I’m spending Christmas and New Year in Cyprus this year. I spent most of my summer holidays as a teenager growing up there and so know the island well. Property prices have taken a hit badly there due to the recession and people who want to sell are really struggling. It’s a buyer’s market, so with such a lovely climate and anglophile society it is a great place to invest in a holiday home.

As is the case for many people, I’m feeling reflective. I have found the blog to be hugely rewarding this year, not only in terms of business connections but also in terms of sharing knowledge and helping others reach their greatest potential. There is nothing more rewarding for me than helping people achieve their dreams. I recently spent some time with some incredible business students at MidKent College, talking to them about my entrepreneurialism and drive to succeed. Personally, one thing I find hugely rewarding is inspiring and motivating young people. We talked about many subjects but two key points were that:

• Never in the history of humanity has there been more opportunity than right now. Anyone can start a business for free using a Facebook page, or promote themselves or a product online using a plethora of social media platforms.
• The only limit to your success is mindset. A positive mindset will directly correlate with your success, while a negative mindset will roadblock your way to success.

With that in mind, I’ve been having contemplating what Medway Property News has achieved this year, and reviewing the posts that have been most well received. To end the year recounting some of the most successful posts of 2017 seems poignant, particularly as several of the outcomes will actually come to fruition in 2018.

1. Four big ways Chatham is changing under regeneration plans

Way back in July I gave you the low-down on some of the plans set to regenerate Chatham. With a £4m budget, the potential to rejuvenate the area and revitalise the busy town, looked great. This all looks to be upcoming in the next couple of years and I will give you regular updates on how this is going.

2. 5 things to look out for when investing your money in a Medway property

I would still encourage anyone looking to invest in Medway to read and consume this article. It includes some of the most critical advice I can give when investing in the area, and could be fundamental to the success of your investment.

3. Medway investment alerts

I send property alerts out to my readers whenever I notice potential investment opportunities. Two alerts that piqued interest (and rightly so), were highlighting fantastic properties that would be great for those looking to expand their portfolio. The first was a huge 16-bed guest house in Gillingham, which was an ideal property for conversion to HMO. The second – a five bed HMO conversion also in Gillingham – offered a staggering potential yield of 12.3%. Expect plenty more alerts from Medway Property News in 2018. Don’t forget, you can subscribe to our mailing list to receive them first.

4. Investors should be on the lookout for properties in Nelson Road

This article specifically identified Nelson Road in Gillingham as a potential sleeping giant for investors, and there are plenty more just like it. The property that we took over and manage on Nelson Road has been performing remarkably well, with all the tenants deciding to renew after their six month tenancies are up. Look out for more updates and alerts identifying niche areas of Medway that I believe, hold the key to investment success.

5. Medway Council approve £400m Rochester regeneration project

The chatter around this article was fantastic. Medway Council’s approval of the project, which will continue the gentrification of Rochester, will only serve property speculators well when considering the area for investment. This is absolutely massive for the local area and Rochester specifically, showing the huge onward growth and investment going into Medway property.

So that’s it for 2017. For sure this was my best year ever, as I built a team of four fantastic employees, and grew my business so it is self-sustainable, and I’m look forward to continuing to serving my landlords and tenants in 2018.

For 2018 I will focus on expanding Home-Share into a national franchise as a HMO-only letting agency. I’m very excited about this and have the first potential franchisee lined up. I can’t reveal much detail at the moment but I will in the New Year, as this is an explosive business model that has never-before been seen in the UK.

Thank you all for taking the time to read Medway Property News this year. There will be plenty more news coming your way in the new year. I have new investors and landlords queuing up to book meetings with me in the new year, so 2018 is shaping up to be my best year yet and I’m keen for it to be yours too. If you want to book a meeting with me also, feel free to pop me an email at hasan@home-share.co.uk or message me via LinkedIn or Facebook.

Happy new year!