A new survey by online ironmongery supplier, IronmongeryDirect, has found that 52% of tradespeople have fallen victim to tool theft, with almost a quarter (21%) saying it’s happened to them more than once. The results of the survey, completed by 1,000 tradespeople, back up the reported 54% rise in tool
Will oversee 460 acres of prime development land in Ireland Led by experienced Irish management team, Eddie Byrne and Michael Hynes Assets will make Quintain the third largest residential developer in Ireland Quintain Limited has established a subsidiary in Ireland with plans to develop more than 9,000 new homes and
A PLAN for a major new distribution centre in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter can go ahead, city planning officials have signalled. Titanic Quarter Ltd’s proposal would see full demolition of the existing industrial building on the site next to Queens Road, replacing it with a modern and larger 100,000 sq ft
The growing shift to online shopping by consumers is behind many of the recent well-publicised closures on the high street. But the trend is also bolstering tender opportunities in the industrial sector as new logistics and warehouse construction keeps growing to meet demand for distribution space. A recent trading update
If you’re considering offering rent to own real estate to prospective tenants, or simply renting a house to tenants the traditional way, it’s important to be aware of what’s involved in being a property manager. As it can take up a lot of time, many homeowners choose to hire a
Choosing the correct ladder for any given job can often be a bit of a minefield as there are so many different pieces of equipment for various working-at-height tasks. Hopefully this guide can be of some help should you need any pointers when selecting the correct solution. Choosing the correct
A new survey by online ironmongery supplier, IronmongeryDirect, has found that 52% of tradespeople have fallen victim to tool theft, with almost a quarter (21%) saying it’s happened to them more than once. The results of the survey, completed by 1,000 tradespeople, back up the reported 54% rise in tool thefts in the last two years* – with even a quarter of those who haven’t been a victim reporting that they know someone who has. Each theft is reported to cost a tradesperson on average £1,200**, which equates to typically more than a week’s pay. Commenting on the survey results, Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director of IronmongeryDirect, said: “It is worrying to see that across the industry tool theft numbers are continuing to rise, especially during the dark winter months. “There are a number of simple steps tradespeople can take to increase their van security such as parking against a wall in a well-lit area when out on a job, installing a van safe or taking their tools inside overnight. To tighten up security even further, van lock protection plates, dashcams or CCTV systems can be fantastic deterrents for would-be thieves.” For more survey results, please visit www.ironmongerydirect.com/landing/trade-barometer. IronmongeryDirect has over 18,000 products available and in stock. Orders can be placed as late as 8pm for next day delivery from Sunday through to Friday and by 4pm on Saturdays. Free, no quibble returns are available on all products. For more information, visit IronmongeryDirect.com or call their team of specialist advisors on 0800 168 28 28.
Will oversee 460 acres of prime development land in Ireland Led by experienced Irish management team, Eddie Byrne and Michael Hynes Assets will make Quintain the third largest residential developer in Ireland Quintain Limited has established a subsidiary in Ireland with plans to develop more than 9,000 new homes and 600,000 sq. ft of commercial space. The newly incorporated business, known as Quintain Ireland, will be responsible for the residential development of over 460 acres of prime assets in Ireland at Adamstown, Clonburris, Portmarnock, and Cherrywood. All these sites are owned by affiliates of Lone Star Funds and will be managed directly by Quintain. The business will launch with an experienced 12-person team focused solely on Ireland, jointly led by Eddie Byrne and Michael Hynes. The Quintain team in Ireland is expected to grow to over 25 next year and will manage a range of local construction partners. The Irish team will be fully integrated with the wider London-based team. Quintain will be resourced to replicate in Ireland the parent company’s strong record of delivery in London. The existing Irish portfolio, covering over 460 acres, will make Quintain the third largest residential developer in the country. Adamstown can accommodate approximately 5,000 homes across 220 acres of land, with further land at the neighbouring Clonburris site, to build approximately 350 houses; the recently acquired Cherrywood site is 120 acres and has an expected capacity of 3,000 homes; and the 87 acres