Independent property companyLeeds, Yorkshire
Commercial & mixed-use property
Acquired. Reworked. Held.
We buy underused buildings across Yorkshire and bring them back into use.
Have a property in mind?A buyer. A developer.
A long-term owner.
Empty shops. Unused upper floors. Spaces that need work. We look at the whole building, what it can become and what it will take to get there.
That means looking beyond the particulars: how the space works, what is worth keeping and where careful work can make the difference.
Led by Reese Jake Winder, we bring hands-on carpentry and refurbishment knowledge to the buying decision. We buy for our own portfolio, with direct involvement from the first viewing to the detail of the building.
In our portfolio / Ripon, North Yorkshire
3 North Street, Ripon
The planning-approved proposal leaves the existing ground-floor Class E commercial use unchanged and brings the upper floors back into use as two short-term holiday-let studios.
Interior studies
Azure and Rosso: two proposed interiors with their own point of view.
01 / 03
First floor · Studio 01
Electric peacock teal, raw European oak and brushed bronze.
01 / 03
Second floor · Studio 02
Deep blood-clay, warm neutrals, smoked oak and soft matt black.
Azure Studio and Rosso Studio images are proposed design visuals, not photographs of completed interiors. Finishes and layouts may change through detailed design, Building Regulations and delivery.
The way we see a building
Character is in the details. A well-made door. A useful upper floor. A layout that finally makes sense. We bring a builder’s understanding of the work together with an owner’s interest in what lasts.
Meet the approach
What we buy
Our interest begins where the existing building, its income and its unused potential stop lining up.
Commercial property where vacancy, condition or layout has left useful space without a clear purpose.
Buildings combining commercial and other compatible uses, or with the potential to do so.
Shops and commercial premises with vacant or underused accommodation above.
Property requiring repair, reconfiguration or a carefully tested change of use.
Property where the lease, income or management position does not yet reflect the usefulness of the whole building.
Buildings with permission, supportive history or a property-specific case that warrants proper testing.
Potential uses may include continued commercial use, mixed use, visitor accommodation, C3 residential or HMO accommodation where the property-specific planning, licensing and technical position supports that route.
Open the buying briefProperty lifecycle
Four connected disciplines guide every property-specific decision. Select a stage to see what it must establish.
01 / Source
Opportunities come directly from owners and through agents or professional advisers. We begin with an address or listing link and a named contact. Price, current use and supporting details can follow.
A clear source, a credible fit and enough information for an initial view.
For agents and sourcers
For suitable unlisted opportunities, we are willing to retain the introducing agent and agree a buyer-side fee in writing before detailed appraisal.
We record the source of an opportunity and will not knowingly use an introduction to circumvent an agreed arrangement.
The property, payer, amount, trigger, protection period and scope must be agreed separately in writing. This page creates no appointment or entitlement.
Agents deal with the person assessing the property and receive property-specific feedback wherever practicable.
Winder&StilhausSpecialist interiors
Where a project calls for a bespoke interior or joinery scope, Winder&Stilhaus may be appointed under a separate, property-specific brief. Winder&Stilhaus Limited is a separate legal entity.
Insights and field notes
Latest insight
The two systems answer different questions when a commercial building is being assessed for conversion in England.
Read the evidence-led guide
Useful answers
Yes. Winders of West Yorkshire is a principal purchaser acquiring property for its own portfolio. Leeds is a core area, although every property is considered on its individual merits.
We consider vacant and partly vacant retail property, including shops with underused or separately accessible upper floors. Suitability depends on location, condition, title, price and the credible future use of the building.
Yes. Mixed-use buildings are a principal area of interest, particularly where commercial and other compatible uses can support a balanced long-term strategy.
Yes. Existing permission is useful but not essential. We may consider supportive planning history, pre-application advice or a credible planning case. No future permission is assumed or guaranteed.
Yes. Agents and professional advisers can submit on-market or off-market opportunities. Any fee, retention or confidentiality arrangement must be confirmed separately in writing.
Winders acts as a principal purchaser rather than an intermediary. Funding is arranged for each acquisition and may include third-party finance. We only describe an acquisition as cash funded where that is accurate.
No. Price, income, vacancy, works, planning, title and the proposed commercial terms are assessed together for each property.
No. A submission is an invitation to review the opportunity. It is not an offer, valuation, purchase commitment or confirmation of funding.
Independent by choice
Speak with Reese Jake Winder, the founder considering your property. Explain the building in your own words and put the details that matter directly into the appraisal.
Carpentry and refurbishment experience informs how we consider layouts, condition and the work ahead. Underused space deserves a closer look, with the costs and constraints taken seriously.
We acquire for our own portfolio, with Leeds, West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire at the centre of our search. Vacant space, mixed uses and refurbishment needs can be reasons to start a conversation.
First look
Have an address or a listing link? Send it to Reese for a first look. Add the price and current use if you know them.