As I look out today into the very welcome Spring sunshine, the year 2023 unquestionably offers a stark contrast for property investors currently assessing ‘Risk v Opportunity’. In the last 15 or so months, despite the much commented on ‘cost of living’ crisis, our major cities have seen a rapid rise in economic activity in the
post-Covid era.

The teeming crowds in London’s West End who were enthusiastically shopping last week were just one indication for me that as yet ‘The End is - not yet - Nigh’, to the dismay of many who relish the thought of a severe property market crash. Of course a cursory glance along any high street around the UK will likely reveal empty shops, some from large retail chains who did not survive the pandemic period. As someone who divides their time between town and country living it’s also clear to me just how many rural pubs are struggling to successfully trade.

As such many investors and developers are recognising an ‘opportunity’ is there to repurpose these outdated and unwanted commercial property liabilities and turn them into high cash-flowing assets. The trick of course is to choose the correct approach when converting property and to repurpose them for new occupants without taking on excessive risks with financial leveraging.