Bonkers for Conkers!

Autumn has always been my favourite season.

It includes my birthday, Halloween, Bonfire night, and a chance to put the heating on, stay indoors all cosy, watch films, light candles, and eat chocolate!

But outside, one of my favourite things about autumn, alongside the lovely colours of nature, is conkers.

I’ve always loved conkers.

The shininess of them, the different shapes and sizes, and obviously playing conkers as a kid.

Remember how you’d try your best to make your conker as indestructible as possible, after you’d threaded it on the shoelace? 

To ‘conquer’ your opponent, by smashing theirs to pieces?! 🙌

Do they still do such things, kids these days; coating conkers in nail varnish and vinegar?! 

Good wholesome playground games!

I even remember ordering and enjoying the book ‘The Conker as Hard as a Diamond’ from the Puffin Book Club at junior school! (and I know full well that book is still in the loft in one of my properties! 😆 #hoarder)

Even now, decades later, I still get excited by seeing conkers when I walk round the park with my dog Jerry Lee. 

Bizarrely he gets less excited about them than me!

"Ooooh Jerry, look at this one!!!"

"Yeah, very good love, walk on..."

I called these little brown beauties ‘jewels of nature’, and when I come across them I get a little excited and start collecting them.

Today in the park I even tied the dog to the fence for two minutes and climbed over the fence to collect more, that nobody else had spotted.

You simply would not believe that I was 40 years of age! 🤣

It's superb when you find a really good big shiny one!

Conkers I mean; don’t be vulgar!!! 😱

“But what do you even do with them?” I hear you ask... “You’re a grown woman!”

Yes I know.... 🙄

And for me, the excitement is in finding them.

So these days, I don’t partake in conker-bashing competitions (and not just because other adults don’t partake in that sort of thing! 😆)

What I do with them is this: I keep one or two super-pretty conkers (yes, there is such a thing! 😆) and then with the rest of the pile, I put them on my garden wall next to the main footpath.

My logic is that kids will take them as they walk past from school - maybe kids who don’t know where the conkers are locally - but more likely, kids who never get to go to the park, or perhaps their parents never bother taking them... sadly, we know what some lazy parents are like in today’s society. 😞

This makes me feel a bit sad to think that some kids rarely get to experience nature outdoors. 

But at least they’ll get a chance to have their own conker by my little wall-sharing tactic. 

And it must work, because there are never any conkers left on my wall at the end of each day. 😁

So what’s the point of my blog?

Apart from me rambling on about conkers, which I’m sure you've worked out by now I’m a big fan of!

Let’s make this blog useful, by taking some lessons from my little conker anecdotes. 

Make this blog more of a fable, if you will; a story with some lessons. 

Here we go:

⁃ Beauty is all around us - you just have to look for it. 

We are so lucky to have such lovely nature in this country.

⁃ It’s great when you find something that nobody else has found. Even if it means you have to go searching for it. 

This is symbolic of opportunities in life.

⁃ If you have plenty, you should share it with people who are less fortunate than you. 

You don’t need to be greedy and keep everything to yourself.

⁃ Please take your kids to the park and the great outdoors. 

Get them off the screens for a while, and get some fresh air in their lungs and dirt on their hands. 

It’s really good for their wellbeing.

So bit of a bizarre topic to write about today, but thanks for reading!

And if you’ve made it this far, then you must be bonkers for conkers too!! 😁👍

Have a lovely Autumn, and stay safe and well x x x

Kellyann Martin is a Property Investment Strategist based in Leeds, who when not foraging for conkers, is busy foraging for property investment opportunities!

For more details on working with Kellyann, visit the website

www.kellyannmartin.co.uk

40 Things I Have Learnt About Life In 40 Years

4️⃣0️⃣ 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐈 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐈𝐧 4️⃣0️⃣ 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬...

