I've spent more than 15 years working in and around property, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that property can become complicated very quickly. Not necessarily because it needs to be, but because buying a propety brings together estate agents, solicitors, surveyors, mortgage advisers, lenders, paperwork, deadlines and decisions, often all at once.
For someone who doesn't deal with property every day, that's a lot.
The Property Companion exists to make it easier to understand.
Most people only buy or sell a handful of properties in their lifetime. Yet when they do, they're suddenly expected to understand a process involving hundreds of thousands of pounds and an entire vocabulary they may never have encountered before.
What happens after my offer is accepted?
Should I be worried about this survey?
Why is the estate agent asking me this?
What's actually holding up the chain?
Is this normal?
Who am I supposed to ask?
There are excellent professionals involved in property transactions, but everyone has a particular job to do.
Sometimes what's missing is simply someone who can help the buyer see the bigger picture.
That's why I created The Property Companion.
I'm not here to sell you a house. I don't earn commission if you buy one. I don't benefit no matter what your decision. And I'm not going to tell you everything is fine just because you desperately want it to be.
My role is to give you an independent perspective, help you understand what's happening and make sure you're asking the questions worth asking.
Sometimes that might mean helping you feel confident about moving forward.
Sometimes it might mean suggesting you investigate something further.
And occasionally it might mean saying: “If this were me, I'd want to understand this properly before going any further.”
The decision will always be yours.
I'm here to help you make it with your eyes open.
I've worked across the property industry for more than 15 years, with experience spanning property sales, mortgage advice, residential property management, facilities and estates management, building compliance and property projects. That has meant dealing with properties from very different perspectives: how they're managed, maintained, improved, inspected and looked after over the long term.
It's also taught me something particularly useful when helping buyers:
A property is much more than the photographs on the listing.
I naturally find myself looking at the practical questions too.
What might this property be like to maintain?
What hasn't been mentioned?
What questions would I be asking?
Could something affect how easy it is to sell later?
Is there something here that deserves professional investigation?
And importantly, what actually matters to the person considering buying it?
That's the perspective I bring to The Property Companion.
You will never be expected to understand property jargon before speaking to me. There are no stupid questions.
If you don't understand something, we'll talk about it.
If I can explain it, I will.
If it's something your solicitor, surveyor, mortgage adviser or another specialist needs to answer, I'll tell you that too.
Because good property advice isn't about pretending to know everything.
It's about knowing what matters, what to ask and when you need the right specialist.
The Property Companion isn't only for people navigating their own move.
Sometimes it's a son or daughter looking for help because Mum or Dad hasn't moved for 30 years.
Sometimes a family member is downsizing and the whole process feels unfamiliar.
Sometimes you live miles away and simply wish you could be there more often.
With their agreement, I can be another person in their corner: helping them understand what's happening, keep track of the process and know what questions to ask. And if they'd like you involved too, we can do that.