Trades & Services : Property & Facilities Management News

A guide to building materials that can’t be mortgaged

The materials with which a property has been constructed are of utmost importance to mortgage lenders and, therefore, you, the buyer, as well. Before falling desperately in love with a property, try to think rationally and consider how challenging it may be to find a willing mortgage lender, as well

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Tips For Settling Land Disputes

When a land dispute comes up, you need to act fast but remember to stay calm. Find out our top tips for settling land disputes here in this article. Tips For Settling Land Disputes No one wants to have to deal with a land dispute but it can happen to

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BSRIA REVISES ITS SOFT LANDINGS AND BUSINESS-FOCUSED MAINTENANCE GUIDE

BSRIA has launched its free-to-download topic guide on Soft Landings and Business-Focused Maintenance (BFM). This guide aims to inform those involved in the design, construction and operation of a building about how an effective BFM regime can be developed and achieved through the soft landings approach. Nick Blake, the guide’s

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How to Avoid Frauds When Buying Real Estate

In most cases, purchasing real estate properties represents one of the most expensive transactions done by a person and, when involved in this, it is necessary to verify all the aspects of the respective property as some sellers can engage in various frauds, from minor matters (such as not disclosing

Read More »

HORBURY SECURES FIRE SAFETY UPGRADE FOR SHELTERED HOUSING

Horbury Property Services, part of the Horbury Group, has been selected to provide fire safety services for over 55s accommodation managed by Sheffield-based Arches Housing. The contract involves Horbury Property Services providing fire door replacement and fire compartmentation upgrades, which will be completed within a four-week schedule, as part of

Read More »

GuestReady to Become Leading Airbnb Management Company

GuestReady, a global short-term rental company, has acquired BnbLord, the largest Airbnb management company in France, to form the GuestReady Group. The combined company will be the leading provider in Europe managing more than 2,000 properties with a wide range of services to property owners, agents, and developers. GuestReady has

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MARK JOINS THE HORBURY PROPERTY SERVICES TEAM

Horbury Property Services, the repairs, maintenance and compliance business that is part of the Horbury Group and based in South Yorkshire, has appointed Mark Jagger as Senior Estimator. Mark previously worked as Design Estimator for a major building and facilities company in Derby and prior to this as Senior Estimator

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CENTIEL & G4S Facilities Management Team-up To Provide Critical Power Protection for Channel Islands’ UPS Installations

Leading UPS manufacturer, CENTIEL, has teamed-up with G4S Facilities Management to provide critical power protection services for clients based on the Channel Islands.   With CENTIEL’s 4th generation, three-phase, modular UPS system now successfully deployed in two data centers on Guernsey, G4S Facilities Management’s engineering staff are undergoing extensive technical training

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Latest Issue
Issue 322 : Nov 2024

Trades : Property & Facilities Management News

A guide to building materials that can’t be mortgaged

The materials with which a property has been constructed are of utmost importance to mortgage lenders and, therefore, you, the buyer, as well. Before falling desperately in love with a property, try to think rationally and consider how challenging it may be to find a willing mortgage lender, as well as a company to provide buildings insurance. What is a non-standard building? A non-standard building, also known as non-traditional, is one constructed using non-typical materials or methods whereas a standard building is generally defined as a home that has brick or stone walls and a tiled or slate roof. Examples: Pre-fabricated steel (prefab) Wood/timber (e.g. timber frame) Thatched roofs Corrugated iron Glass (walls and roofs) Concrete Wattle and daub Asbestos Certain flats (for example, those above shops) Listed properties Eco homes, ones deemed to be kinder to the environment in terms of construction and utilities, can also fall into this category, depending on the materials and methods used. Why can non-standard buildings be so problematic? Non-standard buildings can be pleasing to look at, but less pleasing when it comes to finding the perfect lender. Often the methods used are outdated or the materials are susceptible to damage from the elements, for example, during storms. Many pre-fabricated steel properties in the UK were not intended to be long-term dwellings, rather a post-second world war housing crisis solution for replacing houses, which had been damaged or destroyed by bombs. There was a shortage of traditional building materials and a desperate need for social housing. The concrete used tends to crumble with age, and the steel can corrode and suffer metal fatigue over time; it is almost impossible to predict when this may happen and, indeed, if the process has already begun. For these reasons, mortgage lenders can be reluctant to offer financial support readily.  However, your story does not have to end here, unless you would like it to. I’ve already fallen in love with a non-standard property. What can I do now? First of all, decide if buying, rather than renting, a house is for you.  In each area of the country, buying is cheaper than renting, but it might not be the perfect time for you to buy. If buying is your final decision, ensure that you compare mortgage rates regularly.  This will allow you to see which mortgage providers will lend against the precise materials with which a home has been built, and find the best deals specifically for you. It is important to take into account that many buyers are put off purchasing a non-standard dwelling for the reasons listed above. You certainly could use this to your advantage and offer (once you have consulted mortgage lenders) accordingly. Furthermore, there are ways to adapt your non-standard dwellings to ensure it is likely to withstand severe weather conditions. Although an expensive process, concrete panels can be removed and replaced with a brick alternative, meaning the property is able to be mortgaged more easily.

