Talking Houses

Talking Houses: hands-free property investment in the North East of England

Talking Houses is a British company specialising in sourcing, refurbishing, letting and managing investment properties in the North East of England. It operates under the trading name Talking Houses North East, owned by TALKING HOUSES (NE) LTD, a company registered in England and Wales with number 11104026. Its activity is aimed at investors who want to build a rental portfolio without getting involved in day-to-day operations.

The company states it has been sourcing properties in the region since 2017 and presents a cumulative track record of over £65 million worth of property sourced, more than 1,800 properties for investors, over 800 clients in the UK and abroad, and more than £10 million in equity generated for its clients. It also states it has over 250 five-star reviews.

Two investment options

Talking Houses structures its offering into two main services, both managed end-to-end by the company.

• Turnkey Buy-to-Let: acquisition of a property ready to let, with no refurbishment needed. It is designed for investors seeking income from day one and a lower initial outlay, from around £30,000. The company charges a one-off fee of £4,995 including VAT, on a property the client owns and keeps.
• BRR Buy-to-Let (Buy, Refurbish, Refinance): purchase, refurbishment and refinancing. The aim is to generate equity through a managed refurbishment and recover most of the capital at refinancing to reinvest it. The starting capital is around £50,000 and the fee is £6,995 including VAT, with full project management. It is aimed at those who want to scale a portfolio quickly.

According to the company's information, typical returns are around 8-10% from cash flow in the turnkey option and around 15-25% in the BRR, plus property appreciation. The company itself warns that returns vary by deal and strategy, and are not guaranteed, and that invested capital carries risk.

Three-step investment process

The working method described by Talking Houses begins with a free 15-minute discovery call, where budget, strategy and timeline are agreed with no prior preparation needed. The company then sources a vetted deal, often off-market and below market value, that fits the client's criteria, and manages the refurbishment. Finally, it secures a tenant and provides support with refinancing where needed, so the investor obtains a cash-flowing property without lifting a finger.

Investor profile and geographic coverage

The company states it works with professionals with savings who want property returns without the hassle, with time-poor first-time investors, with existing investors looking to scale or take a more structured approach, and with portfolio builders who prioritise long-term growth without managing agents, refurbishments or tenants. The service is available to investors both in the UK and abroad.

Its area of operation covers the whole North East of England, from Newcastle to Durham and Sunderland, including County Durham, Cumbria, Darlington, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Teesside, Northumberland and South Shields, as well as other areas of the UK.

Recent deals and market data

Among the recent deals the company showcases are a two-bedroom mid-terrace house in Durham sold with a 17.31% yield and £23,000 day-one equity; another two-bedroom mid-terrace house in County Durham with £365 cash flow and a 35.1% return; a one-bedroom flat in Hull with £212 cash flow; and a four-bedroom detached house with garage in Doncaster, with £724 cash flow and a 7.7% return.

The company justifies investing in the region with data such as an entry point from £30,000, rental yields of 8.8%, forecast price growth of 28.8% by 2030 according to Savills, over £400 million in public regeneration funding, annual rent growth of 4-5% — among the fastest in the UK, according to Zoopla — and an average of twelve tenants competing for every available home, also according to Zoopla.

Structure and registration details

Talking Houses North East is a trading name of TALKING HOUSES (NE) LTD, registered in England and Wales with company number 11104026. Its registered office is at Regus House, 4 Admiral Way, Doxford International, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR3 3XW. The company has VAT number 324 501931, ICO registration ZA512555 and HMRC AML registration XXR007007138081.

Location and contact

Regus House, 4 Admiral Way, Doxford International, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR3 3XW · Phone: 0191 535 8364