In 2014, I stumbled across what would become my very first Property Unicorn—a large, mixed-use building in Ellesmere Port. At the time, I wasn’t consciously looking for a unicorn deal. In fact, I didn’t even have the concept yet. I was just looking for my second HMO conversion after completing my first nearby.

But sometimes, your best deals find you when you least expect it.

Whitby Road Ellesmere Port.

This one’s a perfect example of what I call a sparkle, a baby unicorn. It’s not a massive portfolio-maker on its own, but it’s low-risk, high-yield, and scalable. These kinds of deals are how you build momentum in your portfolio, especially when you’re starting with limited cash.

This little mixed-use property on 8 Whitby Road, Ellesmere Port, sits right across the street from the block I talked about in Case Study 1, Ainsley Court. In fact, I used the equity I pulled out of that first deal to buy this one.

The Phoenix Club.

This one’s a beast. Phoenix Club in Ellesmere Port was my first major commercial conversion,10,000 square feet, an old working men’s club, and a lot of lessons learned the hard way.

It was exciting, complex, and at times I’ll admit, a little bit of ego crept in. I was in a phase where I wanted to build skylines. Big buildings, big outcomes. This case study is where I realised that sexy doesn’t always mean smart.

But hey, this deal still works like a machine. Here’s how.

This is one of my favourite deals, and one of the most complex. It’s a layered one with a few moving parts, but if you can follow it, you’ll see how powerful lease arbitrage, company purchases, and balance sheet hacking can be.

We’re in Chester, on Watergate Street, 100 metres from the racecourse. The property? A commercial unit on the ground floor (currently Diva Hairdressers), with five flats above. Urban goldmine.

When I first came across The Kings in Chester, I knew it marked a turning point in my investing strategy. Up until that point, most of my investments were focused in lower-value, high-yield areas like Ellesmere Port—solid cash-flowing locations where yields were strong due to lower purchase prices. But as my portfolio grew and cash flow became less of an immediate concern, my focus started to shift.

This case study isn’t just about the numbers—though they’re impressive. It’s about how and why I changed my approach, and how understanding market cycles, capital growth potential, and portfolio flexibility can transform your long-term returns.

This next project takes us back to Chester—just outside the city walls this time. It’s a classic Georgian townhouse, and at first glance, looks strikingly similar to our Watergate Street deal. But this one’s a mixed-use property: a retail unit on the ground floor and four flats above. A true urban goldmine, hiding in plain sight.

What made this deal so interesting wasn’t just the numbers—but the legal quirks, tenancy misunderstandings, and a touch of tax optimization that made it possible to extract significant value. If you’re a property investor looking to buy mixed-use properties, this is a must-read.

Let’s talk about one of my favourite strategies in property investing—buying mispriced assets, improving their income, and extracting value through yield compression. That’s exactly the play we’ve executed with Alexandra Villas, a beautiful block of seven flats in central Chester.

This is a deal that combines smart sourcing, portfolio structuring, tax efficiency, and future-focused planning—the kind of project that separates the speculators from the strategic investors.