Alex Fleck
Manchester property skyline at blue hour
A phased development proposal for Ethan

Manchester Property Portal

Ethan, the opportunity is to build a property portal that feels modern, makes finding a home easier and gives local agents a reason to participate. We will start with a strong website experience, validate it with a small group of Manchester agents, and develop the platform in manageable phases.

My standard consulting and development rate is US$200 per hour (approx £152). For this project, I can offer an agency rate of US$100 per hour (approx £76). Each phase will be scoped and approved separately before work begins.

Standard rate $200/hr (approx £152/hr)Agency rate $100/hr (approx £76/hr)· Prepared by Alex Fleck
Start immediatelySee the roadmap

All strategy sessions are FREE for this project

Normally billed at $250/hr (approx £190). Included at no cost on both the monthly retainer and per-phase paths.

Exclusive for Ethan

Homepage flow, early sketch

A rough wireframe of how the portal homepage could work, based on the scope. Search an area, browse matching listings, open a property, then enquire or save it.

https://manchesterpropertyportal.co.uk
1Manchester cityscape example
Didsbury area
Chorlton area
Salford area
Northern Quarter area
Chorlton-cum-Hardy area
2
3
Property example
New
Property example
Let
Property example
Property example
Reduced
Property example
Property example
New
4
Featured property example
5
Map view example
map view
+
−
1Search

Buy/Rent tabs, then area, type, price and beds.

2Filter & sort

Refine with chips, sort and grid or list view.

3Browse listings

Cards show price, address, beds, baths and area.

4Spotlight

A featured property with agent call and email actions.

5Map & alerts

Map pins, saved searches and instant new-listing alerts.

6Enquire or save

Contact an agent, shortlist, or sign up for alerts.

Rough sketch only. Layout, sections and styling to be refined in Phase 2.

The eight-phase roadmap

Select a phase tab to see its detail. Each phase is scoped and approved separately, or covered by the monthly retainer.

1

Phase 1 of 8

Website design and prototype

8 hours·US$800 (approx £608)
Ready to begin
Expected timing: Starts immediately. Paid before work begins.

A responsive website that demonstrates the portal concept to prospective agents on desktop and mobile.

Deliverables

  • Responsive homepage
  • Property-results layout
  • Reusable property-detail layout
  • Agent introduction page and interest form
  • Basic About/Contact content
  • Mobile refinement
  • One consolidated review round
  • Clearly labelled demonstration listings (the live property database follows in Phase 2)

Ethan's actions

  • Approve the name
  • Provide design preferences and authorised sample content
  • Create the agreed website-builder account

Complete when

The main journeys can be demonstrated to prospective agents on desktop and mobile.

See payment options

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Choose your path

Two ways to get started

Join the monthly retainer and chip away at the roadmap, or pay for each phase as you approve it. Both paths include free strategy sessions.

All strategy sessions are FREE for this project

Normally billed at $250/hr (approx £190). Included at no cost on both payment paths.

Best Value
Monthly Retainer

Chip away month by month

Chip away month by month. Predictable, flexible, and packed with value.

$975/month

approx £741/month

10 hours of work included, every month

Strategy sessions: FREE

Normally $250/hr (approx £190), included at no cost

Effective hourly rate: $97.50

approx £74, vs $100/hr (approx £76) agency rate on per-phase

Upfront commitment: $0

No large lump sum to get started

  • 10 hours of development work every month
  • Billed regularly on the 1st of each month
  • All strategy sessions included FREE (normally $250/hr, approx £190)
  • Roll unused hours into the next month (up to 5 hours)
  • Cancel anytime with 30 days notice
  • Start immediately, no large upfront payment
Pay Per Phase

Milestones, your way

Pay for each phase as you approve it. Full control, phase by phase.

Start with Phase 1

$800one-time

approx £608

8 hours at the $100 agency rate (approx £76)

  • Each phase scoped and quoted separately
  • Pay in full or split 50/50 per phase
  • Only pay for the work you approve
  • No ongoing commitment
See all phases

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Ethan's preparation checklist

A few things to line up before we start. These are Ethan's tasks, not included development hours.

1Shortlist / check the name
2Register a domain in Ethan's own account
3Choose the initial Manchester area and listing category (residential sales assumed)
4Approach 5-10 local agents
5Gather authorised property materials

Domain and agency recruitment are Ethan's tasks, not additional included development hours.

Next steps and rough costs

A quick-reference breakdown of setup costs and development phases, so you can see the full picture at a glance.

