Can it really be done well?….. and how to if you must.
Pregnancy and Property Development….now, those are words you rarely hear said together, unless you fall into the niche category of those that have actually experienced the two at the same time. Most women experience it if they happen to be pregnant when moving to a home that needs work, or at worst, if they happen to fall pregnant just as they’re about to embark on a major home renovation and then find themselves in this scenario. Rarely, does any woman plan to be 8-9 months pregnant while dealing with being on a project site, literally losing it with builders as they drag the completion date of the project closer and closer to the delivery date!!!
Ok, I do take responsibility for finding myself in this predicament. I thought I could juggle the two fairly reasonably and so I went head long into it just after I had gotten past a difficult first trimester. It was March 27th, 2015 when I first climbed up 2 stories of stairs to go to view a property listed in the Savills auction that looked like it had great potential. At this time, I was just going into my 4th month of pregnancy with my 1st baby and excited to be past the morning sickness phase and back to the usual hustling of viewing properties.
This property was listed at a great price and easily once works was done to reconfigure would be revalued with a nice 30% margin, so I thought why not? It was a simple fixer-upper and so I went for the auction and won at a really decent price for a nice NW London flat. After a long arduous conveyancing (to be discussed in part 2), I picked up the keys 38 days later (end of May and 5 months pregnant).
& Now the build…
My regular builder had gone “awol” (don’t ask), so I then looked around and asked for a referral and the new builder quoted a total of £15K-20K for the refurb & conversion so everything was looking good……and he had come highly recommended. He also quoted 4-6 weeks completion time and by my calculation the works would be done by the time I was 6.5 months pregnant, so it wouldn’t be too bad and would give me enough time to settle into getting ready for motherhood. I already had hired an assistant who would help oversea my affairs once the baby came, so I was showing him the ropes as well.
..,,and then the drama began!
My usual builder was quite efficient and i had gotten very used to his method. Now, I was dealing with someone else who had a completely different style, work ethic and took waaaaaaay longer than I was accustomed to. He had also blown past his original estimated completion time. This meant that 2 months into the project, we had just completed the structure, the kitchen and we were still at plastering stage ….and there was still the bathroom to complete, the place was a mess with workmen still everywhere..
At this point every trip to the property became a true test of wills. I’m normally very temperate, but by now, I was 7 months heavy, hormones had kicked in and it was the middle of summer (& it was a hot summer!) so I’m truly freaking out! My husband wanted to come along to every meeting just to make sure I stayed calm. I really tried to, but failed many times and we would have these heated conversations about progress, why things were being delayed and if he had another project going on (as they always do!). I often reminded him of my current state and how stressful these delays were.
It was a tough time!
Thankfully however, 3 months later, I recall it being mid August, I was well into my 8th month and really heavy. As I climbed up those same steps, 2 floors up, to see the finished product, I thought to myself “Well, I’m never doing this again!”.
I’m not saying it couldn’t have been easier but honestly, why?
You see, I had just continued life as usual from my single and free days (which didn’t change much after marriage), but as I said on Delia’s amazing podcast Pregnancy without fear, I had never considered the impact juggling these 2 very demanding “jobs” could have on me and I am grateful to God everything went well. In the end, I got a lovely new home rented to a young couple and their friend, as well as, a lovely bouncing & boisterous baby boy (who is now turning 5!).
My simple tips for handling the 2 (if you must).
- If you’re an investor/developer then take solace “There will be other deals”: Take it easy and prioritise your life and your baby first! I know it’s a change of mindset especially if you’ve been used to being master and controller, but those babies take over from the point of conception! By my 2nd baby I took things easier and only resumed taking on any projects until after she was a few months old. For women in construction and Project Managers who still need to work, then delegate as much as you possibly can.
- If you do decide to take on a project, do make sure you hire a project manager. My project was relatively small as it was mainly internal reconfiguration, so I thought I could wing it, as I’d already been through at least 20 similar projects. BUT It was a big deal! Every project is different and has it’s unique challenges; you’re also dealing with a lot of changes in your body, so that should not be taken lightly. Regardless of what stage you are in your property journey, my advise would be to hire a good PM and don’t be involved other than overseeing it lightly.
- When dealing with builders and contractors, you should ensure the project is well documented from the onset to avoid any issues later down the line. Try to stick with a builder or contractor you’ve dealt with before to minimise the risks. However, if it is a new contractor then definitely take the time to vet them properly, check previous projects, get more than one referral as part of your due diligence. It’s more crucial now than ever before.
- Protect yourself and pregnancy at all times, this is not only about limiting the amount of time you go on site, but it’s also about the emotional toil or toll if things start to go badly. You need to create a barrier to ensure you don’t expose your already fragile state to any more stress or tension. If you have a husband or partner, then get them to attend the site, so they can create a buffer, filter out and only report back what is essential.
The 21st century woman definitely likes to feel completely invincible and that we can do everything, but when you’re pregnant, I think you have to take a more cautious approach. Building wealth and assets is one thing but “building” a baby is quite another and we all know which one takes the ULTIMATE priority!
Many thanks to Delia @pregnancywithoutfear for reaching out to ask me this question and was the first time I had ever truly contemplated the impact it had on me.
To hear the podcast you can check it out here.
