From Engineer to Hotel Empire | David Liddell | PCN Pod #30

From Engineer to Hotel Empire | David Liddell | PCN Pod #30

From hydraulic engineer to hotel empire builder, and the moment he nearly quit it all over a coffee in Partick: David Liddell of Bide Hotels breaks down how he went from sourcing deals he hated, making himself homeless twice, and nearly chucking property in 2023 — to securing three boutique hotels across Scotland with a target of 200 rooms by 2030. If you're early in your property journey, trying to find your lane, or curious how someone raises £1.5 million in investment for Scottish boutique hotels with no track record and no money to start, this episode is the one. We go through David's path from designing hydraulic systems for offshore pipeline vessels in Aberdeen, to a first flip in Coatbridge that took 20 months to pay out, to moving into his own hotel on Boxing Day with a two-month-old baby, and eventually running three boutique hotels remotely from a laptop in Marbella. You'll also learn how David spent £10k on a brand name and logo and why he'd do it again, why a 50-page deal pack landed investors that ads never could, how commercial hotel valuations actually work, and why doing ten things you hate is sometimes the only way to find the one thing you love. In this episode you'll learn: Why David nearly quit property in 2023 and what changed in the first week of 2024 How commercial hotel valuations work and why bricks and mortar pricing is irrelevant The £385k purchase in Thurso that ended up £100k short on lending at the 11th hour Why a 50-page investor deal pack closed deals that ads and fancy pitches never could How David raised £1.5 million across three hotels using shareholders instead of fixed returns The real numbers — purchase prices, build costs, end values and net profit targets across all three hotels Why making yourself homeless twice was the move that kept the business alive How sourcing, assisted sales and SA management led him to boutique hotels without ever planning it Subscribe for weekly conversations on Scottish property, hotel investing, deal structuring and the journeys that don't go in a straight line. What would you do — build a portfolio or go all in on one thing? Drop it in the comments. 🌐 Join Property Coaching Network: https://propertycoachingnetwork.com 📚 Property Coaching Intensive (PCI): https://propertycoaching.com/ 📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_smart_property/ 📲 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@davidsmartproperty 📲 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/david-smart- 📲 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.smart.7393/ 📩 Business: team@propertycoachingnetwork.com 🏨 David Liddell / Bide Hotels: https://www.instagram.com/bidehotels/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction — David Liddell and Bide Hotels 01:37 Where the Name Bide Came From and the £10k Brand 03:24 From Hydraulic Engineer to Property Investor 05:26 The First Deal — A Coatbridge Flip That Took 20 Months 10:25 Making Themselves Homeless to Fund SA Cashflow 13:17 Nearly Quitting in 2023 and the Coffee in Partick 15:13 Going All In on Hotels — January 2024 19:30 How Commercial Hotel Valuations Actually Work 22:00 The Thurso Deal — £385k Purchase, £100k Lending Shortfall 29:00 Running the Hotels Temporarily Before Refurb 31:00 How David Raised £1.5 Million From Investors 38:00 The Three Hotels — Numbers, Locations and End Values 45:00 Living in the Hotel With a Newborn and Working From Marbella 50:00 The 200 Rooms by 2030 Goal 55:00 Advice for Anyone Starting Out in Property 01:02:00 Final Thoughts and Where to Find David #ScottishProperty #HotelInvesting #PropertyPodcast #PropertyInvestingUK #BoutiqueHotel #PropertyCoachingNetwork #BideHotels #UKProperty #SAProperty #ServicedAccommodation #PropertyJourney #InvestorMindset #CommercialProperty #NC500Scotland #ScotlandHotels #PropertyInvestor #RealEstateScotland #PropertyStrategy #200Rooms2030 #PropertyNetworking

Kitchen Wrapping, TikTok Leads & Trade Business Scaling | Alex the Kitchen Wrapper| PCN Pod #29

