diff --git a/common/eda_item.cpp b/common/eda_item.cpp
index b4bf6de121..cf769092f9 100644
--- a/common/eda_item.cpp
+++ b/common/eda_item.cpp
@@ -392,10 +392,9 @@ static struct EDA_ITEM_DESC
         PROPERTY_MANAGER& propMgr = PROPERTY_MANAGER::Instance();
         REGISTER_TYPE( EDA_ITEM );
 
-        auto typeProp = new PROPERTY_ENUM<EDA_ITEM, KICAD_T>( wxS( "Type" ),
-                NO_SETTER( EDA_ITEM, KICAD_T ), &EDA_ITEM::Type );
-        typeProp->SetIsInternal( true );
-        propMgr.AddProperty( typeProp );
+        propMgr.AddProperty( new PROPERTY_ENUM<EDA_ITEM, KICAD_T>( wxS( "Type" ),
+                             NO_SETTER( EDA_ITEM, KICAD_T ), &EDA_ITEM::Type ) )
+                .SetIsInternal();
     }
 } _EDA_ITEM_DESC;
 
diff --git a/common/properties/property_mgr.cpp b/common/properties/property_mgr.cpp
index 68d322f5b9..d9e300057c 100644
--- a/common/properties/property_mgr.cpp
+++ b/common/properties/property_mgr.cpp
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ const void* PROPERTY_MANAGER::TypeCast( const void* aSource, TYPE_ID aBase, TYPE
 }
 
 
-void PROPERTY_MANAGER::AddProperty( PROPERTY_BASE* aProperty, const wxString& aGroup )
+PROPERTY_BASE& PROPERTY_MANAGER::AddProperty( PROPERTY_BASE* aProperty, const wxString& aGroup )
 {
     const wxString& name = aProperty->Name();
     TYPE_ID hash = aProperty->OwnerHash();
@@ -147,15 +147,16 @@ void PROPERTY_MANAGER::AddProperty( PROPERTY_BASE* aProperty, const wxString& aG
     }
 
     m_dirty = true;
+    return *aProperty;
 }
 
 
-void PROPERTY_MANAGER::ReplaceProperty( size_t aBase, const wxString& aName, PROPERTY_BASE* aNew,
-                                        const wxString& aGroup )
+PROPERTY_BASE& PROPERTY_MANAGER::ReplaceProperty( size_t aBase, const wxString& aName, PROPERTY_BASE* aNew,
+                                                  const wxString& aGroup )
 {
     CLASS_DESC& classDesc = getClass( aNew->OwnerHash() );
     classDesc.m_replaced.insert( std::make_pair( aBase, aName ) );
-    AddProperty( aNew, aGroup );
+    return AddProperty( aNew, aGroup );
 }
 
 
diff --git a/include/properties/property.h b/include/properties/property.h
index f38b57081c..caefa33719 100644
--- a/include/properties/property.h
+++ b/include/properties/property.h
@@ -195,10 +195,7 @@ PROPERTY_BASE( const wxString& aName, PROPERTY_DISPLAY aDisplay = PT_DEFAULT,
     {
     }
 
-    const wxString& Name() const
-    {
-        return m_name;
-    }
+    const wxString& Name() const { return m_name; }
 
     /**
      * Return a limited set of possible values (e.g. enum). Check with HasChoices() if a particular
@@ -238,9 +235,10 @@ PROPERTY_BASE( const wxString& aName, PROPERTY_DISPLAY aDisplay = PT_DEFAULT,
     /**
      * Set a callback function to determine whether an object provides this property.
      */
-    void SetAvailableFunc( std::function<bool(INSPECTABLE*)> aFunc )
+    PROPERTY_BASE& SetAvailableFunc( std::function<bool(INSPECTABLE*)> aFunc )
     {
         m_availFunc = aFunc;
+        return *this;
     }
 
     virtual bool Writeable( INSPECTABLE* aObject ) const
@@ -248,9 +246,10 @@ PROPERTY_BASE( const wxString& aName, PROPERTY_DISPLAY aDisplay = PT_DEFAULT,
         return m_writeableFunc( aObject );
     }
 
-    void SetWriteableFunc( std::function<bool(INSPECTABLE*)> aFunc )
+    PROPERTY_BASE& SetWriteableFunc( std::function<bool(INSPECTABLE*)> aFunc )
     {
         m_writeableFunc = aFunc;
+        return *this;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -268,21 +267,32 @@ PROPERTY_BASE( const wxString& aName, PROPERTY_DISPLAY aDisplay = PT_DEFAULT,
      */
     virtual size_t TypeHash() const = 0;
 
