The Property Apprentice

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The Property Apprentice

Hello! Welcome to my FB Page – My name is Craig Sullivan and I am The Property Apprentice! I was a sponge.

I help empower people to get into property whether that be via one of my “BIG UP THE GRAFTERS” videos on Instagram or whether you Joint Venture with me on a HMO project (and everything else in between). I’m a hands-on Property Developer based in Medway (North Kent) where I’ve gone all-in on Student HMO’s and built a multi-million-pound property portfolio with a healthy six-figure income stream. On the side of that, I’ve built the largest Student HMO Lettings and Management Agency in Medway which not only manages my personal properties but local landlord’s stock too – we now have over 60 HMO’s and over 250 Tenants. Before Property I was working in London for large media and content companies such as The Walt Disney Company, Time Warner and Viacom. I started off as an intern and cut my teeth in the Corporate World at Disney. I went in wide-eyed and surrounded myself with people who were at the top of their game; in Marketing, Finance, Sales and Strategy. I applied my high energy and work ethic being the first in and last to leave and it paid off as I was offered a full-time role which funded my first project. Property started off as means of making a little bit of money on the side and not having to stay in crap accommodation while studying at University, however this quickly snowballed into an opportunity to create a lucrative property business, achieving financial freedom and life changing wealth. I now help empower people to get into property whether that be via one of my “BIG UP THE GRAFTERS” videos on Instagram or whether you Joint Venture with me on a HMO project (and everything else in between). If you’re in need of help in property, want better returns on your money or just want to say “Hi” – please just reach out and let me know.

18/10/2026

🏚️ FROM TIRED PROPERTY TO DREAM HOME - BEFORE WE’VE EVEN STARTED! 🔥

I’ve just taken on my latest property development project, and this time I’m doing things a little differently.

Swipe through to see the BEFORE photos alongside my AI-generated vision of the finished product. 👀

Using ChatGPT, I’ve taken photos of the kitchen, bathroom, lounge, dining room and bedrooms and transformed them into realistic visuals of exactly what I want to achieve.

No expensive interior designers. No guesswork. Just a clear vision before a single tool is picked up.

And it got me thinking…

There has arguably NEVER been a better time to be a hands-on property developer.

But there’s a catch. 👇

❌ Passive investors who rely entirely on contractors, project managers and expensive labour are going to find it increasingly difficult to make the numbers stack up.

✅ Hands-on operators who know their local market, understand construction costs, have reliable trades and know how to add value cost-effectively have an enormous advantage.

The margins aren’t necessarily in buying property anymore.

They’re in knowing how to transform it without spending a fortune.

Technology like AI is making the planning and design process easier, faster and more accessible than ever before.

But AI won’t manage your builders, negotiate your materials or keep your project on budget.

That’s where experience, local knowledge and being an operator make the difference.

My view?

If you’re in the trades, understand property and can deliver quality refurbishments at sensible costs, this is your time to clean up. 💰

The opportunities are there. You just need to know how to execute.

📸 Swipe to see the transformation I’m planning.

What do you think of the AI designs? And would you use AI on your next renovation?

15/10/2026

🚨 BRITAIN’S HMO SECTOR IS UNDER THREAT - AND THE GOVERNMENT MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!

We’re seeing deeply concerning reports of HMOs being targeted and vandalised over their use as asylum accommodation.

Let me be clear: violence, intimidation and criminal damage are completely unacceptable.

But the growing tensions surrounding asylum accommodation were entirely foreseeable.

For years, successive governments have squeezed private landlords through increasing regulation, taxation and rising costs. Labour’s Renters’ Rights Act has added further pressure to an already challenging market.

So when landlords are offered attractive long-term accommodation contracts, guaranteed income and reduced management responsibilities, is it really surprising that some accept?

The Government cannot ignore the consequences of its housing and immigration policies while leaving landlords, tenants and local communities to deal with the fallout.

And where is the strong leadership from the NRLA? I’ve challenged Ben Beadle’s approach for years, and I firmly believe landlords deserve far greater representation. I’d welcome the opportunity to challenge for that leadership myself.

My biggest concern? The entire HMO sector risks being tarnished.

Professional house shares, student accommodation and completely innocent tenants could find themselves caught up in a controversy that has absolutely nothing to do with them.

Unlike hotels, HMOs are scattered throughout residential communities, making widespread protection considerably more challenging.

We need transparency, proper consultation, effective policing and a Government prepared to take responsibility.

The warning signs were there. The risks were foreseeable. And Westminster must now be held accountable for its response.

As an HMO landlord and letting agent, I genuinely fear where this could lead if it isn’t addressed.

please address this. ⚠️

👇 Fellow landlords and tenants, what’s your take? Are you concerned about the future of Britain’s HMO sector?

12/10/2026

“Our favorite holding period is forever.” — Warren Buffett

I bought this flat back in 2016. Ten years on, I’ve given it a complete refurbishment, ready for what I hope will be another ten years.

