In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven welcome back Caroline Claydon, who first appeared on the show in 2020. Since then, Caroline has transformed her property career, moving from HMOs and planning gain projects to building her own boutique aparthotel brand – the Archibald Hotel Collection.

Caroline shares the highs and lows of her journey – from overcoming £80,000 of debt in the 2008 crash, to creating multimillion-pound developments in Edinburgh. She opens up about the challenges of planning refusals, rogue contractors, and refinancing setbacks that “nearly broke her,” as well as the systems, AI tools, and design-led approach that now make her business stand out.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🏁 From Debt to Property Success

• Losing her first business in the 2008 crash and facing £80,000 personal debt

• Investing £22,000 in mentorship despite fear – and making it back in her first deals

• Starting with social housing buy-to-lets before scaling into HMOs in Birmingham and Liverpool

🏨 Building the Archibald Hotel Collection

• Why she skipped serviced accommodation and went straight to aparthotels

• First deal: converting a B&B outside Liverpool into an 11-bed aparthotel, opening just as COVID hit

• Launching a boutique, staffless hotel brand named after her late dog, Archibald

🏗️ Edinburgh Projects – Triumphs & Challenges

• Stafford Street: buying a derelict office, battling vigilante opposition, tram contribution confusion, and a £1.5m refurb that resulted in a valuation just under £4m

• John’s Place: a painful townhouse project plagued by refused planning, a rogue contractor stealing materials, and lenders pulling funding – leaving her with £27k/month bills and severe burnout

🤖 Operations, Systems & AI

• Running staffless hotels with smart locks and digital guest access

• Using AI receptionists and chatbots to handle enquiries and bookings

• Dividing roles with her husband Nick – she leads acquisitions and development, he runs systems and operations

🛋️ Designing for Premium Value

• Why boutique, vintage interiors are core to her business model

• Working with designers to create unique looks that command higher rates

• Investing heavily in interiors (£170k on Stafford Street, £250k on John’s Place) to elevate guest experience

If you’ve ever thought about scaling into commercial conversions or boutique hospitality, this is an unmissable conversation.

In this episode, Nick and Steven sit down with Stephen O’Neill, founder of Newton Property Management, which now manages around 40,000 properties across Scotland. Stephen shares his fascinating journey from growing up in his family’s estate agency business, to launching and selling his own lettings company, and then scaling Newton into one of Scotland’s leading factoring businesses.

Known for his straight-talking approach, Stephen unpacks the challenges of reputation in the factoring industry, the realities of acquisitions, and the importance of culture in building a generational business. From surviving mistakes in early ventures to instilling a people-first ethos at Newton, this episode is packed with lessons in growth, resilience, and leadership.

🎙️ Episode Highlights:

🏁 Early Lessons in Business

• Growing up around his father’s Glasgow estate agency

• Watching the family firm lose control after rapid expansion

• Key lessons on ownership, shareholding, and capitalisation

💼 From O’Neils to Newton

• Founding O’Neils Lettings in 1995 and hustling for growth

• Selling the business in 2000 for ~£750k

• Why factoring, with its long-term recurring revenue, became his focus

📊 Scaling Newton Property Management

• How Newton grew to 40,000 properties and ~85 staff across 4 offices

• The “30/30/30” profit model that funded growth and acquisitions

• Buying competitors at rising multiples – and why Newton is “not for sale”

🏠 Factoring, Reputation & Regulation

• Why factoring has a bad public image and how Newton tackles it

• Robust credit control and chasing arrears through debt collection/legal routes

• Calls for stricter regulation and annual audits of client accounts

• Challenges with under-resourced tribunals

🌍 Culture, Leadership & Vision

• Returning from Bali to rebuild service quality after rapid growth

• Creating a people-first company culture: loans, therapy, office lunches, stocked fridges

• His ambition for Newton to be “the best employer in the country”

📈 Market Views & Next Steps

• Why Stephen is bullish on Aberdeen and sees “Park Circus prices” potential

• Reflections on being a manager, not a landlord

• Balancing growth ambitions with the goal of running a generational business

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In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Declan, founder of Vitality Property, who at just 24 years old has gone from plumbing apprentice to running a thriving refurbishment business and completing multiple property deals – including highly profitable assisted sales.

Declan shares his remarkable journey from leaving school at 16, experimenting with side hustles like Amazon FBA and crypto, to building a trusted refurbishment company that now generates off-market deal flow. From his first buy-to-let and early flips to teaming up with other investors and raising £275K in just two days, this is a masterclass in hustle, networking, and creative property strategies.

🎙️ Episode Highlights

🏗️ From Apprentice to Property Entrepreneur

• Growing up in Croydon before moving to Scotland

• Leaving school at 16 to become a plumbing & heating engineer

• How his trade background became the foundation for his property journey

💡 Early Side Hustles & First Property Steps

• Amazon FBA, crypto, and reselling – lessons learned from failed and modest successes

• Investing in mentorship and paying £6k for property training at age 20

• Buying his first flat, learning about yields, cashflow, and tax pitfalls

🔨 Flips, Refurbs, and Learning the Hard Way

• Turning a heating job lead into a profitable flip in just a few months

• The Paisley project: overspending, travel challenges, and why he’d never do it again

• Building credibility and leads through his refurbishment business

🏠 Mastering the Assisted Sale Strategy

• How assisted sales work and why they benefit sellers and investors

• Legal safeguards: charges on title, option-to-buy clauses, and ensuring all owners agree

• Case studies of successful assisted sales – including inherited properties

🤝 Collaboration & Raising Finance

• Partnering with Kyle White and the Scope Property team to scale projects

• Raising £275K in two days through networking and past clients

• Leveraging other people’s skills and networks for bigger deals

📈 Scaling Up & Diversifying

• Building a pipeline including flips, buy-to-lets, serviced accommodation, and commercial conversions

• Why collaboration beats competition in the Scottish property market

• Using social proof and track record to win trust with sellers and investors

If you’ve ever wondered how to turn trade skills into a property portfolio – or want to understand the assisted sale model from someone doing it right now – this episode is packed with actionable insights.