-    PROPERTY_DISPLAY Display() const
-    {
-        return m_display;
-    }
+    PROPERTY_DISPLAY Display() const { return m_display; }
+    PROPERTY_BASE& SetDisplay( PROPERTY_DISPLAY aDisplay ) { m_display = aDisplay; return *this; }
 
     ORIGIN_TRANSFORMS::COORD_TYPES_T CoordType() const { return m_coordType; }
+    PROPERTY_BASE& SetCoordType( ORIGIN_TRANSFORMS::COORD_TYPES_T aType )
+    {
+        m_coordType = aType;
+        return *this;
+    }
 
-    void SetIsInternal( bool aIsInternal = true ) { m_isInternal = aIsInternal; }
     bool IsInternal() const { return m_isInternal; }
+    PROPERTY_BASE& SetIsInternal( bool aIsInternal = true )
+    {
+        m_isInternal = aIsInternal;
+        return *this;
+    }
 
-    void SetIsDeprecated( bool aIsDeprecated = true ) { m_isDeprecated = aIsDeprecated; }
     bool IsDeprecated() const { return m_isDeprecated; }
+    PROPERTY_BASE& SetIsDeprecated( bool aIsDeprecated = true )
+    {
+        m_isDeprecated = aIsDeprecated;
+        return *this;
+    }
 
     wxString Group() const { return m_group; }
-    void SetGroup( const wxString& aGroup ) { m_group = aGroup; }
+    PROPERTY_BASE& SetGroup( const wxString& aGroup ) { m_group = aGroup; return *this; }
 
 protected:
     template<typename T>
@@ -329,8 +339,8 @@ private:
 
 private:
     const wxString         m_name;
-    const PROPERTY_DISPLAY m_display;
-    const ORIGIN_TRANSFORMS::COORD_TYPES_T m_coordType;
+    PROPERTY_DISPLAY m_display;
+    ORIGIN_TRANSFORMS::COORD_TYPES_T m_coordType;
 
     /// Internal properties are hidden from the GUI but not from the rules editor autocomplete
     bool m_isInternal;
diff --git a/include/properties/property_mgr.h b/include/properties/property_mgr.h
index a766028d85..c0eeb6632c 100644
--- a/include/properties/property_mgr.h
+++ b/include/properties/property_mgr.h
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ public:
      * @param aProperty is the property to register.
      * @param aGroup is an optional grouping key for the property
      */
-    void AddProperty( PROPERTY_BASE* aProperty, const wxString& aGroup = wxEmptyString );
+    PROPERTY_BASE& AddProperty( PROPERTY_BASE* aProperty, const wxString& aGroup = wxEmptyString );
 
     /**
      * Replace an existing property for a specific type.
@@ -159,8 +159,8 @@ public:
      * @param aNew is the property replacing the inherited one.
      * @param aGroup is the group to set for the replaced property.
      */
-    void ReplaceProperty( size_t aBase, const wxString& aName, PROPERTY_BASE* aNew,
-                          const wxString& aGroup = wxEmptyString );
+    PROPERTY_BASE& ReplaceProperty( size_t aBase, const wxString& aName, PROPERTY_BASE* aNew,
+                                    const wxString& aGroup = wxEmptyString );
 
     /**
      * Register a type converter. Required prior TypeCast() usage.
diff --git a/pcbnew/zone.cpp b/pcbnew/zone.cpp
index 0192fb802e..db8e531909 100644
--- a/pcbnew/zone.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/zone.cpp
@@ -1431,55 +1431,57 @@ static struct ZONE_DESC
                     return false;
                 };
 
-        auto layer = new PROPERTY_ENUM<ZONE, PCB_LAYER_ID>( _HKI( "Layer" ),
-                    &ZONE::SetLayer, &ZONE::GetLayer );
-        layer->SetIsInternal( true );
-        propMgr.ReplaceProperty( TYPE_HASH( BOARD_CONNECTED_ITEM ), _HKI( "Layer" ), layer );
+        propMgr.ReplaceProperty( TYPE_HASH( BOARD_CONNECTED_ITEM ), _HKI( "Layer" ),
+                                 new PROPERTY_ENUM<ZONE, PCB_LAYER_ID>( _HKI( "Layer" ),
+                                                                        &ZONE::SetLayer,
+                                                                        &ZONE::GetLayer ) )
+                .SetIsInternal();
 
         propMgr.OverrideAvailability( TYPE_HASH( ZONE ), TYPE_HASH( BOARD_CONNECTED_ITEM ),
                                       _HKI( "Net" ), isCopperZone );
         propMgr.OverrideAvailability( TYPE_HASH( ZONE ), TYPE_HASH( BOARD_CONNECTED_ITEM ),
                                       _HKI( "Net Class" ), isCopperZone );
 
