Featured Articles

It’s always a good time to upgrade your block’s out of date lighting, but NOW is definitely the time to upgrade any fluorescent light fixtures. Following Stage 2 of the Single Lighting Regulation and the updated Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, from February 2023 fluorescent lamps and fittings will no longer be available to buy.  The plan is for all fluorescent lights to be removed from the shelves by September 2023, so our advice to property managers is to re-evaluate all your blocks

Energy Crisis: A phrase we have been hearing repeatedly for the past few months. If you’re feeling anxious, Future Group hopes to help with some practical energy-saving techniques for individuals and Block Managers. In this article, Jordan Begg, Managing Director at Future Lighting, shares techniques for your home or block to help you minimise energy wastage and keep your bills to a minimum. With energy bills skyrocketing, many of us are feeling apprehensive about Autumn-Winter 2022. As we’re entering the

One of the UK’s leading build-to-rent providers, Sigma Capital Group Limited, which markets its homes under the private rental brand, Simple Life has announced the findings of a study to compare the energy consumption of four of its core properties against four other eras of homes. The findings revealed that current Simple Life homes are 25% cheaper to run in comparison to properties built between 2007-2011, and as much as 74% cheaper than older homes. With a new energy price cap effective from the 1st Oc

Property management specialist Common Ground has moved to a new office as it continues its impressive growth. Staff and managers celebrated the switch to the new base in Chiltern House, Station Road, Henley-on-Thames last week having moved from a previous location outside the town. Alan Draper, Managing Director of Common Ground, said: “The staff requested a town centre location so they can go into town on their lunch break.   “Our office requirements have changed due to our new hybrid working model with

Residential property management company Mainstay, part of the FirstPort group, has strengthened its property portfolio by taking on the operational management of Hallam Towers – a brand new luxury redevelopment in the suburbs of Sheffield.   The newly built Hallam Towers apartments, which sits on the site of the former Hallam Tower Hotel, features 101 apartment units over 14 floors, consisting of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as seven townhouses. The sought-after development boasts a ra

The Chancellor has slashed Stamp Duty for home buyers providing a much-needed boost for property sales. But although the move was welcomed as a stimulus to the market, it received a mixed response from some property industry insiders. The cut, effective in England and Northern Ireland comes into force today and raises the threshold of how much a property has to cost before Stamp Duty is paid to £250,000. This rises to £425,000 for first time buyers. ‘And we’re going to increase the value of property on wh

PDC Law assisted the appellant in a recent Upper Tribunal decision of Wynee v Yates and Livingstone [2021] UKUT 0278(LC). The case  provides useful guidance on the common scenarios faced by landlords and management companies when undertaking ‘major works’ projects, namely where the scope of works and even the contractor itself may change during course of the works. How do such changes affect the landlord or management company’s compliance with the statutory consultation requirements under Section 20 of th

As the gap in life expectancy for UK adults in deprived areas worsened following COVID, more support is needed to get more people active. Calling for increased collaboration between leading experts in leisure, healthcare and mixed-use development, in a new report with the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research, Places for People assess the need for a new health infrastructure within integrated communities such as gyms and walking and cycling routes to level-up the health of more communities. W

Blenheim Estate Homes is awaiting planning permission to build what is believed to be the largest rural development of PassivHaus standard homes in the UK. The new community, in Woodstock, is planned to include in the region of 180 net-zero living homes that require little heating or cooling – resulting in a significant reduction in energy bills for future residents. 50% of the homes provided will be affordable. The scheme is designed around people, and it incorporates large green open spaces, and will fe

AM Surveying & Block Management Company Director Matthew Mackintosh signs up to run the TCL London Marathon 2022 taking place 2nd October 2022, in support of London based charity Intercountry Adoption Centre (IAC) which places children in need from all over the world with loving adoptive families.   In 2005, 50,000 official international adoptions were recorded worldwide. By 2020 this had fallen to less than 10,000 but millions of children continue to wait. IAC believes that children belong in families, n

The Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM) has launched its Level 4 Member Course and Exam in leasehold management. The course content builds on the Level 3 Associate course learnings, with enhanced material to equip property management professionals with the right skills and knowledge to advance their professional careers. As with all IRPM qualifications, the course can be assessed online and on-demand before candidates sit a final online exam. Those who pass by achieving 60% or more in the

Trusted property management group Hawk Block Management are delighted with the continued expansion of their portfolio, having recently partnered with new client, urbanlab_. Witnessing rapid growth since their establishment in 2019, Hawk Block Management has doubled in size and with the appointment in 2021 of Becky Wilson as Business Development Manager, and Elaine Higgins as Head of Property Management, the team now comprises a combined 60 years of experience working across residential property and commer