The Power of Building Your Own Supply Chain in Property
I have always believed that property is about control. Control of cost, control of quality and control of outcome. Over the years, as my developments have grown in scale, one thing became obvious. I was spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on bathrooms. Tiles, fittings, suppliers, delays, mistakes, compromises. Every project depended on someone else getting it right.
At some point, I asked myself a simple question. Why am I buying from everyone else when I could build my own supply chain?
That question became the starting point for my latest venture. A high end bathroom showroom in Blackpool, built not as a vanity project but as a strategic move inside my wider property ecosystem. It is a commercial property deal, a trading business and a long-term investment all wrapped into one.
Structuring the Deal
The unit I found sits on the best industrial street in Blackpool. It’s surrounded by Screwfix, tool suppliers and trade counters. Perfect footfall. Perfect visibility.
The building wasn’t for sale, the owner planned to split it into three units and rent them out. The footprint is around 4,500 square feet and taking something that size on is not for the faint hearted.
Instead, I made him an offer he had not thought about. A five-year lease with an option to purchase after 24 months.
The option gave me time to refurbish the building, trade from it and build up financial history and in 24 months I can refinance, or buy outright. The agreed purchase price is £210,000. My expectation is that within 24 to 36 months the valuation will sit between £400,000 and £600,000.
This is not guesswork. It is based on commercial valuation, trading performance and change of use planning.
Planning, Risk and Exit Options
Before I even signed the lease, I had already spent close to £40,000 on planning, surveys and preparation. That is not something I would recommend lightly. It is risky and the seller could have pulled out and I would have lost that money.
But this is where experience matters. I ran both per
mitted development and a full planning application. I changed the use class so the building could be used not only as a showroom but also as storage and distribution. That gives me multiple exit strategies.
If I ever wanted to sell or let it, I could attract a blue chip tenant like Tool Station. I rebuilt the roof, upgraded the structure and redesigned the frontage with full glass panels so the showroom could be seen from the street.
For me, property is not about one plan. It is about three plans. Trading, refinance and exit.
Building a Business, Not Just a Showroom
This is not just a shop with shiny taps. It is a supply business built by a developer for developers.
We specialise in bathrooms and tiles only. No first fix. No distractions. The showroom also feels different to usual bathroom showrooms. When people walk in, I want them to relax. Sit down. Have a proper coffee. Talk through their project.
We have invested in atmosphere as much as stock. High quality coffee machines, luxury comfortable seating, soft & alcoholic drinks, lighting and music. Visiting us should be an experience, not a drab walk round a silent showroom, with pressure from pushy sales reps.
Before we officially opened, we were already doing close to £40,000 in a single week. By month 36, I expect the business to generate around £200,000 per month.
The difference is overheads. I full own and control the building and I cash funded the fit out. I’m not drowning in finance costs and that means I can compete on price while offering better service and better product.
Some competitors on the same street have overheads of more than £1 million a year. They have to chase volume just to survive, where I don’t.
Why Developers Should Care About This Model
Most bathroom showrooms sell products. We sell solutions.
Because I am a developer, I understand what other developers actually need. Not just a nice looking bathroom but durability, warranties, logistics and repeatability.
If someone is building serviced accommodation, I guide them towards commercial grade products with long warranties. If someone is selling off plan, we produce exact CGI visuals of the actual bathroom using the exact products and tiles that will be installed.
This is powerful. Buyers struggle to visualise space. When they can see the finished bathroom before a brick is laid, it speeds up sales and increases confidence.
We also produce full bathroom packs for each unit. Every part, every measurement, every specification is documented and the plumber doesn’t need to ask questions.
Collaboration Over Competition
One of the biggest lessons from this project is the power of collaboration.
Because people know my background in property, suppliers approached us instead of avoiding us. Interior designers, developers and contractors now see the showroom as a hub rather than a shop.
We work with designers in London, developers in Blackpool, investors in the Lake District with some landlords doing simple buy to lets to some fitting out 20-bed Aparthotels. One client might buy one bathroom. Another might need fifty.
We supply everything from a £60 shower head to a £20,000 bespoke installation with steam rooms, glass walls and custom mirrors.
Managing Risk the Right Way
This project cost over £1 million in total investment across property and fit out. That isn’t something you just jump into without experience.
The reason I could take this risk is simple. I have unencumbered assets and I treat my property portfolio as a business with one balance sheet, not isolated projects.
For someone starting out, the lesson is not to copy the scale but to copy the thinking.
Ask yourself: Can I control this asset? Can I create multiple exits? Can this business support my property strategy rather than distract from it?
Too many investors chase shiny ideas without asking how they fit into the wider plan.
What This Project Has Taught Me
If I had to pull out the lessons for other investors and developers, they would be these.
First, think vertically. Don’t just own property, own the supply chain where possible.
Second, structure your deals creatively. Lease options and planning strategy can unlock value that simple purchases cannot.
Third, build systems, not just spaces. Documentation, packs, processes and consistency separate professionals from amateurs.
Fourth, collaborate. Use your network. Support each other. Property is not a solo sport.
Finally, accept risk but manage it intelligently. Never risk what you cannot afford to lose.
Looking Ahead
The showroom is only one part of a wider plan. Alongside this, I am developing a business and networking centre with training rooms, podcast studios and event space. Everything feeds into everything else.
The goal is simple. Build assets that produce income, influence and create opportunity.
Property gave me freedom. Now I am using that freedom to build businesses that support property.
This showroom is proof of what happens when you stop thinking like a landlord and start thinking like an owner.
And for me, that is what this journey has always been about. Not just buildings, but building something that lasts.
