My History

1987-2002

Part I

Having left school and in the summer of ‘87 I decided not to attend the Chef’s Course at Torquay Technical College, I decided to try my hand at engineering and found a placement at Teignbridge Propellors in Newton Abbot. After realising that engineering wasn’t for me, I decided to follow in the footsteps of my two late Uncles, John & Mike, and enter the world of becoming an Estate Agent. I started in Torquay with Mann & Co where Nigel Green gave me my first opportunity as a Sales Negotiator in the business. From here I worked for various other Corporate Organisations working up to an Area Director looking after multiple branches and business outlets.

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2002-2015

Part II

After starting to climb the corporate ladder I realised that this world wasn’t for me and I decided that becoming indep[endent and starting my own agency was the way forward. An opportunity came up in Exeter City Centre which at the time was starting grow and with my business partner Nick Bryan, we set up Milestone Estate Agents were we specialised in residential sales and lettings. We were a high street estate agency with a fresh and modern approach to the Exeter property market which at the time was starting to grow and there were many new developments starting to spring up in and around the city. This became our target market, middle to upper, new builds, apartments & town houses and working alongside many local & national developers. We were the first agency to have a fully interactive web-site and use floorplans on our details using a ‘Palm Top Handset’. The world has changed rather rapidly in the last 20 years! We branched more in to lettings during the 2007 crash and quickly grew our managed portfolio to well over 200 properties. This became the main stay of our business and in 2014 all the corporate agents had woken up to the fact that they needed a ‘Lettings Business’ and they came knocking at my door to buy ours. After a very turbulent few years I decided to sell as it was growing into something I had never envisaged and at the beginning of 2015 I sold the business to LSL Property Services. Chapter closed.

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2015-presENT

Part III

New Homes and Development had always been in my DNA and when the opportunity arose for me to set up a Land & New Homes Department for Connells in Exeter, I decided to jump in. Having built up a business from scratch I felt I could apply similar methods to a new department. Responsible for identifying land and development opportunities on behalf of developer clients, I advised land owners on disposal of sites to maximise land receipt, appraised sites to identify planning history utilizing current local plans to determine the opportunity, investigate ground conditions, services provision, connections and capacities, working with designers to produce feasible scheme, checking land ownership and title, producing a full sales appraisal understanding the markets throughout the South West. Here I built up some long lasting relationships with local, region and national developer clients, architects, planning consultants and other agents/property professionals which I retain to this day. Along the way I had a stint with a well-known retirement development company based in Ringwood where I had the opportunity to work with a development company working with the various internal departments design, planning, legal, commercial to bring a scheme forward. Following this I had 4 very successful years working for LSL Land & New Homes.

What We Do

Buying & Selling Development Land and Opportunities

Advising Land Owners on the best way to dispose of their asset, regardless of planning status. We understand that we are in this for the long haul, so establishing a good working relationship and getting it right from the start is important. We can prepare Development Appraisals on all sites to establish the right strategy for the land owners to unlock the value in their asset.

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Strategic Land & Legal Agreements

We are well placed to advise clients on bring forward Strategic Land understanding the correct approach with the Local Planning Authority. Understanding Land Opportunities that are able to be promoted within a Local Authorities Strategic Local Plan is the first step and with the right advice and honest approach at this stage is important.

A large part of this will also come down to the various legal agreements that can be entered into and a straight forward approach to either a ‘Conditional Contract, Subject to Planning’, an ‘Option Agreement’ or a ‘Promotional Agreement’. An initial meeting is informal and entirely at your own convenience to set up the right approach, prior to taking your own legal advice. You will find us understanding, straight talking and willing to listen.

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Affordable Housing Development & Regeneration

Affordable Homes is at the heart of pretty much everything we do and has been an area of speciality working alongside Land Owners and advising a different approach to unlock value in their asset. We have good relations with all Housing Associations, Partnership Development Companies and Employers Agents and have worked closely with various professions in order to create homes for those who need them.

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Design & Planning

We have some great experience with various local Planning Consultants & Architects who we work alongside and have delivered many projects from conception to delivery. We are well placed to advise the right Planning Consultant for the right project.

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Selling New Build Homes & Developments

We have many years’ experience of selling New Homes sites and can offer sales appraisals and development appraisals to allow developers to further understand the intricacies of various properties markets across the South West. We can supply details sales reports where required and also advise a full marketing strategy for any development site across the South West. Ensuring Developers have the right Sales Approach when releasing a New Homes Development to the market can be the key to maximising the profits for the overall scheme.

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Land & Development Acquisitions

We have Land Search facility within the business and advised many of our Developer Clients over the years on how to acquire the right development site for their business. Many of our clients are either National House builders, Regional Developers, Housing Associations, smaller SME or local development companies, all of which are important to our business in equal measures. We often know the correct type of developer for any opportunity that comes our way and having an in-depth knowledge for which developer is in the market for which type of project is something we pride ourselves in.

Our Services

Consulting

If a client needs professional representation then we can represent any development organisation at board level. We are able to prepare comprehensive development appraisals and provide professional advice on any sales and marketing scheme. We understand the pressures of development and outsourcing can sometimes be a cost effective approach to dealing with problems. Our depth of knowledge is one of our greatest assets.

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Design

We have excellent partners who are able to work with on a collaborative approach to find a solution to ensuring the right scheme can be brought forward through the planning process and into the construction stage ensuring the right balance when it comes to sales. Understanding the needs of certain markets in the South West can be key to ensuring the right product can be delivered at the right time. Concept and scheme design using computer imaging; options appraisal and feasibility studies; conceptual and technical design; sustainable design and energy; masterplanning and urban design have all been areas that we have advised upon.

Contact Us

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