Why I'm Building 1,000 Life-Changing Homes
Property has given me far more than a career. It's taught me how to think bigger, build better businesses and create homes that can genuinely change lives.
It all started with a home
When people ask me how I got into property, they often expect me to talk about investment strategies, returns or commercial conversions. The truth is that it started with something much simpler than that. It started with not having a home.
I was born and raised in Paris before moving to the UK with my family as a teenager. We arrived with very little. We didn't have a stable address, I couldn't speak English, and for a period we experienced homelessness. Looking back, I realise that those experiences shaped the way I see property today.
Everything changed because one person chose to trust us.
A landlord, and ultimately a letting agent who was willing to act as guarantor, gave my mum the opportunity to rent a home. Walking through that front door for the first time after everything we'd been through is a feeling I'll never forget. It taught me that your environment really can change your life.
That moment planted a seed that has never left me.
The first step into property
My mum always told me to make sure I owned property one day, so I started saving when I was 17. At university I studied Mechanical Engineering while living in a HMO. Instead of simply paying rent, I approached my landlord and offered to help manage his properties in return for a discount. Before long, I was managing seven of his properties alongside my degree.
I kept my living costs as low as possible, saved every penny of my student finance and eventually bought my first property. It was a modest two-bedroom house, but by adding a loft conversion and refinancing, I unlocked enough equity to buy the next one. Then came another project, then another, and before long property had become far more than a side interest.
Today, through Syntix Properties, we work with investors to acquire and develop residential and commercial-to-residential projects across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. We typically partner with investors on a 50:50 joint venture basis, where they provide the funding and we deliver everything else, from sourcing opportunities and managing refurbishments through to refinancing and long-term management.
Property is built on trust
One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that raising private finance is all about finding the perfect deal. In my experience, people invest in people first.
I've never spent my time chasing investors. Instead, I've focused on becoming excellent at what I do, sharing my journey openly, building genuine relationships and treating other people's money with the same care, if not more, than I would treat my own.
Some of our investors have become close friends because that's how relationships should develop. Property is ultimately a people business.
Systems create scale
As our projects became larger, I quickly realised that I couldn't continue doing everything myself. Coming from an engineering background, I naturally enjoy systems, processes and finding better ways of working.
One lesson that transformed our business came from mentors who encouraged me to focus only on high-value activities and delegate everything else.
That sounds simple, but putting it into practice requires structure.
Every process in our business is now documented through Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Once you've completed something successfully, write down every step. Once it's repeatable, someone else can learn it. Only then can you genuinely begin to scale.
Hiring the right people has allowed me to spend more time finding opportunities, building relationships and growing the business, rather than getting buried in emails and administration.
If there's one piece of advice I'd give anyone looking to scale, it's this: buy back your time as early as you responsibly can.
Never stop learning
I've invested heavily in education throughout my journey because I firmly believe you don't know what you don't know. Every mentor I've worked with has helped me avoid costly mistakes, accelerate my learning and see opportunities I would never have discovered alone.
The goal isn't to keep the same mentor forever. The goal is to learn everything you can, apply it, grow beyond that stage, then find the next person who can stretch your thinking even further. At the same time, never forget to help those following behind you.
Every project teaches you something
Property isn't without its challenges.
Every development teaches you something new. Hidden electrical problems, unexpected structural issues and creative funding solutions are all part of the journey. We've had projects that have taken years to complete, requiring multiple funding strategies before finally refinancing successfully.
Those experiences haven't put me off. They've reinforced the importance of due diligence, building the right team and constantly improving our systems so each project becomes a little better than the last.
Why 1,000 homes?
People often ask me why I talk about creating 1,000 life-changing homes instead of simply saying I want to build a large property business.
The answer is simple.
I'm not interested in creating houses that simply meet a specification. I want to create homes that genuinely change how people feel.
Whether it's a family moving into a better environment, a student renting their first room, or someone rebuilding their life after difficult circumstances, I want them to walk through the front door and immediately think, wow.
That doesn't always come from spending more money. Often it comes from better design, greater attention to detail and understanding how people actually experience the spaces they live in.
Because I know what it feels like when a home changes your outlook on life.
The target of 1,000 homes is deliberately ambitious. If you set yourself a goal that scares you, it forces you to become the person capable of achieving it. Even if the destination changes, the journey will make you better.
Success starts at home
Finally, none of this would have been possible without my wife.
She's my biggest supporter, my sounding board and my business partner. Every major decision we make is one we make together. Property can have incredible highs and inevitable challenges, but family always comes first.
Businesses evolve. Markets change. Deals come and go.
The people you build your life with are what matter most.
If, over the next few years, we're able to create outstanding homes, protect our investors' capital and leave communities better than we found them, then I'll consider that a success.
Because for me, property has never just been about buildings.
It's always been about changing lives.
