Are you embarrassed to be a landlord? According to a recent poll of almost 800 residential property investors, one in five landlords are too embarrassed to admit it. The findings show that on average 21% of landlords have been too embarrassed to admit it before. Across the UK, more landlords
9 September 2016 | Martin Read The BIFM’s sustainability special interest group (SIG) is embarking on a project to improve the value and accessibility of its sustainability research programme. Speaking at the launch of the 2016 BIFM sustainability survey, SIG chairman Sunil Shah explained that the group’s current focus on annual
West Country Properties Limited, advised by Savills, has let 44 Caledonia Place in Clifton, Bristol to Troia UK Restaurants Limited, trading as The Ivy. Troia UK has agreed a 20-year lease on the property, which is a former banking hall dating back to 1788. The Ivy is set to open
Landlords have been refused permission to challenge proposed changes to the taxation of income from buy-to-let properties – the so-called Tenant Tax. Landlords’ campaign group Axe the Tenant Tax, led by co-claimants Steve Bolton olf Platinum Property Partners, and landlord Chris Cooper, submitted at London’s High Court that the changes
“In this day and age, programme is critical to contractors and businesses,” attests Angus Cormie, Chief Engineer at J&D Pierce, one of the UK’s leading structural steel provider. As a champion designer, supplier and installer of quality steelwork, J&D Pierce offers an end-to-end service that dramatically reduces the supply chain
The realm of property, and the provision of associated services, is one which, in its present state, possesses ample opportunity for those looking to succeed. As such, the market for such services is, as one might expect, increasingly competitive by very nature, and, in ensuring ample differentiation between competitor services
Following on from National Apprentice Week a survey of over 1000 employers has been carried out to discover attitudes towards apprenticeships from employers within the industry. Over 1/3 of employers who haven’t hired an apprentice were not aware of the grants available. Over 40% of trade companies who haven’t hired
Serving as one of the largest contracts ever to have been awarded to the firm, Gus Robinson Developments, a leading development specialist in the North East of England, has successfully secured a £4.8m contract for at the Tyneside development project. The site, at Great Park, Newcastle, has had a steady
As of a survey by the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors, it has been urged for those leaving school to be encouraged to look into the possibility of undertaking apprenticeships as opposed to the more traditionally considered route onto the career ladder. And while higher education is still considered
A construction news update; it has been predicted that the current level of output in the construction level is set to spike considerably in the coming years, with recent construction industry research, as undertaken by Leading Edge, predicting a considerable jump of 3.3% on those figures achieved in 2015. This,
Are you embarrassed to be a landlord? According to a recent poll of almost 800 residential property investors, one in five landlords are too embarrassed to admit it. The findings show that on average 21% of landlords have been too embarrassed to admit it before. Across the UK, more landlords in the East of England and the East Midlands said they were embarrassed to admit it compared to any other region (29% and 28% respectively). At the other end of the scale, the English regions with the fewest embarrassed landlords were the South East and Yorkshire and Humber (18%). Just 13% of landlords in Scotland said they had been too embarrassed to admit it before – the lowest across the UK (see full regional breakdown below). Richard Blanco, who lets property in London and the East Midlands, says he hasn’t always been truthful when it comes to admitting he’s a landlord: “Before becoming a landlord I thought long and hard about it because I had always disliked landlords as a student due to a bad experience I had over my deposit. These days I’m more upfront about it, but I tell people I work in property instead, because I still assume people won’t like me if tell them what I do. I also say that I work for the National Landlords Association (NLA) and that we campaign to improve the private rented sector, which tends to go down a bit better”. The findings indicate that approximately 400,000 of the UK’s 2 million landlords avoid telling people what they do. The NLA, which is the largest representative body for landlords in the UK, says that despite the bad press, the majority of tenants are satisfied with their current landlord and tenancy. Richard Lambert, Chief Executive Officer at the NLA, said: “The number of people looking to invest in property is rising all the time yet the stigma attached to being a landlord never seems to diminish. It’s the minority of rogues and criminal landlords that make the headlines, and this has a negative impact on everyone else. The majority of landlords are hardworking individuals who put their own money into providing homes for others, and they should not be ashamed to say so”. Source link
