5 Bed / 5 Bath Doncaster HMO Case Study – Recently Completed HMO

October 16, 2026

5 Bed / 5 Bath Doncaster HMO Case Study – Recently Completed HMO

We are absolutely delighted to share our latest completed HMO property investment in Cantley, Doncaster, where our in-house development team has transformed a very, VERY run-down three-bedroom house into a fantastic five-bedroom, five-bathroom HMO property, providing high-quality, affordable accommodation for professional tenants.

What makes this particular development even more satisfying is that the property is already fully tenanted, with all five rooms taken by a local engineering company through our in-house lettings team. Our investor now owns a completely refurbished, fully managed HMO property in one of Doncaster’s desirable residential areas, with a fixed development cost and no unexpected refurbishment bills.

With over 34 years of experience developing and managing HMO properties in Doncaster, we understand exactly what makes a successful professional HMO investment. Today, our portfolio consists of over 600 HMO rooms, with an overall occupancy rate sitting at a little over 95%.

This latest Cantley development is another example of the fully managed, end-to-end HMO investments we specialise in delivering at Foot Forward Property Investments.

From a Run-Down Three-Bedroom House to a Modern Five-Bedroom HMO

When we initially acquired this property in Cantley, Doncaster, it was in desperate need of attention. The original three-bedroom house was extremely run-down and required considerably more than a fresh coat of paint and a new kitchen.

Our approach was to carry out a complete back-to-brick refurbishment, turning what was a tired residential property into a modern, fully compliant HMO designed around the needs of professional tenants.

We began by assessing the existing layout and identifying how we could make the best use of the available space. Rather than attempting to squeeze additional bedrooms into the original footprint, we designed a substantial extension that would allow us to create five generously sized bedrooms, each with its own private ensuite bathroom, while retaining comfortable communal living space.

As standard, every single bedroom in our HMO developments has its own private ensuite bathroom. We never implement shared bathrooms in our HMO properties, nor do we expect tenants to share ensuite facilities with other occupants. Each tenant has their own dedicated bathroom, which we believe is an essential feature of high-quality professional HMO accommodation.

Our in-house team handled the planning process for the extension, removing the need for our investor to coordinate architects, planning consultants and separate building contractors. We also handled the HMO licensing process, ensuring the completed property met the relevant requirements for occupation.

Once the necessary approvals were in place, our construction team carried out the refurbishment over a 13-week period, transforming the property from top to bottom.

The completed development includes five fully furnished bedrooms, five private ensuite bathrooms, a brand-new communal kitchen, upgraded interiors throughout and carefully planned external improvements, including landscaping, a generously sized rear garden and off-street parking for five vehicles.

The result is a property that looks and functions entirely differently from the house we started with.

The Numbers Behind This Doncaster HMO Investment

One of the biggest advantages of developing an HMO property rather than purchasing an established, ready-made HMO is the opportunity to add substantial value through refurbishment and improvements.

For this particular investment in Cantley, our investor purchased the original property directly from Foot Forward Property Investments before instructing our team to complete the development.

The costs were as follows:

Investment breakdown	Cost
Original three-bedroom property purchase	£140,000
Complete refurbishment, extension, furniture, landscaping and VAT	£146,325
Total investment excluding SDLT	£286,325
Development period	13 weeks
Completed accommodation	5 bedrooms / 5 private ensuites
Current occupancy	100%
Tenant arrangement	Company let to a local engineering firm

The total development investment was £286,325, plus Stamp Duty Land Tax and any applicable purchasing costs.

Importantly, this was a fixed-price refurbishment under our Price Lock Promise. The £146,325 refurbishment budget included the agreed works, furnishings, extension, external improvements and VAT, meaning that unexpected refurbishment costs were not passed onto our investor.

For investors who have previously experienced construction budgets spiralling out of control, this provides a much clearer understanding of their total capital commitment from the outset.

It also demonstrates why we continue to favour carefully selected HMO development opportunities in South Yorkshire. By purchasing a property that requires significant improvements and carrying out the work through our own team, investors can fund improvements that are intended to increase the underlying asset’s value, rather than paying a premium for an existing HMO developed by somebody else.

Fully Tenanted: All Five Rooms Taken by a Local Engineering Company

One of the most pleasing aspects of this recently completed HMO in Cantley is that our in-house lettings team has already secured tenants for the entire property.

