<prompt> Human: Hey guys, Im 17 living in the UK and my mum just passed away from terminal pancreatic cancer a few weeks ago. Without going into too much detail, my aunt helped us to release as much money as possible from her death, leaving a lump sum of roughly 500k. This will be split between my sister and I so 250k each - my sister is 15. So far, the plan seems to be that each 250k will be spent on buying a flat, allowing it to accrue value and collect rent money etc. This would be a long term investment, and my sister and I wouldnt see the money for a long time until we need it for things like perhaps supporting kids or buying our first house. The plan would then be to sell the flat and take the money, plus all the rent money that had been collected over the years.Im going to university next year Ill be 18 this September and alongside the lump sum, my mothers pension allows a payout of roughly 11k a year while me andor my sister are in full time education, up to the age of 23. Again, my aunt advised me to not spend the 11k a year and just collect it, while taking out a student loan and then paying it off after uni like a normal student. This would allow me to pay off the student loan as slow as I want to, while saving the 11k a year for the future.My question is: is there a better way to invest my and my sisters 250k? Or is buying a flat and collecting rent money any potential increase in value of the flat a good and SAFE long term investment? And is the idea of taking out a student loan for uni while pocketing the 11k a year a good one? What plan makes the money go the furthest?Thanks for your help, any other advice is appreciated.  <response>: Buying a flat and letting it accrue in value is putting all your eggs in one basket. As another poster mentions, invest in a real estate fund if you really want to.Being a landlord sucks. It royally, totally sucks. Even good tenants will require constant attention from you to fix leaky faucets, ensure the heat works, pest control, regular repairs. And if they simply decide to not pay, you can be in a world of legal trouble trying to evict them. And guess what? When they decide to not pay and fight eviction...your place gets totally trashed. The tenants stop caring and run the place into the ground. And god forbid they hurt themselves. You could get sued for beyond your liability insurance coverage and become financially ruined. Invest the money as others have suggested index funds and let it accrue in value the safest way available to you. 