9 September 2016 | Martin Read The BIFM’s sustainability special interest group (SIG) is embarking on a project to improve the value and accessibility of its sustainability research programme. Speaking at the launch of the 2016 BIFM sustainability survey, SIG chairman Sunil Shah explained that the group’s current focus on annual research reports can have the effect of limiting the potential impact of its work. By introducing longer-term research activity with a five year span, the value of the subsequent output will be greater to end users and the FM sector’s interactions with government. “We are looking at how we collect data, and at how we work with the plethora of data that already exists,” said Shah. “But we have had the problem that much of the third party data we work with is maintained in closed data sets. And a lot of that data is not cross-comparable from one third-party source to another. The sustainability SIG is seeking to introduce a new open access information portal through which to host its longer-term researh activity. The longer-term research programme will focus on both environmental and social sustainability metrics. The challenge, said Shah, is to produce better and more shareable data. “At the moment, a lot of conversations that government has about the impact of buildings is from a design-led perspective, not FM. So when goverment wants to talk about how buildings perform, they talk to architects and engineering consultants rather than the FM profession.” The sustainability SIG is looking for organisations to support this programme. It intends to go live with the project in the early part of next year. Source link
West Country Properties Limited, advised by Savills, has let 44 Caledonia Place in Clifton, Bristol to Troia UK Restaurants Limited, trading as The Ivy. Troia UK has agreed a 20-year lease on the property, which is a former banking hall dating back to 1788. The Ivy is set to open towards the end of this summer. Chris O’Mahony, retail and leisure director at Savills in Bristol, comments: “We’re delighted that prestigious restaurant The Ivy has chosen to open its first restaurant outside of London in Clifton. The property at Caledonia Place not only provides an excellent Bristol location but also a unique space that complements The Ivy brand.” The Ivy was represented by Teague & Capital Ltd. Source link
Landlords have been refused permission to challenge proposed changes to the taxation of income from buy-to-let properties – the so-called Tenant Tax. Landlords’ campaign group Axe the Tenant Tax, led by co-claimants Steve Bolton olf Platinum Property Partners, and landlord Chris Cooper, submitted at London’s High Court that the changes would be both ‘unfair and unlawful’, and that the case should go to a full judicial review hearing – however, Mr Justice Dingemans ruled the challenge ‘arguable’ and dismissed it. Cherie Blair QC, who represented claimaints, said that landlords face challenging times ahead, in light of the ‘very disappointing’ result. The changes, which are due to come into force in 2017, would stop landlords being able to claim buy-to-let costs – largely mortgage interest payments – as a business expense. Landlords leading the campaign have vowed to continue to take their case to the Government. Richard Lambert, Chief Executive Officer at the National Landlords Association (NLA) said: “This decision is ultimately disappointing not just for landlords, but for the tenants who will see their rents rise as a consequence of the changes to landlord taxation. “While we have never been convinced that there was a solid enough legal case to overturn George Osborne’s decision, we hoped the Courts would be prepared at least to listen to the arguments. “We congratulate Steve, Chris and the campaign team on their determination, perseverance, and their success in raising awareness and increasing the visibility and understanding of what will be a dramatic change to the ability of hard working people to provide homes for others. “This issue has been the focus of the NLA’s lobbying for the past 15 months and, as the UK’s largest representative body for landlords, we are still committed to changing this damaging policy through political engagement and lobbying. We urge all landlords to join us in this fight.” Source link
“In this day and age, programme is critical to contractors and businesses,” attests Angus Cormie, Chief Engineer at J&D Pierce, one of the UK’s leading structural steel provider. As a champion designer, supplier and installer of quality steelwork, J&D Pierce offers an end-to-end service that dramatically reduces the supply chain and provides clients a competitive edge in terms of both time and cost. As Cormie continues, “With an all-encompassing structural steel service, we eliminate the need for multiple parties, manage interfaces and offer guaranteed excellence, every time, for every client.” Established in 1975, J&D Pierce has retained its family-run approach while diversifying and expanding into areas beyond purely steel fabrication and is now able to provide a comprehensive service from early design right through costing, fabrication and protective treatment to erection. A specialist in design and fabrication, J&D Pierce has continued to develop further capabilities, and can effectively carry a project through from inception to completion. Although subcontracting can be an economical way of procuring specialist works, it can also give rise to various kinds of problems. Within differences of opinion, organisation and interfacing issues, it can present significant delays and programme slippages for main contractors and become a cost burden to which clients simply cannot subscribe. Attending to that concern and delivering an end-to-end service, J&D Pierce offers an alternative, financially risk-free mode of construction, as Cormie makes clear: “Because we don’t sub-contract any services out, we have complete control over a project. Main contractors like to de-risk; if they can hire a single firm to carry out all works they will because it prevents problems of coordinating works on site and allows them to concentrate on their own objectives. We allow them programme certainty; our wide range of skills and expertise more than capable of shouldering an entire contract.” J&D Pierce has established itself as a one-stop-shop in structural steelwork and boasts divisions dedicated not only to design, production, erection, roofing and cladding, but stretching right the way across transport, delivery, crane, and access. It’s with concentrated investment that the company has been able to develop its services and establish manufacture, delivery and erection processes which are each unrivalled in both speed or quality