FAT Properties

Loving the principle of the OpRE Festival - it’s to get us all out of the silos we so easily get stuck in, and tackle some cross cutting issues that affect all real estate.

The attendee list is so varied - student accommodation, hospitality, commercial, residential, PBSA, older living, BTR, the list goes on.

I’m talking on a panel about repurposing struggling office and retail property.

So much to talk about here:

• challenges of major conversions;
• innovative temporary uses whilst buildings are empty;
• building safety in conversions;
• asset values and investment challenges

with some great panelist’s from across the industry.

and more

🎉 WE MADE THE FRONT PAGE! 🎉

This weekend, The Times has lifted their paywall and is offering complimentary access to all articles. If you haven’t read our feature yet, now’s your chance! Check the link in our bio ☝️

Being featured in The Times, (and on the front page no less) is a dream come true having read it religiously for decades! Thank you and for allowing us to spread our message about the impact of student accommodation on wellbeing far and wide.

🌟Last week I had the privilege of speaking at the HMO Awards. I hadn’t realised mine would be the first one of the day…talk about nerves! 🎙️😬

Luckily my plan was to set the bar low so the other speakers could only get better. 😂

I spoke on the role of good design and its benefits to HMO investors.

But let's talk about something else – nerves and public speaking. I’ve done my fair share of public speaking (including being expert witness at public enquiries and getting cross examined), but I get nervous every time.

To those of you who do it for a living - does it ever go away?

It was interesting chatting to some other speakers later, they all seemed to feel the same - bricking it beforehand, but then really getting into it.

you’re a pro- do you get nervous still?
, - you all gave great speeches at the Awards - how do you feel beforehand?

I heard a story once: 2 guys were talking about how they felt just before having to go on stage. One said “when I feel my heart beat faster, my vision narrow and my palms get sweaty, thats when I know - I just can’t do it.”
The other said “when I feel my heart beat faster, my vision narrow and my palms get sweaty, thats when I know - I’m ready!”
The second guy was Bruce Springsteen.

(I think…some rock n roll star anyway)

Telling myself "don't be nervous" never works, so with more public speaking in the calendar this year, I’m channelling my inner Bruce Springsteen! 😂🎸. It’s great fun once you get over those nerves.

How do you find it? Do you get nervous? Excited? How do you manage it?

🎉Thanks for an AMAZING day and evening 🎉

It was wonderful to see old friends and meet new people.

Delighted to win an award that is so very close to our hearts “Creating a Sustainable Future” 💚

Huge congratulations to all the other winners and finalists see you all next year 🎉

Thanks and the whole team what an incredible event. Fabulous hosting as always

🌟 Who’s excited for the and Summit today? 🎉 It’s going to be absolutely AMAZING! 🌟

Get ready for an incredible lineup of speakers. Don’t miss Tom Charrier in the Piano Room at 1 PM for his inspiring talk:

🕐 1 PM - Designed for Wellbeing by Tom Charrier,

Tom, the author of the best-selling book on design and wellbeing, will explore the vital role of design in adding massive value and creating a positive impact on lives. Discover his unique product-first approach and practical design principles that promise easy, quick implementation for a significant return on investment.

✅ Why design matters
✅ Making a positive impact
✅ Practical design tips for big ROI

Join him to learn how thoughtful design can transform shared living spaces and enhance tenants wellbeing.

I am sorry I won’t be there but unfortunately it’s half term here 😭 so I’ll be playing referee to the 👦🏼👧🏼👧🏼🐶🤦🏼‍♀️

It’s all coming together for our and we will be up and running later this year 🎉

Now that we are progressing well on site we need to step up a gear on the branding & marketing. If you know anyone exceptional please send them our way 🙏🏼

Follow to see this Grade 2 beauty come to life 🥰

There’s something exciting coming to Lancaster very soon from 🎉

If you’ve been following us for a while, you know about the ups and downs we’ve faced on our soon-to-be boutique hotel 🤦🏼‍♀️. Despite what these squares show and sometimes lead us to believe, property developing is not straightforward (and please don’t believe anyone who tells you that it is!).

