Written By By Kristina Castellina.

If you’ve ever felt like “there must be more” then you’re not alone. That voice in my head became so loud that in my late 20s, I took a huge leap of faith and invested my entire life savings (£18k) on property training – something that I had absolutely no experience in, and in fact I was renting and didn’t think I could I even get a mortgage at the time!

Until then, I’d enjoyed travelling around the world as a singer and dancer and had a fun life, but the older I got, the more I worried about security and settling down with a family. I knew that the lifestyle I was living wasn’t something I’d want to continue once I had children.

So, I invested everything I had into learning how to invest in property safely and creatively. My Mum and Dad thought I was nuts and wasted no time in telling me they thought I’d been scammed and pointed out that I now had absolutely no money to buy properties with. I had a moment of doubt and almost cancelled my training, but I just had a feeling that I’d be able to do it. So, I did what I’ve always done and followed my gut.

All these years later I look back and think thank goodness I bet on myself. If you don’t back yourself, then no one else will. I’ve grown a multi-million-pound portfolio, have won and been nominated for property and business awards, and was asked to go on the TV as a “property expert” and now I’m a bestselling author of my book, “Starting from £0 – how to invest in property using other people’s money”.

I now have two young boys and have the flexibility to be present for them whilst still running and growing my business. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I still drop the balls I’m juggling, but generally, I have a great balance and a wonderful lifestyle that I have created for myself.

I’m sure you’re scratching your head, wondering how I’ve done this without any savings. Part of the training was to learn how to structure property deals in a way that has allowed me to work with private investors and offer them higher-than-average interest rates. I’ve generally always brought empty properties that are run down and unused and breathed life back into them through renovation. That’s one of the most satisfying things about being a property investor.

Over the years, I’ve used lots of different property strategies, from flips to buy to lets, working with charities housing vulnerable adults, house shares, and, more recently, holiday lets. I live in South Liverpool, which is where I call home but am originally from Blackpool and I absolutely love the Blackpool Coastline. I own “Highcliffe Luxury Holiday Apartments” which are located on the seafront in Cleveleys and have sea views. No matter what the weather, it’s unbeatable reading a book in the window, drinking a coffee (or wine) and looking out at the sea.

During lockdown, like a lot of people, I got quite down and massively missed connection and seeing groups of friends. Out of this frustration and desire to create a place of sheer fun and positivity I created “Empress Hall” (www.empresshall.co.uk). A celebration mansion house that sleeps 20 guests and is like nothing you’ve seen before. I wanted to make it appeal to all ages and it has something for everyone. From flamboyant art décor to a games room with a pool table, ping pong, air hockey, foozball, Pak Man machines to selfie flower walls, a cinema room with a sweets trolley, Xbox gaming room, Karaoke party room, and 10 unique and beautifully decorated En-suite bedrooms. I’d say in terms of my investing career Empress Hall is probably my proudest achievement because it gives me so much joy.

The message that I really wanted to deliver in my book is that this is possible for anyone. We all have a story, but it’s how you use it that counts. I was fostered and then adopted as a baby, and then in my early teens I was bullied to the point that I refused to go to school because I’d feel so worried and anxious. It definitely left me with some trauma and scar wounds, but it was also the making of me. Our uniqueness is our power, and I really believe if you can fully accept and love yourself, anything is possible. My success has come down to courage, but also owning and making peace with who I am.

Nowadays I spend my time looking for more properties and working with coaching clients. I believe it’s so important to be financially independence, and I love helping people achieve this. The beauty of property is that if you buy well and have a good managing agent it can be 99% passive, which means you earn money in your sleep. Time freedom is so important and more than ever, people need that extra security and peace of mind. That’s not to say it’s always easy, but it is 100% worth it. I hang out a lot on Instagram and give out a lot of free content and property education.

@thegoodlife_propertyinvestor or you can reach me on my website www.kristinacastellina.co.uk.