9:17 AM, 10th March 2025, About a month ago 1
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With a property business inspired by her last name, Olivia Hornby is certainly on track for success.
Winning New Property Investor of the Year at the Property Investors Awards was an unexpected surprise, but it has given her a huge confidence boost and opened doors to exciting new opportunities in the industry with her OOO property business.
Olivia shares with Property118 how her property journey began. Before becoming an investor, she worked as an architectural designer, but her passion for property emerged after leaving London.
She tells Property118: “I started when I moved out of London, and I was one of the many during Covid that decided to move out to the countryside.
“I sold up the flipped property that I had done in London and that meant I was able to take on another project.
“I bought a house with great potential, and it also allowed me to explore investing in property. I think when anyone first gets into property, there’s this hunger to learn everything, and I certainly had that.
“I devoured books, podcasts, and all the resources I could find. Before long, I took on my first project, which turned out to be a great success.”
Olivia realised she had caught the property bug and wanted to build her passion for property into a business.
“I wanted to build my passion for something meaningful,” she explains
“It was a decision driven by a lifestyle I wanted to create. I wanted to be a full-time mum to my children alongside bringing in an income, so I decided to build a property business.”
Olivia explains to Property118 the decision behind the name of her property business.
She says: “The business started because I took on a property project that required me to set up my own company. With my background in design, I didn’t want the name to just be ‘Olivia Hornby Property.’ I wanted it to become a brand with a strong visual impact, but I also wanted to incorporate my name somewhere in there.”
Olivia decided to get creative with the name and drew inspiration from her family’s history.
She explains: “OOO Property is my name, so the ‘O’ is for Olivia, and the double ‘OO’ comes from Hornby trains. My family has always used the double ‘OO,’ and growing up, everyone would say my last name as ‘Oh,’ ‘like the trains’. It was even the entry password for my dad’s factory to get in!
“I love the name of it, and I hope to be able to grow it into a successful property business in the future.”
Olivia explains that while she’s still finding her feet in the property industry, she has already tackled a unique first project.
She says: “It was a short-lease flat that had been modified for wheelchair accessibility by the previous owner. The garden had been fully concreted, with ramps and unattractive bars installed to accommodate mobility needs.”
Olivia explains most property investors were put off the project, but she didn’t let it faze her.
She adds: “Most buyers were put off because they didn’t know how to approach the renovation, but I wasn’t fazed by it. I even spoke to another investor who had considered taking it on but was unsure how to deal with all the concrete.
“I decided to deck over the concrete, level everything out, and create a beautiful garden with a sun catcher and decking. It completely transformed the space, making it much more appealing. That project was a real success, as it involved both a refurbishment and a lease extension.”
In complete contrast to her first property project, Olivia took on a challenge that won her New Property Investor of the Year, tackling a completely different aspect of property investing.
She explains: “This was a huge project for me and very different from my first one, as it was more of an administrative development. It forced me to step away from my design background and focus on the legal and financial side of property.
“I carried out a title split on a block of flats which were in a listed building, which meant legally separating them into individual units with their own leases. This allowed me to refinance and keep each flat separately, increasing their overall value. Structuring the business in a way that made financial sense was really complex and something I’d never done before.”
Olivia explains that she didn’t have to do much refurbishment work on the flats and didn’t make any major alterations, but she still faced challenges.
She explains: “The previous owners had done some of the developments but hadn’t completed the full process. The work they did in the basement didn’t have full sign-off, so I had to go through that process myself.
“That took a lot of time because you have to make sure every box is ticked, especially when you haven’t done the original development. You’re still figuring out the full requirements and speaking to the right people.
“When the work was done over 20 years ago, the contractors aren’t around anymore, so you’re left not knowing whether they installed the right windows or met all the necessary standards.”
Olivia adds another big challenge was making sure residents understood and respected who took responsibility.
She says: “It was important for leaseholders to understand what they’re responsible for in a listed building.
“There were a few situations where people didn’t quite get their responsibilities. They might think it’s just about the building, but it also includes the whole grounds. For example, they can’t just put up a shed and expect me to approve it.
“It would need permission, and I can’t make changes to the grounds without going through the proper channels.”
Olivia adds: “Being in a listed building did have its challenges but I’m looking for those kind of projects and I’m not fazed by them at all.”
Olivia has always had a keen interest in historical buildings through her design background.
Olivia shares advice to property investors when it comes to listed buildings.
She explains: “You need to have confidence and patience when it comes to listed buildings as they are more complicated. In terms of a property investment strategy, a lot of people are put off by listed buildings.
“But you can find some golden opportunities that others are avoiding.
“If you’re willing to go through the complex processes, especially when working with local authorities, understanding the restrictions, and finding solutions, it’s worth it.
“It might seem tough but there’s always an answer that every problem can be answered with.”
Olivia explains it was completely unexpected when she won the award, but it turned out to be a huge boost to her confidence.
“It was so unexpected,” she explains.
“The application process was quite involved, but I think it made me more confident about the project. It helped me see it in a new light and think about aspects I hadn’t fully considered.
“There were other parts of me thinking, ‘there’s no way they are going to choose this’ but to then have my name called out was amazing!”
Olivia recommends people apply to the Property Investors Awards.
She explains: “It’s a no-brainer, in my opinion. It’s an opportunity I didn’t expect to be given, and it’s provided me with a lot of visibility and credibility.
“I’m starting to build a new network of people I wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for the Property Investors Awards, and it’s given me a huge confidence boost.”
Olivia gives some top advice to aspiring property investors saying it’s important to find a good mentor and learn as much as possible.
She says: “Get out there and get involved and try and learn as much as you can.
“I dived into the deep end – I would have only been able to pull it off through the support of Andrew Featherstone and Mark Lloyd.
“I met them through networking and built a relationship with them and Andrew Featherstone has helped me with title splitting.”
Olivia adds: “I’ve been really lucky, and between those two gentlemen they’ve given me the confidence and professionalism that’s helped me in my property journey.
“My strong advice is to find a good mentor to help you build confidence and carry you through those difficult times.
“Unfortunately, difficult times are there, and you can’t prepare for some of them, but having that support is invaluable.”
Smiley
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Sign Up17:33 PM, 10th March 2025, About a month ago
Wonderful and uplifting, Sue and I admire achievement,well done Olivia lots love The Smileys ❤️😊👏👏👏