But here’s the good news: everything is back on track thanks to our amazing partners 🎉.

Not long to go now, and Lancaster will soon welcome a new design gem in the north ❤️. Exciting times ahead! 🥰

🌟Prime Commercial Property Available for Let in Lancaster!🌟

🏢 Location: Heart of Lancaster City Centre

🗝️ Details:

- Spacious and versatile layout - upstairs office
- High footfall area, perfect for retail or office use
- Modern facilities and amenities
- Close proximity to public transport and parking

💼 Ideal For:

- Retail
- Café and restaurant
- Professional office
- Boutiques and specialty shops

📏 Size: 1350 sq ft
💰 Rent: £18,000

📞 Contact us today for more information or to schedule a viewing!

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to establish your business in one of Lancaster’s most vibrant locations. Act now and take the next step towards success! 🚀

Repost from
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Coming from architecture and design backgrounds, power-couple Phillipa and Tom understand the importance of our physical environment to our wellbeing. Their bestselling book, “Designed for Wellbeing” has influenced countless property developers nationwide. Their attention to detail when it comes to service doesn’t end at the bricks and mortar - which is what led them to .

It felt like a milestone for COHO at the end of 2022 when FAT Properties decided that COHO was the tech partner to match their high expectations of quality and service.

And how has that turned out? From the keyboard of founder Tom Charrier:

”We’ve tried multiple PMS systems for our student property management and pretty much gave up hope that we’d find a good one that didn’t feel like being back in 1998 👨🏻💼. But the team are killing it with COHO 🔥”

For Tom and Phillipa it’s important to create happy and healthy homes, but to be there when you need them - for both their investors and their tenants. But to do that they need a system that doesn’t get in their way.

”As a business owner having instant access to all property’s data, status and stats is invaluable.”

And that’s exactly what COHO’s mission is. If you find yourself jumping between 5 different websites, spreadsheets, and applications just to get the information you need, then we’d love to hear from you to see if COHO can help.

But, often overlooked, it’s really important to find a company that matches your own energy.

“COHO is on the same wavelength as us - quality, responsiveness, value, and fun

Back on site at after long, long delays ❤️🎉 follow for all the fun and games.

Anyone else delighted to get the kids back to school this morning? 😂

I am interested to know who else works from home?

Now that we don’t need to WFH, who prefers to and why?
Do you have a designated office in your home?

📸 .charrier office 😂

🌟ARE YOU SELLING? 🌟

We are on the hunt for properties to buy in the Northwest UK so if you are selling we want to hear from you! 🏡✨

Please get in touch with us at Your property could be the next perfect fit for our expanding portfolio. 💼🔑

🌊✨ Making Waves for a Cleaner Future! ✨🌊

So we’ve just introduced a new initiative in our mission to make a difference in the world: whenever a student signs their contract, we’re contributing to , funding the removal of 1kg of plastic from the worlds oceans and beaches 🌍. We’re at 100s of KG so far! 🙌

Our students are making more than just a home with us; they’re helping clear waste, support ecosystems, and aid families in need.

Why this initiative? To drive positive environmental impact, showcase the power of collective action, and engage our students in meaningful change.

Together, we’re signing for more than just a place to live; we’re committing to a cleaner, brighter world.

People. Place. Planet.

💃🏼Happy International Women’s Day! 💃🏼

💪 To all the phenomenal women and girls out there, know that your voice matters, your dreams are valid, and your potential is limitless.

Here’s to breaking more glass ceilings, challenging stereotypes, and supporting each other in every step of the journey. You are all AMAZING 🥰

Airbnb-ers and serviced accommodation investors, get ready - the government is about to let councils limit the supply of new short term let properties.

How? They’re introducing a new planning use class for ‘short term let’ (exact definition tbc but an obvious Airbnb / holiday let will obviously fall within that category).

Initially, changing a ‘normal’ (C3) residence into a short term let, or vice versa, will be permitted development, however I expect some councils will quickly introduce Article 4 areas to remove those PD rights meaning if you want to change a house or apartment to a short term let you’ll need planning permission.

