Inside Property Development

Paul Higgs
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Inside Property Development

Inside Property Development is a no-nonsense show that rolls up its sleeves and digs into how the world of land, planning and property development really works in practice, providing rare access industry insiders and valuable insights into real-world development deals, as well as keeping you up to date with the latest industry news.  Colourful and at times controversial, the show focuses on how to do development the right way and aims to inspire and empower developers of all levels, as well as other professionals in the both the private and public sectors, to work together to build more and better homes that we can all be proud of. Connect with us on our socials for more educational content to help you achieve success in development. Millbank Land Academy Website: www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk Millbank Group Website: www.millbankgroup.co.uk Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs Connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/paul.higgs.50 Join our community on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MillbankLandAcademy See all episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@millbanklandacademy1266 

  1. 1D AGO

    Beyond the Drawing Board From Architect to Developer with Michael Langley

    In this episode, Paul talks to Michael Langley, an architect turned developer, who started his career in London designing high-end buildings, extensions and basements. During COVID he decided to transition into development. He has already delivered projects and has several others in the pipeline. KEY TAKEAWAYS It is not the job of the architect to know everything about development. Their training does not cover all aspects of the processes used to construct a building. Architects that have the right experience will use what they know to inform theirdesign process e.g. If they have repeatedly seen a building feature rejected at theplanning stage they will not include it. Developers need to give their architect a proper brief, something that rarely happens. Complex designs, e.g. Roofs with funny angles look good but cost more.The timber frame method enables you to get watertight faster and have more trades on site earlier The unintended consequences of legislation changes is making it increasinglydifficult to find viable deals, but they are still out there. Focus on off market deals, connect with landowners and build a pipeline of deals. Be patient, this takes time. BEST MOMENTS“You´ve got to factor so much more into your design process than just hitting the brief.”“Its just as important to instruct your consultants correctly and provide your architects with a proper brief.”“We managed to de-risk it slightly.” “They really don’t understand the impact of a lot of the s**t we have to deal with - the Section 106 agreement is a classic example.”“We've got to make deals viable. If we can't create a certain land value the housing will not get created.” EPISODE RESOURCEShttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-langley-mlahttps://www.instagram.com/mlangleyproperty ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group.In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

    50 min

  2. APR 15

    Build Efficiently To Shave Tens Of Thousands Off Your Build Cost With Richard Stone

    In this episode, Paul is joined by Richard Stone, a chartered construction manager and cost consultant. He also trains people in project management and turns them into experienced developers which enables them to grow their wealth far quicker than they would if they worked a salaried job with a traditional pension. KEY TAKEAWAYS Working in construction is an excellent gateway into development and building wealth quickly. Use the most cost-effective fast way to get the roof on.  Every week you can shave off of construction time is worth 4k in profit.Being uber organised and having everything you need on site, right down to the right size cable ties massively improves efficiency and build quality. Pay decent rates to tradespeople who work efficiently, to a high standard and are self-managing. If you are doing a commercial property, strip it out before determining the final conversion cost. Risk is a good thing, that is where the profit is. But only if you identify it and already have a viable plan in place to mitigate it. For many projects, JCT contracts are helpful, e.g. to raise finance and secure clients.   BEST MOMENTS“You can't turn up at Twickenham on a f**king polo pony … you are there to play rugby….every development is different”“If you don't have risk, you can't have opportunity.”“I wouldn't suggest that anybody that's new to development start by trying to deliver their own development, it will fail.”“You need to be an octopus to spin the amount of plates you’ve got to spin.” EPISODE RESOURCEShttps://richardmstone.comhttps://www.hbf.co.uk/news/hbf-report-state-play-challenges-and-opportunities-facing-sme-home-builders ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