Kitchen wrapping for landlords, building a trades business off TikTok, and the viral characters that turned a kitchen company into a household name in Scotland: Alex from Kitchen Wrapper breaks down how playing The 40-Year-Old Labourer and The Man-Child flooded his diary, doubled his showroom traffic, and built a brand that property investors actively seek out. If you're a landlord trying to cut refurb costs, a trade business owner looking at social media to drive leads, or just curious how an absurd TikTok character turns into hundreds of thousands of pounds of real work, this episode is the playbook. We go through Alex's move from sign fitter to running a CNC machine, wrap room and showroom, the early Facebook leads that paid for the kit, the COVID pivot that nearly ended the business, and the night he watched a guy in a forest with a baldy head and decided to point a camera at himself. You'll also learn how kitchen wrapping really compares to a full refit on cost (the truth behind the "save 80%" claim), why Alex automated 13,000 inquiries instead of hiring more admin, how the labourer accidentally became the best lead funnel he's ever built, and why a small, relevant audience beats a million-follower brain-rot account every time. ⸻ In this episode you'll learn: Why kitchen wrapping cuts refurb costs by 50%, not the 80% the industry claims How a viral TikTok character turned into walk-in showroom traffic and serious landlord clients The automation funnel handling 13,000+ inquiries with one admin person and a spreadsheet Why authenticity outperforms polished content for real business conversion How to know when your audience is the right audience (and when it's just views) The standards problem in a trade with no formal training, and how to scale anyway Why splitting the funny account from the business account saved the brand How posting your real personality builds enough trust that clients pay you to fix mistakes instead of attacking you for them ⸻ Subscribe for weekly conversations on UK property, refurb strategy, trade businesses and the social media that actually generates revenue. What would you do, run the funny account, the business account, or both? 🌐 Join Property Coaching Network: https://propertycoachingnetwork.com 📚 Property Coaching Intensive (PCI): https://propertycoaching.com/ 📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_smart_property/ 📲 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@davidsmartproperty 📲 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/david-smart- 📲 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.smart.7393/ 🔧 Alex / Kitchen Wrapper: https://kitchenwrapper.com 📩 Business: team@propertycoachingnetwork.com

Building an 8 Figure Portfolio Using Investor Finance | Barry John Corr PCN Podcast Ep #28

Property investing UK, deal sourcing, investor finance and cash flow: Barry John Corr breaks down how he built a portfolio that actually performs, not just looks good on paper. If you’re trying to grow a property portfolio, attract investor finance, or understand how deals really come together in the UK market, this episode gives a clear and practical look at what actually works and what doesn’t. We go through Barry’s move from football into property, the early pressure to replace his income, and why focusing on cash flow and portfolio quality matters far more than simply owning more properties. He explains how deals start to come to you once you’re known as a serious buyer, and why relationships with agents, landlords and investors are key to long-term growth. You’ll also learn how to build credibility, raise investor confidence, reduce risk through better deals, and structure a property business that can scale over time. ⸻ In this episode you’ll learn: •⁠ ⁠Why cash flow and portfolio value matter more than property count •⁠ ⁠How to get started in property without overcomplicating it •⁠ ⁠The mindset shift needed to handle risk and criticism •⁠ ⁠How to become known as a serious buyer and attract deals •⁠ ⁠Why networking drives deal sourcing and opportunities •⁠ ⁠How to build investor trust and raise private finance •⁠ ⁠The role of refinancing when scaling a portfolio •⁠ ⁠How to structure deals for long-term growth ⸻ Subscribe for weekly videos on UK property investing, deal sourcing, investor finance and building cash flow businesses What matters more to you right now, cash flow or portfolio size? 🌐 Join Property Coaching Network: https://propertycoachingnetwork.com 📚 Property Coaching Intensive (PCI): https://propertycoaching.com/ 📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_smart_property/ 📲 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@davidsmartproperty 📲 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/david-smart- 📲 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.smart.7393/ 📩 Business: team@propertycoachingnetwork.com ⸻ Chapters 00:00 Portfolio Value vs Number of Properties 00:30 From Football to Property Investing 02:00 Early Struggles and Replacing Income 05:00 Building a Cash Flow Portfolio 08:00 Mindset, Risk and Criticism 12:00 Early Funding and Support 18:00 Understanding Risk in Property 25:00 Becoming Known as a Buyer 31:00 How Deals Start Coming to You 36:00 Networking with Agents and Landlords 42:00 Raising Investor Confidence 48:00 Deal Structuring and Refinancing 55:00 Scaling Sustainably ⸻ #PropertyInvestingUK #DealSourcing #InvestorFinance #CashFlowProperty #PropertyPortfolio #UKProperty #PropertyBusiness #BuyToLetUK #PropertyEducation #Entrepreneurship

