Financial Freedom? A journey

*Can I book a viewing* (A house share 🏡)
Do you have any flats?
OH F**K OFF AND READ

🥱🥱I haven’t been sleeping well lately. My mind is full of worries. It’s just the way I am, I worry about a lot, all the time.

🙊I have read the chimp paradox and tried to practice those techniques in the middle of the night to get back to sleep, it sometimes works

🏡🏚️This morning I focused on tidying the house, the kids have ramsacked the place and I thought tidy house tidy mind

✍️📝I sorted my desk, and brain dumped everything onto post it notes

❤️My favourite technique, I am going to sort them into quick wins to get them completed fast, stuff I need help with and stuff that’s playing on my mind and need a decent strategy for

🐕🐾Inbetween these will walk the dog and do some physical stuff as I hate been sat down all day!

And then cut myself some slack, I am to hard on myself

I’ll be working on my boundaries 💅🏻

🙅🏼‍♀️I don’t need to be a millionaire with X amount of million in a portfolio before my next birthday
🙅🏼‍♀️I don’t want to work weekends
🙅🏼‍♀️Get up before 5am 🖕🏻
🙅🏼‍♀️Answer messages I don’t need to about stuff I have repeatedly explained before
🙅🏼‍♀️Have the best event or business
🙅🏼‍♀️A perfect system
🙅🏼‍♀️Calorie count

💜Today I watched a HUGE amount of Netflix
💜Stayed in my pjs until 2pm
💜Ate more desert after a sunday dinner and a gin 🍹
💜RELAXED

More days will be like this and tonight I am watching cobra Kai 🐍

How I feel when I have to do SA laundry 🤣🤪

This is why the 5am club for me is 👎

I have been getting up earlier then I want to but thats because my child wakes me up 🤣

I read and force myself to do Pilates or stretching to help my back problems.

I don’t be doing anything crazy!

Next level systemisation
That should get some time and peace back

The past few weeks have been a bit tough. I am pretty much visiting burn out city.

Everything in business has gone a bit awol. A lot of stuff has broken and I haven’t had the chance to give it EVERYTHING it needs.

My health has gone down the pan a bit, as have a lot of other stuff and it’s not what I want.

I let my habits slide and haven’t had the ability to say no.

I am reading a book on essentialism and taking control back of my time, what suits me and when and is it leading to my goals? Am I working and burning out for free?

I am pretty content with water and sat chilling so gone to spend some time calming my ridiculous thoughts and taking back some time for me

🏡I eat property for breakfast 💪🏻

I would have preferred a fry up but I settled for bran flakes after a morning of pi***ng about 🍳

After a wonderful morning parenting a neurotic toddler I went to pick up a brand new but “used” bed off Facebook market place. No doubt I will need it soon as my main role in busines seems to be constantly sorting beds for tenants.

I then went to a new air b and b that I manage and spot checked it after a new team member has started.

✅ HACK ⭐️ you can iron bedding whilst it is on the bedding if you are s**t at using an ironing board 🫧

I went there also as a soggy tea towel was left and that sent me over the edge and I like 5 star reviews 🤤

Nothing is ever perfect I am an up against the clock today but my attention to detail and work ethic is 👌🏻🤌🏻

Business isn’t 9-5. It’s 24/7 and then some more as there is an abundance of constant stuff to do and it’s always how much can I fit into a minute. I like to keep a toe in as it keeps me on the ball and makes sure everything is always improving 💫💫

And if you know me well I have worn this dress 3 times this week and yes I picked it off the floor 💅🏻

Did some one whisper passive income 😮‍💨😮‍💨

Choosing when a problem is for another day 💙

This morning

I knew I had a lot on, tasks I didn’t want to do. Driving around and activities with not a lot of outcomes ( I thought)

Whilst brushing my kids hair, she used some incorrect words “I haven’t got a great mindset”

So I told her to change it then!

I know she meant memory 🤣🤣

But I agreed with her today I didn’t have the right mindset.

So I changed it and then

✅I managed to spot check my serviced accommodation and come out with an action plan
✅ Spot check a HMO, tell the tenants off and meet with the gardener
✅View and analyse a potential new SA and connect with a lovely new tradesperson
✅Clear some emails
✅Make a phone call I kept putting off
✅Will be stacking 3 more SA deals today
✅Check in and support a tenant I overheard crying

Have a break 🩷💫

🧠My head has been up at arse a bit 🍑

I let some of my good habits slide and haven’t really had a break. Felt slightly burnt out and have a lot of tension headaches from being on my phone a lot.

I have had 2 memorable bad weeks in my business and one was last week whilst I was on holiday.

I have done a lot of reflection, a lot of deep diving into the business and wrote a list of what I don’t like and what I need support in. Along side stengthening the business and development.

I have had one eye 👀 only on the 🎱 and spent alot of time writing an action plan as I relied a lot of others without quality checking and a few things have slipped lately.

