A portfolio exit built one property at a time

Debra and Richard had built a residential investment portfolio of around thirty properties, mainly across the North West. After relocating to Cornwall, they wanted to slow down and gradually exit. Many of the homes were tenanted, some by people who had lived there for years, so this was never simply a financial exercise. Each property came with its own circumstances and its own people to consider.

Selling the portfolio as one block would have been quicker, but likely at a discount. I recommended assessing and selling each property individually. Some tenants wanted to buy and were directed to the right professionals. Where tenants wanted to stay, suitable homes were sold to other landlords with the tenancy continuing. Where vacant possession was needed, notice was handled properly and, in some cases, I helped tenants find their next home.

What could easily have become adversarial between landlords, tenants and buyers instead became a cooperative programme where people understood what was happening and why. I have managed the disposal over more than two years, giving each property its own route rather than treating it as one of thirty. At our September 2026 update, only a small number remained. The slower, individual approach meant more work, but it allowed the portfolio to be released in a way that protected my clients’ objectives while respecting the people living in the homes.

Around thirty properties, thirty different circumstances, and one disposal programme built around both the assets and the people living in them.