SA UK: Build Cash Flow | Molly Garioch | PCN Podcast #27

Rent to rent UK, serviced accommodation (SA), and property investing: in this episode, Molly Garioch breaks down how she built a profitable rent-to-rent business, scaled to 60+ units, and generates cash flow without buying property. If you’re looking to start rent to rent in the UK, understand serviced accommodation, or build passive income through property, this episode gives a real, practical breakdown of what actually works — and what doesn’t. We cover how Molly went from rejecting the corporate path to building a rent-to-SA portfolio, why most beginners lose money on bad deals, and how to properly analyse properties without overcomplicating it. This is a must-watch if you’re trying to get started with low capital or scale an existing property business. You’ll also learn how to source deals, work with letting agents and landlords, avoid poor “packaged” deals, and why booking strategy, reviews, and pricing are critical for profitability in serviced accommodation. ⸻ In this episode you’ll learn: • How to start rent to rent UK with low capital • What makes a serviced accommodation deal profitable • The biggest mistakes beginners make (and how to avoid them) • Why most deal sourcers get it wrong • How to analyse deals without “analysis paralysis” • Molly’s strategy for scaling to 60+ units • How to source deals through agents and direct landlords • Why booking strategy and reviews impact your income • How to build passive income through rent to SA ⸻ 👉 Subscribe for weekly videos on property investing, rent to rent UK, serviced accommodation, and building cash flow businesses 🌐 Join Property Coaching Network: https://propertycoachingnetwork.com 📚 Property Coaching Intensive (PCI): https://propertycoaching.com/ 📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_smart_property/ 📲 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@davidsmartproperty 📲 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/david-smart- 📲 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.smart.7393/ 📩 Business: team@propertycoachingnetwork.com ⸻ Chapters 00:00 Rent to Rent UK Explained 01:00 Molly’s Background & Corporate Exit 04:30 Why Rent to Rent (Low Money Strategy) 08:00 Early Mistakes & Bad Deals 12:30 What Makes a Profitable SA Deal 18:00 Booking Strategy, Reviews & Pricing 24:00 Sourcing Deals & Working with Agents 30:00 Why Most Packaged Deals Fail 36:00 Scaling to 60+ Units 42:00 Building a Mentorship Business 48:00 Systems, Outsourcing & Passive Income 54:00 Social Media & Growing a Property Brand 58:00 Beginner Mistakes & Final Advice ⸻ #RentToRentUK #ServicedAccommodation #PropertyInvestingUK #PropertyBusiness #PassiveIncomeUK #CashFlowProperty #PropertyEducation #UKProperty #Entrepreneurship #PropertyPodcast

How to Build a Property Portfolio With Private Investor Finance | Emma Thomson | PCN Podcast Ep #26

UK property investing, investor finance and cash flow: Emma Thomson explains how she went from tech sales into property, raised private investor money, and scaled her portfolio fast. In this episode, I sit down with Emma Thomson to talk through how she moved from tech sales into property, why her first buy-to-let sat for years, and what changed when she decided to go all in. We get into saving for a first deal, paying for education, learning on the go, and then using private investor finance to grow far faster than she could with her own cash alone. We also cover the reality behind aggressive growth: investor trust, monthly repayments, cash flow mistakes, refinancing issues, and why sales ability matters so much when you’re raising money. It’s a useful listen for anyone trying to grow a portfolio, replace a salary, or understand how investor-backed property deals actually work. In this episode you’ll learn: • How Emma went from one property to aiming for salary replacement through property  • Why she chose investor finance as her route to scale faster • The mistake she made agreeing to pay investors monthly • How she found and pitched early investors from her network  • Why sales skills transfer directly into raising private finance  👉 Subscribe for practical weekly videos on property & business. 🌐 Join Property Coaching Network: https://propertycoachingnetwork.com 📚 Property Coaching Intensive (PCI): https://propertycoaching.com/ 📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_smart_property/ 📲 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@davidsmartproperty 📲 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/david-smart- 📲 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.smart.7393/ 📩 Business: team@propertycoachingnetwork.com Chapters 00:00 From One Property to Rapid Portfolio Growth 00:29 Getting Started in Property Investing 01:56 First Buy-to-Let and What Went Wrong 04:47 Joining Property Education and Changing Direction 05:45 Why Maternity Leave Became the Turning Point 08:33 Building Property Income to Replace Salary 09:38 Refinance Issues and Early Finance Lessons 11:45 How She Found Her First Property Investors 14:43 The Investor Payment Mistake That Hurt Cash Flow 18:57 Raising Larger Sums of Investor Finance 21:49 Using Sales Skills to Raise Private Finance 26:28 Networking and Building Investor Trust 36:55 Managing Family Life While Scaling a Portfolio 50:10 Slowing Down Acquisitions and Deleveraging #UKProperty #PropertyInvesting #InvestorFinance #PrivateFinance #BuyToLet #PropertyPortfolio #WomenInProperty #ScotlandProperty #CashFlow #PropertyEducation