Table of Contents
1. Property Development in Long Eaton: The D&M Group Model
Property development in Long Eaton is the foundation of the D&M group model, and understanding that foundation explains a great deal about why D&M Building Services operates the way it does. If you have come across D&M Building Services while looking for a building company in Long Eaton, Nottingham, Derby, or the wider East Midlands, you may have also seen a reference to D&M Property Group. The two are related, and the relationship matters.
D&M Building Services and D&M Property Group are two separate, registered companies operating under the same leadership team and based in Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire. D&M Building Services is the construction delivery arm: extensions, loft conversions, renovations, and maintenance contracts. D&M Property Group is the investment and development arm: acquiring, developing, and holding residential property assets across the East Midlands. Property development in Long Eaton and the surrounding area forms the core of the group’s development activity.
The two companies are deliberately distinct, different legal entities, different functions, different client bases. But they share the same values, the same standards, and the same leadership team. And that combination makes both businesses better at what they do. This blog explains what each company does, how they work together, and what that means for homeowners planning a project and for property investors looking for a builder they can genuinely trust.
2. What D&M Building Services Does
D&M Building Services is a Long Eaton-based building company delivering residential and commercial construction projects across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire. Our core services are home extensions, loft conversions, full property renovations, HMO conversions, office and school refurbishments, and planned maintenance programmes for landlords and developers.
We are FMB accredited, a trade body that requires members to meet independent quality and professional standards as a condition of membership. Every project is delivered under a written contract with staged payments, full public liability and employer’s liability insurance, and a formal handover process. Our team is based in Long Eaton and operates across a defined geographic footprint. We are not a national contractor. We are a local building company that knows the East Midlands housing stock and has built a reputation project by project across Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, and the towns in between.
We are led on site by Darren, a trained plasterer with over 20 years of hands-on construction experience, and commercially by Monika, who brings 14 years of senior procurement and commercial management experience from Toyota. Between them, the build side and the business side are covered with the same level of attention and discipline.
3. What D&M Property Group Does
D&M Property Group is the investment and development arm of the group. It acquires, develops, and holds residential property assets across the East Midlands, with property development in Long Eaton and the surrounding areas forming the core of its operating territory.
The Property Group operates across three main activity types. First, buy-to-let acquisitions: identifying residential properties with strong rental fundamentals in Long Eaton, Nottingham, Derby, and the wider East Midlands, acquiring them, and managing them as income-producing assets. Second, conversions and change of use: taking commercial or underutilised buildings and converting them into residential accommodation. Third, speculative development: acquiring sites or properties with development potential and managing the full cycle from planning through to completion.
The current flagship project is the heritage restoration in Kegworth, believed to be the oldest surviving dwelling in Kegworth, Leicestershire, with origins in the 16th century. The four-bedroom, 190-square-metre conversion is expected to complete mid-2026 and represents the group’s capability at the premium heritage end of residential development.
D&M Property Group is not a large-scale developer. It is a focused, active property business that understands the East Midlands market, makes decisions based on commercial discipline, and carries genuine construction expertise into every development decision. That discipline flows directly into how D&M Building Services approaches its client projects.
4. The Leadership Team: Complementary Skills, One Shared Vision
Both D&M Building Services and D&M Property Group are led by Monika and Darren, a partnership that brings together two genuinely complementary skill sets.
Darren is the Construction Director: a trained plasterer who has worked in the trade for over 20 years, understands every phase of a residential build from groundworks to finishing, and leads site delivery across the full project portfolio. His knowledge of how buildings go together, what takes time, what carries risk, what needs to be done properly the first time, is the foundation of the group’s construction capability.
Monika leads the commercial side of both businesses. She spent 14 years in senior procurement and commercial roles at Toyota before joining D&M full time, and holds Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS) status. She is also an Industry Fellow at Nottingham Trent University. Her background is in making complex operations run efficiently, transparently, and to a defined standard, and she has applied that discipline directly to how D&M operates.
The result is a building company with professional commercial infrastructure behind it, proper contracts, proper financial management, proper systems, and a property group that has genuine construction expertise informing every investment decision.
5. 5 Powerful Reasons the Group Structure Makes D&M Different
Reason 1: We Build as If It Were Our Own Investment
D&M Property Group owns and manages property. That means the leadership team has personal skin in the game when it comes to construction quality. When Darren specifies how a foundation should be laid or how a roof junction should be detailed, he is drawing on experience as both a builder and a property owner. When Monika reviews a contract, she thinks about risk the way a property investor thinks about risk.
The practical effect for clients is straightforward: we do not cut corners, because we know what corners cost when they come back around. Every extension, renovation, or conversion we deliver for a client is held to the same standard we would hold ourselves to if it were our own asset.
Reason 2: We Understand What Adds Value, Not Just What Looks Good
The Property Group background means we think about what a project is doing to the value of the asset, not just what it looks like on completion. For homeowners in Long Eaton and Nottingham, that means we can have an informed conversation about whether a particular specification will add genuine value or simply cost more than it returns.
For property investors commissioning refurbishments, this perspective is even more important. We understand the return-on-investment logic of a landlord’s brief. We know which specifications justify the outlay and which do not. We can talk about yield, void periods, and tenant expectations, because these are the same conversations we have within D&M Property Group on our own assets.
Reason 3: We Bring Commercial Rigour That Most Builders Don’t Have
The commercial infrastructure behind D&M Building Services is not typical of a building company of our size. Every project runs under a formal written contract. Variations are documented and agreed in writing before additional work proceeds. We carry full insurance and can evidence it immediately on request. Our quotations are itemised and transparent.
