
Property as a Product: The Design Decisions That Increase Profit and Reduce Pain w/ Julian Maurice
Key Topics Covered:
1. Design as Custodianship, Not Decoration
- Julian explains that design is about how a property works, not just how it looks in photos.
- He links design to long term wealth planning: like pensions, it’s too important to leave entirely in someone else’s hands.
- The goal is performance over years: easy lettings, happy tenants, fewer repairs, and a product that holds value.
2. The Big Mindset Shift: Property Is a Business and a Product
- Julian challenges the word “investment” and suggests landlords are really buying a business.
- Each property is a living, breathing product that gets used, abused, and needs managing.
- If you don’t treat it like a business, it can quietly become a liability over five to ten years.
3. How Properties Become Liabilities Over Time
- Poor design and poor maintenance create a snowball effect: worse condition attracts worse tenants, which accelerates deterioration.
- Julian shares examples of developments becoming hard to sell or even “unmortgageable” due to maintenance and management issues.
- Legacy matters: many children don’t want property, so dumping a problematic asset onto them creates stress, not wealth.
4. Why You Can’t Abdicate Design to Architects and Builders
- Plans can pass planning and building regs but still be awful to live in.
- Common issues include impractical layouts, no storage, poor kitchen design, and bathrooms that don’t function properly.
- Julian introduces the “good, fast, cheap” triangle: you can pick two, but not all three, and landlords pay the price later if they chase cheap and fast.
5. Practical Design Thinking for HMOs and High Use Properties
- In HMOs, the room is the tenant’s home, so it must support multiple functions, not just sleep.
- Flow matters: kitchens, waste, smells, and shared spaces can make or break tenant experience and long term value.
- Lighting and electrics are often done to a builder’s default spec, but that can create uncomfortable living and higher churn.
6. Serviced Accommodation Is an Experience Business
- Short stay guests want something boutique and memorable, not copy and paste.
- Julian recommends living in your serviced accommodation for a week to spot friction points: heating controls, WiFi, TV, keys, lighting, and usability.
- Service quality affects reviews, and reviews affect profitability. He references research suggesting superhost status can significantly lift margins.
7. The Commercial Upside: Small Design Changes, Big Profit and Value Gains
- Julian shares an example where improving presentation helped increase rent by £150 per month, which translated into a major profit uplift.
- He highlights how many landlords don’t know their true profit margin, and confuse turnover with profit.
- Improving existing assets often delivers faster ROI than buying new ones, especially if older stock is dragging performance down.
8. How Julian Helps Investors: Training and Hands On Support
- Julian trains investors to become “design aware” and “design led” without needing to be designers.
- He offers remote consults (including Zoom based reviews), layout planning, electrical plans, materials specs, and project support via WhatsApp.
- His core message: be involved, be informed, and take control of the decisions that shape income and maintenance.
Actionable Takeaways
- Treat each property like a business product, not a passive investment.
- Design for performance: durability, usability, flow, and maintenance, not just photos.
- Don’t assume architects and builders will design a home that works, review layouts with real living in mind.
- Audit your existing portfolio before buying more, older assets may be dragging your returns down.
- Know your numbers: profit margin, not just rent, and understand how small rent uplifts can multiply profit.
- For serviced accommodation, test the experience yourself and tighten service, reviews drive revenue.
- Adopt the custodian mindset: build assets your children would actually want to inherit.
Resources & Next Steps
- Icon Living UK: The creation of living spaces that people love and enjoy
- Julian Maurice: [email protected]
- Download our FREE Pensions and Inheritance Tax Guide
- WealthBuilders Membership: Free access to guides, webinars, and community
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- Join the WealthBuilders Facebook Community
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- Become a member of WealthBuilders
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