Practical Property Talk

This week Joe and Taylor jumped on with me to help round out the year and reflect on what’s been a proper journey — 52 podcasts, no shortcuts, no skipped weeks.

What started as a challenge turned into something else entirely:

real industry insight, real conversations, and real reassurance.

The biggest takeaway from 2025?

The stronger the group

The better the relationships

The clearer (and easier) the path becomes

Property will throw problems at you.

That part is guaranteed.

But if you:

Structure the process

Build the right systems

Stay consistent when it’s uncomfortable

You’ll get there in the end.

A genuine thank you to everyone who’s listened in over the year — it doesn’t go unnoticed.

And a massive shout-out to everyone who jumped on, gave their time, and spoke openly and honestly. This series only worked because of you.

For now, we pause.

The next series will come soon enough.

Enjoy the break — but stay focused on your path.

Best regards

Gav

83 Property Ltd

Property is like becoming a parent for the first time.

You don’t do it as a hobby And you definitely don’t squeeze it in on the way to work.

This week’s podcast was a proper one.

A very colourful, very honest conversation with Des Taylor, where we deep-dived into the real world of property — not the Instagram version.

What we covered:

The legal realities of being a landlord and property professional

The Housing Act and the consequences people sleepwalk into

How one phone call led to a fine — and ultimately sparked Des into helping others avoid the same mistakes

As the conversation unfolded, the same patterns we’ve seen all year showed up again:

Systems

Structure

Due diligence

Understanding the business you are actually in

Des shared his journey openly:

Selling his portfolio in the early 2000s when emotions were high

Heading to Florida and flipping / back-to-backing properties

Dipping into other professions

And, as it so often does in property, one conversation in Ireland with another investor pulling him right back in

To finish our 52-week run of conversations, speaking with Des felt like the right full stop.

Honest.

Experienced.

Zero fluff.

A fitting way to close out 2025.

Huge thanks to Des — and to everyone who jumped on this year and spoke openly and honestly.

Until next week.

Gav

After hours of listening to founders, investors, developers, operators and dealmakers on podcasts, a few truths keep smacking us in the face.

Not the sexy stuff.

The stuff that actually makes money.

Key takeaways that repeat every single time:

• Consistency beats talent

The ones winning aren’t smarter — they just show up longer than everyone else.

• Relationships compound faster than deals

One good relationship will out-earn ten rushed transactions.

• Speed creates trust

Call backs, follow-ups, decisions. Momentum is a currency.

• Boring systems make exciting money

CRMs, checklists, processes. No one brags about them. Everyone who wins uses them.

• Brand is doing what you said you’d do

Logos don’t build reputations. Behaviour does.

• Most people quit just before it gets good

The gap between average and exceptional is usually six months of discomfort.

Podcasts don’t give shortcuts.

They give receipts.

If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or impatient — good.

That usually means you’re right where progress starts.

Now crack on.

And do the unglamorous work again tomorrow

From a young age, property was always an interest — but coming from a family that only ever rented, it felt more like a dream than a destination.

That was until tragedy struck. Rochelle suddenly lost her husband, leaving her alone with two young children. In the middle of grief, shock, and trying to rebuild a sense of purpose, a conversation with a friend planted a seed that would change everything.

Seeking out property education was the first step — but then another hurdle arrived: Covid.

After investing heavily in training, Rochelle reached back into her previous career in marketing and used those skills to build an online presence. She began attracting clients, taking on renovations, and helping others build their portfolios as a way to create income and momentum.

But even when the first deal came along — a property she planned to keep in her own portfolio — the challenges kept coming. She was quoted one refurb price, only to find out mid-project it was nowhere near accurate. An extra £10,000 had to be added.

It wasn’t just a numbers lesson — it was a real introduction to:

how to price jobs,

what refurbs really feel like,

and how quickly things can go off-plan.

It became an education far beyond any training course.

Fast forward six years — and more than 50 property transactions later — Rochelle now openly shares how hard property can be and how crucial it is to seek advice from the people around you… not just those in property. Sometimes the right guidance comes from unexpected places.

This is one hell of a story — a genuine inspiration.

A reminder that even in the toughest moments, good things can happen.

And that sometimes it’s the everyday conversations we have that lead us down a path we never imagined.

From searching for a distraction during heartbreak to completing over 50 deals — Rochelle is another example of what happens when you put yourself out there, talk to people, and keep moving.

Until next week,

Best regards

Being developers ourselves — hunting planning uplift, chasing opportunities, and sitting inside an exclusive developers’ circle — we see firsthand the pain many are going through right now.

This week’s guest, Jamie, dives straight into those struggles people rarely talk about publicly.

Born into construction, Jamie was almost destined for the trade. He started as a plumber and carpenter before eventually taking over the family business and running it himself.

But the real story comes when he opens up about the brutal reality of a two-and-a-half-year development battle.

On paper, a mixed-use commercial/residential scheme in Fulham sounds like the dream.

In reality?

Jamie talks us through the planning headaches, the vendor challenges, the endless back-and-forth, and the harsh truth that after two and a half years with no income and still a long road ahead — it’s hard to get excited about the project at all.

That theme — the tiredness, the weight, the uncertainty developers are feeling — is something I’m hearing a lot in today’s market.

We also get into how Jamie finds opportunities. Like us, he uses SearchLand, but with a very specific twist:

instead of firing letters out at every possible plot,

he focuses on lapsed planning,

runs a full appraisal before sending a letter,

and only approaches sites that actually stack.

