Building up sufficient capital and investing in property development—whether as a standalone project, as a sole trader, or through founding a new small property ltd—is widely regarded as a strong and well-tested approach to business and financial investment in the UK.
As of 2025, it’s considered a more linear route to financial security for those pursuing it, as demand for housing across the UK remains high and property prices continue to rise.
Securing surplus property to generate income is therefore seen as one of the smartest choices available to investors and small businesses.
However, many business commentators argue that younger landlords and first time investors may have just missed the golden era of UK property and can no longer rely on rising house prices to build their wealth quite like they used to before.
While property values remain at record highs, economists are increasingly warning against viewing UK real estate as a guaranteed store of wealth.
Why? The buy-to-let market, once seen as a dependable entry point for budding property investors, has started to lose some of its appeal due to additional stamp duty charges, the reduced mortgage interest relief, and stricter rental regulations all of which have are now squeezing landlord profits.
With some uncertainty ahead – yet long-standing evidence that property investment remains a secure small business venture in the UK – we spoke to Marco Robinson, a veteran UK property mogul of 25 years, with deep experience with working with others in the UK property industry.
UK property investment – Marco Robinson background
Having initially worked in sales and marketing in the 1990’s (timeshare property and estate agency) Marco ventured out and became one of the leading property developers in the UK.
He has been investing in property across the country for 25 years, building a million-dollar portfolio, including venturing into the restaurant business.
His success in UK property investment hit such a zenith, that Marco Robinson become the star and central point of the hit Channel 4 TV show “Get a House for Free” where Marco gave away 3 of his properties (worth each circa £110K) to families in Lancashire.
In recent years, Robinson has developed property investment coaching modules and spoken at property and business coaching conferences all over the world, including on how to develop a personal brand in the property industry.
He speaks to Bytestart on his advice to new UK property investors.
“Over the past 25 years, I’ve been involved in hundreds of property transactions – from holiday resorts to off-plan developments, commercial buildings to residential homes. Some deals made millions. Others nearly broke me. ” Marco Robinson says.
“So when new investors enter the UK property game hoping for quick returns, I get it. It’s exciting. It’s seductive. But it’s also risky. And in today’s market – with tighter regulations, higher costs, and rising interest rates – the margin for error is razor thin. Make sure its a well thought out and a clear objectified journey for your finances.”
“If you’re a small or first-time investor in the UK, like I once was when setting out, here are the 5 most common traps I see people fall into – and how to dodge them like a pro.”
1. Avoid blind trust in surveyors and agents – getting it right from the off
“I’ll be blunt: please do not rely solely on a survey report or an estate agent’s word for an absolute property decision” says Marco Robinson.
“Even reputable firms, and the best surveying staff, can miss serious issues. And if things go wrong, they’ll disclaim liability. There are players and games in property, just like in any other market, so it’s just best to wise up on how corners can be cut. Its common wisdom that many in the industry just see it as a numbers game and they don’t obsess over detail as much as they should”
Here’s what Marco has learnt to do instead:
- Bring your own independent engineer or trusted contractor to inspect the property with you.
- Check the build quality, electrical systems, plumbing, and structural integrity yourself, line by line. The best way to do this is to establish a network of trusted industry peers who can accompany you and help conduct these inspections. Build a portfolio of reliable tradespeople who can help identify and assess any key issues with the property.
- Ensure, that you yourself directly, look into planning permissions, zoning, and compliance of the area you are looking into. Do a proper account of things yourself. Especially if it’s a bigger property, assume everything needs verifying.
2. Skipping due diligence on larger projects
Building on the above point, Marco Robinson shouts very clearly: “The bigger the building… the bigger the risk. Sounds obvious. But most people don’t scale their due diligence accordingly.”
What he’s learnt, especially since some recent UK context:
- Larger buildings tend to hide larger problems — especially when it comes to:
– Fire regulations (especially post-Grenfell)
– Cladding
– Historical drainage or foundation issues
– Missing permits or non-compliant extensions (again do your own checks on planning permissions)
Marco Robinson says: “Take your time. Get multiple inspections. Don’t skip the legal checks. Walk away if the numbers don’t stack after due diligence.”