For me, long-term property investing means continuing to invest in what you own. Maintain it, improve it, and give it every chance to keep delivering.

Amen 🙏

10/10/2026

£4000 in damages… One bad tenancy can undo years of hard work. 🏠💸

Rent arrears, property damage and mounting costs can destroy your cash flow, wipe out your profitability and, in the worst cases, force you to sell an asset you never intended to sell.

That’s why tenant due diligence and risk assessment need to start before you hand over the keys.

As an HMO landlord or property manager, you also need to understand the wider pressures affecting your tenants. Rent levels, unemployment, homelessness and economic conditions can all influence affordability and the risks facing your business.

Ask yourself:

✅ Have you properly checked affordability, references and guarantors?
✅ Can your cash flow withstand missed rent and unexpected repairs?
✅ Are you spotting problems early and acting promptly?
✅ Does your management approach reflect the risks you’re taking?

You can’t eliminate every risk. But thorough checks, clear processes and proactive management can put you in a much stronger position.

Need help protecting your HMO’s cash flow and profitability? Drop me a message and let’s put a plan in place.

HAUSI

28/09/2026

HELP TO BUY… OR HELP TO BUILDERS? 👀🏡📈

Andy Burnham has announced his new first-time buyer scheme, Your First Home, offering deposits as low as 2.5%, supported by a government-backed 20% equity loan.

The objective? Get more people onto the property ladder.
But take a look at what happened to the UK’s biggest housebuilders when the markets opened this morning… 👇

📈 Persimmon: +15.72%
📈 Taylor Wimpey: +14.88%
📈 Bellway: +14.41%
📈 Barratt Redrow: +14.30%
📈 Vistry: +14.12%
📈 Berkeley Group: +4.99%

Those are some extraordinary market reactions to a first-time buyer announcement.

Here’s the question worth asking: who ultimately captures the financial benefit?

The scheme reduces the initial deposit barrier, but it is restricted to eligible NEW-BUILD properties sold by participating developers.

That distinction matters.

A smaller deposit doesn’t automatically mean a cheaper home. And increasing purchasing power without a corresponding increase in housing supply raises legitimate questions about the effect on property prices.

The government says the scheme will support buyers AND stimulate housebuilding. The stock market has already reacted strongly to the potential commercial benefits for developers.

Whether buyers enjoy a lasting affordability benefit will depend on how the scheme works in practice.

More purchasing power is not the same thing as more affordable housing.

16/09/2026

Here’s a quick exercise for every property investor…

Go onto Rightmove, type in the postcode of your investment area and see how many properties are currently listed for sale.

Then drop the number in the comments below 👇

My local area has jumped from around 250 properties to 346.

That’s nearly a 40% increase in available stock, which is crazy - and potentially very telling about where the market is heading.

More landlords selling?
Buyers becoming more cautious?
Or simply more opportunities for investors who are ready to move?

What number are you seeing in your area? 🏠📈

Probably nothing… 😈

14/09/2026

Liz Truss taking shots — and bloody rightly so! Go on, girl, twist that knife 😂👏

09/09/2026

I saw this AI trend and thought I’d try something slightly different…

I asked ChatGPT to take this photo of me at the solicitors and make it look like it was taken in 1986.

It absolutely nailed it. 😂

But then it got me thinking…

If I genuinely was a landlord in 1986, what would I actually have had to do compared with being a landlord in 2026?

So I looked it up.

And the difference is ridiculous!

❌ No tenancy deposit protection scheme.

❌ No 30-day deposit registration deadline.

❌ No prescribed deposit information.

❌ No five-week deposit cap.

❌ No EPC.

❌ No minimum EPC E rating.

❌ No mandatory five-year EICR for ordinary private rentals.

❌ No modern annual landlord Gas Safety Certificate regime.

❌ No Right to Rent immigration checks.

❌ No national mandatory HMO licensing system as we know it today.

❌ No statutory smoke-and-CO-alarm regime for private landlords like today’s.

❌ No Tenant Fees Act.

❌ No rental bidding ban.

❌ No Renters’ Rights information sheet.

❌ No 28-day statutory process for considering a tenant’s pet request.

Deposit protection arrived in 2007, EPC requirements for rented homes in 2008, the modern private-sector smoke alarm requirement in 2015, Right to Rent across England in 2016 and mandatory five-year electrical inspections in 2020.

Turns out ChatGPT didn’t just make me look like a landlord from 1986.

It showed me what I looked like before 40 years of red-tape and endless compliance paperwork.

Property has changed.

The question is… has all this regulation made renting genuinely better or have we reached the point where the system has become too complicated (and costly) for both landlords AND tenants?

Interested to hear people’s thoughts. 👇

Address

85 Baden Road
Gillingham
ME71QZ

Website

http://www.ThePropertyApprentice.co.uk/

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