Inside Property Development – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Paul sits down with property developers Phill Williams and James Emmons  to discuss the issues that are preventing SMEs from building new homes in the UK. Including some of the things that can be done to mitigate the risks that are making this problem worse. Paul also shares the details of a new piece of software he is creating to help developers very quickly identify whether a site is financially viable or not. KEY TAKEAWAYS The chance to develop on the grey belt is a once in a lifetime opportunity for developers. Planning in the UK is so slow and complicated that most SMEs can no longer build. They don´t have the skills to get through planning or the necessary cashflow. Dodgy lenders are actively feeding off of the complexity of the UK´s building system. Some lenders deliberately withhold funds at crucial drawdown points, knowing that the developer will no longer be able to fund the deal. The lender then takes it off of them and makes the money themselves. Often, inexperienced developers make the deal, only to realize later they missed something, and the numbers don’t stack up. Affordability is the big elephant in the room – when sales are too slow the risk for the developer becomes too high. Per sq. ft build costs has reached the point where in some parts of the country, especially where property prices are low, there is no way to make a profit. BEST MOMENTS “Someone has got to de-risk and create the opportunities for other smaller developers to build.” “Stacking the schemes correctly is absolutely crucial.” “Modular, in my opinion, isn’t going to be the main thing that solves the housing crisis.” “Modular manufacturers don’t really understand the land and planning market well enough.” “Partial funding to mitigate or share risk, I think is a way forward.” “Coming up with the scheme that's going to maximize land values is really the art of property development.” “It's really important to pay good tradespeople on time and pay them fair rates.” EPISODE RESOURCES Land Economics episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/land-economics- 101/id1750859336?i=1000711086989 ABOUT THE HOST  Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years & experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents. Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know!  Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University.   CONTACT METHOD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs Millbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficial YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In this episode, Paul is joined by Félicie Krikler of Barr Gazeta. She and Paul discusschanging the way buildings are designed to make them easier to repurpose and the idea ofmaking tried and tested, cost effective home designs that work for most sites that are highlylikely to pass planning available for builders. The Property Development Scorecard https://millbanklandacademy.scoreapp.com KEY TAKEAWAYS Reworking our existing buildings makes sense. Félicie provides examples thatdemonstrate what works and what doesn´t. Designing buildings in a way that makes them easy to repurpose is desirable. Repurposing is a balancing act between cost effectiveness, embodied carbon andplanning gain. Collaboration is key to repurposing. Prioritising quality of life for residents is an important component of any successfuldevelopment. Build to rent is genuinely making housing more affordable. The cost of building a 40 sq. meter property is 20% lower than for a 50 sq. meterone. Far more affordable for buyers or tenants. BEST MOMENTS“We are in a time where buildings should be viewed in a flexible way.”“We were looking at a construction system that could be accommodating for a number ofdifferent uses.”“As architects, our projects don´t end on the day of completion…our responsibility laststhroughout the whole life of the building that impacts people´s lives.”“More and more there’s a realisation of the importance of social value.” EPISODE RESOURCEShttps://www.linkedin.com/in/f%C3%A9licie-krikler-37945350https://barrgazetas.comhttps://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/good-homes-for-all-why-we-are-showcasing-20-of-the-nations-best-housing-schemes ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experiencein land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planningconsents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up fromlabouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, BarrattDevelopments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now amultimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group.In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicatedto property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secretsthe big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTechCo, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc PropertyDevelopment at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopmentThis Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In this episode, Paul talks about the main challenges property developers face and shares how he overcame each of them. He covers finding plots of land where the level of competition is minimal, how to quickly assess sites without spending a lot of money, securing the deal on good terms and maximising the profit. Paul also explains why you need to have your exit in mind and how to make a direct approach that maximizes your chances of a positive response from landowners. KEY TAKEAWAYS Finding viable sites where the level of competition is minimal is key. You cannot afford to spend a lot of time and money assessing sites that eventually turn out not to be viable. Using options is usually the best way to secure your deal on the best terms. The existing use value is what you need to beat in order to incentivise the landowner to sell. Making the value pie as big as possible is vital. The bigger it is, the more likely the landowner is to sell. There are some great online resources that you can use to find sites. With the right approach and experience you will find deals that others have missed. BEST MOMENTS“Properly assessing a site and taking it through planning can be really slow and expensive until you figure out what to do.”“The bigger overall value pie you create, the better.”“So, this is me breaking down every step into a logical system and progression. So, it's easy for people to understand and remember.”“When you’ve found opportunities, you then need to make an approach to the landowner in a very specific way.” EPISODE RESOURCESOptions episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/%C2%A31-option-agreements/id1750859336?i=1000679140634 ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

