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A chartered building surveyor and engineer with more than 30 years’ experience in external facades and cladding, has written to Housing Secretary Michael Gove to highlight concerns around new regulations such as the Building Safety Act 2022 and the developers’ pledge – Mr Gove’s bid to reset building safety in England. Dorian Lawrence is Managing Director of FRC, which is part of the RSK Group. He is a member of the Property Institute Building Safety Group, along with Mr Gove’s department, the Royal Insti

The Property Management Awards 2022 were held at our glamorous awards ceremony on 24 November 2022 at City Central at the HAC in London.  The awards were hosted by comedian and presenter, Joel Dommett and brought together over 840 people from across the industry, who gathered for the evening to celebrate with their peers and clients.  We would like to extend a huge congratulations to all of our winners and highly commended. Also to everyone who made the shortlist this year. We had a record breaking amount

We are delighted to announce that another Property Manager, Emma Bonham-Grant, has chosen to partner with B-hive for her new business, Domain Property Management.  Emma is based in Manchester and has been a Property Manager for 15 years. For the last 8 years she worked at the HML Group, most recently as Regional Business Development Manager for the North West. Emma’s company is very new and so it is still early days, but she is loving it already and things are going well.  Emma says, “Having only really s

As the Build to Rent market (BTR) continues to grow and offer some relief on the housing shortage market, owners are keen to maximise on their investments in this lucrative rental space. To fully leverage the rental potential in these new builds, it’s important to maintain that ‘new’ finish for as long as possible. Yes, much of this lies in the hands of the residents and setting clear responsibilities from the start but the critical component lies in interim inspections. Interim inspections to detect issu

Marketing and new business director at property group Beresfords, Nicki Treffers, took part in The Elephant Highway Cycle to raise money for UK charity, Norwood. The challenge saw 50 people cycle 568km across Botswana over a five-day period, to collectively raise an incredible £250,000. Norwood supports more than 2,500 vulnerable people and children with learning disabilities and autism, as well as their families who face challenges and require specialist help and advice. The charity delivers a wide range

There was no windfall for the housing sector in Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement. And his pre-Budget comment that he had some ‘eye-wateringly tough’ decisions to make proved to be true as taxes went up and public spending was squeezed in an effort to repair the nation’s fractured finances. But he did outline the measures he believed necessary to bring down inflation and keep mortgage rates stable while raising the revenue needed to maintain public services. And sector bosses have welcomed those m

FirstPort, the UK’s leading residential property services provider, is launching an industry-leading partnership with Net Zero International, as it works towards the Government’s net zero targets, and joins the United Nations’ Race to Zero initiative. FirstPort will be partnering with Net Zero International to deliver a net zero strategy across the FirstPort group, working towards mitigating a minimum of 90% of its baseline emissions, in line with science-based targets. This partnership will allow FirstPo

Are you ready for net zero? That's the question asked in a webinar broadcast on 28 November by repairs and maintenance software provider Fixflo.  The webinar will feature Nigel Glen, Executive Chair of The Property Institute and Martin Perry, Director of West of England Estate Management Ltd. The two industry leaders will assess the steps block managers can take to prepare for the Government's 2050 zero emissions targets, including: The importance of a whole building approach Heat networks and heat pum

A large property with a fascinating history as a former maternity home in one of Birmingham’s most sought-after suburbs is appearing in Bond Wolfe’s next auction on Wednesday 14 December. The Grange at 42 Park Hill in Moseley, which has a guide price* of £750,000+, is a Victorian-style building that has long since been converted into ten self-contained flats. But the freehold property was once a centre for unmarried mothers, known as the Lahai-Roi Rescue Maternity Home and The Grange Rescue Home at differ

New snap research from UK relationship bank Handelsbanken, carried out following the recent economic upheaval, finds that landlords are making significant adjustments to their portfolios to cater for the fast-changing macroeconomic environment. Almost three in five (60%) landlords say they are preparing to increase rents to compensate for higher costs, with a fifth saying they are planning to sell some of their portfolio to directly combat the cost of living crisis. Around a third say they are looking for

There’s something very special about a nine-year-old thinking of other young people being homeless or in fear of being homeless and wanting to help. St Basils homelessness charity are very fortunate to have that special 9-year-old supporting them this year.  Jessica Field from Redditch really wanted to make a difference and asked her mum Claire how she could help.  Jess said: “I wanted to raise money for homeless people this year as I see them sleeping outside when I go to my evening clubs. I feel sad for

Fears over controversial Government proposals for the Private Rental Sector would be eased for letting agents and landlords by the adoption of a rigorous, professional inventory policy, according to one industry boss. No Letting Go CEO, Nick Lyons said :”These proposals are wide ranging and they do benefit tenants but, in the end, we all want decent homes in the PRS and we want a level playing field for both letting agents on the one hand, and tenants on the other. “This is best achieved through transpare