Featured Articles

Get the answers to your questions and stay up to date about apartment building management with our featured articles and NOTB guides, on topics such as service charges, right to manage, buying your freehold, major works, building insurance and other issues about blocks of flats.

Keyfix plays key role in the construction of stylish new apartment buildings in Wandsworth

As one of the UK’s leaders in the manufacture of Non-Combustible Cavity Tray Systems (NCCT), Keyfix was recently contracted to work on a £190m new build project in Wandsworth, London. The Smugglers Way project, overseen by McAleer & Rushe, involved the construction of 554 build to rent and affordable apartments across 13 blocks.   With over 11,000 metres of Non-Combustible Cavity Trays, 4,000 pre-formed Corner Units, 5,000 Reveals and 45,000 Non-Combustible Weeps required, McAleer & Rushe sought Keyfix’s

Preim Bolsters Teams to Support Growing Partnerships and Communities in 2025

Estate management company Preim, part of the Encore Group, has spent much of 2024 investing in its team and communities with a series of new appointments and internal promotions to strengthen its commitment to delivering high-quality estate management services.  As the company looks ahead to a busy 2025, this investment in both new talent and the development of existing team members underscores Preim’s dedication to supporting its partners and the communities it serves. In response to existing and forecas

Watling appointed to sell major portfolio of six residential developments across Yorkshire

Watling Real Estate has been instructed on behalf of joint administrators from Interpath to sell a major portfolio of six residential development sites across Yorkshire that will deliver a further 167 new homes. Rob Cruikshank, associate director of Watling, has provided further background on the three main sites in the portfolio that are located in York, Leeds and Barnsley. James Clark and Howard Smith from Interpath, the joint administrators of Scotfield Group Ltd, Yelcon Ltd and Camstead Ltd, trading a

John Byers reflects on 30 years of LBB Chartered Surveyors

John Byers, co-founder and director of LBB Chartered Surveyors reflects on 30 years in business. On 1st December, LBB Chartered Surveyors celebrated 30 years of business.  I still remember joining a previous iteration of the company as a young building surveyor in 1988, never imagining that all this time later I would still be here!   I know everyone at LBB greatly appreciates the clients we have worked with and those others in the profession we have known and become friends with over these many years. No

Energy bills rising? Save £38 by running your dishwasher at night

As winter approaches, Brits can expect rising prices as households are already being warned of a 10% rise on energy bills, to an average annual energy bill of £1,717, 41% higher than in Winter 2021/22. Simple tweaks, along with a switch in meter could save you up to 50% on your energy bills this winter. With this in mind, Confused.com energy’s experts have provided their insight into how to maximise savings with an Economy 7 plan. What is Economy 7, and how does it work? It’s called Economy 7 because you

Understanding and observing the Golden Thread

The concept of the ‘golden thread’ under the Building Safety Act 2022 is often perceived as complex and daunting, but it fundamentally revolves around ensuring that the right information is available to the right people at the right time.  This principle is vital across all design stages, from the initial concept through to the delivery and construction process to ensure that duty holders identify, understand, manage, and mitigate building safety risks throughout a building’s life-cycle – in essence it’s

Sama submits plans for 31 new apartments in Sparkbrook, Birmingham

Sama Investment Group, a Birmingham-based developer and investor, has submitted plans for new 31 residential apartments and three spacious commercial units as part of a mixed-use regeneration scheme known as Highgate Corner on the outskirts of Birmingham city centre.   Located to the north of the iconic Balti Triangle, the proposals would see the transformation of a vacant brownfield site to deliver a new residential community on the corner of Highgate Road, Ladypool Road, and Stratford Road. The scheme,

Leaseholders Urged to Buy Out Their Freeholds

London's 1.3 million leaseholders are shelling out £4.6bn in service charges every year as freeholders continue to hike their charges. Many are now trapped in their flats unable to sell and unable to pay the charges. According to Mike Somekh, who runs the Freehold Collective, the problem stems from the feudal system of land ownership which divides property ownership between those who own the land and those who have the right to occupy property on that land for a fixed period of time before it returns to t

Beresfords Group scoops silver at prestigious Negotiator Awards

Essex property group, Beresfords, has been awarded silver for the Website of the Year category at the Negotiator Awards ceremony 2024. The Negotiator Awards is the leading awards programme for estate and letting agents in the UK alongside their suppliers, and was supported this year by headline sponsor Zoopla, alongside a host of category sponsors. London’s premier venue, The Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane hosted the black-tie event in its iconic ‘Great Room’, with agents from all over the UK attendin

Caridon Group Launches Caridon Estates

Caridon Group, an award-winning property investment and management firm with over 15 years of industry experience, is pleased to announce the launch of Caridon Estates. Having built a portfolio of approximately 2,500 units through acquisition, development, leasing, and joint ventures, Caridon Estates is now entering the estate agency market with the goal of helping homeowners and landlords unlock the full potential of their properties. Leveraging their extensive experience in property investment and as

Novello Chartered Surveyors acquires Castle Surveyors

Novello Chartered Surveyors, one of London’s fastest growing residential surveying firms, has acquired Castles Surveyors, a trusted name in North London for over 30 years. Already considered one of the fastest-growing residential surveying firms, the announcement marks a significant milestone in Novello’s mission to become the premier multi-discipline surveying firm in London.  Castles Surveyors, previously part of Castles Estate Agents, has built a strong reputation for its expertise in valuations, surve

A Small Business Owner's Perspective: Riding the Storm After the UK Budget

For the past four weeks, life has been a whirlwind of calculations, revisions, and difficult decisions as I try to navigate the fallout of the UK’s latest budget announcement. As a small business owner with 25 years of experience, I’ve weathered my share of storms—from recessions to pandemics—but this time feels different.  This time, it feels like we’re headed straight into a concrete wall. Even if the economy grows by the predicted 1% (which, frankly, feels optimistic), my instinct tells me we’re starin

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