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SME landlords are planning to expand their portfolios in the year ahead as optimism about residential and commercial property builds despite fears of an economic downturn and the cost of living crisis, new research* from property business experts Handelsbanken shows. Its nationwide study shows half (49%) of professional landlords – those owning at least four properties – intend to buy more, of which 8% plan to invest in improving the quality of their portfolio, underlining their enduring confidence in bri

“After the announcement earlier this week from the new Housing Secretary we now believe there is a strong possibility that we will finally be able to resolve the cladding crisis in the UK. We welcome and support the news of formal contracts being sent out to finalise a long-term solution to unsafe cladding and are encouraged by the continued work by the new Housing Secretary with a focus on improving building safety, protecting leaseholders, and making homes safe.” “The news will resonate positively with

Yorkshire-based property specialist Pure Block Management has launched an online portal that will streamline customer service for leaseholders and tenants of the apartment blocks and residential complexes it manages across the region. The new portal makes it easy for leaseholders and residents to report any maintenance issues at their properties and receive updates on how and when they will be resolved, as well as notifications of planned work taking place.  Leaseholders and residents can also manage thei

Alan Thomas, CEO of landlord insurance provider Simply Business, has shared five unexpected - but surprisingly common - property risks to watch out for as Britain faces record temperatures. Simply Business is one of the UK’s biggest providers of small business and landlord insurance. Insuring over 350,000 landlords has given us a unique insight into some of the risks facing property owners – especially as the temperatures soar. We’ve pulled together a list of five unexpected things to watch out for

Proportunity, a London-based neolender, has analysed millions of data points to reveal the top 10 recession busting areas to buy a home across England and Wales. The list is based on characteristics of the areas which performed well in previous recessions. The top characteristics identified include: Affluent areas with low housing supply Areas with a higher proportion of millennials, which pimples higher economic activity Areas with a large portion of older properties Areas with heavily used train st

Commercial agents Siddall Jones have sold a prominent site in Birmingham which has planning permission for 31 student flats and ground floor commercial units. A private developer has paid £810,000 for adjoining properties 1256-1258 Pershore Road in Stirchley. The property was previously owned by a family who had secured the planning permission. Ed Siddall-Jones, managing director of Siddall Jones, said: “The property currently comprises a detached block of two retail properties with self-contained residen

Question: What is a right of light? Answer: Background A right of light is an easement which gives a  property  owner a right to enjoy natural light that enters a building through a defined aperture, most commonly through a window.   Both landlords and individual flat owners can acquire a right of light and this right doesn’t need to be written down. The most common way in which they are acquired is by 20 years usage. A  right of  light is often used by both flat owners and landlords to stop develo

The doomed bid for Twitter from billionaire Elon Musk – the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, and one of the richest people in the world – has thrown a further light on the importance of upfront information.  That’s according to digital reservation specialists Gazeal, which argues that Musk’s failed bid came down to not receiving the upfront information he wanted from Twitter before purchasing.  Musk withdrew his $44 billion (£37 billion) takeover bid for the social media giant last Friday, claiming that Twitt

Odevo, the property management group that launched in the UK earlier this year, has acquired Trinity Property Group as it continues its rapid growth trajectory. Odevo was formed when leading UK managing agent Rendall & Rittner joined forces with Swedish based Nabo and SBC. UK-based Premier Estates and Finnish Companies MTR and STIO also became part of the group. Together they aim to challenge the industry and harness the power of technology and the highest standards of customer service to become the leadi

Carbon-zero housing was once only something you’d see undertaken as a one-off project on grand designs, but now there are over 30,000 projects in the pipeline with the same ambition.  There has been talk surrounding eco-homes and offices for a long time, however, until now it was often deemed unrealistic and unachievable. Yet, the topic of climate change has circled back to the very forefront of our minds, forcing those across all industries to evaluate their carbon footprint.  The property and constructi

Bishop & Sewell’s Landlord & Tenant Team has once again been named Solicitor Firm of the Year in the Enfranchisement and Right to Manage Awards (ERMAs).  Judged by a committee of peers from the sector, the ERMAS are among the most prestigious awards in the sector, and recognise professional excellence in leasehold enfranchisement work.  The Bloomsbury-based law firm’s Landlord & Tenant Team, headed up by Mark Chick and Chris Macartney, has won the award in previous years and retaining the coveted ac

This past month has seen Rob Clarke, Director at motive8 and key team members attend several key industry events from Elevate at London’s ExCel Centre to Apartmentalize in San Diego, USA. Elevate UK Elevate is the UK’s largest exhibition dedicated to physical activity, fitness and sports therapy and attracts over 250 leading suppliers and key decision makers from the fitness and sports therapy industry. Gym design consultants, Sally Ottewell and Kim Mead joined Rob for the day visiting and meeting with in