For this episode, Paul is joined by Henry Bliss of Give My View, the app that makes it far easier for developers to engage with communities, find and motivate potential project supporters and effectively deal with any local objections. It creates surveys that are fast and easy to complete. Ensuring all voices are heard, rather than just the NIMBY view. KEY TAKEAWAYS Traditional consultation methods only hear from a vocal minority, usually older people with time, which drowns out the perspectives of the broader community. Give My View makes it really easy for anyone to have a say and can be used at any stage of project development. Providing feedback only takes a few minutes and is available across all devices.The Give My View team can help developers to ask the right questions in a formatthat encourages honest and useful answers. If you ask people – Do you want this here? Most will automatically say no. It´s human nature to say no to change. So, don´t ask that type of question.Using social media ads to ask people to take part enables you to target people in a very specific area. Be concise, often people will be filling out the survey in the few minutes they getbetween tasks. BEST MOMENTS“You are able to speak to the silent majority, so people who aren't against change, peoplewho aren't NIMBYs (get a voice too).”“We can engage with 1000s of people if the project scope allows.”“With a small marketing budget, we can bring 1000s of new eyeballs to your survey ads.”“People have a greater connection to things they help build.”“Once people use us, they come back because they see the benefit.” EPISODE RESOURCEShttps://www.givemyview.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-bliss-969b933b ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planningconsents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group.In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

In this episode, Paul sits down with David Birbeck, one of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to planning and development. He is the CEO of Design for Homes, a Housing Design Awards director, an Honorary Fellow of RIBA, HCA design board member, NHBC councillor and Housing Forum board member.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Despite the desperate need for housing in the UK, at some point, somebody will start a sort of anti-development lobby. Most authorities struggle to get their local plans adopted, so most will not manage to release a third more land. Cambridge was the first to redraw its green belt and broke the record for the most new homes built. If you get the design of low-level buildings right, you don´t need to build mostly flats to achieve 25 homes per acre.  Switching from traditional housing types and building a broader range of housing has been key to making a generous profit. Cambridge planners focus on community, character, connectivity and climate benefit, not the architecture. Redrawing developments with planning to improve density is already happening. BEST MOMENTS“We set up a series of ideas to improve housing and the government has adopted some of them.”“Cambridge has become, by accident …. a laboratory for new housing ideas.”“When you look at Great Knighton it's all coming in at a minimum of about 25 homes to the acre.”“110 years later, we’re still working to a rule that’s about Edwardian sensibilities.” ABOUT THE GUESThttps://www.linkedin.com/in/david-birkbeck-399b771a ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

In this episode, Paul talks to Oli Lowrie, the director and co-founder of Ackroyd Lowrie Architects. He and his co-founder John Ackroyd believe that architecture is too siloed. They are entrepreneurs as well as architects, they do not simply stay in their lane. Instead, they anticipate the issues projects typically face and create designs that enable developers to more easily get around these problems. KEY TAKEAWAYS Make sure you always work with the best consultants. The shifting legislative framework is leading to plans needing to be reworked and  resubmitted. Most legislators do not see the bigger picture, so don´t fully understand the impact changes have. There are now financial benefits to taking a sustainable approach. The government still needs to do a lot to make the market viable for developers. Oli shares examples of how to turn office spaces into housing. The new BSA is going to lead to architects’ fees going up. Oli explains why. BEST MOMENTS“We are entrepreneurs who just happen to be able to design buildings.”“Architecture is a little bit too siloed, and architects tend to stay in their lane and just think about designing buildings.”“Harlow is a really interesting place…Dan Sword is very committed to transforming Harlow.”“Most people are just looking at it through their little lens. They don't understand the bigger picture.”“Sustainability can be used to produce a better ROI.”“Lots of people get tempted to go for the cheaper stuff, but it's dangerous.” ABOUT THE GUESThttps://www.ackroydlowrie.com ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

In this episode, Paul talks to Saam Lowni a highly successful property entrepreneur who now specialises in providing innovative property finance solutions for investors and developers. Saam has been passionate about property from a very young age, so much so that he worked on building sites, with developers and in real estate offices, sometimes for free, to learn as much as he could.He and Paul discuss his journey, including weathering the 2008 financial crisis and switching from development to becoming a finance broker. They also discuss high yielding income producing assets, making a profit in a tight market and financing options. KEY TAKEAWAYS The property market is cyclical, it regularly goes from boom to bust. Sometimes the cycle is long, other times short. Build a robust business to weather the storms. Having high yielding income producing assets in your portfolio enables you to keep up with payments regardless of financial crisis. Property is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to evolve, spot the trends early and change promptly.Currently, developers cannot rely on house prices rising enough to cover issues and costs that they have not planned for. BEST MOMENTS“S**t like this can, does and will happen, it always has. Boom, bust happens.”“If you don't have a high yielding, income producing asset, you are going to get caught out.”“To be a developer, you need to know your local area and who the landowners are.”“Finance is becoming much more of a problem.”“A proper margin, in my opinion, is at least 20% of GDV.” EPISODE RESOURCESsam@merryoaks.comhttps://www.facebook.com/saamlownihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/saamlownihttps://www.instagram.com/saamlowni ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group.In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

