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A “State of the Property Management Nation” survey revealed that the sector has enjoyed rapid growth over recent years. The demand for capable candidates, experienced in block management, is far out-stripping supply. It does, of course, take many years of dealing with every aspect of the job from issuing section 20’s and representing at the FTT, to briefing contractors and scrutinising tender documents, before a candidate truly becomes an industry professional. So the high-level candidate, with the requis

More and more people are occupying properties under long leases. Unlike freehold ownership, a long leaseholder may well have to make monthly, quarterly or annual payments to his or her landlord (being the freeholder of the building, or land, in which your property is situated or a leaseholder under a superior lease to that which you benefit from) (“Landlord”) by way of ground rent. Ground rent is payable in addition to service charge (a charge levied for the Landlord’s costs and expenses of managing and m

The Reeds Development is a stunning residential scheme of 130 luxury apartments located close to Watford Junction Station.   THE BRIEF: Despite the very  high standard of the development, residents at The Reeds and their property managers had become increasingly concerned that the lighting had become outdated and now posed a potential risk to health and safety. Maintenance costs were exorbitant and the failing system was no longer fit for purpose. The client was also holding a quotation running into thou

As residential apartments become more of a feature in large urban mixed-use developments, residents are happy to work, rest and play in the same location. These developments are becoming larger in scale and more centrally located. A dynamic 21st Century solution to build and maintain community and a sense of home atthese large urban hubsis essential for their success. Meeting with residents will still take place, however with mixed-use developments often including anywhere between 500 and 1000 residential

The  Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has vowed to buy 8,000 homes and create new powers for councils to take over “deliberately” empty luxury flats to crackdown on rough sleeping. Mr Corbyn said the country needed “social priorities”’ that placed homeless people above the right for foreign investors to buy and sell property off plan. He insisted that if Labour formed the next government, it would intervene on the housing market in a “number of ways” to help social tenants, private renters and first time bu

A pioneering London estate agent is using the latest in artificial intelligence to make the lives of landlords and tenants easier.   Vesper Homes has developed a new service through the innovative cloud-based voice service so that both landlords and tenants can ask questions about their properties via an Amazon Echo.   All landlords signed up to Vesper Homes fully managed service receive a free Echo Dot, which can provide all manner of details associated with their account and tenancies.   Questions the l

A development of luxury apartments in London will be connected to a much faster digital world after receiving “gold standard” fibre broadband — making it the quickest in the UK.   The move means residents will receive broadband 27-times faster than the average UK consumer receives today.   Property developer Hadley Property Group (HPG) has selected residential gigabit provider Hyperoptic to connect the 89 grand homes in Chelsea Island. HPG is building the luxury flats as part of the regeneration of the Lo

Plans for a 19-storey block of flats that is covered in more than 5,000 trees and plants have been unveiled.   The skyscraper is one of a host of schemes that make up a “Green Policy Plan” in the Dutch city of Eindhoven.   Designed by Italian firm Stefano Boeri Architetti, the greenery-covered tower will prioritise affordable housing. No completion date has yet been announced for the apartments, which will be developed by social housing foundation Sint Trudo.

Flat owners could be left with a two-tier market after “incredibly weak” measures to cut out unfair and abusive leasehold practices were announced by the government.    The head of enfranchisement specialist Leasehold Solutions slammed December’s announcement, which followed in the wake of the growing anger surrounding spiralling ground rents.   The organisation’s managing director, Louie Burns, said:    "Of course, we would welcome any reforms that make the leasehold system fairer for the millions of h

Feeling lost or suffering from paralysis on your career path? You haven’t even considered leaving your 9 to 5 in, well….in forever, and as you’re deliberating on next steps a well-meaning colleague or friend asks with concern ‘Well, what do you want?’ Ummmm, if only it were that easy right? Where to start looking, which is the best path to choose, and what are the next steps towards that dream job. All questions that turn your brain into a foggy mess of overwhelm. Specialist industry recruitment agents ar

Whether you’re a graduate just starting out in your career or an experienced professional looking to move up another rung on the ladder, there are so many things you can do to help boost your prospects and stand out from the crowd. Here, Deverell Smith Director and Head of Property Management, Emma Timothy, offers her top tips for those looking to make their mark in the block management sector.   QUALIFICATIONS An ideal place to start is by increasing your knowledge through industry-recognised qualificati

McDowalls Surveyors have today announced that Colin Horton will be leaving the firm at the beginning of next month. Chris Baker owner of McDowalls has stated:  “Colin has decided to leave McDowalls and set up his own company. Whilst this was not what I had originally planned for the firm, I do understand Colin’s ambition and desire to make this new venture happen. I would like to thank him for his time with my firm and wish him every success in the future. The valuation team at McDowalls will now be hea