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Leading fintech firm Twenty7tec today announces the acquisition of mortgage affordability platform Broker Sense for an undisclosed sum. Broker Sense, founded by Stuart Phillips and Mark Spilsbury, helps mortgage advisers assess client affordability against lender rules, whilst ensuring that they recommend the correct lender as part of their research process. By entering client data only the once, users of the platform receive affordability results from nearly 100 mortgage lenders across both residential a

Scanlans has recruited a property manager to take care of its burgeoning North Yorkshire portfolio following a raft of contract wins. Darran Ezard has joined Scanlans’ Leeds office and is managing apartment blocks and other residential developments in Harrogate and further afield in locations including Boroughbridge, Ripon, York and Whitby. He has moved from Residential Management Group to join Scanlans, a property management and surveying practice which operates nationwide from offices in Manchester and

Residential property management company, Encore, is pleased to welcome Jason Grieve as its new Head of Site Operations.  Jason joins Encore with over 15 years of property management experience and he has spent 30 years in various senior executive roles.  Most recently, he worked as Divisional Operations Manager at Rendall & Rittner where he was responsible for the smooth operation of many high-profile sites across London, leading a team of 560 people.  Jason will oversee the entire Encore facilities team

Question What is the difference between commonhold and leasehold ownership of an apartment? Answer In the UK, commonhold is a form of ownership in which a group of individuals own a building or development as a whole, and each owner holds a long lease on their individual unit. Commonhold allows owners to have more control over the management of their building and to make decisions about the use and maintenance of common areas. Leasehold ownership, on the other hand, involves the ownership of a prope

IRPM are excited to be back at the QEII Centre, London for the IRPM Annual Seminar on the 11th of May 2023. Like all of the past IRPM Seminars,  the 2023 seminar will be touching on the most pressing issues facing our sector and professionals. With leading industry experts giving you the most up-to-date information and guidance throughout the day.   Keynote speakers will be sharing insights on critical role specific topics, including: Building Safety Mental Health and Wellbeing Cost of Living Crisis

Innovators in later life care, KYN, will be launching a brand new care home in Bromley in February 2023. The first of its kind, KYN BICKLEY will provide a pioneering approach to care which prioritises the individual – rather than categorising by age or condition. Created with the highest standards of personalised, holistic care, KYN BICKLEY will challenge the industry’s ‘one size fits all’ model, providing residents with a home that considers physical, emotional and existential health. Before any resident

Griggs Homes has released for sale the final four apartments at Hillside House, a bespoke development of 14 luxury new homes in the highly sought-after Hertfordshire town of Radlett.  Now 70 per cent reserved, all apartments at Hillside House – which is located at 1-3 The Drive – are available for occupation. The highly spacious two-bedroom apartments on sale range from 1,121 – 1,375 sq ft and are priced from £950,000 to £1,125,000.  Mark Johnson, Sales Director of Borehamwood-based Griggs, said: “Hillsid

Property management and surveying firm Scanlans has moved its Manchester office to Carvers Warehouse in the Piccadilly Basin area of the city centre. Scanlans has taken 1,534sq ft of space on the second floor of Town Centre Securities PLC’s (TCS) Grade II listed asset, which is one of the oldest surviving stone-built warehouses in the city centre. The historic canalside building on Dale Street, on the fringe of the Northern Quarter, has a total of 22,000 sq ft of office space over four floors. Built in 18

When buying a leasehold apartment in the UK, there are several key things that you should check to ensure that the property is a good investment and that the terms of the lease are fair and reasonable. Some of the things you should check include: The length of the lease: The lease will specify the length of time that you have the right to live in the apartment. In most cases, the lease will be for a fixed term of several years, but it can also be a renewable lease or a lease for the remainder of the lan

We hear so much about the cost of living ‘crisis’ and increases in intangibles, like insurance premiums, are perhaps the hardest to explain.  In the insurance market people often talk about “hikes” rather than “rises”, and leaseholders can feel they are left with no choice because paying their share of the buildings insurance premium will almost certainly be mandatory under the terms of their lease.  Property managers who manage blocks on behalf of clients, and the directors of Resident Management Compani

2022 has been a challenging year for block managers and lessees. Coming out of the pandemic, after a year of being ‘confined to quarters’, and a surge in DIY projects during 2020 and 2021, on hold plans to move home or refurbish were again crushed by the perfect storm of surging inflation, wage stagnation/real income reduction, interest rate rises and construction cost increases which have not been seen since the 1980s and 1990s.  The decade of low-cost borrowing is officially over.  In 2021 the UK govern

QUESTION Can you please advise if emergency lighting is a legal requirement in the common parts of blocks of flats and who is responsible for maintaining it? ANSWER The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO) 2005, which came into force in October 2006, charges the responsible person in control of non-domestic premises and the common areas of a House in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) with the safety of everyone in the building, whether working, visiting or living there. This duty of care inclu