Story c. 2006–2008
The problem nobody could solve
A flat in Little Venice had been sold twice with the same unexplained heating fault. Every professional who looked at it reached the same conclusion.
Thinking
The decision, not the works.
How the Group thinks about property and business, told through the decisions rather than the works. Some are projects. Some are arguments. All of them are about judgement.
Story
The building that couldn’t cool
A newly completed residential building with heating and cooling that would not work. Several contractors had already attended.
Story January 2025
The unit nobody could let
A commercial unit had sat empty for 3 or 4 years. The demand turned out to have been there the whole time.
Story From 2008
Reducing service charges without reducing standards
Procurement is the most underrated tool in property management.
Story 2008
Persistence as a commercial strategy
A stalled rent arrears assignment, taken over mid-flight. What moved it was not a tactic.
Story c. 2006–2008
Seeing value others missed
Learning to judge whether an acquisition genuinely stacks up.
Essays
Arguments, not blog posts.
Essay
Why the cheapest quote is often the most expensive
Three quotes come in and one is materially cheaper. Almost always that gap is not a saving but a disagreement about what the job is.
Essay
Investigate before recommending
The most expensive words in property are “it will need replacing”. Sometimes true, and also what you say when you cannot find the fault.