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Tips For Settling Land Disputes

When a land dispute comes up, you need to act fast but remember to stay calm. Find out our top tips for settling land disputes here in this article. Tips For Settling Land Disputes No one wants to have to deal with a land dispute but it can happen to the best of neighbours in a blink of an eye. Solving a land dispute is relatively easy, if you know about the steps that you need to take to keep things as civil as possible. Here, we are going to give you some of our tips for settling land disputes. Keep reading if you’d like to find out more about this sort of issue. Talk To Your Neighbour One of the most important things that you can do to solve a land dispute is to talk to your neighbour. Often, things get mis-communicated and this escalates the problem even further. If you take the time to discuss the matter carefully and ensure that everyone knows the facts – this can help to solve things a lot quicker; try to organise a meeting before you get in touch with a solicitor. This way, you might be able to settle the issue before things need to go any further. Gather Your Documents When the land dispute first happens, you might need to produce some sort of documentation to prove that you own a certain part of the land. To prove this, you will need to gather documents that include the deeds or the map created by a surveyor. Make sure that you have these documents handy to ensure that everything plays out the way it should. Contact A Solicitor If things get a little more serious then we suggest that you get in contact with a solicitor who specialises in land disputes. Finding the right solicitor can help you to ensure that you get what you deserve and that things remain civil between you and your neighbour. Make sure that you do your research and find a solicitor with experience in these matters as this way, you can settle the dispute a lot faster. Stay Calm While it can be easy for these sorts of issues to cause a lot of tension, you need to try and stay calm throughout the process. Getting angry at your neighbour who might have misunderstood the situation is not going to get you anywhere faster. Make sure that you are honest about the land that you own and be calm when speaking to your neighbour. This way, you won’t ruin your relationship and cause more problems for your family or your land further down the line. Final Verdict Land disputes can be extremely hard to navigate when you don’t have much experience in this area. For this reason, we suggest that you take on board the tips that we have given you in this article. Make sure to always stay calm and have a chat with your neighbour about the issue. If you need to go as far as getting a solicitor, then you should make sure that you choose one that is experienced in land disputes. This way you can settle the dispute in no time at all.

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BSRIA REVISES ITS SOFT LANDINGS AND BUSINESS-FOCUSED MAINTENANCE GUIDE

BSRIA has launched its free-to-download topic guide on Soft Landings and Business-Focused Maintenance (BFM). This guide aims to inform those involved in the design, construction and operation of a building about how an effective BFM regime can be developed and achieved through the soft landings approach. Nick Blake, the guide’s co-author and principal consultant on facilities management, said: “It is fundamental to involve the facilities managers (FMs), where known, from early on in the design stage. The knowledge and experience of the FMs can inform better design of systems and make BFM more readily adoptable and easier in operation. “Maintenance can have a major impact on the success of a business and, therefore, can deliver a competitive advantage. It shouldn’t be considered as an overhead – but as a way of adding value to the business. Each building, therefore, should have its own bespoke maintenance programme, which can enable the FM to prevent asset failures through a more pragmatic approach.” He added: “BFM can help the team to first decide which assets are crucial in achieving the business goals and the end users’ needs. Then, soft landings success criteria in terms of the availability, accessibility and manageability of those assets can be set. And the asset strategy and maintenance schedules should be gradually developed during the project and be completed and available at the pre-handover phase.”