    1h 6m

  3. APR 1

    The Property Development Insider System – Stages 1 & 2

    In this episode, Paul talks about the main challenges property developers face and shares how he overcame each of them. He covers finding plots of land where the level of competition is minimal, how to quickly assess sites without spending a lot of money, securing the deal on good terms and maximising the profit. Paul also explains why you need to have your exit in mind and how to make a direct approach that maximizes your chances of a positive response from landowners. KEY TAKEAWAYS Finding viable sites where the level of competition is minimal is key. You cannot afford to spend a lot of time and money assessing sites that eventually turn out not to be viable. Using options is usually the best way to secure your deal on the best terms. The existing use value is what you need to beat in order to incentivise the landowner to sell. Making the value pie as big as possible is vital. The bigger it is, the more likely the landowner is to sell. There are some great online resources that you can use to find sites. With the right approach and experience you will find deals that others have missed. BEST MOMENTS“Properly assessing a site and taking it through planning can be really slow and expensive until you figure out what to do.”“The bigger overall value pie you create, the better.”“So, this is me breaking down every step into a logical system and progression. So, it's easy for people to understand and remember.”“When you’ve found opportunities, you then need to make an approach to the landowner in a very specific way.” EPISODE RESOURCESOptions episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/%C2%A31-option-agreements/id1750859336?i=1000679140634 ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

    43 min

  4. MAR 26

    Neutralising Nimbyism: Using Give My View To Win Community Support With Henry Bliss

    For this episode, Paul is joined by Henry Bliss of Give My View, the app that makes it far easier for developers to engage with communities, find and motivate potential project supporters and effectively deal with any local objections. It creates surveys that are fast and easy to complete. Ensuring all voices are heard, rather than just the NIMBY view. KEY TAKEAWAYS Traditional consultation methods only hear from a vocal minority, usually older people with time, which drowns out the perspectives of the broader community. Give My View makes it really easy for anyone to have a say and can be used at any stage of project development. Providing feedback only takes a few minutes and is available across all devices.The Give My View team can help developers to ask the right questions in a formatthat encourages honest and useful answers. If you ask people – Do you want this here? Most will automatically say no. It´s human nature to say no to change. So, don´t ask that type of question.Using social media ads to ask people to take part enables you to target people in a very specific area. Be concise, often people will be filling out the survey in the few minutes they getbetween tasks. BEST MOMENTS“You are able to speak to the silent majority, so people who aren't against change, peoplewho aren't NIMBYs (get a voice too).”“We can engage with 1000s of people if the project scope allows.”“With a small marketing budget, we can bring 1000s of new eyeballs to your survey ads.”“People have a greater connection to things they help build.”“Once people use us, they come back because they see the benefit.” EPISODE RESOURCEShttps://www.givemyview.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-bliss-969b933b ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planningconsents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group.In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

    51 min

  5. MAR 19

    Doubling The Square Footage Per Acre with David Birbeck

    In this episode, Paul sits down with David Birbeck, one of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to planning and development. He is the CEO of Design for Homes, a Housing Design Awards director, an Honorary Fellow of RIBA, HCA design board member, NHBC councillor and Housing Forum board member.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Despite the desperate need for housing in the UK, at some point, somebody will start a sort of anti-development lobby. Most authorities struggle to get their local plans adopted, so most will not manage to release a third more land. Cambridge was the first to redraw its green belt and broke the record for the most new homes built. If you get the design of low-level buildings right, you don´t need to build mostly flats to achieve 25 homes per acre.  Switching from traditional housing types and building a broader range of housing has been key to making a generous profit. Cambridge planners focus on community, character, connectivity and climate benefit, not the architecture. Redrawing developments with planning to improve density is already happening. BEST MOMENTS“We set up a series of ideas to improve housing and the government has adopted some of them.”“Cambridge has become, by accident …. a laboratory for new housing ideas.”“When you look at Great Knighton it's all coming in at a minimum of about 25 homes to the acre.”“110 years later, we’re still working to a rule that’s about Edwardian sensibilities.” ABOUT THE GUESThttps://www.linkedin.com/in/david-birkbeck-399b771a ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

    51 min

  6. MAR 12

    Designing Buildings That Are Viable With Oli Lowrie

    In this episode, Paul talks to Oli Lowrie, the director and co-founder of Ackroyd Lowrie Architects. He and his co-founder John Ackroyd believe that architecture is too siloed. They are entrepreneurs as well as architects, they do not simply stay in their lane. Instead, they anticipate the issues projects typically face and create designs that enable developers to more easily get around these problems. KEY TAKEAWAYS Make sure you always work with the best consultants. The shifting legislative framework is leading to plans needing to be reworked and  resubmitted. Most legislators do not see the bigger picture, so don´t fully understand the impact changes have. There are now financial benefits to taking a sustainable approach. The government still needs to do a lot to make the market viable for developers. Oli shares examples of how to turn office spaces into housing. The new BSA is going to lead to architects’ fees going up. Oli explains why. BEST MOMENTS“We are entrepreneurs who just happen to be able to design buildings.”“Architecture is a little bit too siloed, and architects tend to stay in their lane and just think about designing buildings.”“Harlow is a really interesting place…Dan Sword is very committed to transforming Harlow.”“Most people are just looking at it through their little lens. They don't understand the bigger picture.”“Sustainability can be used to produce a better ROI.”“Lots of people get tempted to go for the cheaper stuff, but it's dangerous.” ABOUT THE GUESThttps://www.ackroydlowrie.com ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

    59 min

  7. MAR 5

    Building A Robust Property Business with Saam Lowni

    In this episode, Paul talks to Saam Lowni a highly successful property entrepreneur who now specialises in providing innovative property finance solutions for investors and developers. Saam has been passionate about property from a very young age, so much so that he worked on building sites, with developers and in real estate offices, sometimes for free, to learn as much as he could.He and Paul discuss his journey, including weathering the 2008 financial crisis and switching from development to becoming a finance broker. They also discuss high yielding income producing assets, making a profit in a tight market and financing options. KEY TAKEAWAYS The property market is cyclical, it regularly goes from boom to bust. Sometimes the cycle is long, other times short. Build a robust business to weather the storms. Having high yielding income producing assets in your portfolio enables you to keep up with payments regardless of financial crisis. Property is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to evolve, spot the trends early and change promptly.Currently, developers cannot rely on house prices rising enough to cover issues and costs that they have not planned for. BEST MOMENTS“S**t like this can, does and will happen, it always has. Boom, bust happens.”“If you don't have a high yielding, income producing asset, you are going to get caught out.”“To be a developer, you need to know your local area and who the landowners are.”“Finance is becoming much more of a problem.”“A proper margin, in my opinion, is at least 20% of GDV.” EPISODE RESOURCESsam@merryoaks.comhttps://www.facebook.com/saamlownihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/saamlownihttps://www.instagram.com/saamlowni ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group.In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

    1h 5m

  8. FEB 26

    The Future Of Planning In 2025 With David Jones

    In this episode, Paul talks to David Jones, the managing director of Evans Jones Planning and Property Consultancy. He has been working in planning for 30+ years. He and Paul look at how the planning system has evolved and is likely to look in the future. Including the impact recent changes are already having e.g. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). As well as how the Housing Delivery Test  (HDT) is likely to play out, particularly in the Green Belt. Paul also explains how his new software Viability enables developers to spot at a very early stage whether a site is viable or not. KEY TAKEAWAYS Whether a council is for or against development is still going to determine how easy it is to build. Those councils that have delivered less than 75% of the required housing over the last three years will be under the presumption to permit development umbrella. The HDT blows a hole in the idea that you can never build on Green Belt land, but the Golden Rules criteria, e.g. affordable housing, presents challenges. BEST MOMENTS“We're starting to see the first flurry of encouraging appeal decisions post the new NPPF.”“It is no longer inappropriate to develop in the Green Belt where there is no five-year supply, and that is an absolute game-changer.”“Any significant development scheme will always have dissenters. But it's how we deal with those and what we can do to publicise the benefits.” EPISODE RESOURCEShttps://www.evansjones.co.ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/david-jones-rtpi-rics-65b1053https://www.designreviewpanel.co.ukViability Software - https://viability.siteBNG episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-practical-approach-to-bng-and/id1750859336?i=1000689091292 ABOUT THE HOST Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University. CONTACT METHODLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgsMillbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.ukInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficialYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment

    1h 15m
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    About

    Inside Property Development is a no-nonsense show that rolls up its sleeves and digs into how the world of land, planning and property development really works in practice, providing rare access industry insiders and valuable insights into real-world development deals, as well as keeping you up to date with the latest industry news.  Colourful and at times controversial, the show focuses on how to do development the right way and aims to inspire and empower developers of all levels, as well as other professionals in the both the private and public sectors, to work together to build more and better homes that we can all be proud of. Connect with us on our socials for more educational content to help you achieve success in development. Millbank Land Academy Website: www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk Millbank Group Website: www.millbankgroup.co.uk Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs Connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/paul.higgs.50 Join our community on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MillbankLandAcademy See all episodes on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@millbanklandacademy1266 

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