Featured Articles

Multi-million-pound apartments in Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms are being quietly reduced in price after up to two years on the market. Rightmove listings revealed others have been listed on the market for years without being sold, such as in Nine Elms. One four-bed apartment at the St George Wharf development has been on the market at a price of £15m since December 2019. Another, in the nearby Damac Tower, has been for sale for £12.3m since 2021. Both have lavish interiors and panoramic views acr

Managing a building can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to ensuring the safety of your residents. With new legislation in place, it's now more important than ever to know how many people are in your buildings at all times. That's where ResiCountTM comes in. ResiCountTM is a powerful new software tool designed specifically for property managers like you. With ResiCountTM, you'll know the number of people in your building at any given time. This can be a huge help when it comes to complying wit

The property team at law firm Irwin Mitchell has advised Countryside Partnerships on its acquisition of a site in Grimsby which is to be developed into nearly 300 homes. Under the plans, 61 affordable homes will be managed by Gainsborough-based housing charity Acis Group and 58 will be for private rent via Start Living, the single-family build-to-rent joint venture between Gatehouse Bank and TPG Real Estate Partners. The remaining 180 homes will be for open market sale with Linden Homes, which is part of

Issue 124 of News on the Block has now been published and is available for subscribers to read online now.  This issue includes our special 'Unsung Heroes feature' in partnership with Jackson Sims Recruitment and some of the following articles.  Legislation is ‘biggest challenge’ facing sector!  Block management company celebrates double acquisition New tool to help monitor headcount What are the alternatives to bonds and guarantees? The cost of failing to keep valuations updated  Broadside fired at

Previous property must-haves like tall ceilings and ornate fireplaces are out, with homeowners favouring eco-friendly features in 2023. A new poll of 2,000 UK adults1 has found Instagrammable aesthetics are being shunned for the likes of double or triple glazing (a must-have for 70% of house hunters) or good insulation (61%) as people double down on eco and cost efficiency this year. The poll, from property management experts, FirstPort, revealed the top 10 features this year’s homeowners are knocking dow

Principle Estate Management has signed a vital partnership agreement which will enable the fast growing property management company to scale up its operations as it continues to expand. Founded by joint managing director Brett Williams in April 2018, Principle has teamed up with One Property Recruitment (OPR) to source new talent for its Birmingham and London offices. In just five years Principle has grown to manage more than 10,000 units and now employs over 50 staff. Operations director Stephanie Jobson

Paula Higgins, CEO of HomeOwners Alliance, says:  The Bank of England made its 11th consecutive hike in the base rate, taking it from 4% to 4.25% today. And if you’re looking for a mortgage, it’s more important than ever to move quickly because we’re continuing to see the cheapest rates pulled from the market. The best mortgage rates on 2 year and 3 year fixes today are up compared to what was available at the start of March 2023. And while the best rate available on a 5 year fix has nudged down compared

Landlords are being urged to adhere to new regulations for their properties, or face thousands of pounds of fines. With regulations being tightened by the government from April 1, now is a timely reminder to owners of non-domestic rental properties to get their buildings up to standard. Lincoln Smith, Managing Director of Rugby-based heating, plumbing and electrical business, Custom Heat, says: "We're concerned that the changes to the legislations aren't ‘common knowledge’ meaning that hundreds of landlor

A property management company has launched an innovative new app to help its clients log issues and track repairs on their phone. Block Management UK has launched its new Dwellant app, which is now available on the Apple App Store and Google Play, giving stakeholders and residents access to a centralised hub detailing all repair work and issues raised where they live. David Collinson, MD of Block Management, said: “This brilliant new app not only speeds up our repair and maintenance process, it also gives

IWM is the industry buzz word this year, but is it just that, or is there merit in adopting an alternative approach? The industry standard herbicide for weed control is Glyphosate, and whilst it is the optimum chemical for providing a long-term solution, there is no doubt the Glyphosate debate will no continue well into 2023. But does adopting IWM as part of the process make a real difference? Here we provide the information and key points of consideration that will help answer these questions. What is IW

UK private investors of all sizes are being given a unique chance to be part of a business targeting the property maintenance market worth £30bn through an intuitive digital platform called EVO, already the favoured choice of Housing Associations and Registered Providers.   The platform, which connects landlords, tenants and tradespeople with simple, easy to use technology, also has a positive social impact with its mission to solve Britain’s broken rental property sector where some 2.8m people are living

A recent nationwide landlord survey run by property insurance experts, Lansdown Insurance Brokers has found that two-thirds of landlords have considered reducing their rents to help their tenants during the cost-of-living-crisis, whilst three-quarters have contemplated freezing their rents at this time.  One hundred and seventy landlords throughout the country took part in the Lansdown landlords survey which set out to uncover how landlords are dealing with swiftly rising costs alongside ensuring social a