Risking 58K on Credit Cards to Build a Portfolio with Mark Downie
05/12/25 • 60 min
In this episode, Nick and Steven are joined by property investor and construction professional Mark Downie, who shares his incredible journey from working on mega-projects in Saudi Arabia to building a property portfolio back home in Scotland.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale, this episode offers a raw and honest look at what it really takes to build a portfolio while working abroad.
Episode Highlights
🏗️ Mark’s Journey: Construction & Property Investing
- From civil engineering in Scotland to managing billion-dollar infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia
- How he transformed an 8-bed Victorian villa in Falkirk as his first big project
🏠 Portfolio Building: Buy-to-Let & Flips
- Scaling to 11 properties in under a year with deals in Aberdeen and Falkirk
- Using credit cards and investor finance to fund deposits and renovations
- His first successful flip and how off-market deals helped him get started
📉 Lessons from a Failed Serviced Accommodation
- The painful £18k loss on a Bathgate SA due to planning rejection
- Why it’s critical to have multiple exit strategies and check licensing rules early
- The differences between SA rules in Aberdeen vs West Lothian
💷 Financing & Lender Challenges
- Tips for expats navigating UK mortgages while living abroad
- How Mark structures deals for better tax efficiency and cash flow
- Refinancing wins and losses — and dealing with down valuations
🌍 Saudi Arabia Mega Projects & Life Abroad
- Inside the $500 billion NEOM “Line” project and what it’s like building in the desert
- Why working abroad offers tax advantages—but comes with family sacrifices
- Mark’s plan to return home, scale to 30-50 properties, and support other investors with project management services
Mark’s story is a powerful example of resilience, risk-taking, and real-world property investing. Whether you’re working offshore, considering SA, or looking for ways to scale, this episode is packed with practical lessons and cautionary tales. Get the full picture on building wealth through property while navigating the challenges of today’s market.
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Prime Property Auctions – Sell your property with no upfront costs and control the reserve price.
Prime Property Auction: www.instagram.com/primepropertyauctions/
John: www.instagram.com/john_property_auctioneer/
Luis: www.instagram.com/luis_property_auctioneer/Visit Prime Property Auction website: https://primepropertyauctions.co.uk/
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Follow us on all of our social media accounts: https://linktr.ee/scottishpropertypodcast
**DISCLAIMER**Please do your own due diligence on any of our guests you may decide to do business with. We interview in good faith. However, we cannot be held responsible for any credibility issues that may arise.
🤝 Visit one of our monthly networking meet-ups. We run them on the 1st Wednesday of each month and have some fantastic guest speakers.🎟 Book your place at the networking events here
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hope you find content useful and we would really appreciate it if you could leave a review on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Connect with us on social media:🔗 Join our private Facebook group
🔗 Follow us on Instagram
📩 Email us:
In this episode, Nick and Steven are joined by property investor and construction professional Mark Downie, who shares his incredible journey from working on mega-projects in Saudi Arabia to building a property portfolio back home in Scotland.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale, this episode offers a raw and honest look at what it really takes to build a portfolio while working abroad.
Episode Highlights
🏗️ Mark’s Journey: Construction & Property Investing
- From civil engineering in Scotland to managing billion-dollar infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia
- How he transformed an 8-bed Victorian villa in Falkirk as his first big project
🏠 Portfolio Building: Buy-to-Let & Flips
- Scaling to 11 properties in under a year with deals in Aberdeen and Falkirk
- Using credit cards and investor finance to fund deposits and renovations
- His first successful flip and how off-market deals helped him get started
📉 Lessons from a Failed Serviced Accommodation
- The painful £18k loss on a Bathgate SA due to planning rejection
- Why it’s critical to have multiple exit strategies and check licensing rules early
- The differences between SA rules in Aberdeen vs West Lothian
💷 Financing & Lender Challenges
- Tips for expats navigating UK mortgages while living abroad
- How Mark structures deals for better tax efficiency and cash flow
- Refinancing wins and losses — and dealing with down valuations
🌍 Saudi Arabia Mega Projects & Life Abroad
- Inside the $500 billion NEOM “Line” project and what it’s like building in the desert
- Why working abroad offers tax advantages—but comes with family sacrifices
- Mark’s plan to return home, scale to 30-50 properties, and support other investors with project management services
Mark’s story is a powerful example of resilience, risk-taking, and real-world property investing. Whether you’re working offshore, considering SA, or looking for ways to scale, this episode is packed with practical lessons and cautionary tales. Get the full picture on building wealth through property while navigating the challenges of today’s market.
----------------------------------------------------------
Prime Property Auctions – Sell your property with no upfront costs and control the reserve price.
Prime Property Auction: www.instagram.com/primepropertyauctions/
John: www.instagram.com/john_property_auctioneer/
Luis: www.instagram.com/luis_property_auctioneer/Visit Prime Property Auction website: https://primepropertyauctions.co.uk/
------------------------------------
Follow us on all of our social media accounts: https://linktr.ee/scottishpropertypodcast
**DISCLAIMER**Please do your own due diligence on any of our guests you may decide to do business with. We interview in good faith. However, we cannot be held responsible for any credibility issues that may arise.
