The questions careful investors ask — answered before the call

The workable minimum depends on the type of property and area, so we discuss it on the call rather than publish a number that misleads in half the cases.

No — and you should be wary of anyone who does. Property values and rental income can fall as well as rise. What we commit to is a written appraisal with honest assumptions, and a professionally managed refurbishment.

We don't publish return targets on this website. Figures without the assumptions behind them mislead more than they inform, and there are rules about how investment returns may be communicated publicly. Target returns, the assumptions they rest on and the risks to them are set out in the proposal pack, which we issue after an initial call.

Three years is the practical minimum, and five to ten years is preferred. Property rewards patience: refurbishment, letting and market cycles all need time to work. If you may need the capital back sooner, this is unlikely to be the right home for it.

In a written legal Partnership Agreement, prepared before any capital moves, covering ownership structure, profit sharing, reporting and exit. We expect you to have it reviewed by your own solicitor — and we will not ask you to proceed without independent advice.

Ownership, title and how funds are handled are set out in the engagement documents and reviewed by your own solicitor before you commit. We will never ask you to proceed without independent legal representation.

Overruns are a real risk in property — anyone who says otherwise hasn't done much of it. Our appraisals include contingency, our programmes are written by the team doing the work, and if something material changes you hear about it when we do, with options rather than excuses.

No. We are a building and project management business, not a financial adviser. We encourage you to take independent financial and legal advice before any property investment.

The investment service is new; the building work behind it is 15 years old. Completed investment case studies will be published with real figures and owners' consent as they finish. In the meantime, our refurbishment projects and reviews are the evidence base — and we'd encourage you to check them.

Then the call cost you thirty minutes and us a coffee. There is no fee, no obligation and no follow-up pressure — a 'no' answered honestly still builds the reputation we trade on.