“Follow the correct processes. If you invest in property regularly, things can start to feel like business as usual, and you might become less thorough with inspections. However, that approach can end up costing you thousands. Always be rigorously diligent and request access to all available details so you fully understand what you’re getting involved in.”
3. Relying on family or friends as investment partners
Marco Robinson says: “One of the most emotionally painful mistakes I’ve seen (and made) is trusting family or close friends to ‘handle things.’ This is common in the UK – you go into business with someone you’ve worked with for a while in the construction industry, or with family who want to pool their capital to start developing property. It happens – you all get a shared surge of inspiration, and in many cases, it works out fantastically as a business strategy.
Families have successfully created thousands of businesses together, but it is important to have clear roles, procedures, and boundaries within all registered property firms.
However, I implore you to remember that property investment must be approached with a professional mindset. Whether it’s renovations, negotiations, or paperwork — emotion clouds judgment. Yes, work with friends and peers, but remember that you need to manage the process properly.”
Robinson’s advice:
- If your setting up a small UK company focused on property, make sure you create a real business agreement with roles, outcomes, and exit clauses.
- Build a formal checklist for everything as standard for all work: from sourcing to financing to tenant screening. I recommend you do this ach and every time, as you will find it will help you sleep easier at night knowing everything has been checked.
- And make sure everyone is held accountable to that checklist – not emotions. You are in business together here.
4. Only approaching one lender
“Far too many first-time investors just ‘go to their bank’ and accept the first offer. You are in the property game now remember” says Marco Robinson
Big mistake Marco says.
There are literally thousands of:
- Specialist brokers
- Challenger banks
- Development lenders
- Buy-to-let experts
“And many of them offer terms that are far more favourable if you know how to ask” Marco says. “Remember they will entice you with better offers as they are trying to acquire you as customers”
What to do:
- Build relationships with multiple brokers and lenders before you need them.
- Get quotes from at least 3 different sources (Marco says ideally 5)
- Know your leverage, LTV, and deal profile inside out — and negotiate accordingly.
5. No exit strategy
Too many new investors go in thinking: “I’ll just rent it out…” or “I’ll flip it and make 30k.”
But Marco says what happens when:
- Interest rates spike?
- Your buyer pulls out?
- The renovation goes £15k over budget?
You must know all of this upfront Marco suggests:
- Is this a flip? A rental? A hybrid?
- What’s your Plan B? What’s your exit if the market crashes 15%?
- What happens if the lender pulls funding at the 11th hour?
“The investors who last don’t hope for the best — they plan for the worst,” says Marco Robinson. Also, don’t try to be a hero in property deals that aren’t working out due to a lack of rigorous processes or proper stakeholder engagement.
Some final thoughts from Marco Robinson
Property investment can create immense wealth. But only when it’s done intelligently.
Take your time. Remove the emotion. Ask the hard questions. Do the due diligence that others avoid. And treat every deal like it’s your first and last.
If you do that, you’ll not only avoid the traps — you’ll build real, lasting success in UK property. You’ll get used to the grooves of doing things in a sophisticated way.
Marco Robinson – Find Out More From The Real Life Man Behind Channel 4’s Get A House for Free
Award-winning entrepreneur, author of ‘The Financial Freedom Guarantee’ property book series, property investor, actor, producer (Legacy of Lies) and business strategy coach.
Marco was the man behind Get a House for Free (Channel 4), where he gave some of his properties away to families requiring accommodation support, inspired by his own true story as a homeless child, which saw him interviewed on BBC Breakfast.
You can connect with Marco Robinson through his website, where you can also learn more about his work in UK homeless charity advocacy + plus his work in charity in Malaysia (of which he received a Dato Seri accolade and was knighted Sir Marco Robinson in Malaysia).
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