In this episode, Paul talks to David Jones, the managing director of Evans Jones Planning and Property Consultancy. He has been working in planning for 30+ years. He and Paul look at how the planning system has evolved and is likely to look in the future. Including the impact recent changes are already having e.g. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). As well as how the Housing Delivery Test  (HDT) is likely to play out, particularly in the Green Belt. Paul also explains how his new software Viability enables developers to spot at a very early stage whether a site is viable or not. KEY TAKEAWAYS Whether a council is for or against development is still going to determine how easy it is to build. Those councils that have delivered less than 75% of the required housing over the last three years will be under the presumption to permit development umbrella. The HDT blows a hole in the idea that you can never build on Green Belt land, but the Golden Rules criteria, e.g. affordable housing, presents challenges. BEST MOMENTS“We're starting to see the first flurry of encouraging appeal decisions post the new NPPF.”“It is no longer inappropriate to develop in the Green Belt where there is no five-year supply, and that is an absolute game-changer.”“Any significant development scheme will always have dissenters. But it's how we deal with those and what we can do to publicise the benefits.” EPISODE RESOURCEShttps://www.evansjones.co.ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/david-jones-rtpi-rics-65b1053https://www.designreviewpanel.co.ukViability Software - https://viability.siteBNG episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-practical-approach-to-bng-and/id1750859336?i=1000689091292 ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

For this episode, Paul is joined by AJ Shome director of Founthill Land Planning and Development, a highly successful SME property developer who, in 2013, was one of Paul´s first mentees. They sit down to discuss the trials and tribulations they and others face getting planning permission and getting things built.  KEY TAKEAWAYS •    The time it takes to get a deal done is causing major issues for developers.                    Including forcing them to use less than ideal financing options.•    Developers need to be thick-skinned, innovative and persistent.•    Some of the restrictions developers face, are nonsensical e.g. AJ was asked to              spend £100k to build a new access road to 4 homes that were already raised                above flood risk levels.•    Consultees often say no to things they could pass largely because of a lack of              experience.•    Constantly changing legislation leaves developers wasting time trying to adapt.•    The new NPPF changes, the grey belt, will open up a lot of opportunities. But the          level of local resistance to such developments is still crazy high.•    Planning is too much of a game of cat and mouse, which wastes everyone´s time         and money. Money that could be spent making the development better.•    GDV levels have dropped by nearly half. BEST MOMENTS“From that time onwards, I’ve pretty much done the Paul Higgs model in terms of land planning and development.”“Every developer seems to be in a position where they're having to look at exit finance.”“Now, so often, it's “computer says no”.”“I've just had to submit three different variants of class Q in order to get this fallback.”“We sound very doom and gloom, but our success record is extremely high.” EPISODE RESOURCEShttps://www.founthill.com ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

In this episode, Paul shares a few more details about his INSIDER Property Development Framework. Starting with the I that stands for Identifying your site. This includes finding it through off-market opportunities, carrying out fact finding, narrowing down your options, net research, discussing options with the landowner, establishing relationships with other stakeholders and realising the deal. KEY TAKEAWAYS The I in INSIDER stands for identifying the best sites. The best deals are found through off-market opportunities – doing private, one-on-one deals directly with the landowner. Learning how to find these sites enables you to develop sites yourself or make money as a land agent. You have to understand planning. Without that knowledge you can´t do the rest.  Attend planning committee meetings for the council you will be working with. Even landowners who have said no in the past will say yes if you approach them in the right way and at the right time. Following up on your initial approach at the right time is key. BEST MOMENTS“The name of the game really is about finding the proper 100% off-market opportunities.”“Land agency site finding is big business.”“Focus and fact finding is about understanding the planning.”“What I'm thinking about is, what's the best thing for that site, and what is it that's going to maximize the land value?”“I´ve actually had 20,000 landowner meetings.” EPISODE RESOURCESPart 1 - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/tapping-into-insider-knowledge-to-create-highly-profitable/id1750859336?i=1000683094605 ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment