This Week In Property Podcast Richard Swan This Week in Property

Did you know exactly what you wanted to do after school?
No, neither did today's guest, Sean Spalding.
He passed some Higher Exams, he had some jobs in retail and sales.
He even tried searching down a few different paths with college, university, working with his dad, and even applying to join the police force.
Curiously searching around for his path in life, for the route to success and supporting himself and then his family.
Have you, or are you, surrounded by people and systems telling you that certain things are just not for your kind of people?
Yeah, that's what Sean faced too.
He could see signs and examples of how, for example, money and wealth could be achieved through property investing.
However, schools and establishments, and even family, dictated that he could easily work IN property in some way, but the real profits and wealth were for some reason only reserved for other types of people. Whatever that actually means.
Have you yet found the resilience and determination to just keep going, to just keep looking, and to just keep learning?
Good. Cause that's what Sean did. He kept working and grafting. But he also kept his eyes and ears wide open for learnings and opportunities.
In today's show, Sean speaks about the various jobs and refurb projects he worked on, and how he was always looking for how the people behind the curtains, the investor owners, were able to find and structure and buy the properties.
He speaks about all the lessons and learnings through his work. He speaks about his education through Paul McFadden's Property Protege programme, and how he managed to recoup that investment from his very first deal.
Are you looking for inspiration and encouragement in your own journey?
Well listen in to Sean's powerful story about his various deals, about the sellers he has helped, the investors he has helped, and other property sourcers that he's done business with.
It's an impressive story.
And it's a story that is still being written, with a long way to go...

What things pop into your head as a seller or a buyer when the word "auction" is mentioned?
 
A large, stuffy room with over-emotional bidders waving paddles in the air and paying over the odds for a property they haven't properly considered?
 
A seller having to give away massive amounts of their property's value just to desperately get a sale that their local estate agent couldn't manage?
 
A buyer's panic at a host of fees to pay, with feelings more of gambling than security, and a countdown clock ticking loudly towards a short completion date?
 
It doesn't have to be that way!
 
And it's NOT that way if you're lucky enough to do business with John Morris and Luis Guarin from Prime Property Auctions.
 
Those stuffy rooms in a dated hotel on a specific date that you might not make, are replaced with 2024 tech of online property presentations and a simple offer process.
 
As John and Luis' expanding team love to say: "Every day is auction day at Prime Property Auctions!"
 
What words would reassure you as an investor looking to buy at auction?
 
What about hearing that at Prime, they have auctioneers who are actually investors!
 
Yes, both John and Luis are experienced property investors in their own right.
 
They get it!
 
They know all about the pressure of running due diligence, of thinking of your proper exit strategies, and also understanding and discussing the bigger picture of your own personal investment strategy, criteria and risk-mitigation.
 
You don't just throw a paddle in the air for someone with a hammer who couldn't care less about you.
 
The guys take a keen interest in speaking with and understanding your own personal investment journey, and can speak your language!
 
But what if you're not an investor and simply a personal buyer? Even a 1st time buyer?
 
Again, the team fully appreciate your desires and concerns, and are there to guide you by the hand with all aspects of purchasing, solicitors and mortgages.
 
They can find and share properties with you that can be your ideal personal home.
 
So does all that buyer assistance mean that the seller has to lose out?
 
Absolutely not!
 
What about hearing these wonderful assurances as a seller..."Sell your property within 28 Days. You set the price, No upfront costs & no sale, no fee."
 
Yes, that's the way that auctions should be working to help the sellers of property out there too.
 
And that's exactly the security and reassurance that Prime Propety Auctions brings.
 
Now hear the full amazing story.
 
In today's episode with John and Luis, you'll hear all about their approach to helping so many different people, and the full fascinating story of how Prime Property Auctions came about and has rapidly grown.

Are we handing over too much power to machines and robots with all the latest and greatest apps and AI tools?
 
What if someone could ensure the changes and developments we make, have the person, the human, very much centre of focus?
 
What if the resident or tenant was thought of first, before any technical changes?
 
What if the client or property owner or facility manager was put ahead of any app or flashy interface?
 
What if the engineer or repair man or service provider was considered before any AI entity?
 
That's exactly the approach that askporter has taken.
 
That's why askporter has been able to help L&G's Affordable Homes tenants to fix 30% of their housing issues by themselves.
 
That's how askporter has been able to help solve the headaches that contractors and engineers usually face, by being able to successfully automatically diagnose 97% of issues raised.
 
Forget about computers and efficiencies, what actually makes people's lives easier?
 
It's a tenant having instant answers and information about an issue anytime, day or night, and not having to wait on a call centre opening or an enquiry eventually being answered.
 
