The firm is behind major developments in Scotland ranging from rental properties in Candleriggs Court in Glasgow to luxury homes in Canonmills in Edinburgh.

Here, Stephen McKechnie outlines top projects and challenges as the firm is pushing £26 million turnover this year, in this week's Herald business Q&A.

What is your business called? 

Kelvin Properties 

Where is it based? 

We are based out of our new offices at Charing Cross in Glasgow, and operate in both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

What does it produce/do?

We are a residential development business, specialising in both refurbishment and new-build projects with several examples of both in our growing portfolio. We transform underutilised brownfield sites into much-needed properties to create thriving residential communities.

To date, we have developed a mix of private for sale and built to rent. We were one of the first in Scotland to develop a block of apartments exclusively for rent which was at Candleriggs Court in Glasgow,  an urban residential full-scale refurbishment project developed for high quality rental homes. The developments we’ve completed so far also include the multi-million-pound transformation of the former Broomhill Public School into an award-winning 68-apartment development at The Atrium in Broomhill, the  20-unit Mitchell Apartments development near Charing Cross  and the £10m  Waverley Park development in Shawlands.

READ MORE: Historic Glasgow school to be transformed into homes

It’s a very exciting time for the business with many more developments either under way or on the horizon, including 67 St Bernards in Edinburgh which was previously a charity’s warehouse, the reinvigoration of a former school on Napiershall Street in Glasgow’s West End and the transformation of a former DWP office in Lonend, Paisley.

Our developments help councils reach their long-term goals to create liveable city centres with thriving communities at the heart  and create liveable cities, as outlined in the Glasgow City Centre living strategy and Edinburgh City Council’s City Plan 2030.

To whom does it sell?

Our private for sale business sells to a mix of buyers. At our recent Waverley Park development in Shawlands we sold all 34 apartments off-plan in only 12 weeks. This demonstrates the demand for premium new-build homes in excellent locations. With house prices at historic highs, the fact we sell at a fixed price is appealing to many who are fed up of repeatedly missing out on properties selling far in excess of the asking price. The standard of our design is also always at a premium, as are the extra features such as roof gardens and terraces, which really resonates with prospective buyers.

READ MORE: More than 600 inquiries for 48 houses in upmarket Scottish city development

Of the 34 eventual buyers at Waverley Park, the buyer profile was very mixed, with first time buyers, downsizers, investors, and families all acquiring the luxury apartments.  We expect a similar buyer profile at 67 St Bernards in Canonmills, Edinburgh, which is set for completion next summer and launched for sale last week after unprecedented demand. Savills received more than 600 enquiries for the properties which will meet the needs of a broad range of buyers – duplexes for families, one beds for young professionals, two and three beds for upsizers, and penthouses for downsizers.

What is its turnover?

This year the business will turnover approximately £26m. This is largely all driven from our current site in Canonmills, Edinburgh. As we grow our business and open up further sites, this turnover figure will grow significantly in the coming years. 

How many employees? 

We have 12 full-time employees, and have recently appointed our first finance director and head of marketing. We also have a roster of reliable sub-contractors.

Why did you take the plunge?

I was a landlord who had a considerable sized rented portfolio. I spotted an opportunity to move into property development during the credit crunch in 2008, when some others disappeared from the market due to lack of liquidity.

What do you least enjoy?

Previously, it was the constant day to day problems that can emerge when dealing with tradespeople and sub-contractors. Thankfully, as our team grows we have other people to manage this.

What are your ambitions for the firm?  

We are all happy with the path we are on at the moment. We’re very happy on  our growth so far. While we are ambitious, we are patient and have no plans to conquer the world; so many businesses try to grow too quickly and that rarely ends well.  

What single thing would most help? 

The planning process can be quite arduous and bureaucratic. If the system was better resourced it could be streamlined, which would help speed things up. This, in turn, could help to tackle the serious housing shortage in this country.

READ MORE: Work moving at pace on 'wow factor' homes 

A few years ago, we appointed Andrew Duncan as land director from CALA Homes and he has brought a wealth of experience to Kelvin Properties, particularly when it comes to identifying new sites and navigating the planning process, but the process itself needs work. 

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned?

There have been far too many to pick just on,  I think the most crucial thing is to not be stuck in your ways - experience is there to teach you. Learn from what goes well and what doesn’t as much as possible.     

What was your worst moment?

It’s more than a moment, as it lasted four years, but it’s when that’s when our business was transferred by Royal Bank of Scotland to their controversial GRG group, whose treatment of SMEs was deemed to be “highly damaging” after an independent investigation. And it really was.

Like most customers involved, we thought we were going in there for support, only to have the bank attempt to strip out our assets ... thankfully, we survived, but many didn’t.  

What was your best moment?

Definitely exiting the bank with our business still solvent. While there are lots of challenges with any development, there are many great moments too, from securing planning permission and getting on-site for the first time, right through to selling out. It really is great to see the response to the quality of our developments from prospective buyers.  

 How do you relax?

I like to play golf, albeit it’s more a hobby than relaxation, which many amateur golfers will testify to. With my temperament, most of my darkest days have been on a golf course rather than at work.