It's always interesting to hear how people made the leap into the property industry. What motivated them to take on such a challenge? What did they set out to achieve? And just how did they get themselves in the position to invest?

We've been lucky enough to follow the journey of one of our members, Sophie Lane, as she makes property development her new reality. Rapidly turning over two investment properties, and already working on more!

With a passion for thrifted finds, Japandi-style interiors, and giving life back to unloved properties, we think Sophie is one savvy property developer worth watching out for.

We spoke to her about her experience so far in the property development world, and what tips she might have for any other women looking to make the same investments for their future.

This is a great read for anyone thinking of letting out their own property, starting a buy-to-let portfolio, or looking for ideas on how to create high-quality interiors on a budget.‍

‍How did you get into property development? And what were the steps you took to purchase your first investment property?
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A few years back I was living in Australia travelling the West Coast in a van with my partner. The van broke down in quite a remote area, and we needed money ASAP!
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The only job going was working in a recycling factory - with long hours and machinery that was so noisy you couldn’t talk to one another. To stop myself going out of my mind I started listening to podcasts. One of the topics I listened to daily was about property investing. It was in these 4 months my eyes were really opened to what property could offer me.

Having just lived some of the best years of my life travelling and feeling free, I knew I wanted more from life, so I hatched a plan to get into property upon my return to the UK. I continued to educate myself through podcasts, I got a 9-5 job working in property, and I basically fully immersed myself in all things property until I felt confident enough on my area and my investing abilities.
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Starting out in property, what were your short-term goals? And what was the drive behind your business?
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I’m currently on maternity leave and I wanted to be able to go part-time at work so that I could spend more time with my daughter whilst she’s little. My short-term goal was to have 2 properties providing additional income so that I could do this. I’m happy to say I've now achieved this.

You have rented out your own home, how did that impact designing and staging the rooms? Did you have to change anything to better suit your target audience? And what would you recommend to others thinking about doing the same?
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I met my partner whilst I was in Australia and when we came back to the UK I had the money all ready for a deposit, but he didn’t. From listening to podcasts, I felt that getting my own property first for us to live in, whilst he saved for his, was the best idea – in 2 years we’d have 2 houses and then eventually we would get a house together and rent his property out too, meaning we’d have 2 rental properties and 1 of our own.

My plan therefore was always to rent my own home out. This heavily impacted the type of property I chose, and also the refurb and design elements. I never went absolutely custom with my designing as I wanted to appeal to the masses, so I went for the clean white and neutral look, adding colour and interest through art and furnishings.

Looking back I do feel I played it perhaps too safe and, compared to the BTL property I’ve just finished, I do find the property a bit ‘bland’. I didn’t have to change anything about the design because I designed it with my ideal tenant in mind.

I’d recommend for anyone else thinking of renting out their first home to ensure that their mortgage provider allows consent to let. This means you can stay on your current mortgage (I took out a 5 year mortgage on a 1.95% interest rate (I KNOW SO LOW!), and I’ve still got 2.5 years left on it staying at that rate but I am able to rent it out).

Do you think that staging your property helped to increase interest/viewings, and helped you to reach your desired rental rate?
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Staging has 100% taken my properties to the next level and increased both interest and viewings. I managed £200 over predicted market rents on one property, and £145 on the other – I believe this was down to the design and staging. I love this part of the process - adding in those additional touches so the prospective tenant can really envision this as their home.

With your first investment property, how did you design this space? Did you want it to look or feel a certain way, or appeal to a certain demographic?
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I’m forever pinning on Pinterest. For as long as I’ve had the app I’ve always had a ‘home ideas’ board, even way before I even thought property was attainable for me. I drew upon this first, but then I also decided exactly how I wanted people to feel in my properties and paired that with the resonating interior design.

Canva is my best friend - I know there are lots of fancy programmes to help with designing, but for me I think the simpler the better (not to mention FREE!) and I have used this in a lot of aspects of the whole process. I first import a photo of the room, then I draw over it with my design ideas, importing other photo inspiration I’ve found from Pinterest, and annotate the drawing.