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How to Avoid Frauds When Buying Real Estate

In most cases, purchasing real estate properties represents one of the most expensive transactions done by a person and, when involved in this, it is necessary to verify all the aspects of the respective property as some sellers can engage in various frauds, from minor matters (such as not disclosing different flaws of the property) to selling properties that do not exist or which they do not own. Thus, as a buyer, it is compulsory to verify the property’s title report, which provides a clear image of the respective real estate. At the same time, the buyer should also examine the property as some sellers will typically not disclose small problems the property has; in this sense, it is recommended to do the due diligence procedures. Real estate frauds are not done only by the sellers, the real estate brokers can also engage in various forms of frauds in order to gain money out of the respective transaction. Thus, one of the most common ways through which real estate agents scam the clients is by adding non-existing fees to the respective transactions, especially when the buyer is not fully aware on all the types of taxes and fees applicable to the sale procedure. When engaging in purchasing a real estate property, in order to avoid any fraud, it is recommended to receive legal assistance from persons with experience in this field and who can assess the legal situation of the purchase process as, for example, in certain cases, the real estate agent can mislead the possible buyer by not disclosing relevant matters related to the property’s documents. Thus, one of the most efficient ways to avoid real estate frauds is by observing the legal procedures available in a given jurisdiction, the taxes and fees applicable by the law, the rights and obligations of all the parties included in the transaction. With the rise of the internet, real estate properties available for sale can now be advertised online and numerous persons have become the victims of various scams; regardless of how a person finds an attractive real estate offer, it is absolutely necessary to meet the owner and see the property, prior to signing any documents. Sellers can also request a higher price than the market valuation price and this can be done by providing fake documents stating that the property’s assets value more than they actually do, this being a common real estate scam.

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HORBURY SECURES FIRE SAFETY UPGRADE FOR SHELTERED HOUSING

Horbury Property Services, part of the Horbury Group, has been selected to provide fire safety services for over 55s accommodation managed by Sheffield-based Arches Housing. The contract involves Horbury Property Services providing fire door replacement and fire compartmentation upgrades, which will be completed within a four-week schedule, as part of enhancing fire safety for residents. Richard Sutton, General Manager at Horbury Property Services, said: “This is our second major contract with Arches Housing and we are very pleased to be working with them again to enhance fire safety in one of their sheltered housing schemes.  Fire safety is an essential requirement in all buildings, and we aim to ensure that the residents of Arches Housing are offered the best possible fire protection.” Luigi Iantorno, asset compliance & reinvestment officer at Arches Housing, said: “Horbury Property Services secured this contract as a result of a rigorous competitive tender.  The upgrade to fire doors and fire compartmentation is an important part of our planned maintenance works as we aim to ensure our homes are as fire safe as possible.” As well as fire door and fire compartmentation services, Horbury Property Services provides a full range of works, which can form part of planned maintenance programmes.  This includes ceiling and dry wall partitioning inspection, installation, repair and maintenance of fire doors, joinery works, fire stopping, sealing, fire compartmentation, fire alarm and emergency light testing, portable appliance testing, electrical testing and installation work, building fabric repairs as well as external cladding and render repairs. In addition, the wider Horbury Group provides painting and decorating, flooring refurbishment and installation, amongst others. The company has its head office in South Yorkshire, plus regional offices in London and South Wales, ensuring a truly national capability. This regional presence enables its teams to successfully deliver responsive repairs or large planned refurbishment and maintenance programmes. Arches Housing is a community-based social landlord, which was established in 1975 and provides more than 1,200 affordable homes in Sheffield and Rotherham. For more details, visit www.horburypropertyservices.com or call 01709 917555.

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GuestReady to Become Leading Airbnb Management Company

GuestReady, a global short-term rental company, has acquired BnbLord, the largest Airbnb management company in France, to form the GuestReady Group. The combined company will be the leading provider in Europe managing more than 2,000 properties with a wide range of services to property owners, agents, and developers. GuestReady has been setting an unprecedented pace in the property management industry quickly rising to the top in the complex area of short-term rental management. Since its launch in the summer of 2016, GuestReady acquired three competitors with BnbLord marking the last and largest acquisition to date. Founded in 2015, BnbLord operates across several cities in Europe with a dominant presence in France and Portugal. Last year the company generated more than EUR 10M in revenue for its clients. This acquisition follows the deals announced by GuestReady last December when the company acquired Oporto City Flats, the leading short-term rental operator in Northern Portugal, and took over the management of the portfolio of French Airbnb manager We Stay In Paris. Switzerland-based GuestReady Group now serves more than 2,000 properties through its brands GuestReady, BnbLord, Oporto City Flats, and Easy Rental Services. The offered services include everything that is required to turn a vacant home into a thriving listing on Airbnb, online and offline. Since this year, GuestReady is also offering business-to-business services to property developers and property agents, allowing them to tap into this fast-growing market. “We are extremely excited about this acquisition because it allows GuestReady to propel forward and become the largest service provider in the vacation rental industry. Since we started, we have been very focused on operational excellence and building a property technology system that allows us to automate non-core processes. We can run our large portfolio of properties efficiently thanks to a sophisticated tech platform that we have built in-house over the past years. Without much additional added complexity we can scale our portfolio multi-fold over the coming years,” said Alexander Limpert, Co-founder & CEO of the GuestReady Group. The whole team of BnbLord will join the GuestReady Group and all jobs will be maintained, with the founding team of BnbLord taking senior management positions at the GuestReady Group. “We have been friendly competitors of GuestReady for the past couple of years and we are excited to now join forces. The industry is maturing quickly and we are happy to become part of the technology leader in this space. With our shared experience we will be able to further accelerate growth,” said Léo Bonnet, Co-Founder & CEO of BnbLord.