and, combined, provide significant advantages to customers. That broad spectrum of capabilities is only set to widen as the development of new facilities adjacent to J&D Pierce’s existing site gets underway. The 15-acre development beside their existing facilities will host a new steel fabrication process for the manufacture of plate girders. The company is investing millions in state-of-art tooling equipment and technology for this for external sales and with a view to gaining even greater production efficiency. Primarily though, the new facilities will enable the company to take on an even greater proportion of works, as Cormie details further, “There are some specialist products that are used, particularly in high-rise buildings, that we would ordinarily have to outsource from specialist manufacturers. The new facilities will allow us to start manufacturing those ourselves therefore affording us greater control over production, as well as the ability to shorten the lead-in times and enhance the programme we can offer our clients.” Indeed, the company’s development has long been informed by the desire to exceed clients; expectations across the board. Despite widening its catalogue of services, J&D Pierce has only further emphasised quality within their expansion, with state of the art machinery incorporating intelligent software and direct linkage with J&D Pierce’s design system, it is also highly efficient, can identify how best to to minimise wastage and produce a precise replica of the computational drawing on-screen. So esteemed in design is J&D Pierce that it regularly offers both partial and full design, as well as design advice on projects. Whether approached at the stage of conception, integration, value engineering or connection analysis, the company is able to provide critical design solutions via a number of industry standard software operated by experienced engineers. With unrivalled expertise in design at a planning, development and operational level, the company’s manufacture and erection processes are significantly enhanced and J&D Pierce has, on more than one occasion, found itself heading the pack on construction projects. During a recent contract at Bristol Sports Club, the company was tasked to redevelop the West Stand and, as an informed contractor, paved the way for others to follow, as Cormie outlines: “The aim was to tie in work with the existing stand and erect a complicated three-dimensional roof design with a main trusse spanning 108m. We carried out the interface detail and, despite having our own cladding division, worked alongside an external cladding supplier and the precast supplier sourced by the main contractor. “We had a very tight footprint in which to erect the project and immediately envisaged the difficulties that would pose to both ourselves and the cladders. We re-thought the engineers’ methodology of erection (a system of building temporary towers to build the truss on) and suggested that we could, in fact, build the entire truss from the ground and lift it into place with two large cranes. While it took intricate crane movement for final placement, it meant that we had much better safety control because the majority of work was conducting on the ground rather than at height, as well as giving us significant advantage in programme, preventing stoppages and delays in schedule.” Characterised by its ability to add value and decrease the costs associated with programme, J&D Pierce also designed bespoke hinge details on the supporting rafters; the innovative solution allowed the company to pre-erect the rafters in pairs and then swing them up to the truss and complete the structure in less than a day, As a specialist in design, manufacture and construction, the company has a key understanding of each phase of development and effectively guarantees a project’s success with quality and control endowed. Of course, those ethics and successes come as the result of focused attention on training and development. J&D Pierce has worked hard to up-skill its
The realm of property, and the provision of associated services, is one which, in its present state, possesses ample opportunity for those looking to succeed. As such, the market for such services is, as one might expect, increasingly competitive by very nature, and, in ensuring ample differentiation between competitor services and one’s own, organisations are required to go farther than ever before in offering a truly unique, tailor-made service. Ahead of the curve in this respect is Aitchison Raffety, a company which offers a truly unique approach to business, both for its clients and within the organisational structure of the company itself. With 14 locations around the UK and a wealth of experience contained within the walls of the company itself, Aitchison Raffety aims to be the first choice for professional property solutions and as such, pursues excellence in each and every aspect of service delivery. Able to deliver a tailor-made solution to clients of any form, shape or size, the Aitchison Raffety approach to property is one with which it is difficult to contend. Working across all sector archetypes, all manner of client, Aitchison Raffety plays host to an unrivalled, multi-disciplinary set of specialist skills which is effectively able to provide a comprehensive, all-encompassing service to those in the possession of property. And yet, while this broad approach to property services does, in and of itself, lend itself to a vast array of potential clientèle, the company maintains a key focus upon careful, sustained growth through developing close working relationships with clients. As Carl Grint, Head of Property Management explains: “We’ve seen steady growth within the business. Despite the recession and the challenges faced by businesses over the years, Aitchison Raffety always taking a step in the right direction. ” And it is due to the company’s commitment to long-term relationships with the clients, that the company has indeed been able to grow