HOWGATE PROPERTIES AND LETTING LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC282977 · ltd · incorporated 2005-04-08
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to May 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate
Sector: Real estate
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 78-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 78). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
5 officers (2 active, 5 linked, 1 with DOB)
74
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
52 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0May 2024May 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-05-312024-05-31
Average employees00

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (24 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-09-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-02-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-10-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-08-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-05-19
    ➕
    GREENAN, Caroline appointed
    secretary
  6. 2022-05-19
    ➖
    GILLESPIE, Norman resigned
    secretary
  7. 2022-05-19
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  8. 2022-05-19
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  9. 2021-07-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  10. 2021-02-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  11. 2020-03-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  12. 2019-06-26
    📄
    gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
    gazette · DISS40
  13. 2019-06-25
    📄
    gazette-notice-compulsory
    gazette · GAZ1
  14. 2019-02-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  15. 2018-02-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  16. 2017-02-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  17. 2016-06-24
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  18. 2005-04-08
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As HOWGATE PROPERTIES AND LETTING LIMITED
  19. 2005-04-08
    ➕
    FREW, James appointed
    director
  20. 2005-04-08
    ➕
    GILLESPIE, Norman appointed
    secretary
  21. 2005-04-08
    ➕
    BRIAN REID LTD. appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  22. 2005-04-08
    ➖
    BRIAN REID LTD. resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  23. 2005-04-08
    ➕
    STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  24. 2005-04-08
    ➖
    STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 78 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

100/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 78 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 21 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 21 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr James Frew
Individual · British · DOB 12/1948 · age 78
——sig. influencesignificant influence22/03/2017

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

🔒Co-director network graph

Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Similar companies

Active · Property · KA postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
FREEPORT SCOTLAND LIMITED→
SC087372 · est 1984
£2.26M
£1.92M–£2.60M
—£2.26M—42y8365y
ROBB DONALD & CO. LIMITED→
SC109886 · est 1988
£1.67M
£1.42M–£1.92M
—£1.67M—38y8376y
DOONBANK INVESTMENTS LIMITED→
SC089875 · est 1984
£1.61M
£1.37M–£1.85M
—£1.61M—41y8369y
DS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LIMITED→
SC372145 · est 2010
£234.1k
£199.0k–£269.2k
—£234.1k—16y8361y
MCG PROPERTIES LIMITED→
SC297086 · est 2006
£111.8k
£95.0k–£128.6k
—£111.8k—20y8371y
BARRA SHELL LIMITED→
SC293764 · est 2005
———20020y8360y
BLUEHOUSE SCOTLAND LTD.→
SC214253 · est 2000
———025y8367y
CORUM (AYR) LIMITED→
SC287161 · est 2005
———160020y8370y
DMVE TRUSTEE LIMITED→
SC043088 · est 1966
———060y8360y
INVERGOWER ESTATES LIMITED→
SC211407 · est 2000 · no financials extracted
————25y8366y
MILGAR HOMES LIMITED→
SC252617 · est 2003
————22y8371y
THE WESTERN MEETING CLUB 2003 LIMITED→
SC241997 · est 2003
———023y8379y
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
🔒Advanced scoring suite

Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2005-04-08
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC68209 — Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate

Registered office

19 Howgate
Kilwinning
Ayrshire
KA13 6EN

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-02-28
Last made up to: 2025-05-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-05
Last: 2026-02-19

Officers (2 active · 3 resigned)

GREENAN, Caroline→
secretary · appointed 2022-05-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
FREW, James→
director · ~78y · appointed 2005-04-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GILLESPIE, Norman→
secretary · appointed 2005-04-08 · resigned 2022-05-19
Resigned
BRIAN REID LTD.→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2005-04-08 · resigned 2005-04-08
Resigned
STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD.→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2005-04-08 · resigned 2005-04-08
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Recent filings (52 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-09-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-02-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-10-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2022-08-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-24
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2022-05-19
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2022-05-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-07-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-02-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-04-16