For property investors, a builder with commercial rigour is one you can scale with. If your portfolio grows and you need a contractor to deliver multiple refurbishments in a quarter, you need a building company with the systems to manage that workload. That is what the D&M commercial infrastructure is designed to support.
Reason 4: We Have a Track Record That Extends Beyond Building
D&M Property Group has acquired, developed, and holds assets in the East Midlands property market. That means we have been through the planning system, worked with solicitors, lenders, letting agents, and tenants, and navigated the full lifecycle of a property investment from acquisition to income. We are not a building company that talks about property, we are a group that operates in property, every day.
Reason 5: Our Reputation Is on Every Project We Take On
When a building company is also a property company, reputation is not just a marketing concept, it is a commercial asset. The same lenders, surveyors, solicitors, estate agents, and letting agents who interact with D&M Property Group also interact with D&M Building Services. In the East Midlands property market, the two reputations are, in practice, one. That creates accountability that goes beyond the standard builder-client relationship.
6. Working With D&M as a Property Investor in Long Eaton
For property investors and developers operating in the East Midlands, whether you hold a portfolio of buy-to-let properties in Nottingham or Derby, are planning a conversion in Long Eaton, or are considering a residential development, D&M Building Services offers something most building companies cannot: a contractor that thinks like an investor.
We understand the brief that comes with an investment property refurbishment. Durable, low-maintenance finishes. Specifications that meet EPC and safety requirements without over-capitalising. A programme that minimises void periods. A builder who documents the work properly for insurers, mortgage lenders, and future buyers.
Property development in Long Eaton specifically benefits from D&M’s local knowledge: the typical foundation depths, the drainage considerations, the planning framework under Erewash Borough Council, and the party wall landscape that applies to the area’s terraced and semi-detached streets. We have working relationships with local surveyors, suppliers, and subcontractors built over years of active project delivery in the area.
If you are a landlord with a refurbishment programme, a developer looking for a delivery partner for a conversion, or an investor who has struggled to find a building company in Long Eaton or Nottingham who communicates, documents, and delivers consistently, we would welcome a conversation. Contact us at dm-propertygroup.co.uk or call 0115 877 3009.
7. Our Awards and Accreditations
Our credentials are independently verified through named awards and recognised accreditations:
- FMB Master Builder Awards 2019 – Highly Commended. The UK’s most respected independent construction award, judged by industry experts. Verifiable at fmb.org.uk.
- Construction Company of the Year 2025 – East Midlands (Central England Prestige Awards). Recognised for excellence in residential construction, client service, and project management.
- Building & Maintenance Company of the Year 2024 (Central England Prestige Awards). Celebrated for service excellence and a broad portfolio of successfully delivered projects.
- Home Construction Company of the Year 2023 (Central England Prestige Awards). Recognised for outstanding residential building services across the East Midlands.
- Loft Conversion Specialists of the Year 2022 (Central England Prestige Awards). Awarded for expertise, craftsmanship, and innovative design.
FMB accredited since 2016. CITB accredited. Over 70% of our work comes from referrals and returning clients.
8. Frequently Asked Questions About D&M and Property Development in Long Eaton
Are D&M Building Services and D&M Property Group the same company?
No. They are two separate, registered companies with different company numbers and different functions. D&M Building Services is the construction delivery business. D&M Property Group is the investment and development business, with a focus on property development in Long Eaton and the East Midlands. Both are led by Monika and Darren Walker and based in Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire.
Does D&M Building Services only work for D&M Property Group?
No. D&M Building Services operates as a fully independent building contractor for homeowners, landlords, developers, and commercial clients across Long Eaton, Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, and the East Midlands. D&M Property Group is one of its clients, not its only one. The group structure benefits all clients through the shared standards and commercial rigour it brings to every project.
What types of property development does D&M Property Group focus on?
D&M Property Group focuses on residential property development in Long Eaton and the wider East Midlands, including buy-to-let acquisitions, residential conversions, change-of-use projects, and speculative development. The current flagship project is the 16th-century heritage restoration in Kegworth. The group focuses on assets where genuine value can be added through construction expertise and local market knowledge.
Can D&M Building Services manage the full process for a property investor?
Yes. For landlords and property investors, D&M Building Services can manage the full refurbishment or conversion process, from initial survey and scope of works through to completion and sign-off. We manage planning, party wall, Building Regulations, and subcontractor coordination as standard, and provide the documentation package required for insurers, mortgage lenders, and letting agents.
How do I find out more about D&M Property Group?
Visit dm-propertygroup.co.uk for the full D&M Property Group story, current projects, and investor information. For development partnership or investment enquiries, contact Monika Walker directly at monika@dm-propertygroup.co.uk or call 0115 877 3009. For building and construction enquiries in Long Eaton and across the East Midlands, contact us via dandmbuilders.co.uk.
D&M Building Services is an FMB-accredited, award-winning building company based in Long Eaton, delivering extensions, loft conversions, renovations, and property development across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire. Construction Company of the Year – East Midlands 2025. Part of D&M Property Group.
D&M Building Services · D&M Property Group
dandmbuilders.co.uk · dm-propertygroup.co.uk
Based in Long Eaton | Covering Nottingham, Derby, Leicester & the East Midlands
Get in touch: 0115 877 3009
Further Reading
Home Extensions in Long Eaton – D&M Building Services Blog
Loft Conversion in Long Eaton – D&M Building Services Blog
Extend or Move? 7 Essential Questions – D&M Building Services Blog
