Independent Property Due Diligence
Don't Buy the Story.
Buy Only What the Evidence Supports.
UK property investors lose thousands on hidden flaws, inflated yields, and planning traps their own enthusiasm helped them miss.
Escave Group is your independent, skeptical filter. We audit the deal before you commit, so your capital stays safe.
No sales pitch. No pressure. Just an honest conversation about your deal.
The Cost of Skipping Due Diligence
These Real Losses Were Preventable
Every story below follows the same pattern: an investor committed capital without independent verification. The red flags were there. Nobody checked.
The Planning Trap
Manchester
An investor purchased what appeared to be a permitted HMO conversion. After completion, they discovered an Article 4 Direction had removed permitted development rights. The property was unrentable as planned. Loss on forced resale: over £45,000.
Source: Article 4 enforcement cases documented by UK planning authorities
The Title Defect Nobody Spotted
Newcastle
A freehold purchase completed without thorough title investigation. Post-completion, a shared sewer easement was discovered that blocked the planned extension. Remediation and legal costs exceeded £28,000, and the property was effectively unmortgageable for resale.
Source: Conveyancing failure cases reported by SAM Conveyancing and Property Solvers
The Yield Mirage
North West
Marketing materials promised 9.2% gross yield. Independent analysis revealed actual yield after voids, management fees, and maintenance was 4.8%. The investor's BTL mortgage failed stress tests within 8 months. Total losses from refinancing and void periods: over £35,000.
Source: Rental void research by Sandra Davidson Estates and NatWest mortgage data
What You Actually Get
We do not sell properties. We sell protection, certainty, and the confidence to invest knowing every claim has been independently verified.
Avoid Costly Mistakes
Our independent investigation surfaces the flaws that cost investors thousands. Planning traps, title defects, inflated yields, structural risks, and hidden costs.
Save Days of Research
Skip the endless Rightmove analysis and planning portal searches. Get a structured, evidence-based recommendation delivered to your inbox.
Negotiate from Evidence
Our EDAT report gives you hard data to negotiate a better price, demand repairs, or walk away with confidence.
Sleep at Night
Replace anxiety and second-guessing with a clear, independent recommendation you can trust with your capital.
Adrian Matousu
Founder & Lead Analyst
Your Guide
Why Adrian Audits Every Deal Personally
"I am not here to sell you properties. I am here to be the skeptical, data-driven expert in your corner. The one who tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear."
I have seen too many investors lose money on deals that should never have happened. Overpaying for properties, working with the wrong professionals, or missing red flags that were visible to anyone who knew where to look.
That is why I built Escave Group and the EDAT framework. Not to find you deals, but to protect you from bad ones.
A Filter,
Not a Funnel
Sells Protection,
Not Properties
Loyal to You,
Not the Deal
The Framework Behind Every Report
Built on EDAT
EDAT is Escave's structured evidence, data, analysis and transparency framework. It is the difference between a gut feeling and a structured decision you can defend.
Every deal is checked against the evidence, the claims are challenged, the financials are stress-tested, and the risks are set out plainly. You receive a structured recommendation you can act on with confidence, not a sales pitch.
See the Full EDAT Process
Evidence
Data
Analysis
Transparency
How It Works
Three steps. No jargon. No hidden costs. Just clarity.
Send Us the Deal
Share the property listing, brochure, or deal details. Or book a discovery call and tell us what you are looking for.
We Investigate
Your deal goes through our EDAT framework. We verify the evidence, challenge the claims, check the risks, and stress-test the financials. Timing is confirmed once we have reviewed the scope and the evidence available.
You Decide with Confidence
Receive your written EDAT report with a clear recommendation. Proceed with confidence, negotiate harder, or walk away knowing you dodged a loss.
Choose Your Level of Protection
From a focused Deal Check to a fully managed acquisition. Transparent pricing. No hidden fees. Always independent.
Deal Check
Focused Initial Review
A focused, independent review of a deal you are considering, with a clear recommendation before you commit.
Full Due Diligence
Recommended Before You Commit
A comprehensive independent investigation that verifies the data and challenges the claims before you commit.
Investor Acquisition Service
Fully Managed Acquisition
We search, verify, negotiate and coordinate the entire acquisition through to completion.
Illustrative Example
How a Deal Check Can Change the Decision
An illustrative example of the kind of issue an independent review can surface. Figures are not shown as a guaranteed or typical result.
The Situation: A client came to us excited about a "below market value" property in the North West. The agent had marketed it as a permitted development opportunity with projected 8.5% yield.
What We Found: Our EDAT analysis uncovered a planning restriction in the local development plan that would have blocked the intended conversion entirely. The "8.5% yield" was based on projected rents that did not exist in the local market. Comparable evidence showed actual achievable rents were 35% lower.
The Recommendation: Do not proceed. The client withdrew before committing capital to a property that could not deliver what had been promised.
"Adrian told me not to buy. Six months later, that development collapsed."
Portfolio Investor, Manchester
Client Feedback
What Investors Tell Us
Names withheld at client request. Service tier, role, and location verified.
“The EDAT report was worth ten times what I paid. For the first time, I understood every risk before committing my capital.”
First-time BTL investor
Manchester · Deal Check client
“Having Adrian's vetted team handle everything from solicitor to property manager made the process seamless. I will not go back to doing it alone.”
Portfolio investor (8 units)
Cheshire · Investor Acquisition Service client
“I was about to overpay based on inflated agent yields. The Deal Check showed me the real numbers before I committed. Money very well spent.”
Limited company landlord
Liverpool · Deal Check client
The 27 Red Flags That Cost UK Property Investors Thousands
A practical checklist drawn from real deals we have audited. Know what to look for before you commit your capital.
Start a Conversation
Tell us about your situation and we will be in touch to discuss how we can help.
No obligation. No pressure. Just an honest conversation about whether we are the right fit.
What happens next?
We will review your enquiry and get back to you within 24 hours. If you would prefer to speak sooner, you can book a free discovery call at a time that suits you.
Common Questions
You absolutely could, and many people do. But our clients are busy professionals who know their time is better spent in their own field. They come to us for independent expertise that catches what untrained eyes miss. A Deal Check gives you a focused, independent review of your deal, with the key risks identified and a clear recommendation before your capital is committed, drawn from experience across many deals and data sources most investors cannot easily access.
Still have questions?