It's a property/portfolio owner being able to focus on the bigger and most important ways they can improve their properties and lives, without being distracted and bogged down by low-level issues and noise.
 
It's the residents and the managers of social housing estates being able to have instant communication, have problems solved, and have daily lives improved.
 
People want to be heard and understood.
 
Today's guest, Clara McKibbin, Head of Customer Experience at askporter, has been fully focused on the experience, the journey, and the communication that the human people involved in property really yearn for.
 
Designed with the people in mind.
 
Observed and improved for making resident's lives better and with less friction points.
 
Working and collaborating with owners, managers and contractors to make the individual human experiences to be properly listened to and acted upon.
 
Looking for pain points to be removed? For problems to be solved? Then askClara at askporter...

I've not really got time for property?
 
Have you heard that before?
 
Have you maybe even said it yourself before?
 
Well today's guest in the Property Pros Spotlight is going to put those excuses to shame.
 
Because once you've heard Steven McKaveney's life and business journey to date, you'll be forgiven for thinking that we've interviewed five guests instead of just one!
 
A nomad of action, making things happen.
 
Life, family and work experiences all across the UK and abroad.
 
Refurbs, flips, Rent-to-SA, buy-to-lets, conversions, land deals...the list goes on and on.
 
Did we mention the industry-disrupting AI software service that he's built and patented "on the side"?
 
Yeah, you won't be able to accuse Steven of being lazy or procrastinating.
 
His journey and mindset will inspire and encourage you with your own goals.
 
So has it all been sunshine and unicorns for him?
 
Absolutely not!
 
Steven is a completely open book about sharing all of the priceless lessons and challenges he's faced throughout his journey.
 
And he's humble and keen to share them with others, to light the way for your own goals and success.

Are there 2 words other than "Capital Allowances" that sound more mysterious and complex to property investors?
 
If there are, we'd like to hear them!
 
Too difficult to understand, too complex to navigate, and too advanced to waste time investigating.
 
That's a common reaction to property owners and investors.
 
But if they could be shown the huge amounts of cash that they're leaving on the table?
 
That would change things!
 
Losing out on a ton of money is a much simpler concept to understand.
 
And wanting to do something about that lost money is what a wise investor would do.
 
But that then leads to more questions unravelling...
 
What situations can I claim these allowances?
 
How far back can I claim?
 
What exactly is my Annual Investment Allowance?
 
Those are some of the usually bewildering questions that can be asked.
 
But there's a better set of questions to ask...
 
What experts out there could actually do all the heavy lifting for me?
 
Who would be able to quickly know if I have a case to claim back much needed money?
 
Who would have the experience and knowledge to compile the case to actually get that money?
 
And that's where today's guest comes in!
 
Mark Anthistle, from Bonham & Brook, has compiled more than 1,000 successful valuations, resulting in the identification over £300Million of unclaimed capital allowances, and securing over £60Million in tax relief for clients!
 
That's who your new pal should be.
 
The expert to have in your corner.
 
Listen in to today's show and hear all of the different ways that Mark and his team can possibly help you with reclaiming all of that lost money...

There are some words that strike fear in the hearts of property investors. 'Tax' and 'Stamp Duty' are up there with the most terrifying.
 
And in that world are abbreviations that not only add to the terror but also demonstrate the minefield of complexity that investors have to try and tip-toe their way through safely: SDLT, LBTT, and LTT.
 
But for every horror there is a haven. And words like 'tax relief' and 'exemptions' help to soothe and comfort.
 
And for every monster there are heroes to save the day.
 
He might not have been wearing his cape during our chat today, but Kishan Kavi, the Head of Property Taxes and Head of Tax Investigations at Bonham and Brook, is very much that hero that can help you.
 
With a highly impressive background in Law, Litigation and Tax, Kishan and has team have been responsible for tax savings running into the multi millions of pounds and growing.
 
Stamp Duty is a 'self assessment' tax that the buyer is responsible for.
 
But you don't have to tread through that minefield alone.
 
While your solicitor is staying in their lane and handling the conveyancing part of your purchases, you should have people like Kishan on your side to review and advise on the costly tax elements for you.
 
And with 51 different reliefs and exemptions available, Kishan has a host of weapons available to fight off the tax monsters for you.
 
During the show we touch upon just a few of the reliefs and possible scenarios for savings. You'll hear from Kishan's chat that he has an encyclopedic knowledge of rules and regulations and case law aimed at helping you in your individual scenarios.
 
Use the links below to reach out to Kishan and his teams at Bonham & Brook to see how they can help you.
 
They can initially review your situation for free.
 
And there's other links to their Stamp Duty Reliefs Guide and Kishan's recent article on Stamp Duty Exemptions...