That way, when the calls come in, the deal already fits the model. Smart, simple, effective.

A raw, honest conversation about the true cost of development — the time, the stress, the process, and the grit needed to actually get a scheme across the line.

Massive thanks to Jamie, and wishing him the very best with the Fulham project.

Until next week,

“If you’ve got a property portfolio, you must be successful…”

It’s a common belief — and one of the very things that pulled this week’s guest, Muzzie, into the world of property in the first place.

Funny part? He originally went to a property seminar because he thought his wife and sister were about to get scammed. He only went along to stop them spending money on a training course… and by the end of the weekend he was the one signing up. Fast-forward to today, and he’s still extremely active and building away.

What hooked him?

The creativity.

The realisation that you can structure deals without using your own money — and that if you understand the process, you can use other people’s money to generate real opportunities. That spark lit the fire.

Our conversation digs into some home truths as well —

leaving a job too early

the dangers of not paying for proper professionals

and the personal reality of changing direction in life, which can often mean drifting away from friends and family

Stories we hear time and time again on the pod.

As the chat builds momentum, we get into the big theme of the year — following the process. Every guest seems to circle back to it. The structure, the system, the consistency. It’s the golden thread that runs through every success story we’ve heard.

Another cracking chapter on the road to 52.

Until next week,

Best regards

Back in the days of 120% mortgages and Northern Rock — what this week’s guest calls “the Wild West of mortgages” — many investors were building portfolios on self-cert loans and sheer determination.

This week, I sat down with Neil Briggs, who first stumbled into property at just 18 when he bought his first place for £25,000 after moving out of the family home.

Fast forward, and Neil’s journey has taken him from working in a bakery to becoming a mortgage broker — a role that evolved into one of several businesses he now runs today.

In our chat, we talk about self-motivation and the belief that you only really fail when you stop. It’s a concept I couldn’t agree with more. Time and again, we see people stall because they stop pushing, rather than surrounding themselves with the right people who’ll drive them forward.

Today, Neil’s focus is firmly on commercial conversions as he continues to grow his portfolio — proving once again that property isn’t a short-term play, but a long-term game of consistency, creativity, and persistence.

Another cracking conversation as we edge closer to completing our 52 Podcast journey. It’s chats like this that reinforce the bigger vision we’re building here at 83 Group — showing that success in property comes to those who stick the course.

Until next week,

Best regards

Over the course of this year, one thing keeps coming up in these conversations — people get into property to create more time and freedom for themselves and their families.

This week’s guest, James Doran, is a perfect example of that. When his marriage began to crumble and the long shifts on the oil rigs kept him away from his three kids, James knew something had to change.

In 2018, he took on a mentor and made the leap into property. He admits he wasn’t fully ready to go full-time — the business side of working for yourself takes some learning — but as he puts it, you find the best version of yourself when your back’s against the wall.

Fast forward to late 2025, and James has found his stride. The confidence that was once missing has now turned into one of his biggest strengths — especially when it comes to networking. He now sees his network as his greatest asset, a theme that comes up time and again across every 83 conversation.

You’ll also hear how both James and I take time out every Sunday to plan the week ahead — a reset that sets the tone and builds the mindset to attack the week with purpose. It’s a simple but powerful habit that keeps the accountability sharp and the progress steady.

Another great chat, full of honesty, lessons, and the reminder that accountability and consistency are where the wins come from.

Until next week,

Best regards

The 52 Podcast journey rolls on — and this week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Vito Lanelli for an honest, open chat about his transition from estate agent to property deal packager.

After years in agency, Vito sold out of his company back in 2018 and decided it was time to explore the other side of the table. He took on some property education and began to really understand the creativity he’d seen investors using over the years.

When Covid hit, Vito teamed up with his daughter and ventured into serviced accommodation. But before long, he pivoted back to what truly lit the fire for him — deal packaging — where his experience, negotiation skills, and love of the deal all came together.

That “leap of faith” theme continues to echo through these conversations. Stepping out of your comfort zone, meeting new people, and learning from those who are already doing it — it’s a pattern we keep seeing in every success story.

Vito’s chat is another reminder of how powerful your network really is. Surround yourself with the right people, and the doors will keep opening.

Until next week,

Best regards

As the 52 Conversations journey rolls on, this week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Andrew Batt.

A ski accident completely changed Andrew’s outlook on life, and by 1999 he’d found himself stepping into property alongside his mum and brother, buying a holiday let in the French Alps. But it wasn’t until years later, after enjoying life to the full, that Andrew began to truly understand money — and that’s when he started to take property seriously.

Both of us share a background in sport and a love for adrenaline. Maybe that’s why our appetite for risk is a little higher than most. It led to a fascinating chat about whether those early life experiences — chasing goals, taking risks, pushing limits — help shape how we see risk and reward in business and investing today.

We also dug into the power of people. From our sporting backgrounds, it’s clear that the strength of your network is everything — and the same applies in property. Andrew, who co-hosts the Stratford networking event and supports others in improving their networking skills, shared some golden nuggets on how to connect, communicate, and get the most out of the room.

The best part? We only scratched the surface of Andrew’s property story — so part two is already in the pipeline.

Take a listen, soak up the insights, and stay tuned for the next chapter.

Until next week,

Best regards