I can’t quite believe its been 4 weeks since I was here last — the excitement/anticipation of Christmas and the New Year is firmly behind us, and I’m welcoming in 2024 with a promising stream of new business.
I purposefully took time off over the Christmas break (not that much work gets done anyway), and I’m very much approaching this year under the ‘Aggressive Patience’ guise: patient long term, not so patient short term…(I read it in a book over Christmas). It still takes me moments to remind myself that the property business is a slow moving ship, mostly suffering from the oil tanker turning problem, and with a raft of stakeholders involved at all times, [external] decision making continues to be slow. But that’s alright.
Sadly, our development in the North West didn’t complete before the Christmas break — what was holding over from one our transaction solutions suffered the inevitable fate that most of 2023’s business did — no discernible money from the big institutions, and a complete drought as far as those ‘aggregators that came before’ are concerned. I’m hoping to rectify a lease with the original Freeholders.
We’re still under contract for our development in North Nottingham — all in good time.
In terms of January’s ‘news’:
- I’m viewing a specialist bungalow scheme in Derbyshire on Wednesday with one of our partners, holding over from arrangements made before Christmas;
- I have viewings arranged for a further two schemes: a neat block of 5 apartments, and a larger contemporary block of 8 apartments, both within 10 minutes of each other in North Nottingham;
- Details sent to a housing partner for 2 large dwellings schemes: 1 in the North West for 80 starter homes and 18 apartments, and 1 in the East of England for 130 starter homes;
- Awaiting HB feedback on a shared house in the South West, which we’re looking to purchase with cash from the existing landlord for speed, and ease of transition for the tenants;
- Development and investment planning for a turnkey scheme in Yorkshire, comprising 10 new build apartments;
- Successful viewings on a turnkey mixed-use investment in Derbyshire from a previous;
- Working on a long-term partnership with a developer in South West to provide a steady stream of new sites for Cornwall’s SSH cohort.
I have a small number of meetings ‘up North’ as part of my Asset Management role for a landholding client— firstly to negotiate and deliver a long term commercial lease, secondly to discuss an existing option with a Regional House builder.
Lots to do, and feeling quite good. 28 soon!
