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Alec Guthrie is the CEO of the Vegner Group, which owns HML, Faraday Property Management, Dauntons Soar, Shaw & Co Surveyors and over the last few years has successfully acquired more than 50 businesses. I've worked in the property sector for 35 years and in the block management world for 28 years. I believe that leasehold is not broken but the future of how we service our customers is evolving.  As the CEO of a business that manages in excess of 3,000 developments, with some 100,000 units under manage

It’s not enough for property managers to say that they are professional. Professionalism in our industry needs to be felt across what we do, and how we do it. From health and safety, where it is our duty to uphold the highest standards to keep our residents safe, to areas of accountability such as accounting and transparency of fees.  With customer choice being at the forefront to industry reform, it’s more important now than ever before for those property managers at the higher end of the quality scale t

Soaring house prices and inflation are causing a growing number of people to be left with a large tax bill when a family member dies. A new Government report shows the amount of inheritance tax (IHT) collected by HMRC could spiral by £37bn over the next five years. The situation has been worsened by the nil rate threshold having been frozen at £325,000 since 2009 – a figure set to remain until 2026.  As a result, experts at financial advisers Whitley Stimpson are urging middle income families to examine w

Budgeting for the future management of residential property is becoming ever more complex, according to Bob Simonds, director at Principle Estate Management. “If we look purely at the post-Grenfell increased requirements for fire safety work in buildings of all shapes and sizes, then the scale of the issue becomes clear,” he said. “This is an area that is only likely to become more demanding in years to come and needs to be accounted for at the budget preparation stage.” He said that accurate and realisti

The day after Grenfell, a client asked me what I thought had happened and who was responsible.  My answer was “collective failure by committee”.  What I meant by that was that it would seem likely that no one entity or group would be found solely guilty.   My explanation to my client was that there would likely have been multiple failures by multiple parties stretching across design, product choice, quality control, workmanship, oversight, interpretation of standards, contractual ambiguities and matters p

HomeSwapper, MRI Software’s sector-leading mutual exchange platform for social housing, is marking its 15th year of helping residents switch properties to homes that better fit their current needs. The anniversary of the HomeSwapper service comes as its website is used by participants in the new Channel 5 series, Council House Swap, which follows social housing residents across the United Kingdom looking to swap their homes. HomeSwapper has helped over 250,000 households find new homes since it first laun

Status Quo The role of Landlords Surveyor regarding Licences to Alter when considering a Leaseholder’s intention to carry out alteration works are understood by all involved. The surveyor will follow the same processes of assessment, reporting and monitoring which is a very efficient and proven approach to service delivery. But is there room for improvement? Surveyors thrive on process and structure which serves all parties very well. Having a structure and process in place is a very effective way of mai

London, UK – April 2022: deverellsmith, the London based recruitment and talent solutions partner for the property industry, announced that it has launched a survey which aims to uncover property professionals’ opinions and attitudes towards remuneration, employee benefits and career opportunities. The industry is experiencing one of the biggest talent shortages in a generation, counteroffers are more prominent than ever, employers are battling to recruit talent and reduce attrition and wage inflation is

A recent local government event highlighted the sector’s steady digital transformation – evidence that authorities at all levels are increasingly willing to consider and adopt tech solutions.  That’s according to PayProp, whose MD Neil Cobbold was invited to speak at the event in question at the end of March (the Institute of Government and Public Policy’s Second Annual National Local Government Event).   The day-long event included speakers and exhibitors from local councils, tech firms, suppliers and ot

If you’re managing a block with developer-fitted EV chargepoints, you may be congratulating yourself for having side-stepped the well-documented problems around installing chargers in residential blocks. In fact, you may not have got off as lightly as you thought says Jamie Willsdon. The market for electric vehicles has really taken off in the last few years, bolstered by government grants and the drive towards net zero. And it is likely to be given even more of a boost by recent hikes in petrol and diese

On Saturday 23 April, Rockwell will unveil its highly anticipated show apartments at Vetro, with a public sales launch for a selection of its limited edition, beautifully crafted and considered homes on West India Dock Road, Westferry. For the first time, potential buyers will have an opportunity to view some of Vetro’s inspired collection which will comprise 8 one-bedroom, 33 two-bedroom and 6 duplex penthouse apartments just two minutes from the shops, restaurants and bustling heart of Canary Wharf, and

Rendall & Rittner has recently appointed Denzil Baisden as its new Community Engagement Officer. His role will be key to strengthening the sense of community experienced by residents living in developments managed by the leading managing agent. After spending five years working as a hotel concierge for Hilton, Denzil first moved to Rendall & Rittner in 2009. Initially working as a member of the concierge team, Denzil moved to the Head Office to work in the Estate Operations team. Having briefly left to wo