in Portmarnock has the potential for 1,000 homes. The company intends to utilise its extensive experience to deliver market leading developments on its existing portfolio with a strong appetite to expand its portfolio of future development projects. The decision to expand into Ireland follows the increase in demand for housing, especially in the Greater Dublin area, as more people move to take advantage of the strong economy and job opportunities. James Saunders, Chief Executive of Quintain Limited, said: “Quintain has been actively looking at new opportunities to expand its business for some time and I am therefore extremely proud to announce our expansion into Ireland, with a huge commitment to take on the delivery of more than 9,000 homes across four sites spanning 460 acres in Greater Dublin. We have an established team on the ground in Ireland led by Eddie Byrne and Michael Hynes, who have over 40 years’ experience in the Irish and international property market. When you mix this local expertise with Quintain’s track record in taking forward major mixed-use development schemes, I am confident we will turn these sites into exemplary new places. Alongside our Irish business, we remain focussed on continuing to invest and build out our flagship Wembley Park development in London and have further appetite to secure more development opportunities in the UK and Ireland.” Eddie Byrne, Joint Managing Partner of Quintain Ireland, said: “We are excited to launch this new venture, with the potential to deliver more than 9,000 new homes in the Greater Dublin area, where there is a pressing need for increased housing supply. Quintain Ireland will combine the knowledge of our team on the ground with the wealth of expertise of our parent company in delivering major residential projects. In 2020 we expect to more than double the size of our team in Ireland and expand our development pipeline.” Quintain is a vertically integrated developer, operator and owner of residential and mixed-use assets; best known for the ongoing transformation of Wembley Park in north London. The 85-acre site surrounding Wembley Stadium has become one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe with over £2bn invested to date and another £1bn expected by 2022. Quintain first acquired a stake at Wembley Park in 2002. The development is already home to 3,500 residents with another 3,100 homes currently under construction and the project is expected to be fully built out by 2027. Previously Quintain owned the Greenwich Peninsula redevelopment around the 02 Arena in South-East London obtaining planning permission to deliver 10,000 new homes.
A PLAN for a major new distribution centre in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter can go ahead, city planning officials have signalled. Titanic Quarter Ltd’s proposal would see full demolition of the existing industrial building on the site next to Queens Road, replacing it with a modern and larger 100,000 sq ft facility. Industry monitor Construction Information Services estimates the value of the project at just under £6 million. Most of the development (86,100 sq ft) will be dedicated to the new distribution warehouse, with another 7,000 sq ft set aside for a van storage centre. In a report prepared for Belfast City Council’s planning committee monthly meeting on Tuesday, 560 parking spaces will be provided on site. A total of 318 spaces will be specifically for delivery vans, with 161 set aside for drivers. Another 81 are earmarked for staff and visitors. That report recommends approval for the project. Titanic Quarter Ltd is a company set up to develop 161.5 acres within the Titanic Quarter ultimately owned by landlord Belfast Harbour Commissioners. It is one of a group of companies that makes up Titanic Property Development Ltd. The group has overseen around £425m of development projects to date, comprising around 1.5 million square feet. Its directors have valued the development land at £25.9m. The latest major development includes Olympic House on Queens Road. Enabling works on the £26.5m office building began in June. The most recent accounts for Titanic Property Development Ltd show it turned a pre-tax profit of £4.9m in the 12 months to December 31 2018, down on a pre-tax profit of £6.2m from 2017. Titanic Property Development Ltd’s ultimate controlling parties are the Entice Limited Partnership, owned by Irish businessman Dermot Desmond and Dockside Investments, which is owned by the family of Irish property developer Pat Doherty. The report states that both parent parties have confirmed they will not seek repayment of £26.3m of existing loans for the foreseeable future. Shareholder loans are subordinated to Danske Bank and Bottin Investments, which is also owned by Dermot Desmond. In 2017, Mr Desmond injected an additional £29m into the company. The Titanic group of companies also refinanced £75m worth of loans with Danske bank the same year.
