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