I Bought A Derelict Site With A Cannabis Farm On It
Most people saw a derelict site. Karl saw a community.
This week Becky and Ruth sit down with Karl Pearce from Drayton Mere Properties.
Karl ran away from home at 11, joined the Royal Navy, got made redundant, then bought one caravan at a car auction. That caravan turned into one of the UK's biggest caravan and motorhome salvage businesses, shipping vans all over the world. Now he brings empty homes and derelict sites back to life across Cornwall and Devon.
They get into the 2-acre site in Torpoint his own solicitor begged him not to buy. 15 enforcement notices, 2,500 tonnes of fly-tipping, a cannabis farm, and people living on site who had no plans to leave. Karl's way of getting them off wasn't lawyers. It was helping them.
They also talk about why he sold all his residential to go fully commercial, what ethical investing actually means, life on Civvy Street after the Forces, and the retreat centre he wants to build for veterans.
And the bit that stuck with us. Why someone who's built all this still can't let himself feel proud of it. And what he said when his mum asked, "When's enough going to be enough?"
If you've ever thought: "What am I actually building all this for?"
This one's for you.
CHAPTERS
00:00 – From running away at 11 to the Royal Navy
02:20 – The one caravan that started everything
14:05 – The site his solicitor begged him not to buy
21:00 – Why entrepreneurs never feel proud
25:05 – Why he went all in on commercial property
29:00 – What ethical investing really means
31:20 – A retreat centre for veterans
39:00 – "When's enough going to be enough?"
FIND KARL
Website: draytonmereproperties.com
LinkedIn: Karl Pearce (Karl with a K)
Instagram and Facebook: @karlpearce4
Go and look at the before and afters. The pictures don't do it justice.
Links
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KEYWORDS property investing UK, commercial property investing, derelict property renovation, property development Cornwall, Devon property, caravan salvage business, van conversion, ethical investing, ethical property investor, buy-to-let vs commercial, commercial leases, business park development, entrepreneur story, ex-military entrepreneur, life after the Forces, Civvy Street, purpose and wealth, financial freedom, UK property podcast, Honest Property Sisters
Got questions about property, purpose or how to start? DM us, we might make it a whole episode.
The Honest Proper-Tea Podcast.
Honest conversations about building wealth without losing yourself in the process.
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