Property Investing: What I’d Do Differently Today

Most people spend their lives chasing the next "big thing" in crypto or property, only to realize they're too late to the party. If I had to start my entire property journey again from scratch today, my strategy would look remarkably different than it did 25 years ago. This isn't about following a generic "passion"; it’s about the clinical intersection of experience, personal skill, and cold, hard profitability. From why I’d steer clear of leaseholds and flats to the specific reason 50% leverage is the "sweet spot" for long-term survival, I’m breaking down the blueprint for a resilient, scalable portfolio. We dive deep into manufacturing value through forced appreciation, the hidden benefits of inflation on your debt, and the boring—but essential—daily habits that actually build wealth over decades. KEY TAKEAWAYS Prioritise Scalable Assets: Move toward small blocks, co-living, and high-end HMOs quickly to offset rising regulatory and management costs. Focus on Forced Appreciation: Don't rely on market growth; drive value yourself through refurbishments, conversions, and operational upgrades. The "Develop to Hold" Model: Avoid the "develop to sell" trap, which can lead to bankruptcy during market downturns when properties won't shift. Strategic Leverage: Maintain approximately 50% debt on a portfolio to balance the benefits of inflation-eroded debt with the safety of a low-leverage cushion. Reinvest and Restrict Spending: Harness compounding by reinvesting profits and never spending more than 5% of your total invested asset base. QUOTES "I like to be the contrarian. I like to buy things that are unloved and try and guess where the market is going to move next." "Developing is great, but having a purely developed to sell model is quite dangerous." "Manufacturing the value to offset the friction of those extra taxes and regulatory costs is important." "Wealth building is about developing yourself and developing a thousand daily habits." "Inflation has the inverse relationship on debt. It actually reduces debt. Inflation erodes debt." VALUABLE RESOURCES  ⁠https://www.youtube.com/user/progressiveproperty⁠ ⁠https://www.progressiveproperty.co.uk/the-progressive-co-founders/⁠ ABOUT THE HOST Mark has bought, sold or has managed around 1,000 property units for himself, Rob, his family and his investors since 2003. He is a system and spreadsheet geek and has developed a complex, confidential deal analyser system of buying residential, commercial and multi-let properties. CONTACT METHOD Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhomer1⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/markprogressive⁠Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/markprogressive