I completed on this one about a month ago, and it's been a busy few weeks getting everything turned around. Purchase was around £185k, with roughly £28k going into the refurbishment. It's gone from looking pretty tired when I first viewed it to something that I’m now genuinely happy to put in front of buyers. Nothing particularly glamorous about the process, trades, materials, unexpected little jobs, keeping an eye on the numbers and making sure the refurb doesn't start running away from the original budget. I've been doing property for a while now, so I've learned that the deal isn't just about finding a property that looks cheap. It's about knowing what you're buying, understanding the numbers before you commit, and having a clear idea of what you're trying to achieve with it. One thing I’m always pleased about with closing a deal is that the fund for the purchase and the refurbishment are always available through my other income stream, no mortgage and no loan involved. It wasn't necessarily the easiest route, but having the funds available meant I could move forward without adding another layer of borrowing to the deal So roughly £213k of my own capital has gone into this one from purchase through to the refurb. That's something I've deliberately worked towards over the years because having your own capital available can give you a different level of flexibility when opportunities come up. We're now at the final stage, getting the finishing touches done and preparing everything for the market. It'll be interesting to see where the final sale lands compared with the numbers I had in mind when I bought it. For me, that's one of the most rewarding parts of property, seeing a tired asset at the beginning and then watching the numbers and the property transform together. A few people have asked me in the past how I structure and fund deals like this without relying heavily on traditional borrowing. It's actually something I've approached quite differently over the years. I'm willing to share it here to, for anyone who is interested.

A new month is a fresh opportunity to pause, reset, and be intentional about where we’re putting our time, energy, and attention. Sometimes, growth doesn’t come from making one massive decision. It comes from the small habits we repeat consistently, the conversations we have, the knowledge we pursue, the risks we’re willing to take, and the way we manage what we already have. So as we step into September, I’m curious: What is one habit you want to intentionally cultivate this month that could create more growth in your life and finances? - Maybe it’s learning something new every day. - Maybe it’s being more disciplined with your money. - Maybe it’s making one meaningful connection each week. Or perhaps it’s finally taking action on an idea you’ve been sitting on. For me, I think the biggest shift is moving from simply thinking about growth to creating habits that make growth inevitable over time. New month. New opportunities. New lessons. Welcome to September, what habit are you taking with you into this month? 🌱

One of the biggest lessons my property journey has taught me is that sometimes the strongest funding source for your next deal can come from a business you built outside of property. I’ve owned my online pet brand for years, and over time, it became much more than just another business. The income it generated gave me something I really valued in property: flexibility. When the right opportunity came up, I didn’t always have to start thinking about mortgages, finding a JV partner, or taking out a loan just to make the numbers work. There were deals where the cash flow from my business helped provide the capital I needed to move forward. And that completely changed how I looked at property investing. I stopped thinking: “How can I find someone to fund this deal?” And started thinking: “How can I build businesses and income streams that give me the ability to fund my own opportunities?” I’m not saying property should be replaced by another business. For me, the two actually complemented each other. Property created long-term opportunities, while my pet brand provided an additional source of income that could be put back into those opportunities. That experience really changed my perspective on diversification. Sometimes the goal isn't simply to find more ways to borrow money. Sometimes it’s about building something that gives you more options when the right opportunity comes along.

One thing property investing has taught me is that the spreadsheet can tell you whether a deal makes sense on paper, but experience can sometimes tell you what the spreadsheet is missing. Earlier on, I found myself focusing heavily on the obvious numbers, purchase price, rental income, costs, yield and projected returns. Over time, I started paying much more attention to the things that don't always fit neatly into a spreadsheet: - How realistic the assumptions actually are - The condition and potential of the property - The area and tenant demand - How motivated the other party really is - The people involved in the transaction - What could go wrong that isn't immediately visible in the figures That doesn't mean ignoring the numbers. Quite the opposite. For me, the numbers are still the starting point. Experience simply helps me ask better questions about those numbers before making a decision. Sometimes a deal that looks great on paper has too many unknowns. Other times, a deal that initially looks average becomes interesting once you understand the situation behind it. I'm still learning from every deal and, honestly, I think that's one of the most valuable parts of property investing. For those of you with some experience in property, when have you trusted your judgement or experience over what the spreadsheet was telling you, and how did it turn out?

Maaaan I’m so happy to be BACK. I’m back AND I’ve found three places to look into in some choice area’s. Lords Willing they fit the criteria, let’s build and grow famil