Liverpool property entrepreneurs Olivia Maher and Joe Duggan more than double their office size as they expand their Cosi Living venture and take on extra staff. Tony McDonough reports

A Liverpool venture that renovates, refurbishes and maintains residential properties on behalf of owners and investors is doubling its office space and taking on new staff.

Cosi Living was launched as JO Property Group by West Derby entrepreneurs Olivia Maher and Joe Duggan in 2020. The couple started their business while still working in a PPI contact centre.

However, they were both made redundant at the same time, forcing them to upscale their business to be able to earn a living.  Their first property was a 10-bedroom HMO house in Sefton Park. HMO refers to homes of multiple occupation. 

A London-based investor acquired the Sefton Park property. He was so impressed with the work Joe and Olivia had carried out, as well as the high rent, he asked the couple to manage another property he was renovating.

This led to work with other HMO property owners and since then the business has gone from strength to strength and rebranded as Cosi Living in the spring of this year.

They have secured multiple other properties across the city via Facebook Marketplace, through word of mouth and recommendation. They currently manage 256 rooms and tenants.

Cosi is based in an office in Goodlass Road in Speke and now it has outgrown its 220 sq ft space and taken a bigger office comprising more than 500 sq ft. 

Now there is room for six desks and they have taken on two new members of staff. In the next few months they’ll be growing the team further taking on a finance and admin assistant, portfolio manager and an operations assistant / general manager.

Joe said: “It’s really important to us that the team enjoy working in the office that we create. The space had to reflect who Cosi Living is, what we do and why we do it.

“We want the team to feel appreciated and to know that we genuinely care that they’re comfortable and have the necessary spaces and facilities to work to their best.

Cosi Living works with both landlords and investors to renovate, refurbish and maintain their properties, while also finding suitable tenants to occupy them. It liaises directly with tenants, including professionals and students, to source suitable homes for them.

Olivia added: “Our recent rebrand truly represents the business and has been so well received. We’ve used Redefine Studio, a brand consultancy, to advise with the rebrand and interior design for the office to ensure there’s consistency throughout.

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“The team has created a really effective office space that’s both multi-functional and welcoming.

“If our employees need 10 minutes away from their desk or want to take their lunch, we have a dedicated space for that where they’re not at their desk and can’t take a break from work.

“Or if we have a client coming in for a meeting, we have different spaces that are suitable.”