After 25 years as a yacht electrician on the south coast, Stuart Smart walked away from a career he knew inside out to build something of his own. Since launching My Property Pros Bournemouth in July 2025, he has become the go-to name on his local streets for roof cleaning, brought in commercial work that keeps his diary full months ahead, and started training the next member of his team. Most importantly, he is home for the school plays.
Looking for a new purpose
Twenty-five years is a long time in one industry. Stuart had the skills, the reputation and the income, but the culture of the company he worked for had drifted away from the way he wanted to do business.
“It stopped sitting right with me. I wanted something hands on, something where the standard of the work was mine to set, and something that gave me my evenings and weekends back with my boy.”
Stuart Smart
Over the 2024 Christmas period he started researching. Exterior cleaning came up early. Franchising came up soon after. That led him to My Property Pros.
The thing that made the decision
Stuart requested more information and arranged a call with founders Karen and Dave Prewer. He came off that call knowing.
“From the moment the call ended, I knew it was perfect. It felt as though I had known Karen and Dave for years. Their calm, warm demeanour made me feel incredibly welcome and confident that I would be a great addition to the network.”
Stuart Smart
What he had not expected was how much the ethics of the business would matter to him.
“The morals of this business are what really stood out to me, and they are the reason I am here. Karen and Dave will not cut a corner and they will not let you cut one either. Everything is about doing the job properly and treating the customer the way you would want to be treated. After 25 years somewhere that had lost that, it was exactly what I was looking for.”
Stuart Smart
Wanting to stay cautious, Stuart spoke to existing franchisees before committing.
“The positive feedback only strengthened my confidence. But what truly cemented my decision was seeing the job in action. I spent the day with David Roberts, owner of the Swindon franchise, completing real client work. The hands-on nature of the role was exactly what I was looking for.”
Stuart Smart
He launched My Property Pros Bournemouth in July 2025.
Learning a trade from scratch
Twenty-five years of expertise counts for nothing when you are standing in front of your first roof.
“There is a lot more to exterior property cleaning than meets the eye, and I was starting from zero. That is a strange feeling at my age.”
Stuart Smart
Stuart travelled to Northern Ireland to spend a week with Aidan Davis, franchisee for My Property Pros South Belfast & Lisburn, learning the machinery, the chemistry behind the cleaning products and the method behind every service on the list. He came home and practised on a mate’s roof until he trusted his own hands.
“Aidan also showed me how to market the business, including creating social media content. What’s been great is knowing that if I ever have a question, I can reach out to him. Someone in the network will always come back to you, usually within minutes. There’s no competition between territories. Everyone has the same goal.”
Stuart Smart
Every My Property Pros franchisee is supported by a head office team covering marketing, sales, operations, finance and technical training, plus a network of franchisees who have already solved the problem you are looking at.
The street effect
The practice paid off quickly. Roof cleaning now accounts for around 70% of Stuart’s residential work.
“Roof cleaning sells itself. Once neighbours see the difference, it becomes a keeping up with the Joneses situation. On one road I ended up cleaning five roofs and quoting two more, because everyone could see the quality of the work. No dirty tiles in sight.”
Stuart Smart
My Property Pros franchisees operate from fully equipped, eye-catching vans, the ultimate advert on wheels. A range of complementary, in-demand services means franchisees can work year-round and cross-sell with ease, from roof cleaning, soft washing and render cleaning to sealant application, gutter clearing and maintenance, pressure washing and window cleaning. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, almost all cleaning is completed with both feet firmly on the ground, with MEWP capability and a national rope access team available for work that sits beyond reach.
Commercial, at scale
Residential work built Stuart’s reputation. Commercial work is building his business.
My Property Pros runs MAX, a bespoke commercial sales system led by Head of Sales and Growth James Ainsworth, working alongside Thomas Wright. MAX identifies, approaches and qualifies commercial prospects on behalf of franchisees, so the franchisee arrives at a warm conversation rather than a cold door.
“The commercial side has been a machine. James and the team bring the opportunities to me. I turn up, quote properly, do the job properly, and it turns into more work. I’m not chasing it. It’s coming to me, and it’s coming in volume.”
Stuart Smart
One early enquiry came from a property management firm with no approved exterior cleaning contractor on its supplier list. Stuart completed the first job, the results spoke for themselves, and the relationship opened access to a portfolio running to hundreds of properties across the Bournemouth region. It has not been a one-off, either. It is now one of several commercial relationships feeding his diary.
The future is bright
Stuart started this business with one goal: more time with his son. Every milestone has bought him more of it.
“I’m currently training my brother-in-law so he can eventually join me. Like me, he’s been motivated by seeing the satisfying work I do each day. With him in the business and a team growing around us, I plan to spend even more time during the day with my son, something I simply couldn’t do as an employee. As a franchisee I have the power to make those all-important moments in his childhood. School plays, assemblies, sports days. Starting My Property Pros Bournemouth was the best decision I could have made.”
Stuart Smart
About My Property Pros
Founded in 1996, My Property Pros is the UK’s first and only national exterior property cleaning franchise. Having identified and leveraged a gap in the market close to three decades ago, the brand is now firmly established as a highly profitable, award-winning, multi-van franchise opportunity. Franchisees benefit from cutting-edge technology, proprietary software systems and a team that’s absolutely dedicated to their success.
Individual results vary. The figures in this case study relate to Stuart Smart’s business and were confirmed by him in writing. They are not a guarantee or projection of earnings for any other franchisee.
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