gradually, carefully and sustainably to this very day. Aitchison Raffety is a keen monitor of present and prospective future market trends and developments. Incorporating everything from the overlooking landscape of the wider property market all the way down to the base understanding of what exactly it is that a client may be seeking from a provider of property services. Grint commented: “We’re very conscious of the changes in the market for management. It’s constantly evolving, and we’re aware of that. I think the most successful managers encompass a far wider range of specialities; we’re not a blinkered manager in the sense that, if you want a property managed then it’s not just solely about collecting rent, but is in fact far more than that. Usually, if we’re embarking on a new relationship then it starts with the client having a problem to solve, which we’re very aware of.” Integral to gaining this understanding is, as is most evident, close liaison with key clients and industry partners as facilitated by the relationships already developed between the company and client. And developing relationships between company and client, as opposed to an individual manager and the client is another area where the Aitchison Raffety approach actually differs from that of its direct competitors. While many companies offering property services, specifically those relative to management, focus upon developing one-to-one relationships between individual members of staff on either side of the client and manager position, the Aitchison Raffety approach instead promotes the development of company-to-company relations. On this important note, Grint provides further insight: “Because we don’t look at the short term specifically, and instead at the long-term, sustainable future, the relationship isn’t necessarily between an individual person at Aitchison Raffety and a client, but with the team and the client. “We have a team approach to managing and this means that there may well be a lead client contact, who takes responsibility for the instruction, but it’s rarely serviced on an individual basis. Individual elements may be served like this, but there’s a team approach to business, and teamwork is therefore a very crucial part of our strategy. “As we’re a very multi-disciplined organisation, it would be wrong of us to act as individual divisions, so we promote teamwork both within and out of the division. Our people strategy, for example, involves a real focus on the staff, not just the managers, where every member of the team is monitored for learning and development. We have continuous development reviews, but it’s not just a box-ticking exercise for us, as we really believe in looking at long-term career development for people.” Of course, this approach to business is one which directly lends itself to supporting the future of the company, as is outlined in the company’s own vision, and as such the continued prosperity of the company is all but ensured. Playing a key role in the future goals of the company will be a focus upon a combination of both the people, and operational structure of the business in a bid to ensure the highest degree of efficiencies, safety and professionalism across all works. Through the company’s clear dedication to investment into new technologies and its own workforce, this again, is all but ensured.
Following on from National Apprentice Week a survey of over 1000 employers has been carried out to discover attitudes towards apprenticeships from employers within the industry. Over 1/3 of employers who haven’t hired an apprentice were not aware of the grants available. Over 40% of trade companies who haven’t hired an apprentice wouldn’t know where to start. This is despite an overwhelmingly positive response towards the scheme from those who have hired an apprentice While it is clear that those who have hired an apprentice are very supportive of the scheme, it is also clear that many employers are not sure about how they could hire an apprentice or of some of the basic benefits of hiring an apprentice. The fact that 42% of employers who haven’t yet hired an apprentice wouldn’t know where to start when it comes to hiring an apprentice and that 39% were not even aware that government grants are available, shows that there is still work to do when it comes to publicising the apprenticeship scheme. On a more positive note, it is clear that employers who have hired an apprentice have found the experience to be very valuable. 54% of employers reported that they were very satisfied with the experience and 39% said they were satisfied. The main benefit of hiring an apprentice was, perhaps unsurprisingly, providing skilled workers for the future (with 75% giving that as a response). There were also some interesting findings for those thinking of entering the sector as an apprentice, with employees saying that the most sought after quality in those looking for an apprentice was a proven work ethic. This survey was part of a wider campaign ran by Power Tool World to spread the word about apprenticeships across the sector. Chris Guy, managing director of Power Tool World, said “You can see from the results of this survey how important apprenticeships are to the construction industry and that there is still work needed to raise awareness and educate the industry. We’re taking any opportunity to do our bit to promote the scheme to young people and employers on the many benefits of apprenticeships.” As part of this, they have also created guides for apprentices (‘Kick-starting your Career in Construction’) and those thinking of hiring apprentices (“Why you should hire an apprentice” ). Both of these guides were created with the help of the National Careers Service, who provided important tips for both employers and those thinking of becoming an apprentice. By Power Tool World
