Tj Atkinson, who spent his childhood in a cramped council flat, has defied his challenging upbringing, now owning 15 homes within a remarkable three-year span.
Having moved to the UK from Nigeria at 10, Tj, along with his family, faced appalling living conditions in a poorly maintained London flat. Recalling the experience,
he shared, “I was too embarrassed to invite friends back to mine, which then led to some bullying. This made me hate housing, property and anyone in property.”
Despite a transient childhood marked by multiple relocations, Tj’s perseverance and ambition became evident as he worked tirelessly to save money for his inaugural home purchase.
In 2021, he successfully secured his first property in Southampton for £45,000, utilizing a 15% deposit. Reflecting on his nomadic upbringing, Tj shared, “We moved around quite a bit, and I ended up going to five different primary schools.
This might have played a part in getting into property [investing] as a way to find some stability and stop being moved around.” With a desire to create welcoming homes, Tj embarked on property renovation, finding joy in providing quality rentals and fostering tenant satisfaction.
The success of his initial venture fueled his determination to expand his property portfolio. Presently, he owns 15 homes, with plans for further development, including a two-bedroom house on a valued plot of land. Tj adopts a strategic approach, sourcing properties, often through auctions, and renovating them to enhance their appeal and functionality.
“We then do the refurbishment on them or convert the garages into additional bedrooms, which increases the value of the property which I can then sell for a profit. Which then funds the next purchase, or I do the exact same thing, but rather than selling, because I have increased the value of the property, I can then ask the bank for a larger loan/mortgage.
This larger loan/mortgage then allows me to use that money to buy another property. I have bought six auction properties, which can be very tricky as many of them are uninhabitable, and the rest are through agents.
I’ve also bought three properties in the last 30 days and two of them were auction properties. I also own three properties on the same street, as well as four on another!”
Tj’s proud mother, Valentina, is a massive supporter of his ventures.
“My relationship with my mum is great, she now lives in a property she bought herself. I show her every property I buy and she will often go to my new properties and pray for the property. My sister has also bought a house and is now looking at buying some more as we speak. And with my dad, he frequently calls me and asks for updates and pictures on any new property I have bought. He still lives in Nigeria, but visits the UK a couple of times a year.”
Looking back, he can’t believe the state of the flat he once lived in.
“A couple of things have stuck with me, firstly I recently looked at the house prices in the area and wished my mum had bought the property because the value has increased exponentially. Secondly, the conditions and quality of some of the council housing stock in the UK is atrocious.
I would hope that landlords and local councils can focus on improving the standard of the properties they rent out. This is why I focus on creating beautiful properties so that renters enjoy it and have a sense of pride in their homes.”
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