Case Studies & Stories — Places, Projects & People in Oxfordshire

Turning Local Insight Into Real Investment Outcomes

If the first four articles in this series gave you the why of Oxfordshire’s investment potential — this one gives you the how.

Let’s go ground-level and meet some of the places, projects and people that make up the OLD-Homes investment story. These aren’t theoretical models — they’re real sites, real deals, and real returns.

Because ultimately, property investing isn’t abstract — it’s intensely local. The postcode, the site, the structure, and the people behind it make all the difference.

1. Wallingford: A Quiet Powerhouse in the South Oxfordshire Villages

The Opportunity: A mixed-use corner property in Waddingford High Street, part-vacant, part-residential, with both development opportunity and long-term uplift potential.

The OLD-Homes Approach:

• Negotiated a highly structured on-market acquisition that benefited both parties
• Planning application to convert/extend into 7 / 8 bedroom modern HMO
• Adding to the housing rental market supply in a high-demand area

Why It Worked:

• Strong tenant demand from both local plus commuters eg Oxford-based workers
• Undersupplied rental market for quality HMO units
• Walkable to shops, parks, and major bus routes

Investor Outcome:

• Target return: 25% on GDV
• 12–18 month term
• Exit via refinance and retained rental stock

Lesson: Even small high street assets can hold significant potential when you know the local dynamics and plan accordingly.

2. Henley-on-Thames: Historic Charm Meets Strategic Conversion

The Opportunity: Stunning Grade II* commercial building on a picturesque street in Henley, underused and ideal for sensitive residential conversion.

OLD-Homes Strategy:

• Heritage-led redesign with conservation specialists
• Maximise use of internal space while preserving external character
• Delivery of high-end beautiful centrally located house with modern interiors

Why It Worked:

• Henley has strong demand but limited supply due to heritage constraints
• Attracts downsizers, London professionals, and pied-à-terre buyers
• High resale values in premium postcode

Investor Outcome:

• Total GDV: £1.2M
• Return: 15% IRR
• Exit within 15 months

Lesson: Premium returns don’t always require scale — they require surgical execution in the right postcode.

3. Oxford City: Infill Plots with Big Potential

The Opportunity: 3 Bedroom Summertown bungalow, obtain planning permission for 2x 4 bedroom semi-detached properties, build and sell.

OLD-Homes Approach:

• Purchase using debt finance and a strong consultant professional team.
• Planning for 2 high-quality family homes using same team that has delivered several similar schemes in the same location
• Low construction risk, high local demand

Why It Worked:

• Following a well-trodden path for planning 
• No local objection due to sensitive design 
• Quick build using established teams, products and processes

Investor Outcome:

• 65% return on cost (excluding finance)
• Higher returns for all involved in the scheme’s funding
• Straightforward sales strategy using local specialists 

Lesson: Some of the best returns come from small, simple overlooked sites — not major cunning masterplans.

4. The Human Element: Who Benefits From These Projects?

Every successful deal is also a human story:

• A recently bereaved family able to move on with their lives benefiting from the funds distributed
• A tenant — a junior doctor at the local hospital — found a clean, affordable room sharing with other professionals within walking distance of transport.
• A family moving into their modern, forever home in an idyllic location.
• The business owners who freed up capital for growth from an asset that had turned into a (valuable but unrealised) liability.

This is what real estate should do: solve a local problem, improve lives — and return capital with purpose.

5. Our Investment Approach — On the Ground and In the Detail

At OLD-Homes, we aren’t portfolio spectators. We:

• Source deals locally and off-market
• Negotiate with vendors and neighbours directly (often with agents assisting)
• Work closely with planners, architects, and builders
• Report regularly to investors with full transparency

We see capital as a catalyst. It’s not just funding — it’s a tool to unlock stuck land, neglected buildings, or unmet housing needs.

That’s where the value lives.

6. What These Case Studies Show Investors — In Plain English

• Local insight = alpha return. National developers can’t move fast enough to see these micro-plays.
• Smart capital makes a difference. These projects work because they are backed by thoughtful, nimble investors.
• These aren’t moonshots. They’re achievable, repeatable, and risk-aware deals.

If you’re an investor who wants to be part of real, grounded property development with focused people that know and love property — not just spreadsheets and specs — this is where you do it.

Call to Action

Want to see live or upcoming projects that follow this exact formula?

Request our latest deal flow overview or book a 15-minute discovery call to speak directly with our team.

Next in the Series:
Investor Models & Returns — How We Structure Deals to Protect Capital and Deliver Growth