Serving as one of the largest contracts ever to have been awarded to the firm, Gus Robinson Developments, a leading development specialist in the North East of England, has successfully secured a £4.8m contract for at the Tyneside development project. The site, at Great Park, Newcastle, has had a steady flow of development work ever since 2001, with circa 1,500 residential properties having been developed, alongside a number of key public facilities and commercial areas. Now deemed to be an ever-expanding community, the site is considered to be a hotbed of optimism and potential for further development. And at this highly enviable location, Gus Robinson Developments has been awarded a key contract to develop residential property space (effectively, apartment space) atop retail units which is expected to add yet another combination of community-enhancing credentials to support further prosperity at the site. Most specifically, the project will see Gus Robinson Developments creating circa 38 two-bedroomed apartments on-site, on behalf of Benicia Homes, a provider of social housing solutions. Works are expected to commence by the end of the month, with an expected completion of time of approximately one year. Of course, representing a landmark deal to Gus Robinson Developments, the company’s Managing Director, Steve Bell expressed his delight at securing what is, at present, the organisation’s largest ever development contract to date, offering the organisation a unique opportunity to showcase its capacity to deliver on larger projects in enviable locations. Having already undertaken a number of differing commercial and retail development projects, as well as those pertaining to affordable housing over the years, Gus Robinson Developments will indeed be bringing a great deal of experience to the table, however, the project also signals the first time in which the company has been able to combine this experience in one project, as Steve Bell explains: “This is the first time we have been able to showcase both parts of the business within the same project and the whole of the team are looking forward to seeing the scheme progress.”
As of a survey by the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors, it has been urged for those leaving school to be encouraged to look into the possibility of undertaking apprenticeships as opposed to the more traditionally considered route onto the career ladder. And while higher education is still considered to be the primary mode of progress for individuals, questions can be raised as the benefits in contrast to apprenticeships which can often provide more specific (to the relevant role) training and an easier time breaking into the sector for certain career paths. In the survey, the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors surveyed some 1,830 homeowners within both Wales and England, to gauge their opinion on apprenticeships. Of the results, it was highlighted that a surprisingly high 86% of individuals actually stated that they believe that those leaving school should face more encouragement on the apprenticeship front, as opposed to the more traditional path through to Higher Education – in fact, a mere 2% of those surveyed actually stated to disagree with this notion. Additionally, 81% of people nodded to the benefits of pursuing an apprenticeship, with respect to the provision of earnings and key, targeted learning for their career of choice. 78% then supported this notion, believing that apprenticeships provide a good way into a career of choice as well as 77% of those surveyed also stressing how important professional training is. Of course, the results come as no surprise, with an increasing number of university graduates struggling to break into their career of choice due to a lack of experience and a degree of insecurity as to the assurances of finding a job quickly after graduation. Combined with a shortage of skilled tradesmen, and the aforementioned lead into a career through apprenticeships, it is for these reasons that we can see apprenticeships starting to come to the fore more prominently as a direct means into a number of enviable careers.
A construction news update; it has been predicted that the current level of output in the construction level is set to spike considerably in the coming years, with recent construction industry research, as undertaken by Leading Edge, predicting a considerable jump of 3.3% on those figures achieved in 2015. This, in effect would represent a predicted figure of £135.3bn for 2016. Signalling a boom period for the construction industry which has not been witnessed since before the recession, the figures actually outshine the boom period of 2007’s figure of £133.7bn; an incredible piece of good news for construction industry sceptics. And looking at the various areas expected to see such considerable degrees of growth, the spread is, in fact expected to be quite far and wide, touching an assortment of industry sectors. Key areas, however, which are predicted to see a level of considerable growth include the private housebuilding sector, the industrial sector and also that of infrastructure. While not dubbed as one of the key sectors to see massive growth this year, the commercial sector is actually forecast to enter the green once more, with a degree of growth expected, in contrast to the reduction witnessed last year; a statistic no-doubt welcomed by the industry. Although many sectors are expected to see the benefit of the emerging boom, the public housing sector, however, has not been predicted to see growth this year, with a shortfall actually considered to be on the books for the year. An unfortunate prospect for the sector, but one which has arguably been predicted long in advance. The figures, of course, do indeed highlight a very strongly performing sector in the whole. As such, industry optimism remains high, with Mel Budd, Director of Leading Edge commenting: “Although the Office of Budget Responsibility has just downgraded its GDP forecasts, the UK economy is still relatively healthy and one of the fastest growing western economies, which will help grow output in the construction sector.”