As the year 2022 drew to a close, I thought I would prepare a small review of where Give it Away finds itself today.
I never thought when I first started this “project” over fifteen years ago that it would still be alive, still well and still doing what it set out to do today! Running this Company gives my life some positive purpose and as well as helping many causes dear to my heart who need more support than ever in all manner of life’s problems it gives me companionship and friendship with the Charities to whom I am close.
However, I had to have a good look recently at the construction industry as it has evolved over the past two years, seeing how the impact on it from Brexit, Covid and the general rise in cost of living has seriously affected building materials and labour costs.
It was time to call a halt. So no longer am I scarily up a scaffold building houses, excitedly watching a demolition, out “shopping” for glamorous interiors at B & Q or pondering over ditches and drainage! As it became increasingly difficult to find the right next new build taking into account financial factors, re-sale mortgage issues and the general economy I returned to the plan of some previous years and “bought to rent”.
Both the apartment in Putney and Hampton Court have been home to the tenants for a year now and that rental income is allowing me to still make donations to the Charities of my choice. Maybe the famous Pink Envelope these days does not quite reveal amounts of the magnitude that a new build can sometimes yield but nevertheless it can still help to “make a difference.”
So, Give it Away will continue on this path for now until I see an opportunity to get back into the new build projects.
Follow this link to read about some of the recent donations, many of which were wrapped around Christmas and since they were mostly “unexpected” there were several happy emotional moments!
I will do my best to continue for 2023.
My thanks as always to the pro bono professionals who support me in my endeavours and to all the suppliers and property agents who offer me discounts and special deals including:
Ashworths LLP – all legal property aspects
Citroen Wells – Accountants to the Company
FMS Design – Laurence Goodman – Structural engineer
Phil Evans – at Rubber Duck Digital – Website development and design