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Don’t go it alone – how to take the stress out of moving home this year

Moving is often described as one of the most stressful things you can do in life, especially if you have come to be settled in one place and have picked up a lot of possessions without realising. These must all be gotten rid of or moved. Below are some of the best ways to take the stress out of moving. Go minimalist while you sort your possessions It is easy when moving to be intimidated and to just jump right in and try getting everything packed up room by room without a plan beyond, for example, “kitchen, bathroom, bedroom”. However, if you go down this route then it is likely that after one day’s packing you will find that you have half the house still to do the next day but no cutlery, cooking equipment or toothbrush! To avoid being short of the essentials, plan a minimalist survival kit for a couple of days, of the kind you might take on a camping trip: toiletries bag, plate, cup and fork, phone, phone charger and headphones. This is just an example list, but consider what you can go without. If you are happy to order takeaway or a delivery service that means you can pack away all crockery and your microwave. If you need tea or coffee to get through the day, you can either keep your kettle out through the packing process and pack it last, or hold off and get coffee later in the day made somewhere else. If you are travelling to another country you should get rid of any unnecessary belongings since long distance moving companies are more expensive than local ones for transport space. See what you can live without Moving house will always take work, but you can make it a chance to declutter and make your new home a tidier place. Once you have your necessities sorted for the sorting and packing process, go through your house room by room, starting by the place you go least often and think carefully about how much you use each of its contents. If for example you bought an exercise bike that does not get much use, you may want to think about whether your new house puts you at a distance to cycle to the shops, or even to work. Selling and giving away old possessions is easier than ever in this day and age as you can give things of decent quality away to either charity shops or online sharing services. If you find it hard to get rid of something try picturing where in your new home it would conveniently go. If it is hard to imagine this can be a sign the item should go. If you start in the room you visit least you will likely get into the mindset of shedding things as you go through the house and come to items you have more of a sentimental attachment to but do not use. Find the best, most efficient movers in your area When you are ready to move, with the things you need and want, don’t leave the move up to chance. Use a comparison site such as compare the man and van to ensure you get trusted and reliable movers who handle your belongings with care. These services can also give you a clearer idea of the average prices of movers in your area, so you can spot a good deal.

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MARK JOINS THE HORBURY PROPERTY SERVICES TEAM

Horbury Property Services, the repairs, maintenance and compliance business that is part of the Horbury Group and based in South Yorkshire, has appointed Mark Jagger as Senior Estimator. Mark previously worked as Design Estimator for a major building and facilities company in Derby and prior to this as Senior Estimator at Interserve Power for 2.5 years, where he headed up projects for power line replacement and maintenance and new high voltage underground connection works.  For both roles, Mark responded to tender enquiries, including providing full pricing for projects. At Horbury Property Services, Mark will track, record and reply in full to all appropriate tender opportunities, which includes completing pre-qualification questionnaires, submitting relevant documentation required by the organisation and estimating costs to carry out projects. Richard Sutton, General Manager at Horbury Property Services, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Mark to the business as we continue to expand our team.  He will play an important role in responding to tenders, both in the public and private sector as we help local authorities and commercial landlords to carry out cost effective planned maintenance, refurbishment and fire safety programmes.” Horbury Property Services provides a full range of services, including inspection, installation, repair and maintenance of fire doors, joinery works, fire stopping, sealing, fire compartmentation, fire alarm and emergency light testing, portable appliance testing, electrical testing and installation work, building fabric repairs as well as external cladding and render repairs. In addition, the wider Horbury Group provides dry wall partitioning, painting and decorating, ceiling and flooring upgrades, de-mountable screens. The company has regional offices in London and South Wales together with a South Yorkshire Head Office ensure a truly national capability enabling its teams to successfully deliver responsive repairs or large planned refurbishment and maintenance programmes.   For more details, visit www.horburypropertyservices.com or call 01709 917555.

