Darren:
On this week’s episode of The Engaging Marketeer, I’m speaking to Suzanne Elsey. She’s a BNI member, a property investor, and a developer. But unlike many property professionals, Suzanne doesn’t stick to one strategy. She works across commercial conversions, new builds, buy-to-lets, serviced accommodation—she covers everything.
I’m talking to her about how she got started, what her first development looked like, how she finds reliable trades, how the numbers stack up, and how much money you can actually make if you know what you’re doing.
So Suzanne, could you tell me how you got into property and what it is you do?
Suzanne:
Absolutely. I started as an interior designer and moved into project managing for my residential clients—usually busy professionals who wanted everything taken care of, from planning and design through to snagging and furnishing.
I started working for others, then set up on my own in 2009. I also worked with investors, developers, and landlords. That exposure led me to property development. I saw how they were funding their projects and thought, “I want to do that.”
My main contractor, Craig, was doing the renovations for my clients. After Brexit hit the design industry, which is a luxury market, work dried up. Craig and I decided to pivot. We thought, if we can find investors, we could do our own projects.
We did just that. We found two investors, and our first project kicked off in 2019.
Darren:
You mentioned learning how your clients funded their projects. How did you find your investors?
Suzanne:
Some clients had family money, others mentioned loans. I pieced things together. We did coaching and mentoring, then started talking to family. They knew us and trusted us. That worked—we didn’t need to approach strangers at first.
They’re still investing with us now and have put more money into future projects.
Darren:
Was it hard to convince family to invest when you had no track record?
Suzanne:
Not really. It wasn’t a massive transition. We were already running projects for clients. The work was the same—we just became our own clients, using investor funds instead of theirs.
Darren:
What was your first project?
Suzanne:
It was land with planning permission. We built three one-bedroom flats. We kept them and refinanced after completion.
Darren:
So you paid back the investors and kept the asset?
Suzanne:
Exactly.
Darren:
When was this?
Suzanne:
2019. We set up the company, secured the investors, went to auction, and got the land.
Darren:
And you bought the land through auction?
Suzanne:
Yes, with planning permission. It had been overlooked—there were logistics issues and it had been pulled from auction due to paperwork.
When we visited the site, we actually bumped into the owner. He also owned the building next door. We had a coffee, agreed a price, updated the auction house, and went ahead.
Darren:
How much did the land cost?
Suzanne:
£75,000. It was in Kent.
Darren:
And the development cost?
Suzanne:
£250,527 including legals and consultants.
The valuer said the GDV would be £360,000. We actually achieved £425,000.
Darren:
That’s brilliant. Was it stress-free?
Suzanne:
No property project is stress-free. Even small ones aren’t. You need to plan for things taking longer and costing more.
We dealt with COVID, party wall issues, and consultants making mistakes. There are always challenges.
Darren:
And you must watch Homes Under the Hammer shouting at the screen…
Suzanne:
All the time! People saying they’ll do a full refurb in six weeks for £12k—come on. That barely covers a kitchen and bathroom. And often their mates or dad did the work for free.
Darren:
How do you find reliable trades?
Suzanne:
I’d worked with Craig for a long time. Before that, I was running the team through my interior design business—managing tenders, checking previous work, starting people on smaller jobs.
People often start well, but after a few years, they can get complacent.
Eventually I joined BNI. That changed everything. You see members weekly, and if someone does poor work, they face you in person. That creates accountability.
BNI is where I met Craig. I needed a carpenter to put right someone else’s work. I posted on our regional group and was referred to Craig. Despite having moved away, he was still working in my area. He prioritised my work, communicated well, and his team were excellent inside clients’ homes.
Darren:
And not all trades are good in homes…
Suzanne:
Exactly. Craig’s team were respectful—no blaring radios, they used shoe covers, kept the space tidy. That matters to clients. That’s why he became my main contractor.
Darren:
Earlier you mentioned you watched videos and did training. Who did you learn from?
Suzanne:
Craig and I both followed Simon Zutshi from the Property Investors Network (PIN). We eventually did his 12-month programme to focus on strategy and legal knowledge.
Now we’re on Property Entrepreneur, which is more about business and life design. We’re big believers in constant learning and mentoring.
Darren:
Some people think courses are scams. What’s your take?
Suzanne:
You pay for knowledge one way or another. Whether it’s a few hundred or tens of thousands, over a 20-year career in property, it pays back.
