GetGround’s free HMRC-recognised platform helps small landlords and SME developers maintain control and protect their margins. Our Making Tax Digital (MTD)-grade digital records are designed to eliminate the common financial slips, the spreadsheet drift, misplaced invoices, and late payment paperwork, that quietly cascade through crucial areas like material procurement and contractor payments.

The constant admin headaches from lost receipts, manual errors, and late submissions don’t just create mountains of paperwork; they introduce unnecessary friction and cost into the delivery process. For SME developers and smaller landlords, these seemingly minor bookkeeping failures chip away at the project margin, strain critical supplier relationships, and add an avoidable layer of risk to viability. GetGround provides the precise financial clarity and MTD compliance required to lock in your profit and keep your focus on the build.

Where Construction Ops Meet Finance Ops

Construction cash flow operates on razor-thin timing. Materials need ordering before payments arrive. Contractors expect prompt settlement. Late submissions to clients or missed expense claims create liquidity gaps that force tough decisions: delay the next phase, negotiate extended terms with suppliers, or absorb costs personally.

Research shows that 82% of contractors experience payment delays exceeding 30 days,[1] creating a cascade effect through the supply chain. For property investors acting as developers, the problem compounds. Unlike established construction firms with working capital reserves, small landlords often fund projects through equity release or bridging finance, where every day of delay costs money and every unclaimed expense reduces return on investment.

The friction point sits at the intersection of operational delivery and financial record-keeping. When your bookkeeping runs on spreadsheets and manual receipt filing, your financial position lags reality by weeks. You can’t accurately forecast cash requirements for the next phase. You can’t quickly substantiate costs to clients or lenders. And you’re vulnerable to the same errors that plague the construction industry: inaccurate job cost tracking, incorrect overhead allocation, and missing documentation.[2]

Typical Failure Modes: How Poor Records Destroy Margin

Spreadsheet drift happens when multiple versions of project budgets exist across different files, with no single source of truth. The site manager updates costs in one spreadsheet. The bookkeeper tracks payments in another. The project manager forecasts in a third. When discrepancies emerge, and they always do, reconciliation consumes hours, and errors slip through.

Receipt loss creates two problems. First, you forfeit tax deductions you’re entitled to. HMRC data shows that 300,000 UK landlords fail to claim allowable expenses correctly, leaving an average of £9,200 per year unclaimed.[3] Second, you can’t substantiate costs to co-investors, lenders, or buyers if questions arise. For properties held in limited companies, missing receipts during audit or HMRC investigation can trigger compliance penalties and erode credibility.

Late submissions to clients or quantity surveyors delay payment, which delays your ability to settle contractor invoices. Contractors who experience regular payment delays build a 8% premium into their bids[4], meaning poor financial administration literally inflates your project costs. In an industry where 70% of contractors cite payment delays as the top threat to their business,[5] being known as a slow payer reduces competition for your work and damages supplier relationships.

How Compliant Digital Records Stabilise Cash Flow and Supplier Relations

The solution isn’t hiring a full-time project accountant. It’s implementing MTD-grade digital record-keeping that integrates with your operational reality.

GetGround’s HMRC-recognised platform demonstrates what this looks like for property investors managing development projects. Open Banking integration automatically imports transactions from construction accounts in real-time. AI-powered categorisation assigns costs to HMRC-compliant categories, materials, contractor fees, professional services, finance costs, without manual review. Property-level organisation tracks expenses by project, giving you accurate job costing and immediate visibility into margin.

This operational efficiency translates directly to improved cash flow. With over 30,000 property investors managing £2 billion in UK property through GetGround, the platform processes millions of property-related transactions and maintains compliant digital records that meet HMRC’s strict technical specifications. When records are current and complete, you can submit payment applications promptly, substantiate costs immediately, and forecast requirements accurately.

The Competitive Advantage of Financial Clarity

Making Tax Digital for landlords becomes mandatory from April 2026 for those with gross income exceeding £50,000. For landlords managing development projects, the compliance requirement is actually an opportunity to professionalise financial operations in ways that protect margin and strengthen supplier relationships.

The hidden cost of poor financial ops isn’t just the admin burden. It’s the margin lost to inflated contractor bids, the relationships damaged by slow payments, and the opportunities missed because you can’t accurately forecast available capital for the next project.

Ready to eliminate financial ops drag from your property projects? GetGround is the UK’s only property investment platform built for every stage of a landlord’s journey. Our HMRC-recognised accounting solution combines Open Banking, AI categorisation, and expert accountants to keep your projects on track and your supplier relationships strong.

This is for your information only – you shouldn’t view this as legal advice, tax advice, investment advice, or any advice at all.

Terranova.Network Limited (trading as GetGround) is a registered Agent of Yapily Connect Ltd for the purpose of providing Account Information Services under the Payment Services Regulations 2017. Yapily Connect Ltd is authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 827001).