Featured Articles

BMW used the groundbreaking elastic skin technology on a recent show car and believes it could pave the way for car manufacturing in the future. A team at BMW Group Design Munich created the 'GINA Light Visionary Model' car, which has a surface made of stretchy elastic fabric. Unlike conventional cars, which are made from sheet metal, the innovative surface is flexible, lighter than metal and uses far less energy to manufacture. It takes about two hours to stretch the skin over the concept car and

The report entitled 'Government Review of Regulation and Redress in the UK Housing Market' was written for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) by Professor Colin Jones, at Heriot-Watt University. The research looks at problems across the housing sector that are damaging consumer confidence. Jones calls for the simplification and strengthening of existing redress provisions to help improve the public's awareness of their rights. Jones criticises current arrangements

The seriousness by which this issue is being tackled is signified by the fact that the Working Group is being chaired by RICS President, Peter Goodacre.  He explains that: "By far the majority of RICS members and other professionals working in the property sector are open and transparent in all their business dealings. However, there is anecdotal evidence that suggests either that this might not always be the case, or that there are certain areas where there needs to be more openness. A cons

Leading members of the property industry have called for the Government to make radical changes to the stamp duty regime when buying residential property. Duncan Owen, chief executive of Invista Real Estate Investment Management Ltd, says: "To help the market Government needs to allow stamp duty to be calculated at the rate of the individual property regardless of whether it is acquired individually or collectively, not at the rate of the collective price.” This stance is backed by the British Prop

More than half of the disputes in the South East (52 per cent) were the result of tenants damaging the property. More than a third (36 per cent) were due to the property not being cleaned - while the rest concerned poor repair of the garden. The North East saw the second highest level of disputes (15 per cent), followed by the South West (12 per cent), North West (11 per cent) and West Midlands (11 per cent). London is the worst offender when the analysis was broken down into cit

A recent study undertaken by the University of Oxford claims that about 1100 people in the UK die every year from radon poisoning in their own home. Radon is now recognised to be the second largest cause of lung cancer in UK. Radon risk is highest where properties are built on top of uranium rich soils such as granite. The poisonous gas can seep through the foundations of a building and into homes exposing flat owners to more intense levels of radon than in the outdoors. Now recognised to be the se

Flat owners generally pay regular amounts of money to management companies in respect of service charges and reserve funds used for the upkeep and maintenance of their properties. The Federation of Private Residents Association (FPRA) has issued a recommendation to flat owners to confirm that money deposited on their behalf will be safe if the bank in which funds are deposited ceases to trade. Confirmation should be obtained in writing from the bank or managing agent concerned. Federation Ch

If you think you’ve got it bad with your service charges, spare a thought for your compatriots over in the commercial property sector.‚  Tenants at the newly opened Westfield centre have reportedly been told about an increase in their service charges by up to 75%‚  just days after the £1.6 billion shopping centre opened.‚  The service charge hike means some tenants may be paying more than £500,000 a year in service charges.

Those party people down at Wallace LLP solicitors have been celebrating the launch of their new leasehold enfranchisement department.‚  Hot footing from their launch at the Charlotte Street Hotel in July, the team hosted clients at an exclusive evening at the world famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz club.

It is bad enough to have the uncertainty of job security let alone whether there are unexpected service charges due.‚  The mix of buy to let alongside home owner flats makes the management of residential blocks all the more strategic and vital to get right. One block we have taken on had never had service charge reconciliation. The lease owners did not know that the previous agents had consistently not collected in enough money to cover the running of the property.‚  Each year they were paying

It’s been a busy few months in the Southam family.‚  Roger Southam, Chairman and Chief Executive of leasehold residential property managers Chainbow, wowed the crowd at Party in the Park with his club-style performance of ‘In the Summertime’ in aid of the property charity Land Aid Trust.‚  So, popular was his performance that an audience of no less than 29 people have since eagerly logged on to You Tube to relive the experience. Meanwhile, Pauline Southam, Roger’s wife and new business manage

In the excitement of buying or moving in as owner or tenant, taking out insurance to protect your‚  property is often overlooked. Some reports suggest nearly half of apartment owners and tenants lack contents insurance. So why are so many people not protecting themselves? From talking to customers, it appears to come down to two main reasons, a sense of improved home security, especially among those on the first floor and higher; and at the initial purchase, mortgage lenders not pushing contents insuran