The growing shift to online shopping by consumers is behind many of the recent well-publicised closures on the high street. But the trend is also bolstering tender opportunities in the industrial sector as new logistics and warehouse construction keeps growing to meet demand for distribution space. A recent trading update from Segro, one of the largest owners of logistics warehouses, suggests activity and tender opportunities in the sector remain brisk. The firm has seen a strong start to 2018 having secured a record £27 million of new rent in the first quarter and with occupational demand encouraging across all its markets, particularly driven by the growth of online retailing. Segro completed 146,500 sq m of new industrial construction projects in the first quarter. Moreover, the volume of new space either approved or with building projects under development across the group, stood at 1 million sq m at the end of March, up from 693, 900 sq m at the start of the year. Indeed, Glenigan’s Construction market analysis shows tenders are currently being invited on a £10 million Segro industrial building project in Newham, covering 4795 sqm and with work set to start in late 2018. £350 million development cap-ex Today, Segro’s development pipeline includes new pre-lets totalling 490,000 sq m, of which 270,000 sq m is to online retailers. At one key site, SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway, the pre-lets include 122,000 sq m to a major online retailer and 60,000 sq m to a third-party logistics provider. Overall, Segro expects its development capital expenditure to exceed £350 million for 2018. Elsewhere, the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow Airport is likely to boost construction tender leads in the industrial sector further, as the growth of air cargo creates extra demand for warehouse space in the area. Segro, which owns significant portfolio around Heathrow, is well-placed to benefit. The potential for construction projects for the internet shopping sector has also been highlighted by the recent surge in the share price of Ocado, the pioneer in grocery deliveries, which is set to join the FTSE 100 this month. The outlook for the group which has a major facility at Andover and is set to open a new one at Erith in coming months, has brightened recently helped by a series of international partnerships. Tender opportunities Meanwhile, the outlook for tender opportunities across the industrial sector remains promising. Glenigan Construction market analysis shows that the value of underlying industrial construction starts rose by 19% last year and were up by 1% in the four months to April this year, compared to the period last year. The regional picture varies but activity looks particularly strong in key regions such as the East of England (where the value of starts is up 95% in January-April), London (up 24%) and the West Midlands (up 52%). A mark of confidence in the sector in the East of England is the start of construction work in recent weeks on two speculative logistics units covering 350,000 sq ft which are being developed by Jaynic at Suffolk Park, near Bury St Edmunds. Readie Construction is expected to complete the scheme by next November.
If you’re considering offering rent to own real estate to prospective tenants, or simply renting a house to tenants the traditional way, it’s important to be aware of what’s involved in being a property manager. As it can take up a lot of time, many homeowners choose to hire a property manager to handle the job for them, which may be charged at a flat fee or a percentage of the rent, typically between 4% and 12% of the gross monthly rent. A property manager does it all when it comes to managing a property, just some of the many responsibilities he or she takes care of includes the following. Assessing the Property and Recommending Rent Rates The property manager will ask the homeowner questions in order to recommend the rent price and search for the right tenant. They’ll determine whether the home needs any repairs or upgrades, if pets will be accepted or if there are any other criteria that the right tenant needs to meet. Marketing the Home Once the home is ready for tenants to move in, the property manager will take high-quality pictures and then start marketing it to find the best possible fit in the shortest amount of time. They’ll do a lot more than simply post the rental on Craigslist – they’ll generate leads through a variety of methods, including social media and other advertising, in a way that makes the home sound the most appealing. Tenant Screening One of the most difficult aspects of finding reliable tenants is tenant screening. The manager will handle all calls, emails, and applications, perform a range of background checks like rental history, employment, credit, and criminal lists while also making sure everything is conducted in compliance with fair housing and discrimination laws to protect the owner from any housing discrimination claims. They’ll also have to give prospective tenants a walkthrough of the property. Collecting Security Deposits and Rent Once the property manager finds the right applicant, they’ll recommend the prospective tenant to the homeowner for approval. Once approved they’ll collect the security deposit and hold it in an escrow account so that the funds won’t be co-mingled. They’ll also collect the rent, including both the first and last month’s rent if applicable. When the tenant moves in, the property manager will continue to collect the rent, handle any late payments and other potential financial problems, such as communicating with the tenant if the rent is overdue. Some property managers can help homeowners get their rent payments faster by allowing tenants to pay online and then transferring those funds into their bank accounts. Maintenance and Repairs The property manager is usually responsible for maintenance and repairs. The homeowner may provide money that can be used for emergencies like a broken refrigerator which is held in a maintenance reserve fund. In some cases they may take care of things like lawn mowing and leaf removal is the tenant isn’t designated to take care of those issues. Evictions and Move-Outs If the tenant fails to pay rent or breaks other rules, regulations or laws, the property manager will handle the eviction process, as well as ensure the policy is clearly stated in the rental agreement. When tenants move out, they’ll handle the walkthrough and determine which if any repairs are needed that go beyond normal wear and tear. They’ll be responsible for ensuring the repairs are fixed and everything is clean for the next tenant.
