take calculated risks, and learn the often-glossed-over truth of how complicated an investment can be...

Listen to the episode and learn:

- What attracted David into property

- What led him to buy a flat in Salford without seeing it first

- How it's performed since

- How David decided to buy a far more complicated property in Stoke

- The challenges he had with funding the purchase

- What he's done to increase his rental return and its market value

- The management challenges that's seen him get more familiar with Stoke than he'd expected!

- What he would have done differently, looking back

- The advice he'd give to anyone wanting to follow his footsteps and buy remotely