Importantly, it wont be introduced retrospectively so any existing Airbnbs will be safe and wont need to apply for planning permission.

Can we expect a deluge of properties hitting Airbnb soon as people rush to secure that use before the new rules come in?

And will a bank valuation of a short term let which has the correct planning permission take this into account, raising its value? What do you think ?

What do you think? Will this impact you? Is it sensible?

On this project with our partner we got planning permission which secures our ability to use it as serviced accommodation 🤓💡

📸

I got a different perspective this morning after dropping the car in the garage and walking a new route into Lancaster.

Refreshing. Plus, I got to see a new side to an area we’re looking to invest in. So many people walking / cycling to and through it. The increasing popularity of the area I thought was coming, might just be here already.

(note- this photo isn’t that area, it just looked beautiful).


FAT Properties

I think there are some great buying opportunities coming in 2024 for HMOs, for 2 reasons:

1 - Baby boomers, born just after the war (👉swipe to see the birth spike in 1947 just after the soldiers returned) are approaching 80 now 👴🏼 👵🏼.

Broadly speaking, baby boomers did well - they amassed wealth and bought property in growing economies. Many became landlords, many times over 🏠

They may have retired from work already, but a lot still have property assets, which brings me to point 2:

2 - Owning HMOs is not what it used to be (i.e., the Wild West 🤠). There is more regulation, more liability, and way more costs. It’s been professionalised (which is a good thing).

The Renters Reform Bill (RRB) is going to be the final straw for a lot of them.

Personally I just see the RRB as inevitable change that happens, and that will be adapted to, as changes always are.

But for old school landlords, it’s more hassle than it’s worth.

If I was 80, had a HMO portfolio that had rocketed in value over the decades, I’d be selling up and cashing in now for sure. Holidays would be booked already! 🏝️🚤⛷️🤿

We’re seeing a lot of landlords selling up to enjoy their retirement.

Good on them. They’ve done well.

Now it’s the next generations turn. We’re certainly on the hunt to pick up good opportunities as they come up.

Who read this in The Sunday Times this weekend? 🤦‍♂️😩

If you didn’t, the story is that Russel Group universities are accepting international students with much lower grades than UK students, because (no surprise here), they pay a lot more. 🎓💵🤝

The root cause is that tuition fees for domestic students are capped, so universities suffer increasing real terms cuts each thanks to inflation ✂️. Solution = more international students who’s fees aren’t capped 💰

But the result is that the education provided has to get dumbed down to cater to the less able students. It’s just so short incredibly sighted!!

Yes there are funding pressures, but when you trade on the quality of learning and of your alumni - to degrade them both will surely lead to a lower global standing?! ☹️

The prestige of the Russel Group will mean less and less if they can’t spit out high quality graduates because the top of funnel is increasingly filled with less intellectually able applicants..?

The funding crisis will pale in comparison to the ‘no one wants to come here anymore’ crisis..?

With a stable new government incoming at some point in 2024, maybe (🤞🤞) we’ll get some long term thinking, and tuition fees / university funding can be looked at properly.

👆🏼This is exactly why we do what we do! 🙏

🏠 We believe in creating homes that nurture wellbeing, especially when we spend about 90% of our time indoors.

Our approach to student accommodation is more than just providing a place to stay; it’s about creating a ‘Home Away From Home’ that supports mental, physical, and emotional health. 🌿✨

📚 We’ve put all our expertise and insights into our bestselling book “Designed for Wellbeing”. It’s a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to create a space that fosters wellbeing and success.

👉 Discover the secrets to a healthier, happier student living space. Get your copy now - link in bio!

A throw back to one of the illustrations we used in our book “Designed for Wellbeing” which was published in 2020.

How can we design student accommodation so students can thrive? Read all about it in our book “Designed for Wellbeing” link in bio.

This photo was taken nearly 6 years ago. I remember it so clearly like it was yesterday 🥰

Fast forward 6 years and our eldest will be at University 😱🤦🏼‍♀️ (if that’s the path she chooses).