Yes, I too am amazed that I have managed to keep myself alive for so long! 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

But the day has arrived, many moons after I sprang forth from my mother... I have reached Level 40! 😱✊🎂🎊🎉🎈

Along the way on this path of life, I have acquired some golden nuggets of advice / phrases / favourite sayings that I live by... if only I knew all of these things aged 18! 😉

To celebrate this momentous occasion, I shall share my golden nuggets with you - why, happy birthday! 😆🎂🎊🎉

1. The most important one: Every day above ground is a good one!

2. The only opinion about your life which really matters is yours.

3. Don’t waste time doing things you don’t want, nor be with people you don’t like.

4. If something is making you unhappy, stop doing it. You always have a choice.

5. People can only upset you if you allow them to. And we simply don’t deal with dickheads!

6. Go out of your way to do nice things for people you care about. It’s nice to be nice.

7. It’s ok to say no to things, don’t be soft, just admit: nah mate, that’s not for me, thanks. (In my case, hugs, spas, wine, divvies etc...)

8. Some people will never like me. And I will never give a shit! If people don’t like you, those are not your people.

9. Good manners cost nothing but they mean everything. They show you’ve been brought up well, not dragged up.

10. Be grateful for what you have got, not what you haven’t got. You can cheer yourself up every day by just listing ten things you’re truly grateful for.

11. You can’t please everyone all the time, so just please yoursen!

12. A positive frame of mind is a choice - and it’s the better choice of the two.

13 . “I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else”- Winston Churchill

14. Don’t ever say anything or do anything or behave in a way that would make your favourite grandma ashamed of you.

15. You can make progress or you can make excuses - but you can’t make both.

16. If you don't heal from what hurt you, you'll bleed all over someone who didn't cut you. Get over bad shit - Elsa’s right: let it go!

17. No matter your past, your future is spotless. It’s never too late to have a happy ending.

18. If you are born poor, it’s not your fault. If you die poor, it’s entirely your fault.

19. It’s ok to change your views based on new information.

20. Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.

21. Privilege is good, but graft is better.

22. There is no competition because nobody else is me. 

23. Don't let someone dim your light simply because it's shining in their eyes.

24. Remind yourself when bad things happen: I'm too stubborn to let this take me down!

25. You are what you do. Not what you say. And not many people actually do what they say they’ll do! Integrity is everything.

26. Holding onto anger is like swallowing poison and expecting the other person to die.

27. You’ll never be as young as you are right now, and you’re one step closer to death every day. So gerronwi’it, do the things you want to do. We're here for a good time, not a long time.

28. Only death is unfixable. Everything else can be mended.

29. The person who says it cannot be done, should not interrupt the person doing it. Smile, nod, thank them for their input, and do it anyway.

30. It is better to try and fail than to fail to try at all. It’s always a no if you don’t even try.

31. Being female is a matter of birth, being a woman is a matter of age, but being a lady is a matter of choice.

32. Most people are more focused on looking rich than becoming rich. Material things are just that; things. They don’t determine your worth. 

33. You cannot save everyone. Some people are going to destroy themselves no matter how much you try to help them.

34. You don't always get what you wish for, but you always get what you work for.

35. You need to put time, effort and energy into making anything work - even friendships and relationships.

36. You’re not as ugly, fat, boring or as weird as you think you are. Well maybe weird, but that’s ok; you’re Limited Edition, baby! 

37. Trust your gut instinct about people and situations; it usually knows best.

38. If you can’t change something, you have to change the way you think about it.

39. One of my faves: The question isn't who is going to let me, it's who is going to stop me?!? 

40. And finally... Once you truly stop giving a shit what other people think of you, you experience an awesome level of freedom like never before. 😁🙌

Take these wise words, fine people, and share them far and wide! 

😉 x

Things I Wish I’d Learnt Earlier About Property Investment

 Things I Wish I’d Learnt Earlier About Property Investment

 

Nobody can get anywhere in life without making a few mistakes along the way; that’s part of the journey!

But if I had known these things earlier in my property investment career, then life would have been a lot easier!

  

We’ll start with the biggie: I should have starting investing in property earlier!!

 

Here I am, aged 23, straight out of teacher training college and in my first English teaching post; a nearby high school - look how fresh-faced, youthful and energetic I look!! 🤣

 

As soon as I started working and earning full-time, I set about buying the flat I lived in.

I was delighted to discover that the monthly mortgage was much cheaper than the rent I’d been paying!

