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From Stuck to Started: The Mindset + Money Shifts That Unlocked Our Property Journey

November 17, 2025•4 min read

“Most people don’t get what they want—because they never decide what they want.”

Hi, I’m Deborah. This is the honest version of how we went from excited-but-stuck to taking real action in property. If you’re just getting going in business and property, read this slowly and use the steps.

The Accidental First Step

Our journey began by accident. I bought my mum’s ex-partner out so she could stay in her home. When she later moved closer to us, we let the house on a single tenancy. It’s been let for years and, thankfully, it’s been a smooth experience—proof that ordinary people can start, even if it’s unplanned.

The Roadblock No One Warns You About

About a year and a half later, my husband did a property course. He came home buzzing with strategies… and one big gap: “How do we actually fund this?”

The “solution” we kept hearing was an elite mastermind with a 30k price tag. That wasn’t our path. I had just left a job I’d held for over a decade. Savings were limited. Every penny mattered. We felt boxed in by conventional advice: have big deposits, have a salary, tick the lender’s boxes. Great for some—not for us.

Spinning the Wheel Gets You Nowhere

We learned about bridging finance and released some equity to create options. But with so many strategies on the table, we became that roulette ball—bouncing from idea to idea, not making decisions, and therefore not making progress.

The Message That Changed Everything

We saw people online who were clearly getting results. We reached out.
They said, “We’re part of Real Life.”
We looked it up, booked a two-day introductory event… and it was the best two days we’ve ever invested in ourselves.

Two things landed hard:

1) Mindset: Removing the Hidden Brakes

The training surfaced the real reason we were stuck—old stories and past experiences quietly running the show. It was emotional. It was confronting. And it was the first time we understood why more information wasn’t helping. We didn’t need another strategy. We needed to take the brakes off.

Our shifts:

From “we need more info” → we need more reps (viewings, offers, investor conversations).
From “we can’t without savings” → we can with structured finance and safer deals.
From “what if it goes wrong?” → what’s our risk plan and exit route?

2) Money: Funding Without ‘Elite’ Fees

We learned it’s possible to invest and develop using little or none of your own money—ethically and safely—by creating genuine value for lenders and private investors. Not begging. Not hype. A process:

Finance menu: equity release (used intentionally), bridging (costs, terms, exits), private finance (clear offer and guardrails).
Investor journey: awareness → education → credibility → offer → reporting.
De-risking: comparables, conservative numbers, contingency, power team.
Communication rhythm: updates, photos, transparent problem-solving.

Community & Coaching: Momentum on Tap

We joined the Real Life Tribe. That decision changed our pace. Inside we found beginners, mid-journey operators, and seasoned developers—all sharing documents, calculators, checklists, and the lived realities behind the headlines. We had a coach who actually picked up the phone when it mattered. Decisions got quicker. Confidence grew.

What Progress Looked Like (Tangible, Not Theoretical)

Within the following weeks and months we set a simple cadence and stuck to it. We booked viewings regularly, submitted offers consistently, opened investor conversations, and moved our first deal forward. We built a deal calculator that we could run in minutes. We scheduled weekly check-ins to review actions and obstacles.
No drama. Just momentum.

The Starter Plan We Wish We Had (Copy This)

Pick one strategy and commit for 90 days.
Use a deal calculator that includes rent, bills, voids, finance costs, and maintenance.
Line up finance routes early: equity release options, bridging basics, and a clear private investor offer.
Create a one-page investor fact sheet: who you are, what you do, risk controls, how you communicate.
Join a community where people share real tools and give real feedback.
Set weekly targets: viewings, offers, investor conversations.
Track everything. What gets measured gets done.

Before vs After

Before: overwhelmed, strategy-hopping, waiting for perfect conditions.
After: one strategy, weekly rhythm, coach feedback, first investor conversations, first deal moving.

We didn’t buy success. We built it—one viewing, one offer, one conversation at a time.

Gratitude—And a Choice

I’m grateful we found Real Life. But gratitude without action changes nothing. Decide what you want. Build the plan. Put yourself around people who are doing it. Then move.