THIS is my no. 1 motivation for writing my NEW book.

50% of young people go into higher education - 1 in 3 are diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Suicides are also on the rise.

As a parent of 3 these statistics are especially harrowing.

Tom and I have spent the last 11 years as landlords / property developers with our mission to create well designed student accommodation so students can thrive. We wrote our first book ‘Designed for Wellbeing’ based on our backgrounds in Architecture.

Since then I have continued my journey into researching student wellbeing, observing the thousands of students we have seen living in our homes. The ‘secret sauce’ to student wellbeing and success is the topic of my new book. I will be sharing all my findings on my personal account .charrier so please follow if you are interested in finding out more.

I am passionate about sharing this information with parents, educators, students (anyone who has an interest in young people and their development) everything that I have learnt / learning through our amazing students / researchers and academics at the top of their field.

Together we can create a more positive environment where our young can thrive 💕

Follow me on .charrier and to be involved.

As you know if you’ve been following us for a while I have always been deeply fascinated in student wellbeing. Our first book was called ‘Designed for Wellbeing’ which was a design guide exploring the relationship of student accommodation on mental and physical health.

I am now writing a new book which will contain the ‘secret sauce’ to student wellbeing and success based on 11 years of observing thousands of students, extensive research and insights from diverse backgrounds.

Hopefully not long to go now!

Let’s have a 2023 wrap up that’s honest - the ups and the downs!

PROJECTS
🔥 Domain (our boutique hotel working title) is finally on site after many a delay. Opening summer 2024, it’s going to be 👌👌. Shout out to

😐Project: Pub was beset by delays 😴. This deserves its own post which I’ll do soon, but a potential radical change of course is coming for this one in Jan 👀

💩We had a stinker of a valuation on a commercial to SA conversion we did. It’ll come good when we refinance with a different valuer), but short term it leaves more cash in the deal than we wanted.

ACQUISITIONS
🔥 We completed on a mixed use portfolio in joint venture with . City centre retail + operational HMOs. Great properties, and we’re looking for more.

MISSION
🙌 We’ve been speaking at conferences 🎤 and working with great minds on a global taskforce looking at how to design all student accommodation to improve wellbeing.

📖 .charrier started writing a new book!! More details to come.

TEAM
🔥 Bonnie our ops manager has just got married 💍 (in Barbados!!🕶️). Jodie is on maternity with a new baby 👶🏻, and we welcomed Sarah into the team.

BUSINESS
📈 We grew revenue in the management business and increased profitability of property assets.

🔥Serviced accommodation rates, occupancy and revenue were at or above forecast 👌.

🙄 A few unexpected and large maintenance issues in our serviced apartments chewed up a lot of profit.

HOME
🏡 On a personal front we finished our house renovation so are no longer living in a building site. Relief!

On reflection - lots of things went well. Some didn’t. That’s life.

The one thing I will take from 2023 as a genuine success is the ability to keep a bigger perspective than whatever storm we happen to be in in the moment. I don’t always manage it, but I’m getting better.

Big picture - we have our health, our family, our friends, a roof over our head and food on the table. We’re lucky enough to have a job that we find great purpose in.

🙏

🌟 What’s your purpose? 🌟

Lately, I’ve been in a reflective mood 🤦🏼‍♀️. It’s been quite a journey with , growing stronger and expanding our team. When we started it was my passion project. Tom was juggling his full-time job, and I was balancing raising our kids with the bustling life of buying, renovating, and managing properties for students. For 9 years, I was not just a landlord; I was a part of the students’ lives, available day and night. It was more than a job; it was my duty to ensure their wellbeing. 🥰

I loved it - the interaction, understanding what motivates them and being a part of their university journey.

As grew, we grew our team. This allowed Tom and my focus to be more on the broader aspects of our business - project management, lettings, growing the serviced accommodation, and larger-scale redevelopments. We’re still deeply involved, but my direct interaction with the students has stopped.

