Investor Structures — How Private Capital Participates in Planning-Led Value Creation

Planning Gain Isn’t Just for Developers — Here’s How Private Investors Can Get Involved

Most people think planning gain only benefits landowners or big housebuilders. But in the right structure — with a capable partner — private investors can participate directly in the uplift that planning permission unlocks.

This final article breaks down how OLD-Homes structures investor participation, what options exist (loan notes vs. equity), and how we design these deals to offer security, alignment, and strong return potential.

Because capital shouldn’t just sit idle — it should be structured to work intelligently in a high-demand, constrained-growth market like Oxfordshire.

1. Two Main Investor Structures We Offer

Depending on your appetite for risk and return, we offer two main options:

Option A: Secured Loan Notes

• Fixed interest (typically 8–15% p.a. depending on term)
• Secured against project asset (legal charge)
• Term usually 6–24 months
• No direct ownership

Best for: - Capital preservation - Passive, short-term investing 12-36 months - SIPP/SSAS deployment

Option B: Preferred Equity (Profit Participation)

• Share in project profit after exit
• Priority return before developer profit
• Potential IRR 15–20% depending on project scale and term
• Capital at greater risk (it sits behind all debt), but upside aligned

Best for: - Growth-focused investors - Those comfortable with market-based returns - Long-term partners who want involvement across multiple deals

2. What You’re Actually Investing In

This is key — you’re not buying stock in OLD-Homes. You’re participating in: - A specific Oxfordshire site, via an SPV (ring-fenced company) - With a known strategy (planning-led uplift and/or development) - On contracted terms (secured or equity-based)

You’ll receive: - Full legal documents - Project summary, financial model, exit routes - Risk profile and sensitivity scenarios

It’s real. It’s ring-fenced. And it’s backed by local expertise and execution.

3. How We Ensure Investor Capital Is Protected

Especially with third-party capital, protection comes first:

• Legal Charges: Our loan note holders get a charge over the land/asset
• Tranche Drawdowns: We only release funds as progress is made
• Exit-tested before Entry: We model sales, rental fallback, and refi options before launching
• Transparency: We issue regular updates — and are directly reachable

We also co-invest in every deal, so our money is in the same structure as yours.

4. Local Focus = Lower Risk and Faster Exit

Because we work exclusively in Oxfordshire, we: - Know the planners and decision-makers - Understand the policy landscape - Have local trades and contractors - Access a pre-qualified buyer/investor network

This isn’t a London desk operation. We’re on-site, in-meeting, and in contact with agents, councils, and builders every week.

For you, that means fewer surprises, better cost control, and quicker exits.

5. How Uplift Plays Out in the Capital Stack

Let’s say a site is expected to deliver a £300,000 uplift: - Loan note investors get their fixed return first (say 10%) - Equity investors get their preferred return next (e.g. 12%+ IRR) - Developer profit comes last

That’s what “alignment” looks like — you get paid before we do.

This structure gives you exposure to the value creation process — but with protection mechanisms designed to shield your capital from the most common risks.

6. Where This All Connects — The OLD-Homes Investment Thesis

Throughout this series, we’ve shown: - Oxfordshire’s land supply is constrained - Demand is strong and growing - Planning gain creates real, bankable uplift - Small infill and conversion sites can be low-risk, high-yielding

So we: - Find undervalued or underused sites - Secure planning uplift - Deliver the exit via sale, build, or refi

And we structure investment to: - Protect capital first - Deliver short-to-mid-term returns - Build long-term trust with our investor base

Call to Action

Planning gain isn’t reserved for landowners. With the right partner and structure, it can be part of your portfolio strategy.

Want to see how we’re currently structuring capital for live projects? Request a Deal Overview Pack or book a confidential investor call to talk directly with our founding team.

Thanks for reading the series. If you’d like a consolidated PDF of all 6 articles plus live deal snapshots and investor FAQs, just let us know — we’ll send it straight over.