With the summer finally upon us, we at Winfield’s are working hard to take advantage of the drier weather and organise external decorating and the like. Managing a portfolio of circa 55 properties, we, at this time of year, have numerous projects which require a keen eye for detail, as managing multiple contractors while adhering to endless legislation can present a few pitfalls which will come onto shortly.
Before we get onto that, it’s worth noting the two critical focus areas during the summer and why they’re important.
Firstly, as we’ve mentioned, the main focus is external decoration. Most leases stipulate that the exterior decoration of blocks of residential flats should typically occur every seven years. This serves two purposes, the first being the obvious one, aesthetics, keeping your building looking clean and presentable. The second and, in our opinion, the most important benefit is the integrity of your building’s waterproofing. If left for too long, a poor seal of paint will crack and blister, often falling off completely in places exposing your porous render. If ignored, this will more than likely present our clients with damp issues as the colder, wetter months creep in during the winter, resulting in avoidable costs and upheaval for residents, not to mention the difficult task of organising repair work in between the rainy days.
Drawing your attention back to regulation, a key piece of legislation we are obliged to adhere to is the Section 20 process, whereby we communicate to all leaseholders during the course of any works exceeding £250.00 per flat. This was designed and first implemented in the mid-’80s to protect the leaseholder against any unexpected significant expenditure. As your Property Managers, you need not worry, as we take on this responsibility for you and are there for accountable for any miscues you might hope to avoid. Thankfully with a combined experience of over 50 years in Property management and surveying, we’re well-rehearsed with this type of legislation and have refined processes of our own to ensure projects run smoothly from start to finish. Please, for more information regarding section 20’s click the link here https://www.lease-advice.org/article/major-works-and-consultation-under-section-20-of-the-landlord-tenant-act-1985-a-brief-guide-to-your-rights/
Lastly, the other main area of focus is, of course, the gardens. A massive uptake in expenditure is usually the case in the spring with the growing seasons and, in turn, many hours spent keeping on top of grass cutting, hedge trimming and everything in between. A vital aspect of this to bear in mind is the laying of turf, which, contrary to popular belief, is not best suited for the summer, as the ground may become too dry for the turf to take. Any experienced gardener will tell you that the early spring or autumn provides the best conditions for new grass to root. We have a bank of long term gardeners we rely upon to ensure the best service is provided across our portfolio.
Please see our services here for all enquiries and information regarding block management, whether current or future.