Choosing the correct ladder for any given job can often be a bit of a minefield as there are so many different pieces of equipment for various working-at-height tasks. Hopefully this guide can be of some help should you need any pointers when selecting the correct solution. Choosing the correct material. The two materials that ladders and access equipment tend to come in is aluminium or fiberglass, as you can see here. Aluminium ladders tend to be slightly lighter than the fiberglass ones. It can be a misconception that the aluminium ones are sturdier than the fiberglass ones as they are both tested to the same standards for durability and weight loading. The reason fiberglass ones were introduced was that they are non-conductive, usually to 30,000 volts, which obviously makes them ideal for any work that is being carried out around electricity. If you are purchasing a ladder for standard work, or DIY, then an aluminium one will suffice. Choosing Class It is important to make sure you choose an item that is certified to the correct classification for the job. This has become a bit of a grey area since the new standards for ladders came into play this year. Ladders used to be organised into three classifications (Class 1 – Industrial, Class 2- Trade and Class 3 – Domestic) This has now been changed and has been somewhat simplified into two classifications EN121 Non-Professional, and EN131 Professional. If a ladder is being used to carry out work in a professional environment, then it is essential to have the EN131 Professional classified equipment, anything that is sold as EN131 professional should be clearly marked as such on any labels on the equipment. The EN131 Non-Professional, as the name suggests, is suitable for anything that is for infrequent home use and DIY etc. It is important to make sure you are working with the correct equipment and classification, not only as it is the safest and best practice for yourself or your employees, but failure to do so can lead to problems with the HSE. Duration of Task Ladders are a practical solution for low risk and short duration tasks. It is recommended not to be on a ladder for a job that takes more than 30 minutes. If you are working on a job that you think will take longer than this, there may be more appropriate solutions, such as a ‘hop-up’ low level platform, or something like a podium step. These would be more suitable as they have a sturdy, larger platform to work off rather than the rungs of a ladder. Height Required Depending on the kind of job you are doing, different types of ladders will be most suited. If it is higher work, such as working at gutter height or fascias, an extension ladder would suit best. These generally come in a two section or three section model, the three section ladders close down to a smaller size so they can be easily transported or stored. If you are working lower than gutter height, for example decorating, home renovations or simply changing a lightbulb a step ladder would suffice and would be the best solution for the job. Step ladders come in two varieties, swingback and platform, as the name suggests a platform stepladder has a platform at the top for more comfortable standing, swingback stepladders have a top tread, which is not for standing on! You should actually never stand on the top three steps of a swingback stepladder. If you have a wide range of tasks in hand a combination ladder is ideal. Combination ladders can easily be turned into step ladders, extension ladders and stairway ladders very easily, giving you a range of available heights to work from, our personal favourites are the Little Giant Combination ladders or the ZargesSkymasters. As mentioned above if you are working at height for longer than 30 minutes at a time you should take a look at a podium steps, hop ups and towers, as well as permanent solutions over portable. Don’t forget to carry out a risk assessment for your work, once you hit heights over the average gutter height ladders may not be the perfect solution. Conclusion Hopefully throughout this simple guide you received the information you were looking for and are now on your way to becoming a ladder expert! Whichever product you go for in the end, ensure you are working safely and taking no unnecessary risks.