Here’s the thing - I realise just how much I miss that connection with the students. Sure, I don’t miss the late-night calls about lost keys or broken washing machines, but there was a lot of purpose and passion that came from those direct interactions. It’s this realisation that has sparked my latest endeavour. 🥳
..I am writing another book!! 😱 It follows on from but this time it’s written for students.

It’s a call to rethink and reshape our approach to support student wellbeing with the ultimate goal of reducing instances of poor mental health among university students.

Stay tuned for updates. I can’t wait to share this new chapter with you all! (No pun intended…it’s .charrier that will get bombarded with the new chapters 😆) 💫

Last year The Sunday Times did a cover feature on us in the Home supplement. What I hadn’t realised was the following week Wonkhe did an article referencing it and quoting our book Designed for Wellbeing - we’ve only just come across it now (🙈 sorry Jim!).

In it, despite some kind words to what we do, he argues the point that the student HMO market is broken as demand is pushed up by universities with little regard for the ability of local housing markets to provide the additional supply.

As such, landlords who have poor quality housing have little incentive to upgrade their stock because they just don’t need to.

Hmm, a depressing thought.

1 year on where are we? I would say the supply / demand issue has got worse.

On the flip side, increased regulation, licensing, more local standards being introduced are making it harder for the poor providers.

Higher mortgage and maintenance costs thanks to inflation are also pushing out the older landlords who don’t have the stomach or the cash to upgrade their stock.

Good news if better operators can buy and improve them, bad news if those HMOs leave the market and cannot return thanks to planning restrictions (A4) limiting the creation of new HMOs.

There needs to be MUCH more collaboration between universities, local authorities, private providers / landlords and local communities so that a sustainable supply of student accommodation can come to market.

Also, there needs to be more money for council enforcement of the Decent Homes Standard (otherwise it’s just a waste of time), and there should be a minimum design standard introduced for student homes to ensure all student homes are designed to enhance wellbeing.

It isn’t hard.
It’s it’s a positive ROI for the investor.
It’s a massively positive ROI for society.

To the student investors out there what do you think?
.essa78

🌿 What makes a place HAPPY? 😁

has revealed the top 20 happiest places to live in Great Britain, and shines as the top spot in the North West! 🎉 Curious about the criteria for happiness?

The Happy at Home Index by offers insights: residents in rural areas, especially near national parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, report higher happiness levels than city dwellers.

Nature and green spaces are also more valued than urban conveniences like public transport, shops, and restaurants. 🌳🚶‍♀️

Check our stories for the full list of happiness measures! 📈

Do you resonate with these findings? Is nature your happy place as well? Share your thoughts below!

Portfolio acquisition and turnaround 🚀

We acquired this portfolio in the summer, comprising 10,000 sq.ft across 8 properties in 4 buildings, with 25 student HMO rooms and 4 shops. They’re in city centre Grade II listed buildings. It’s JV with our partner

The past couple of months or so has been spent turning them around to increase profitability, unlock additional value (when reval time comes), reposition them in the marketplace and get them re-let. We’ve concentrated on:

• Infrastructure improvements - electrical, lighting and safety improvements
• Improved interiors, including many simple changes focusing on improving workspaces and social spaces. So our students can enjoy higher productivity, more fun, and better friendships.
• Improved external areas - entrances, doors, courtyards have been improved with simple, often low cost changes to make a more inviting, cleaner, safer environment. Much nicer to come to home to!
• Better marketing across more domains, including improved photography to attract better tenants faster *and* keep them longer, reducing future lettings costs.

Results:
- Nicer homes for students 🏡
- Faster letting (they’re let until August 2025, and one was the fastest in the portfolio to let) ⏩
- Increased profitability 👍
- Increased asset value 🏢

Now we’re looking for more.

There are buying opportunities at the moment as older landlords consider selling up.

Why?
• They’re baby boomers and they want to retire
• They don’t like the recent regulatory changes - it’s hard work to manage HMOs.
• Standards are rising for HMOs - for those that are sub-par, if a landlord doesn’t have a decent sum of money to improve them, its easier to sell.
• Interest rate rises make refinancing less attractive so they’re cashing in.
• Have I missed anything…?