2025. Completed year; didn't die*

That wasn't what I expected

My fifth year of trading was a bit of an unusual year. As you know I'm not a great fan of shouty end of year grand back slapping. I'm only as good as my last deal. In 2025 I did a fair few and hopefully my clients are pleased with the outcomes.

I set a record low rent in Aberdeen- an office for client at a rent lower than I was doing deals in 1983. I suspect I'm not popular with the local investor owners. I've settled rent reviews and lease renewals from Barking to Renfrew. I bought and sold student accommodation blocks in the East Midlands and I have done the usual amount of valuation reports of all manner of assets. I'm not usually asked to work on mainstream properties. We like complicated.

But all of this aside, as the headline suggests, I didn't die - but it was a close run thing. I managed to contract bacterial meningitis in February and spent 36 hours in a Coma and then 9 days in The Borders General Hospital. They were amazing - not least because their fast action literally saved my life. I'm fully recovered now thankfully. The best I can do is to remind people of the fact that miningitis in its many forms is very dangerous; losing limbs or dying are very possible. 2.3m people around the globe get this awful disease annually. 1 in 5 live with long-term disability. There are tell-tale signs - stiff neck, fever, sleepy, stiff joints, severe headache, cold hands and feet and sometimes a rash. If you see these things, get help. Every minute counts. You are not making a fuss and it may save someones life.

So, bring on 2026, and live one day at a time; you never know.

* thanks to my old PR manager Alicia for this succinct headline!

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2024 - the highlights

Due Diligence

This was a year of providing advice to several clients at a 'due diligence' level. One for an acquisition of an new business with properties in the North of England and parts of Scotland. The other contemplating a complete change of use of one of their significant properties in the East Midlands.

£75,000,000 of property valued

Bespoke Reports

It was a year of providing clients with bespoke reports - some way from the template reports usually offered by RICS Registered Valuers. In the year I had several commissions which were aimed at providing a new strategic overview in several instances. These reports are time consuming but very rewarding to deliver.

74 Properties visited

And the rest...

Landlord & Tenant work remains my bread and butter with lease renewals, rent reviews and a healthy sprinkling of dilapidation claim settlements (for both landlords and tenants). I've put various plots of residential land under offer too though and concluded some 'Red Book' valutions. I settled a messy 'overage' negotiation in the year.

19 Clients served

Quite a year!

My busiest year yet...

When I set Blackstar up four years ago, I didn't really give much thought to a business plan (still don't) - I carried on doing what I have always done - looking after clients. What I do is below the radar and confidential, but the deals below are in the public domain now.

I'm not a huge fan of those looking back posts. But this has been an amazing year in the business so I'll make an exception -some highlights....

Sold 27 acres for Boots in Nottingham to Keepmoat Homes - in just short of 6 weeks (after the collapse of my deal with Ilke Homes)
Relocated Geldards Nottingham office to Cubo - and acquired their Derby office for Cubo with a back to back re-gear of part.
Acquired Bell Fruit land for Nottingham University Hospitals (NHS Trust)
Acquired the first unit in the market for Little Caesars Pizza franchise in Top Valley Nottingham.
completed 14 lease renewals
Settled 6 'messy' dilapidations claims, reducing each significantly from the landlords original claim.
In June alone completed 9 valuation reports with a combined value of £115,284,000.
Worked in Derby, Buxton, Exeter, Wakefield, Chichester, Norwich, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Belfast, Manchester and Nottingham

Roll on 2024, we already have some great projects in progress.

Awards?

Liefetime Achievent Award - Insider Magazine

Having worked in businesses where the award season was part of the essential of marketing, when I set up Blackstar it was my intention to step away from this. I would always be happy with any client winning an award for a project or scheme. It is great to see their successes.

I was in New York in the summer and took a call from David Smith, Chairman of the East Midlands Property Dinner, asking if I would be his guest of honour. It was some time since I attended the dinner, but he was quite insistent!

To cut a long story short, I did go and was surprised and humbled to be given a Lifetime Achievement Award. I have said elsewhere that the 15 year old Punk me would not have believed this. The kid who left school with an O Level.

I have to thank BWB for sponsoring it and Insider Media for the event. It was a humbling experience. And, despite my own 'rules' I'll accept graciously.

September 2022