After 33 years in finance, Nadine knew she wanted a different future — one that didn’t involve commuting into London into her late 50s.
“I started thinking about how I want to spend those later years. Do I really want to be working till I’m 70? Definitely not.”
Like many professionals in the South East, she already owned property — but scaling a portfolio had never been part of the plan.
“I had a couple of properties by accident… didn’t really intend for it to go much further.”
However, changes to buy-to-let legislation and the rising cost of investing locally made her reassess her long-term strategy.
“I started to look for ways of creating a passive income.”
The Challenge: Priced Out of the South East Property Market
For time-poor professionals, building a profitable portfolio close to home is increasingly difficult.
“We’re priced out of buy-to-let options in the South East.”
With full-time careers and children, travelling across the country to research investment areas simply wasn’t realistic.
“We don’t have the time, we don’t have the expertise to really do that without support… for me, a high-risk strategy.”
This is where investing in higher-yield northern property — with the right support — became the turning point.
DIY vs Hands-Free Property Investment
Before committing fully, Nadine tested two approaches at the same time: sourcing one property herself and one through Kove.
“It’s a lot of work and a lot of stress. And when you don’t know areas, I found that a lot.”
Meanwhile, her partner initially questioned whether using a property investment company was worth the fee.
“He did one weekend trying to do it all himself… he had to stay overnight, take time off work, and it became so expensive and so stressful that he actually went, ‘Okay, I get where you’re coming from.’”
The result?
“We ended up buying all seven properties through Kove.”
A Fully Managed, End-to-End Investment Experience
For Nadine, the biggest value wasn’t just sourcing — it was the complete, hands-free process.
“It makes it literally just hands-free for us. There’s no stress. We are kept informed, but we don’t feel like we’re on our own with it.”
With a background in finance and project management, the structured, professional delivery was a natural fit.
“Having people come and tell me their updates — that’s my sweet spot. ‘You’re taking care of that’ — perfect.”
Most importantly, trust was built from the very first deal.
“Once we did one with Kove, for me I was all in.”
Honest Expectations Around Serviced Accommodation Returns
Nadine’s first Kove investment was a serviced accommodation — a strategy known for strong long-term cash flow but a slower start.
“One of the reasons we went with Kove is they’re very honest and realistic about managing your expectations… they didn’t try and sugarcoat it.”
That transparency made a huge difference in the early months.
“This was the expectation — I think this is normal.”
As performance improved in line with the original forecast, confidence grew.
“Their predictions were right that by the end of year one it will get better… you’ll start to see an improvement in terms of returns versus buy-to-let.”
They are now progressing with a second serviced accommodation investment.
Building a Property Portfolio for Early Retirement
In just over a year, Nadine and her partner secured nine investment properties — seven through Kove.
The goal is clear:
“When I hit 35 years in my role and 55 years old, my goal is to have an income that enables me to go and do something different and not be tied to going into London.”
While some properties are still completing refurbishment and letting, the long-term outcome is already mapped out.
“That’s the exciting thing. I don’t know what that will be yet.”
Why Property Remains Her Long-Term Wealth Strategy
Despite exploring other options, Nadine believes property is still the most reliable route to financial freedom.
“I bought my first property for £32,000 and it’s now worth over £300,000… property’s only going to go one way.”
Her only regret?
“I regret not doing it earlier. I wish I’d been braver and educated myself earlier about the options.”
Who Kove Is Right For
Nadine’s experience reflects a wide range of investors — from equity-rich homeowners to younger professionals starting out.
“I think it can work for anyone… if you can do it when you’re young, amazing, because then you won’t be rushing like we are.”
A True Property Investment Partnership
For Nadine, the defining difference is the relationship.
“I feel like I can trust them because they’ll be honest — even if it’s a difficult conversation.”
“It feels like a partnership with Kove… it feels like we’re in this together.”
And her recommendation?
“I would highly recommend Kove. I couldn’t say enough positive things about my experience with them.”
Want results like this?
If Nadine’s story shows anything, it’s that you don’t have to stay limited to your local area to build a successful property portfolio.
With the right strategy and support, you can scale beyond your surroundings and build reliable income — without needing to do everything yourself.
