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Property Developer Show - The Podcast
Topics may include planning, economics, investment strategies, legal considerations, market trends, finance modelling and more. Engage in discussions, gain insights, and enhance your understanding of the ever-evolving property development landscape.
Property Developer Show - The Podcast
“I Nearly Ended My Life" - Quitting Drugs and Prison for Property Investing | Ian Cowie: Episode 69
Ian Cowie shares his remarkable journey from addiction and prison to building a growing property portfolio while working full-time as a scaffolder. Once trapped in a cycle of drugs and violence that landed him a 9-year prison sentence, Ian hit rock bottom during lockdown and made the decision to turn his life around.
Today, he’s not only a property investor with 14 properties (and 10 more in legals), but also an full-time scaffolder, ultramarathon runner, mountain climber, and devoted parent.
We dive into:
- His early struggles with addiction and prison life
- The turning point during lockdown that changed everything
- How he built his portfolio to 14 properties in 4 years
- Why comfort is the killer of growth
- The mindset that drives him to keep pushing limits in both property and fitness
This is a brutally honest, no-excuses story about resilience, risk-taking, and building a better future.
Contact Ian:
https://instagram.com/ian_cowie_property/
https://linkedin.com/in/ian-cowie-419b33119/
Property Developer Show:
https://instagram.com/propertydevelopershow/
https://tiktok.com/@propertydevelopershow
https://linkedin.com/company/property-developer-show
https://facebook.com/propertydevelopershow
Join us live at the Property Developer Show as we tour different cities across the UK in 2025!
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect, learn, and grow within the property development community.
Register for your FREE tickets now: https://www.propertydevelopershow.co.uk
00:00 Coming up
00:29 From drugs & prison to ultramarathons & property
08:33 Ad: Property Developer Show + Tide
11:05 The first property deal
14:50 Lessons and mistakes from early deals
19:48 Advice to my younger self
25:54 Ad: Vast
28:02 Growing from 1 to 10+ properties
31:36 Building a team and working with contractors
39:30 Why boring work builds success
41:43 Ad: Roma Finance
46:52 How to connect with Ian
Thank you to our sponsors:
Tide Business - The all-in-one business finance platform designed to run your property business better. Open a Business Current account with them and spend £100 to get £50 cashback. T&C's apply.
Sign up link: https://glnk.io/91954/property-developer-show9gz.
Promocode: PDS
Vast Commercial Finance
Website: https://vastcommercialfinance.com/
Email: info@vastcommercialfinance.com
Property Developer Show ©️ serves solely as a podcast platform. The perspectives and opinions presented by our guests, sponsors, and third-party contributors are independent and do not represent our own views, nor should they be considered as investment advice. We do not provide guidance on investment strategies for individuals or organisations. It is recommended that all investment decisions be approached with caution under the supervision of professional advice. Property Developer Show is a trading style of Voxity Media Ltd. ©️ 2025 Voxity Media Ltd.