-        auto priority = new PROPERTY<ZONE, unsigned>( _HKI( "Priority" ),
-                    &ZONE::SetAssignedPriority, &ZONE::GetAssignedPriority );
-        priority->SetAvailableFunc( isCopperZone );
-        propMgr.AddProperty( priority );
+        propMgr.AddProperty( new PROPERTY<ZONE, unsigned>( _HKI( "Priority" ),
+                                                           &ZONE::SetAssignedPriority,
+                                                           &ZONE::GetAssignedPriority ) )
+                .SetAvailableFunc( isCopperZone );
 
         propMgr.AddProperty( new PROPERTY<ZONE, wxString>( _HKI( "Name" ),
                     &ZONE::SetZoneName, &ZONE::GetZoneName ) );
 
         const wxString groupFill = _HKI( "Fill Style" );
 
-        auto fillMode = new PROPERTY_ENUM<ZONE, ZONE_FILL_MODE>( _HKI( "Fill Mode" ),
-                    &ZONE::SetFillMode, &ZONE::GetFillMode );
         // Fill mode can't be exposed to the UI until validation is moved to the ZONE class.
         // see https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/issues/13811
-        fillMode->SetIsInternal();
-        propMgr.AddProperty( fillMode, groupFill );
+        propMgr.AddProperty( new PROPERTY_ENUM<ZONE, ZONE_FILL_MODE>(
+                                     _HKI( "Fill Mode" ), &ZONE::SetFillMode, &ZONE::GetFillMode ),
+                             groupFill )
+                .SetIsInternal();
 
-        auto hatchOrientation = new PROPERTY<ZONE, EDA_ANGLE>( _HKI( "Orientation" ),
-                    &ZONE::SetHatchOrientation, &ZONE::GetHatchOrientation,
-                    PROPERTY_DISPLAY::PT_DEGREE );
-        hatchOrientation->SetWriteableFunc( isHatchedFill );
-        hatchOrientation->SetIsInternal();
-        propMgr.AddProperty( hatchOrientation, groupFill );
+        propMgr.AddProperty( new PROPERTY<ZONE, EDA_ANGLE>(
+                                     _HKI( "Orientation" ), &ZONE::SetHatchOrientation,
+                                     &ZONE::GetHatchOrientation, PROPERTY_DISPLAY::PT_DEGREE ),
+                             groupFill )
+                .SetWriteableFunc( isHatchedFill )
+                .SetIsInternal();
 
         //TODO: Switch to translated
-        auto hatchWidth = new PROPERTY<ZONE, int>( wxT( "Hatch Width" ),
-                    &ZONE::SetHatchThickness, &ZONE::GetHatchThickness,
-                    PROPERTY_DISPLAY::PT_SIZE );
-        hatchWidth->SetWriteableFunc( isHatchedFill );
-        hatchWidth->SetIsInternal();
-        propMgr.AddProperty( hatchWidth, groupFill );
+        propMgr.AddProperty( new PROPERTY<ZONE, int>( wxT( "Hatch Width" ),
+                                                      &ZONE::SetHatchThickness,
+                                                      &ZONE::GetHatchThickness,
+                                                      PROPERTY_DISPLAY::PT_SIZE ),
+                             groupFill )
+                .SetWriteableFunc( isHatchedFill )
+                .SetIsInternal();
 
         //TODO: Switch to translated
-        auto hatchGap = new PROPERTY<ZONE, int>( wxT( "Hatch Gap" ),
-                    &ZONE::SetHatchGap, &ZONE::GetHatchGap,
-                    PROPERTY_DISPLAY::PT_SIZE );
-        hatchGap->SetWriteableFunc( isHatchedFill );
-        hatchGap->SetIsInternal();
-        propMgr.AddProperty( hatchGap, groupFill );
+        propMgr.AddProperty( new PROPERTY<ZONE, int>( wxT( "Hatch Gap" ), &ZONE::SetHatchGap,
+                                                      &ZONE::GetHatchGap,
+                                                      PROPERTY_DISPLAY::PT_SIZE ),
+                             groupFill )
+                .SetWriteableFunc( isHatchedFill )
+                .SetIsInternal();
 
         // TODO: Smoothing effort needs to change to enum (in dialog too)
         // TODO: Smoothing amount (double)