I’d say if you’ve got £25k, consider investing some in education. You’ll save money by avoiding mistakes.
Darren:
And you’ve created your own training too?
Suzanne:
Yes, we’ve launched an accredited course. Many tradespeople we speak to have done courses and not implemented anything. The key is mentoring and accountability.
Darren:
So how important is accountability?
Suzanne:
It’s everything. I know I work better when I’m held accountable. That’s why I buddy up, get coached, and mentor others.
People don’t often reflect on how far they’ve come. But when I look at how people grow through mentoring—especially through BNI or our training—it’s huge.
Darren:
You mentioned you won an award?
Suzanne:
Yes, at the BNI conference—for accountability. I called myself the biggest nag in the UK!
Darren:
That needs to be an official award title.
So what was your second project?
Suzanne:
Two deals fell through—one because I cheekily went in low, the other was taken by someone else.
Our next actual project was another auction purchase. It had planning permission. Investors funded it directly, so we didn’t need bridging.
Darren:
But it’s been tricky?
Suzanne:
Yes. Five council departments involved. We’ve submitted new plans to avoid demolition, which should remove the issues.
Darren:
And you’ve done quite a range since?
Suzanne:
We’ve done pub conversions, added bedrooms to cottages, new builds, office-to-residential.
Our favourite is commercial to residential. It’s faster, has fewer delays, and infrastructure is usually there. The uplift between commercial and residential values can be huge.
Darren:
Do you typically refinance and keep?
Suzanne:
Mostly, yes. But we always plan multiple exits.
For example, we built two four-bed houses on the back of someone’s garden. We intended to sell, but market conditions changed.
So instead, we leased them to a service provider on a long-term contract, which is more profitable and less hassle than letting to families.
Darren:
And they use them for social housing?
Suzanne:
Kind of—it’s private companies, not official social housing. They may house people who need a bit more support or work with councils.
We also tried serviced accommodation in one of our flats by the sea. It worked well, but a noisy neighbouring build meant it wasn’t viable long-term.
Darren:
Any property strategy you avoid?
Suzanne:
HMOs. I’m not saying never, but the management headache isn’t worth it for me.
I don’t want to be dealing with tenants fighting over milk or unblocking drains. Plus, the Renters’ Reform Bill could make HMOs even more complex.
Darren:
And the government’s general attitude?
Suzanne:
It’s tough. Good landlords won’t be too affected, but bad tenants can still abuse the system.
We prefer leases to corporate entities or service providers—less risk than ASTs.
If you’re doing buy-to-let, you need great insurance and a top-tier letting agent. Periodic checks must happen. We’ve learned the hard way.
Darren:
What’s next for you?
Suzanne:
More service accommodation, but this time fully managed. And continuing to develop properties in ways that add value—especially through rethinking layout.
I love designing spaces that improve people’s lives. For me, it’s not just about profits—it’s about impact.
Darren:
And if someone wants to reach out?
Suzanne:
I’ll give you a link for booking a call, and you can also connect through social or my websites: furnishinginteriors.com 0r tradetodeveloper.co.uk.
Darren:
Brilliant. I’ll put those links in the description. Suzanne, thank you—you’ve been incredible.
Suzanne:
Thank you so much for having me.
More about Suzanne:
Suzanne Elsey is an award-winning interior designer and property development specialist based in Kent. With over 30 years of experience, she has evolved from managing high-end residential renovations to teaching others how to transition from trades to development via her consulting business.
She’s a regular speaker at PIN (Property Investors Network) events, a valued BNI Spitfires member, and winner of a BNI accountability award (self-styled as the “biggest nag in the UK”).
Her expertise spans property strategies including commercial-to-residential conversions, new builds, buy-to-lets, serviced accommodation, and layout optimisation. Suzanne also runs the accredited Trade‑to‑Developer masterclass, empowering tradespeople to become property investors.
She’s particularly known for her thoughtful design insights—such as converting a one-bedroom into a two-bedroom flat by moving a door and wall—and for advocating accountability and continuous learning in property development.
You can connect with Suzanne here:
Websites: https://furnishinginteriors.com/ , https://tradetodeveloper.co.uk/ and https://link-id.co.uk/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzanne.elsey/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/furnishinginteriorsltd/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-elsey/
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/
Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com
Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk
