Franchise Focus Home Time
When forced to rethink their plans for the future, the Waterfields found that Platinum Property Partners presented the ideal solution
INVESTMENT LEVEL: £52,970 R
ebecca and Simon Waterfield hadn’t considered a career in property before 2010. The former chef and his primary school teacher wife were settled in their
careers, and quite content with being passionate about DIY, redeveloping their home and concentrating on their young family. But following a serious accident in 2009 that left Simon unable to return to the job he loved, the couple had to rethink their entire lives – and how they would secure an income going forward. Simon, 36, and Rebecca, 34, from
Uttoxeter, Staffs, always had a keen interest in property. Despite both having demanding jobs – with Rebecca teaching full time and Simon working long, unsociable shifts – they’d enjoyed past experience of buying homes that needed redevelopment owing to a shared passion for DIY. As Rebecca explains: “Simon is so practical; when he wanted to change the bathroom in his old house, he decided to go on a plumbing course to learn how to do it properly. If Simon does something, he always does it with 100 per cent focus.” Rebecca was still on maternity leave
after the birth of their second child when a serious car accident curtailed Simon’s career as a chef. Whilst Simon’s recovery was excellent, it was a worrying period, which caused the couple to totally re- evaluate their lives. Deciding that they wanted to change direction and set up their own business for a better work/life balance, Simon spent a lot of time during his recovery period researching all the options available. He saw an advert for Platinum Property Partners and Rebecca encouraged him to attend a discovery day to find out more. Rebecca recalls: “If nothing else, I
thought it would get him out of the house. By that stage, I was climbing the walls with him being at home for such a long time, so goodness knows how Simon must have felt!” Before the discovery day, Simon thoroughly researched the Platinum
The Waterfield family
research continued to point towards Platinum Property Partners being the option that best suited their needs. In July 2010, Rebecca and Simon joined the franchise. With the aim of building a family business
they could eventually pass on to their children, the Waterfields structured a ‘five- year plan’ for their new business. Guided by the PPP team, and supported by other franchise partners within the network, the couple set to work on researching the local area to make their first purchase. By the end of 2010, they had already
bought, renovated and fully let a six- bedroom property near Newcastle-Under- Lyme, and were planning the next additions to their portfolio. In the next year, another three properties successfully followed, all around the Newcastle-Under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent area. Nor have Rebecca and Simon yet
finished. Their five-year plan is now coming to fruition with the expansion of their business to include Simon’s brother, who will now undertake all the maintenance and management of the properties, and Simon’s sister-in-law, who will assist Rebecca with administration, accounts and marketing. As Rebecca says: “We are on track in
terms of where we had planned to be at this stage. Our income levels are where we anticipated they would be, and we will soon be considering our next purchases. All this has only been possible due to the support of the PPP team.” But that’s not all. The Waterfields have
“It was so important to choose a franchise that offered a work/life balance and the right values for our family”
franchise opportunity, and carried out full due diligence on the company. Rebecca also spent a substantial amount of time on the phone to the PPP team, who were able to answer all her questions and provide much-needed advice and support. As Rebecca explains: “We’d had such a traumatic time after Simon’s accident, and we knew that the financial decisions we were making would affect the rest of our lives. It was crucial that we made the right choices.” She continues: “We looked at various
franchise options in all sectors, not just property, but we kept coming back to the exceptional returns that PPP enables its franchise partners to achieve.” All their
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achieved their lifestyle goals too; more time to spend with their young children, frequent family holidays abroad and long weekends away, and the ability to get involved with school and parent groups and other activities. Plus Rebecca and Simon both have more ‘me time’ for themselves, and to pursue other interests. Most importantly, the couple are enjoying
the freedom that running the franchise gives them, whilst seeing the financial rewards of a healthy income; being able to send their children to private school, and earning the capital to realise their ultimate goal of buying a plot of land in order to design and build their dream home. Although, as Rebecca laughs: “When we get to that stage, Simon won’t be attending a bricklaying course nor doing any plumbing, that’s for sure!” n
PPP
WEBSITE:
www.platinumpropertypartners.co.uk EMAIL:
info@platinumpropertypartners.co.uk PHONE: 01202 652 100 CLASSIFICATION: Property investment
Investment: £50k-£100k
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