I started with what I don’t like and went from there coming up with issues and solutions.

Also reflecting on getting some of my down time back ⭐️

A productive weekend 🩷✨

A property day.

Days can be varied, they can be glamourous and sexy or absolutely s**te

Today has been a mixture of the 2 🥴

✅Spent an extortionate amount of time dealing with tenant s**t, literally and verbally
✅Sadly and against my morals, a tenant has been served notice but I am last chance saloon and he has blown it (emotional day)
✅Visit to newest serviced accommodation to introduce the cleaner to it
✅Chat with friend, felt a bit meh
✅Hour round trip to pick up some linens☹️
✅More s**te in emails, admin and s**te
✅Coaching calls with mentees
✅Call with solicitor about buying a block of flats
✅Recording a podcast

I did however do my social media posts sat at the beach. I needed a break. I fu***ng absolutely windy beach 💨

I mean come to Cleethorpes I have a beautiful holiday let there ☀️

It’s ok to stop for a bit you know
No need to constantly progress
🫶🏻

‼️What does my morning look like as an entrepreneur? ‼️🤔

✔️I get up when my kid aggressively knocks at my door, if I haven’t had to sleep with her in the night
✔️drink approx 3 cups of strong black coffee to open my eyes
✔️throw some chocolate on toast for them
✔️feed the animals
✔️then log on to work at my actual job not business

🙅🏼‍♀️you don’t have to get up when the birds are asleep to be successful
🙅🏼‍♀️you don’t need an hours meditation or affirmation first thing
🙅🏼‍♀️freeze to death in an ice bath in your garden
🙅🏼‍♀️do 18 hours days
🙅🏼‍♀️be a pleb

Small consistent actions around your current life with the compound effect is where it’s at 👌🏻

To be successful
❌You DON’T need to get up at 5am
❌Take an ice bath 🥶
❌Do 15 hour days

✅DO consistent small daily actions

Tell me your in property without telling me your in property 🤣

Calculated risks 📈

It’s ok to change your mind, give your self a goal or milestone and then amend it.

If you are not confident then don’t go ahead. For me I would like my business running well, consistent income and a plan to move forward to the next stage of the journey.

Things are changing and properties are also coming and going. Some sales are slower then expected and although I like calculated risks if I am not confident I will hold back and that’s ok 🧠

I am in it for the long game 🙌🏻

A bit of reflection and justification for knowing I will surpass a key date I had for the next phase.

Delivery day 🫶🏻📭

Ensuring the HMO is compliant and safe.

We are organised and have multiple keys colour coordinated 🤤🤤

Look boxes inside for a spare key if a tenant gets locked out. Which happens way more then you think 🫨🫨

I much prefer digi code locks personally but depends on the local authority and the HMO I have taken on.

Find a problem and mitigate against it to ensure you have a little hands on problems as possible!

I don’t have time laid out for this but I should and will in the future.

Every time I do something in the business I reflect and think can I do it better. Can I improve, streamline it, make it less stressful? What is the impact that is having on my time and balance?

Currently thinking about this to ensure I don’t spend a lot of time on unnecessary things going forward. Do I have the databases for it? Can I leverage it? What further systems can I put in place for that.

I review expenditure, processes, sign off procedures and communication making each little action a bit more efficient and effective every time.

Currently working on my accountancy and income and expenditure to make sure it is super strong and cost effective as possible.

We have switched over all our internet to get a cheaper and actually better deal with good customer service.

✔️This is better for costs
✔️Better for time!
✔️Better for tenants

Every action we strive to improve, not for perfection but for accountability and oversight.

I want to run around less like a T**t 🫶🏻

🏡Setting up a property can be daunting🏡

There is alot of stuff to buy, a lot to set up and a lot to remember ‼️

Start by creating a list, whether it is a 6 bed HMO or a 3 bed SA the items are largely the same apart from shed loads more plants and bedding for SA 🛌🛌

On the list take into account the room, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, communal space. For both you need to consider everything from bath mats to forks, to curtains to mattress protectors.

Depending on the amount of bedrooms you may need to buy x by 3 or 6 for example or buy surplus plates and pans 🍽️🍽️

When you have an amount decide on your demographic, is it a luxury HMO or are you targeting those with less income? Beautiful apart hotel or just somewhere clean, tidy and nice for contractors 🏡

This depends on your spec

You can either lease furniture from a company and pay over several months for a period of time

Or buy new from shops, I personally like b and m and asda 🙌🏻🙌🏻

Or get second hand from marketplace, friends and family or Facebook sites. Sometimes the quality of the product is better. I have bought £50 pine wardrobes for example from Facebook

I also collect items of people are wanting to get rid for free and have a little stockpile for the next property in my garage, i.e TV units

I normally target those with less income or those who need a stop gap. Sometimes they are not bothered if the furniture doesn’t match as long as they have a nice clean home which is safe and affordable 💤💤

👉🏻decide on demographic
👉🏻what budget do you have?
👉🏻can you source anything else for free?