I have even created the electrical and plumbing guide for the trades to work from by importing the floor plans and annotating these, as well as creating the welcome packs for my tenants on Canva.

You mentioned using mostly second-hand items in your staging kit/decor. Is sustainability and 'upcycling' important to you, and how do you plan to carry this through to your property development business?
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Most of my furnishings in my own home are second hand - so I thought why wouldn’t I carry this through to my investment property? Driven by the affordability of it but also the uniqueness - they aren’t just ‘on trend’ pieces people can pick out and say "oh that’s from h&m’", they are pieces that are interesting and stay current through the test of time.

The affordability of the pieces (I often pay no more than £3 for decor items or £40 for larger furniture) means that I can put the money I have saved into other areas of the property, such as inbuilt storage which I believe elevates a property and also deters tenants from hammering badly into freshly plastered wall.

Additionally where I can save/resell items I 100% will! For example in my most recent renovation the loft never got cleared and there was all sorts up there, but the best find was a vintage commodore computer worth around £200. I also sold the wood we ripped out, a washing machine, and then donated everything else to charity. I kept a pile of metal to take to the scrap yard to cash in too, but it got taken off my land by scrap collectors before I could (grrr)!

You also managed to source gorgeous surplus tiles from a Starbucks cafe! Did you actively seek to repurpose items like this - and how? What can other property developers do to be more mindful and thrifty in their own projects (for the environment, and for their budget)?
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You would be surprised what you can find on Facebook Marketplace! The tiles were £0 as they were surplus from a commercial fit out of Starbucks, and the guy just wanted rid. There were so many I was able to do the bathroom and the kitchen, and still have enough left over to probably do another kitchen splash back… CRAZY!

My top tip for others wanting to be more thrifty is, when you’ve had an offer accepted on a property and you are going through the legal process, start looking right away on Marketplace, in charity shops, and at reclamation yards. Once you know the style you’re going for, keep a look out - you have probably 3 months minimum (as legals are loooooong) to source everything at a great price (just make sure you have an understanding partner who doesn’t mind you storing a lot of things in the house haha).

You have turned around two buy-to-let properties within such a short time, how did you manage this with an under-one in tow? What are your tips to other female property developers (or those aspiring to be) to help with the juggle?
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I think if you really want something you will make it work. I’m not saying it’s easy, especially if you have no family close by to help with the little one like me, but if you’ve got that purpose and ability to see that it’s going to be tough in the short-term but so worth it in the long term, you’ll always be focused and make it work. I literally took my little girl everywhere with me, and I’ve got to say I found it easier than I think it would have been if I was working full-time instead of on maternity leave. My investment property was very close by to where I lived - around a 5 minute drive which made it so easy to pop down if I needed to, so I would say to consider location massively if you are juggling motherhood with property investing.

It also goes without saying you need to be super organised - I had daily, weekly, and monthly lists (LISTS ARE LIFE). In terms of managing the build team, an incredibly detailed schedule of works and drawings are necessary. And don’t deviate from the original plan if you can help it. Keep in regular contact with your team to ensure they know the plan.

What’s next for you and your business? Will you be investing in more BTL properties? Any plans to build on your brand? We'd love to hear!
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I am currently renovating another property (the one my boyfriend has bought) which will be a BTL property eventually, but we will be living in it for a couple of years first.

My goal is to invest in another 2 properties in 2023, and after that keep going basically! Although money and freedom is a huge part of the reason I’m investing in property, I also absolutely love making something unloved into something loved again. It brings me so much joy transforming spaces, so my goal isn’t necessarily to move onto bigger and bigger projects, but instead to keep investing in more of the same, transforming more spaces into gorgeous homes.

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A huge thank you to Sophie for taking the time to talk with us, and for sharing her experience and tips. We hope it has inspired you to be a little more thrifty in your next property development project!

You can continue to follow along with Sophie's property journey here on Instagram

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