🤝 Visit one of our monthly networking meet-ups. We run them on the 1st Wednesday of each month and have some fantastic guest speakers.🎟 Book your place at the networking events here
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hope you find content useful and we would really appreciate it if you could leave a review on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Connect with us on social media:🔗 Join our private Facebook group
🔗 Follow us on Instagram
📩 Email us:
Previous Episode
Mastering Yourself to Win Big – with Colin Campbell
In this special episode, co-host Nick Ponty sits down with Colin Campbell to delve into a refreshingly candid conversation that strays from the usual property chat and instead dives deep into the world of personal growth, mindset shifts, and life transformation.
🎧 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Colin's powerful journey of self-discovery and how personal development became the foundation for his success.
- Why men struggle to talk openly about emotions and personal challenges—and how breaking that silence can be transformative.
- The importance of showing up as your authentic self in business and life.
- Colin’s thoughts on masculinity, mental health, vulnerability, and purpose.
- Tips on how to build confidence, resilience, and inner peace, even when life gets hard.
- The role of daily practices like journaling, breathwork, and fitness in maintaining emotional well-being.
- How being part of a growth-focused community can elevate your mindset and your results.
🔥 Whether you're a property investor, entrepreneur, or simply someone looking to level up personally and professionally, this episode is packed with value.
----------------------------------------------------------
Prime Property Auctions – Sell your property with no upfront costs and control the reserve price.
Prime Property Auction: www.instagram.com/primepropertyauctions/
John: www.instagram.com/john_property_auctioneer/
Luis: www.instagram.com/luis_property_auctioneer/Visit Prime Property Auction website: https://primepropertyauctions.co.uk/
------------------------------------
Follow us on all of our social media accounts: https://linktr.ee/scottishpropertypodcast
**DISCLAIMER**Please do your own due diligence on any of our guests you may decide to do business with. We interview in good faith. However, we cannot be held responsible for any credibility issues that may arise.
🤝 Visit one of our monthly networking meet-ups. We run them on the 1st Wednesday of each month and have some fantastic guest speakers.🎟 Book your place at the networking events here
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hope you find content useful and we would really appreciate it if you could leave a review on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Connect with us on social media:🔗 Join our private Facebook group
🔗 Follow us on Instagram
📩 Email us:
Next Episode
100 Properties Before 28 - The Strategy Behind the Scale with Ewan Dudding
In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven are joined once again by serial investor and mortgage broker Ewan Dudding — who has now scaled to over 100 properties and relocated to Dubai while running a high-volume brokerage and build team.
Episode Highlights:
🏗️ Scaling the Portfolio
- Now owns over 100 units, including 17 HMOs and multiple portfolios
- Buying properties every 5 days for himself and every 2.5 days for clients
- Refurbs running at £100k/month with two build teams and vans on the road
- Targets £300–£350/month cash flow per unit
💰 Raising & Recycling Finance
- Started with £80K savings and raised his first £80K from a friend
- Now borrows from clients and private investors at up to 10% interest
- Uses bridging and refinance model to pull money out in as little as 6 weeks
- Key advice: raise capital from people who trust you, not just property people
📊 Broker Business & Mortgage Insights
- Team of five and pushing through 10–12 mortgage applications per day
- Specialises in bridging, BTLs, and portfolio lending for landlords
- Explains how surveyors, lender relationships, and product switches impact deals
- Partnered with Go Financial and growing organically through referrals
🌍 Life in Dubai & Business Mindset
- Relocated recently for lifestyle and productivity — not just tax benefits
- Says time difference gives him focus and freedom before UK wakes up
- Still works 14-hour days and prefers growing his business to relaxing on the beach
- Hasn't bought a car, lives modestly, and reinvests every pound
----------------------------------------------------------
Prime Property Auctions – Sell your property with no upfront costs and control the reserve price.
Prime Property Auction: www.instagram.com/primepropertyauctions/
John: www.instagram.com/john_property_auctioneer/
Luis: www.instagram.com/luis_property_auctioneer/Visit Prime Property Auction website: https://primepropertyauctions.co.uk/
------------------------------------
Follow us on all of our social media accounts: https://linktr.ee/scottishpropertypodcast
**DISCLAIMER**Please do your own due diligence on any of our guests you may decide to do business with. We interview in good faith. However, we cannot be held responsible for any credibility issues that may arise.
🤝 Visit one of our monthly networking meet-ups. We run them on the 1st Wednesday of each month and have some fantastic guest speakers.🎟 Book your place at the networking events here
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hope you find content useful and we would really appreciate it if you could leave a review on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Connect with us on social media:🔗 Join our private Facebook group
🔗 Follow us on Instagram
📩 Email us:
[email protected]
#scottishpropertypodcast #propertyinvestment #buytolet #bridgingfinance #portfoliobuilder #hmoinvesting #mortgagebroker #dubailife #realestateuk #landlordlife #propertyrefurbs #privatefinance #scalingup
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