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How Do You Assess value for money when you are buying a new home?

For almost every purchase in life, cheaper is not necessarily better value. Yet, when it comes to homes, buyers often deceive themselves into thinking that, if there are similar sized homes in the same location, then the lowest priced home is better value. This is not true and potentially an expensive mistake. Value is not cheaper. Value is spending wiser and investing in the future. Economists judge value on three criteria: efficiency, effectiveness and economy, whilst investment is about future returns. Taking these in turn: Efficiency: Is your new home the best design for you and your lifestyle? How far is it to work, shops or schools? Is the public transport good enough? Can I get to see my friends and family as easily as I would like? Are the bedrooms big enough for a decent sized wardrobe? Effectiveness: Does the kitchen/living space create a family hub? Where will the children do their homework? Do I have a utility area? Where is the visitor parking? Do I have a useable private garden with patio? Do I have a good-sized balcony or terrace in my apartment? Economy: Are the kitchen appliances up to expectations? Do I have fast broadband? Do I have a well-specified home with quality doors, furniture and fittings? Investment: Am I part of a much larger development where my home has little individuality? Will my new home hold its premium because I am in a good area with few new homes? Is the quality of my home including fittings, sufficiently good to ensure that it will present well when I sell? On many larger developments, you are probably paying for a house type that has been repeated many times and similar to homes on other developments built in the area. And, as every small compromise adds up, the positive advantage of ‘cheaper’ is outweighed by the negative impact of the home’s imperfections. It may not be good value and will certainly not be a wise investment. If you want real value, you have to look beyond price. At Troy Homes, the directors are involved from the outset to ensure the homes are designed with the customer in mind. Invariably their homes are bespoke, to ensure they fit the location and market. Even as the site is built, they may need to make changes to improve the home. They invest all their own personal knowledge and drive for excellence in every home. And this is reflected in the Troy Home you buy – every detail has value with the focus on exceeding customer expectations. When you search for property online, your criteria will be limited to location, price, size, new/old, etc. These are all important, but they are one dimensional. Such a yes/no, black and white search needs a holistic approach – is this the best home for me for now and in the future? What will my home be worth when I sell? Will it be unique and desirable? If you can positively answer these questions you would have bought a value-for-money home. By Richard Werth, CEO of Troy Homes

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CENTIEL & G4S Facilities Management Team-up To Provide Critical Power Protection for Channel Islands’ UPS Installations

Leading UPS manufacturer, CENTIEL, has teamed-up with G4S Facilities Management to provide critical power protection services for clients based on the Channel Islands.   With CENTIEL’s 4th generation, three-phase, modular UPS system now successfully deployed in two data centers on Guernsey, G4S Facilities Management’s engineering staff are undergoing extensive technical training to be able to provide first level support, PAN Island. Wayne McKane, critical power and HVAC engineer, G4S Facilities Management confirms: “We chose CENTIEL as our partner and trusted advisor to deliver these important projects as the company is a leading manufacturer at the very forefront of the industry.  At the start of 2018, we were looking for a truly modular solution to ensure efficient running and maintenance of systems within data centres, where our staff could be easily trained to exchange modules if required.  We were also looking for the very latest technology to ensure maximum availability combined with a low total cost of ownership and CENTIEL ticked all the boxes. “So far, only CumulusPowerTM, CENTIEL’s 4th Generation Modular UPS has been installed on the Islands,” continues McKane.  “However, the association between our two companies now means G4S will have access to CENTIEL’s full product range to fulfil the needs of our valued client base regardless of their size or power protection requirements.” Louis McGarry sales manager, CENTIEL confirms: “The G4S Facilities Management team visited our R&D facility and factory in Switzerland earlier last year as part of their selection process.  Dealing directly with a manufacturer can have numerous advantages in terms of speed of implementation and the replacement or supply of spare parts for example.  CENTIEL provides comprehensive training and ongoing support for our partners, plus we are planning numerous marketing and technical seminar ventures to showcase our industry leading product and joint service capabilities with G4S Facilities Management in the future.” CumulusPowerTM  known for its “9 nines” (99.9999999%) system availability and low total cost of ownership through its Maximum Efficiency Management (MEM) and low losses of energy, has now been installed in datacenters and comms rooms in over 60 countries across five continents.  More than 50 MW of critical power loads are now protected with CumulusPowerTM in locations across the world including:  the UK, Singapore, Australia, Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic and now the Channel Islands. For further information please see:  www.centiel.co.uk

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