A local engineering firm has agreed to take all five bedrooms under a company letting arrangement, providing accommodation for its professional workforce.

As a result, the property is now 100% tenanted, with all five bedrooms occupied through the company let.

This reflects the type of rental demand we have experienced across Doncaster for well-maintained professional HMO accommodation, particularly properties that provide spacious bedrooms, private ensuite facilities, suitable communal areas and convenient parking.

Our HMO developments are not designed around student accommodation, social housing or temporary accommodation contracts. We focus entirely on providing high-quality homes for working professionals, including those employed in engineering, logistics, manufacturing and other established sectors across South Yorkshire.

In this instance, the quality and layout of the completed property made it particularly suitable for a local employer seeking accommodation for its workforce.

Over 34 Years of Developing and Managing HMOs in Doncaster

At Foot Forward Property Investments, we have spent over 34 years developing and managing HMO properties in Doncaster, giving us extensive first-hand experience of the local rental market, tenant expectations and the importance of selecting the right property in the right location.

Over that period, our team has developed more than 450 HMO properties, and our current portfolio consists of over 600 professional HMO rooms under management.

Our overall HMO portfolio currently sits at a little over 95% occupancy across those 600+ rooms, reflecting the continued demand for well-maintained, affordable professional accommodation in the areas where we operate.

These are not student HMOs or properties reliant on social housing contracts. Our portfolio consists of professional HMO accommodation, with properties specifically designed to attract working tenants who value spacious rooms, private bathrooms, suitable communal facilities and well-maintained living environments.

Our experience has also taught us that occupancy is not simply about offering the cheapest room in an area. Tenants are increasingly selective about where they live, and properties with poor layouts, inadequate bathrooms, limited parking and neglected communal spaces can struggle to attract and retain good tenants.

This is precisely why we continue to invest heavily in the quality and practicality of our developments, rather than attempting to maximise bedroom numbers at the expense of the people living in them.

Why Cantley, Doncaster, Is an Attractive Location for HMO Investments

Location has always been central to our approach to property development, and Cantley is an excellent example of the type of residential area we look for when sourcing HMO investment opportunities in Doncaster.

Situated to the south-east of Doncaster city centre, Cantley benefits from established residential neighbourhoods, access to local amenities and convenient connections to employment areas across Doncaster and the wider South Yorkshire region.

For professional tenants who need to travel to work, having suitable road connections, off-street parking and a comfortable place to live can make a significant difference when deciding where to rent.

Cantley also appeals to homeowners and families, which is an important consideration when looking at the longer-term prospects of an investment property.

We do not believe investors should focus exclusively on rental yields while ignoring the underlying bricks-and-mortar asset. The location, property condition, surrounding housing market and potential for future capital appreciation all deserve consideration.

In our view, Cantley offers an attractive combination of professional rental demand and longer-term capital growth potential, particularly for a property that has undergone such an extensive refurbishment.

Five Parking Spaces and a Generously Sized Garden

One aspect of this development that we are particularly pleased with is the amount of outdoor space available to tenants.

The completed property benefits from off-street parking for five cars, meaning that every bedroom has access to a parking space.

This is an increasingly valuable feature for professional HMO accommodation, particularly where tenants rely on their vehicles to commute to workplaces across Doncaster and South Yorkshire.

Parking also reduces the likelihood of unnecessary pressure on neighbouring streets, something we have always considered when designing and developing HMOs.

At the rear, the property has a fantastic-sized garden, giving tenants their own outdoor space to relax, socialise and enjoy during the warmer months.

We have always believed that developing successful HMO properties involves much more than simply adding extra bedrooms. Tenants want comfortable accommodation that genuinely feels like a home, and we design our properties accordingly.

This is also why we insist that every bedroom has its own private ensuite bathroom. We have never believed that professional tenants should have to share bathrooms when the property can be properly designed to accommodate individual facilities.

After more than 34 years in the HMO market, one lesson has remained consistent: a happy tenant is a long-term tenant.

By providing good-sized ensuite bedrooms, comfortable communal spaces, gardens and practical parking, we aim to attract tenants who are happy to remain in their accommodation rather than constantly searching for somewhere better.

For the investor, longer tenancies can help reduce turnover, marketing costs and periods without rental income.

A Completely End-to-End HMO Investment, Including Licensing and Refinancing Support

Perhaps the most significant benefit for our investor is that they have not needed to coordinate the purchase, design, construction, licensing, letting or ongoing management of this property themselves.

