- Client: Settio Property Experience
- Sector: Property (Residential lettings/property management)
- Services: Transaction Services (vendor due diligence, tax advisory)
The deal background
Settio Property Experience was founded in 2017 by Samuel Fitz-Hugh and Chris Parsonage. From a standing start, the business grew into one of the UK’s leading investor-focused property platforms, managing in excess of £600m in property assets and more than 2,000 fully managed properties, with operations spanning Manchester, Birmingham, London and Singapore, and clients in 17 countries.
In 2026, Settio agreed to sell the business to Dwelly, one of the UK’s most active consolidators in the residential lettings market. The deal was Dwelly’s seventh acquisition of the year, following a run of deals including a Cheltenham-based lettings agency earlier in the year, and took Dwelly’s total portfolio under management to an estimated 14,000 properties nationwide. For Dwelly, the acquisition marked a strategic shift beyond domestic agency consolidation, giving it an established international platform, an overseas investor network, and a foothold in the Asia-Pacific market through Settio’s Singapore office.
The challenge
The transaction carried added complexity due to Settio’s international footprint, particularly its Singapore operations, which introduced cross-border tax and structuring considerations. Heads of terms were agreed in March 2026, setting a tight timeframe for the deal to complete. Settio’s founders had reportedly received prior interest and acquisition offers from other parties, underlining the importance of a deal process that protected the value the business had built.
UHY Williamson Croft’s approach
UHY Williamson & Croft’s Transaction Services team was instructed in March 2026 and completed the transaction within three months. The team provided full vendor assistance throughout, including:
- Managing financial and tax due diligence
- Negotiating deal risks on the vendor’s behalf
- Maintaining momentum through to completion
- Reviewing and negotiating the financial and tax elements of the Sale and Purchase Agreement, including the completion accounts mechanism, warranties and indemnities
Paul Bennett, Director of Transaction Services, and Jordan Haran, Tax Director, advised Samuel and Chris throughout the sale process, working through the cross-border complexity arising from Settio’s Singapore operations.
The outcome
The sale completed within three months of instruction, delivering Samuel and Chris an outcome they were proud of following nine years of building the business, and providing Dwelly with a platform to expand its international reach.
Paul Bennett, Director of Transaction Services at UHY Williamson & Croft, commented:
“What Samuel and Chris have built over the past nine years is a genuinely remarkable business – going from a standing start to over £600m of property assets under management, with a client base spanning 17 countries, takes exceptional drive and commitment. Our role was to make sure that value was properly recognised and protected through the transaction process, and we are delighted that they achieved an outcome they are very proud of. This deal reflects the continued vitality of the property management sector in the North West and beyond.”
Transaction Services at UHY Williamson Croft
The Settio deal adds to a growing portfolio of transaction services mandates completed by UHY Williamson Croft, which advises owner-managed businesses across the North West on acquisitions, disposals and management buyouts across a range of sectors. The team works hands-on with owner-managed and family-owned businesses, providing financial and tax due diligence, valuations, financial modelling and support through to completion, with a commercial and pragmatic approach tailored to each transaction.