Register a domain
~$20/yr· approx £15/yr

In Ethan's own registrar account

Set up hosting
~$35/mo· approx £27/mo

Website builder or hosting plan

Add business email
~$15/mo· approx £11/mo

Per user, e.g. hello@yourportal.co.uk

Register the business
varies· approx £12-£50

Companies House online registration, if not already done

1
Phase 1: Website design and prototype
$800· approx £608

8 hours, paid before work begins

2
Phase 2: Live listings and core pages
$1,000-$1,400· approx £760-£1,064

10-14 hours, paid when Phase 1 is approved

3
Phase 3: Estate-agent dashboard and pilot
$1,600-$2,400· approx £1,216-£1,824

16-24 hours, paid when Phase 2 is approved

4
Phase 4: Personalised discovery and initial AI
$1,000-$1,600· approx £760-£1,216

10-16 hours, after the pilot

5
Phase 5: Subscriptions and featured listings
$800-$1,200· approx £608-£912

8-12 hours, following Phase 4

6
Phase 6: Mortgage calculator and referral route
$400-$600· approx £304-£456

4-6 hours, following Phase 5

7
Phase 7: Manchester content and Google Ads setup
$600-$1,000· approx £456-£760

6-10 hours, following Phase 6

8
Phase 8: AdSense and advertising placements
$200-$400· approx £152-£304

2-4 hours, following Phase 7

Setup costs are paid by Ethan directly to the providers. Development phases can be paid per phase or covered by the monthly retainer at $975/month (approx £741).

External costs and responsibilities

Planning allowances, not current supplier quotations. Paid by Ethan directly to the providers.

DomainUS$20-$40 per domain per year (approx £15-£30); check registration and renewal.
Website builder / hostingUS$50-$150 per month (approx £38-£114), subject to selected plan.
Business emailUS$5-$15 per user per month (approx £4-£11).
AI / transactional emailUS$10-$75 per month (approx £8-£57) if not already included.
Combined initial software reserveUS$65-$240 per month (approx £49-£182), plus domain; avoid double counting bundled services.
Ads test£250-£500 paid separately to Google.
Optional maintenance2-4 hours monthly, US$200-$400 (approx £152-£304), separately agreed; do not auto-enrol.
Specialist itemsSpecialist data, maps, payment fees, legal review and applicable taxes are separate.

Aim for 4-6 weeks for Phases 1-3 if materials, scheduling and feedback permit, then 2-4 weeks of pilot learning. Dates are confirmed separately; payment alone does not guarantee an immediate start.

How we will work together

  • Ethan retains his domain and supplier accounts.
  • Alex handles agreed design, implementation, testing and handover.
  • One consolidated feedback round per phase.
  • Additional scope, meetings and support beyond the agreed allowance, and ongoing work, are separately agreed.
  • Platform suitability must be confirmed before committing to complex backend work.

How approval and payment work

  1. 1Choose your payment path: pay per phase (milestones) or join the monthly retainer at $975/month (approx £741) for 10 hours.
  2. 2Each phase is scoped and approved separately before work begins.
  3. 3Estimates are planning figures; a payable quote is an exact amount Alex publishes for a phase.
  4. 4For the monthly plan, work begins immediately and you are billed on the 1st of each month.
  5. 5For per-phase payments, use "Request this phase" for Phases 2-8. Alex prepares an exact quote, publishes it, then full or 50/50 payment options appear.
  6. 6All strategy sessions are included FREE for this project (normally billed at $250/hr, approx £190).
  7. 7Payments are verified with Stripe on return; a success message alone does not mark a phase paid.

Frequently asked questions

Is the full roadmap a fixed-price package?⌄
No. It is an indicative estimate. Each phase is quoted and approved separately, or you can join the monthly retainer and chip away at the roadmap over time.
What is the monthly retainer plan?⌄
For $975 per month (approx £741) you get 10 hours of development work, billed on the 1st of each month. You can start immediately, and all strategy sessions are included free (normally $250/hr, approx £190). Unused hours (up to 5) roll into the next month. Cancel anytime with 30 days notice.
Can I pay the whole roadmap now?⌄
No. You can either pay per phase as each one is quoted, or join the monthly retainer and work through the roadmap month by month.
Are strategy sessions really free?⌄
Yes. For this project only, all strategy sessions are included at no cost. They are normally billed at $250 per hour (approx £190). This applies to both the monthly retainer and per-phase payment paths.
What happens after the initial split payment?⌄
Phase 1 is a single full payment. For later phases offered with a 50/50 schedule, the remaining 50% is due on completion of that phase's agreed work, before the next phase begins. Alex releases the balance when the work is complete.
Does paying mean work starts immediately?⌄
For the monthly retainer, yes, work can begin immediately. For per-phase payments, dates are confirmed separately, based on materials, scheduling and feedback.
Who owns the domain and accounts?⌄
Ethan. Alex never holds Ethan's domain or supplier accounts.
Are the external costs included?⌄
No. Domain, hosting, email, ads and third-party tools are paid by Ethan directly to the providers.
What about tax and currency?⌄
Any already-configured applicable tax is disclosed before payment. UK customers pay in USD and their provider determines currency conversion. Sterling figures shown are approximate guides based on an indicative rate.

Ready to start building?

Join the monthly retainer at $975/month (approx £741) and start immediately, or pay for Phase 1 and begin the milestone path. All strategy sessions are free.

Choose your path and start now
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Prepared by Alex Fleck · A phased development proposal for Ethan

Choose your payment path