I still own this flat now, it’s rented out to a lovely couple. 😊

 

So anyway, I’d bought my first property... but then I did nothing else for 10 years!!! 😤

And for the last 6 of those years I was the landlord by then... so why didn’t I see the opportunity and profit made, and buy more property?!?

WHY WHY WHY?!?!

 Hey ho, never mind eh? 😖

 We all know that the best time to plant a tree is ten years ago.

 The second best time is NOW.

 So get cracking people - don’t waste ten years like I did!! 😱

 

Next item: I wish I’d have realised earlier that other people will lend you money to invest with to create a win-win scenario!

 You might have read yesterday how after buying my own residential property, I did nothing further with property investment for another ten years.

But then I randomly decided to buy another house, and put down the full 25% deposit... and then left it there!!

I had not yet learned about property education, or the magic wonders of the Buy-Refurbish-Refinance model.

And I certainly didn’t know that other people would help you buy property, by investing money loans into projects for a great return.

What a great model to have learnt!

Although here’s my first house I bought specifically as an investment, still with that 25% deposit trapped in there... 😩

Sometimes you just don’t know what you don’t know!

 

Onto the next insight...

Four years ago I took the plunge and made the commitment to myself that for my new career, I was going to be a full-time property investor.

I purchased some property training courses, and learnt oh so many wonderful things...

... but then I got distracted by all these wonderful models and strategies: houses of multiple occupancy, no money down deals, lease options, commercial conversions, development, deal sourcing etc etc...

In short, I developed Shiny Penny Syndrome, and chased several different things at once! 😱

 

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying these other models are no good; that’s not the case - I have many fellow property friends who are doing a great job of making their chosen model work.

I just realised that after studying all these things, refurbishing little Buy-to-Let houses for local families is what I really wanted to do.

And yes, I know I have a HMO and am involved in a development deal - but little cheap cheerful houses in Leeds is where my heart lies! 🏚😍

So what I’m saying is, make a general overview study of the property models, and then decide what it is you actually want to invest in, and stick to it!

Learn it inside out; commit time, effort, energy and education to your chosen model...

Don’t be chasing anything and everything, here, there and everywhere, shiny penny style!

Because as the old proverb goes: man who chases two rabbits catches none!

  

Last item of things I wish I’d learnt earlier about property investment!

And yes, I know there’s a dozen or more other things I could have picked to talk about, but we’re going with this one...

 

✅ I wish I’d not been so shy as to offer people investment opportunities!

 

You see, I had (and sometimes still have, even now if I’m honest!) a real complex when talking about money. 🤫

Growing up, I never borrowed anything off anyone. I never had a credit card until recently. Everything I wanted, I worked hard for, earned money for it and paid for it myself. And if I didn’t have the money to afford something then I simply couldn’t have it. 🤷🏻‍ 

So when suddenly I realised I’d have to attract investment from other people, panic struck! 😅

And what would happen was this bizarre scenario, where people would like me and my work, and they would openly say to my face that they would lend me money for investment... and I would go bright red, become embarrassed and awkward, and dance about cringing and fidgeting... in short, do anything to avoid having that conversation about them lending me money - it was crazy! 😮

I had to work really hard to switch my mindset, and to realise that you are helping investors grow their wealth - you are doing them a favour by working together in an opportunity to make more money for them!

I am always flattered and delighted when people offer to lend me money - because it’s a massive compliment to know that they know, like and trust you.

And that’s a great feeling. 🤩

So as long as you are not a wretch who lets people down or rips people off, then you’ve nothing to worry about.

But even now, I still have to persevere when pitching for investment.

You could say I’m a continuous work in progress!

But as with everything, practice makes perfect!

So on that note... if you have funds to invest, and would like to discuss putting your money to work on a future residential project for a return, do book in a call for a chat. 💷

The link is here to book a discussion call:

 

https://calendly.com/kellyannmartin/phone-call?month=2019-11

 

Or, if you’d like to follow my work a little more closely before you make a decision, then you are welcome to sign up to my investor list to receive the monthly update.

Here’s the link to sign up, which also has the added benefit of you receiving my guide on how to invest your savings safely

 

https://mailchi.mp/9c55b81c41b4/kellyannmartin

 

Other than that, thanks for reading, and you have a lovely day!