Mr. Dawid, where did the idea for this career path come from?

The idea of moving to the UK came from a sense of desperation. Like many young Poles in the UK, I started by working in a warehouse. My wife and I wanted to save for our wedding and honeymoon, so we worked hard, doing lots of overtime. We managed to reach our goal, but we were still at square one. I was looking for inspiration, and that’s when I came across Robert Kiyosaki’s book Rich Dad Poor Dad, which became my motivation. I believed I could do something other than physical work, despite what others around me were saying. From that moment on, my wife and I began to take an interest in property and educate ourselves in this field. We attended Polish community meetings and learned from people who already had knowledge about the market. At one of these meetings, I heard the magic word “refinancing,” which turned out to be the key to success. I realised that by purchasing a property cheaply, we could extract the capital difference after renovation and reinvest it further. That’s how my journey began, and after two years, we were able to leave our jobs and fully dedicate ourselves to property investing. Now, 10 years later, we own 56 properties, which primarily consist of large HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) with en-suite bedrooms, as well as single-let houses and 6 flats.

Please tell us about your main activities and explain to readers why it’s worth investing in the UK.

Our business focuses on rental properties to maintain a sustainable income. The business involves using the right tools offered by the UK rental market. Thanks to low interest rates (currently around 4.5%, previously 2%) and very high rental prices, taking out loans for property is profitable. In the UK, you can choose financial products where you pay only interest, not the principal, which allows us to focus on rental strategies with the highest cash flow. We invest through special purpose vehicles (LTD, SPV), and there is no limit on the number of mortgages. The possibility of refinancing properties to release capital for further investments enables us to acquire an unlimited number of properties. Due to the favourable tax system, I don’t pay VAT, and for development projects, I can reclaim it in full without adding it to the sale price. I aim to close my companies at a loss; capital obtained from refinancing does not count as income, which increases the mortgage and allows us to obtain additional funds for renovations and other expenses. These costs are fully deductible until the net rental income exceeds the earlier incurred costs. I won’t pay taxes, at least as long as I keep reinvesting, and this creates costs. Importantly, the UK is a stable country where legal regulations do not change suddenly, giving investors a sense of security. Additionally, the population in the UK is growing rapidly, and this trend is expected to continue at least until 2060, so property owners don’t have to worry about finding tenants. There is a constant housing shortage in England, with more than 4 million homes needed, and it is expected that around 560,000 new properties will need to be built annually to meet the current demand, but only 200,000 are being built. This is a challenging situation for people looking for homes, but for investors like us, it’s truly a paradise.

One element of your work is educational activity. How do you help Poles invest abroad?

Educational activities are of great personal value to me. As an investor, I want to share my knowledge and show people how to start investing in the UK. I organise conferences five times a year for 400 people, discussing topics related to property and inviting experts from various fields. These meetings feature well-known individuals who have developed businesses, as well as speakers teaching about health and building one’s empire. A few times a year, I also organise three-day educational workshops, where participants receive 25 hours of pure knowledge and a tour of current projects. After such an information-packed experience, attendees are able to succeed, supported by various experts, and gaining access to a closed support group that develops together. To date, we have trained over two thousand graduates. Another key aspect of my educational activity is my YouTube channel, where our videos have garnered over 3.3 million views. I know that, thanks to first-hand information, based on examples and figures, I have already helped thousands of Poles.

How did 2024 end for you?

I’m very proud of the network of over 30 companies I’ve built. Among them, we have a deal-sourcing company that identifies investment opportunities for me and other investors. We also have project managers who take charge of the "keys" and oversee the selection of the right contractors for construction projects. Additionally, I own a rental agency that manages lettings for investor-owned properties and an accounting firm that helps clients manage their taxes. Recently, I successfully passed the British FCA verification, and we have received approval to operate a mortgage company, which will soon begin its operations. The complexity we offer allows investors to handle all matters in one place (also in Polish), which is incredibly convenient. Additionally, it relieves them of responsibility for specific stages of the investment - we take care of everything, ensuring the highest quality of services. On the UK property market, we have no competition offering such a wide range of services. My efforts have been recognised by the British, and I appeared on the cover of Blue Bricks Magazine and was a finalist in the Property Awards, taking second place. This is proof that we are on the right track. When taking on new challenges, it’s not about money, but about seeking new, exciting opportunities and creating something from scratch that can bring value to society.

Anna Piątek-Janko