How to use property to fund a retirement

I have just returned from a weekend visiting my nephew Mikey and his family. They live in a manor house in the middle of nowhere which they rent from the ‘Estate’. Mikey runs his cabinet making business from the premises and being so good with his hands has done up the manor house in his spare time. I helped him when he set up his business 15 years ago and he is now confident with self assessment. But as always he was looking for more tax advice. He is now 40 but has not started saving for a pension – with two children and his own modest business there is little spare cash. I have previously explained the huge tax efficiency of pension saving but he feels it is not right for him.

He does however have...