As a few of our refurbishment projects are now complete and going onto the market, we are actively looking for the next opportunities.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have viewed a few interesting properties. One of the more useful conversations actually came from looking at an office space to rent.

We started speaking with the vendor and found out that he was looking to retire and spend more time with his children. He was not desperate to sell, but he was open to a conversation if the structure worked for him.

That is often where a deal can start.

The price he wanted was probably a little bit above where the market is at the moment. Instead of just saying no, we looked at whether the structure could make it work.

The idea we have put forward is that the bank would fund 75% of the purchase price. The vendor would then lend us the remaining 25% on a longer term loan.

That means he would receive a lump sum on completion, while also keeping an income stream from the property over the next few years. From our side, it would reduce the amount of capital we need to put into the purchase.

The income from the property would then help service both the bank lending and the loan from the vendor.

There are still details to work through. The numbers need to make sense, the lender needs to be comfortable, and the solicitor needs to be commercially minded. The vendor also needs to fully understand the risks and rewards of the structure.

But that is the point.

Not every property deal has to be a simple purchase where all the money is paid on day one. Sometimes a vendor wants a clean exit. Sometimes they want income. Sometimes they want to retire, simplify their life, and still get a price they are happy with.

A lot of landlords and commercial property owners already know their asset works because they have owned it for years. If there is enough income coming in, there may be a way to structure the purchase so it works for both sides.

For us, the aim is always to reduce risk, reduce capital exposure and find a solution that is fair.

The opportunity usually comes from having a proper conversation first.

If you are a landlord or commercial property owner looking to exit, but you would still like income from the asset over time, I would be happy to have a conversation.

And if you are interested in investing in structured property deals like this, please get in touch and I can talk you through what we are currently looking at.