James Dubois

James Dubois
GuestInvest Investor - Guesthouse West

James Dubois, a chartered accountant from Epsom in Surrey, was an early investor in GuestInvest, purchasing room Number 15 at Guesthouse West in Notting Hill, in April 2004.

However, in the spring of 2007 James decided that he wanted a change in room and location, so he put his room on the market and set his sights on another attractive commercial buy-to-let opportunity GuestInvest's Nest, a 157 room hotel in Paddington!

Under the GuestInvest concept, investors buy their own fully-maintained room under a 999-year lease, stay there for up to 52 nights a year and also receive 50 per cent of the room's income when it is let out by the hotel on their behalf.

James comments, "My room at Guesthouse West was certainly a good investment, with annual returns averaging over seven per cent. However, once I'd had my room for three years I decided that it was time for a change.

"The location of Nest definitely appealed to me, as Paddington is only a short hop from the West End.

And, although I've opted for a smaller room, I'm looking forward to the different dynamics that a 150 room hotel will have to offer."

When James sold his room, he benefited from 12 per cent capital appreciation on the purchase price. He decided to free up some of the equity on his investment by purchasing a smaller room at Nest and hopes to capitalise on the market of those who would prefer a modestly sized room when they visit the centre of town.

As for selling his room, James says that the process went very smoothly indeed, "I had decided that if a buyer came along and offered an acceptable price I would sell. The beauty of the investment shone through when I carried on taking rental income right up until the day of completion.

"Unlike residential property sales, the move really was hassle free and I didn't suffer financially from a small delay in the sale because visitors to the hotel were still able to use my room. The money clicked into my account right up until the last moment."

James is now looking forward to staying in his new room when Nest opens in late 2007.