At Foot Forward Property Investments, we handle the entire process through our own team.

For this Cantley HMO development, our involvement included sourcing and supplying the original property, preparing the development plans, handling the planning requirements for the extension, carrying out the complete refurbishment, furnishing the bedrooms, completing the landscaping, handling the HMO licensing and preparing the finished property for occupation.

Our involvement does not end when the building work finishes.

Unlike many HMO developers who simply hand over the keys and leave investors to find an independent managing agent, we have our own dedicated lettings and property management operation.

Our lettings team exclusively manages HMO properties developed by Foot Forward Property Investments. We do not take on external HMO properties developed by other companies or landlords.

This approach gives us a detailed understanding of the properties under our management because we know exactly how they were designed, built, furnished and equipped.

Our team handles tenant sourcing, tenancy administration, rent collection, property inspections, maintenance, utility bill payments, ongoing compliance, HMO licensing and licence renewals, alongside the other responsibilities involved in managing a professional HMO.

For investors, it means having a single experienced organisation responsible for both the original development and the ongoing operation of their property.

We will also assist this investor with sustainable refinancing when the time comes, helping them explore suitable mortgage options based on the completed property, its rental performance and an appropriate valuation.

We believe refinancing should be approached sensibly. Our focus is on securing an appropriate level of borrowing that allows the investor to retain a healthy rental surplus, rather than encouraging excessive leverage simply to release the maximum possible amount of capital.

Where suitable, refinancing can allow investors to release some of the capital tied up in a completed HMO development while retaining ownership of the underlying property and its ongoing rental income. The amount available will depend on the lender’s valuation, lending criteria, interest rates and the property’s financial performance.

This is another advantage of working directly with an experienced HMO developer and management firm. Our involvement continues long after the original development has been completed.

Why We Continue to Develop Five-Bedroom HMOs in Doncaster

Five-bedroom HMOs remain an important part of our investment offering, particularly in established residential locations such as Cantley.

When designed properly, they provide a sensible balance between accommodation quality, rental income potential, development costs and long-term management requirements.

Our preference has always been to create properties that tenants genuinely want to live in, rather than attempting to squeeze the maximum possible number of bedrooms into the smallest available building.

Every HMO we develop has private ensuite facilities for every bedroom. Shared bathrooms are simply not part of our development model, and we believe the additional investment required to provide proper ensuite accommodation is justified by the improved living standards it creates.

We also pay close attention to the long-term running costs of each investment. Affordable rents, durable fixtures and fittings, practical layouts and efficient ongoing management are all important in protecting an investor’s net rental income.

Our experience has taught us that successful HMO investing is not about advertising the highest possible gross yield. It is about what the investor actually retains after the costs of operating the property have been accounted for.

That is why we focus on NET rental yields and the long-term performance of the underlying property.

With over 450 HMO developments completed, more than 600 rooms under management and portfolio occupancy currently exceeding 95%, we have considerable first-hand experience of what works in the Doncaster professional rental market.

Looking for a Fully Managed HMO Property Investment in Doncaster?

This recently completed five-bedroom, five-bathroom HMO in Cantley is another example of what can be achieved by combining a carefully selected property, an experienced in-house development team and professional ongoing management.

From a severely neglected three-bedroom house to a completely refurbished, fully furnished HMO with five private ensuite bathrooms, five parking spaces and a spacious garden, the transformation was completed in just 13 weeks of refurbishment work.

Our investor now owns the finished property, with all five bedrooms taken by a local engineering company, and our in-house management team overseeing the ongoing operation, including compliance, maintenance, inspections, utility bills and future licence renewals.

We will also be supporting the investor with sustainable refinancing when appropriate, ensuring they can consider their longer-term investment options without taking on unnecessary financial risk.

With a total development investment of £286,325 plus SDLT, and a fixed refurbishment cost that protected the investor from unexpected construction bills, this project reflects the development approach we have followed for more than three decades.

If you are considering investing in a fully managed HMO property in Doncaster or elsewhere in South Yorkshire, our team can help you identify suitable opportunities and manage the entire development, licensing, letting and ongoing property management process.

View our available HMO property investments today:

www.footforwardproperties.co.uk/hmo-for-sale

Property costs and occupancy figures relate to the stated development and portfolio position at the time of publication. Future rental returns, occupancy, refinancing availability and capital appreciation are not guaranteed.