Have you taken on a place that already has some furniture? Can you use it?

I also have my favourite clocks, beds, curtains and kitchen stuff now and found a person who is willing to get paid to go to the shop 😍

‼️Yay‼️

🏡Just managed to fill 4/6 HMO bedrooms on a property I haven’t even advertised yet.

And they have already paid in full to move in at the end of the month 🤯🤯

I have worked hard to build a solid brand based on customer service and have a direct link with overseas hospital staff looking for temp and long term accommmodation in 2 locations 🤩

I can now fill up my serviced accommodation and HMOs.

This is normal for me now and here is how ⬇️

👉🏻get a business page and put all your accommodation on there
👉🏻always share the adverts on your page telling everyone what you do, I get tagged in allsorts
👉🏻pay for an advert for your HMO on SpareRoom and keep it running on and off
👉🏻communicate well with future tenants
👉🏻answer all queries and ask what they are looking for and when they want to move
👉🏻Have a waiting list, I match people to properties
👉🏻Line people up for any upcoming voids
👉🏻give current tenants preferences of moving into your other rooms, bigger or en suite?
👉🏻Always have pictures, Facebook links and videos of the properties to send out
👉🏻Be honest and communicate, I filled these rooms on pictures with no beds!

‼️OVERWHELM‼️

When you take on to much at once or have a lot of actions to complete it can feel a bit to much 🥲🤯

Going back to basics and completing the habits that was once formulated for a progressive and balanced life ⚖️

🗒️Writing everything down that is on your mind, whizzing round and causing caranage

👉🏻Start with a simple app, I like asana. Put everything on it that you need to remember

Regardless of what it is…

Group them if needs be and break your time into admin, family related admin, work 📝

Today what would you like to get done?

Then choose 3 things and start to complete them

One at a time no distractions ✋🏻

Sometimes it can be a bit of a slog but persistence and consistency will go along away, especially if you ensure you keep on top of your preferred habits and retain balance 🧘🏼‍♀️🫶🏻

Every day for the last 5 years I have walked passed this house 🏚️

Ignoring it, not sending letters or doing anything sensible knowing there’s a deal there.

I wasn’t looking to buy.

It’s a house on my street a few down from my mum and next to the other house I offered on last year (that’s still for sale 🙃)

My step dad who thinks I “do air b and b and s**t” told the owner I like properties (tell everyone what you do but explain it better) and after been pi**ed off with his agent the vendor rang me instead 📲

“You wanna buy my house BUT I am not giving it away” brilliant 😄

I turned up in my swearing authentic scruffs, as did he after been recently urinated on by his grandchild

I s**t you not I was there an hour and a half after building rapport and I only left as I needed to go get the kiddo to karate

RAPPORT‼️
✔️I spent 90% of the time listening, coming to an understanding, sharing stories, barely looking at the house
✔️Discussing commonalities
✔️Nodding, laughing and just having a conversation
✔️More and more he opened up
✔️There’s debt on the house
✔️I’m tired
✔️X amount of problems
✔️I’m not supported
✔️Don’t have time
✔️Nearly retired
✔️It’s having a refurb. NOOOO I despaired ‼️‼️ and screamed. I didn’t really that would take it too far…. But (bang BMV and added value gone, I know that the other investor who found him on land registry will now do one and my finance option blown out the water)

An offer is going in for a 50/50 JV for air b and b (no s**t) with an exchange with delayed completion using the profits from the deal.

His tenants trashed the house and insurance is paying out. Therefore due to listening I had a solution for each one of his problems and the refurb. I showed him my other work on the houses I have recently done and how I would take all the headache off him. The conversation ended with “when we work together” “I trust you” “oh I have another 6 houses”

I ended with, I can’t screw this up because if I see you in the pub it will be awkward 🫣

🫸🫷Build relationships. Property is a people game, don’t wade in with your damp meters smashing the walls up. Running round like a t**t moving stuff, chat with the vendor, deals work on being liked and trusted 🙌🏻🙌🏻❤️

As usual aways here for questions.

It doesn’t matter 💁🏼‍♀️

👉🏻About how successful you are
👉🏻The progress made
👉🏻Outcomes

If you do not continuously review your processes 📜

Each time I do something new or again, I reflect on what happened and is there any learning to be had?

Did I learn a lesson? Do I need to improve? Did I jump the gun?

Doing this cycle of continuous improvement will strengthen your business or journey towards the goal📈

Today I spent time reflecting on something that annoys me the most, getting bogged down with repairs.

✔️So I drafted comms tenants
✔️Updated the process
✔️Communicated to the teams

I have gained back several hours a week 🙏🏻

What have you been working on?

Focus your energy on your next step