A Lisburn man who has started a new property business has given us details about the local homes he has resold.
Marty McCauley, who founded Kaizen Print, Brand & Digital in 2011 and recently sold the business in 2020, is now working on knocking down walls and bringing the old house back to life.
The founder of Lofty Property Investments Ltd has entered the world of house flipping for profit alongside a growing rental property portfolio.
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Marty told Belfast Live: “We plan to complete 40% of the project ourselves and for the remaining 60% we will bring in the specific skills we need.”
“[The] The hardest thing for me is the pace at which things move. For example, construction can be slow, real estate transfers can be slow. I like things to move fast. In my opinion, good business people move at a fast pace.
Marty McCauley (Image: Submitted)
“The best part is the financial reward and joy that comes from reviving an old, lifeless home.”
The Lisburn resident is currently working on his eighth project and says the time it takes to flip a home from start to completion can range from two to 14 months.
One of Marty's projects was a kitchen remodel (Image: PHANTOM)
The 38-year-old said: “For example, a rental property project that didn't require much more than a kitchen, bathroom and general tidying took us two months to turn around quickly, but a bungalow where we converted a garage into a fourth bedroom and bathroom required all sorts of work including re-wiring and re-plumbing and took 14 months to finally make a profit after the buyer pulled out for their own financial reasons.”
Another transformation (Image: PHANTOM)
The businessman added how he will feel once the project is complete: “It's exciting and I can't wait to put it on the market and see what kind of interest it generates. You don't know the profit until the money is in the bank so at this stage you're always keen to move forward.”
He is currently working on a flip project with Finaghy.
Transformation of the hallway (Image: PHANTOM)
Marty added:[It’s] The three bedroom end terrace house would be the perfect home for a first time buyer. After this we also own an older four bedroom Victorian house which we are currently in the process of transferring and we are really looking forward to purchasing this house.”
The Lisburn resident said his wife has a “keen eye for all the interior design aspects and makes sure the house is staged and ready to move into.”
Before and after of a bathroom from Marty's project (Image: provided)
Explaining what his new business will entail, Murty said: “Lofty Properties has three objectives…
“1) Invest with your own funds.”
“2) Work closely with investors in Lofty’s real estate projects to generate investment returns.
“3) Educate people who are interested in doing a side hustle in real estate investing.”
Before and after of the living room (Image: PHANTOM)
He added: “The fact is, real estate values have risen over the past 100 years. There are many real estate strategies out there, but most people struggle to take the first step and are cautious about making the wrong move. I plan to help people make the right move through my social channels and through education.”
“Not only because of the financial benefits you can get from the property, but also because it's a very rewarding process.”
Another bathroom makeover (Image: PHANTOM)
You can follow Marty's journey on Instagram @lofty_properties, where he says he'll continue to share before and after photos, as well as tips for getting started on your own journey.
All photos in the collage were taken by PHANTOM Photography.
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