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After over three years, the inquiry into the tragedy of Grenfell is still underway. The Phase 1 report (Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report: government response – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) of the Public Inquiry into the fire was released in October 2019. 

The restart for the enquiry was to have been on January 11th, after the Christmas break, but due to Covid restrictions and going into the third lockdown, the enquiry has been suspended, possibly until May.

Predominantly, the Phase 1 document was limited to investigating the course of events during the night of the tragedy; the background of the refurbishment of Grenfell; the role of the London Fire Brigade (LFB) and their policies; the response of the other emergency services, and celebrating and remembering the lives of those who died.

There are many recommendations for the LFB, and also others on how the emergency services can communicate and work together.

The important recommendations for people living in high-rise buildings are those where the report recommends a change in the law to place new requirements on building owners and managers; this process is now underway, notably with the introduction of the Fire Safety Bill. 

A further three recommendations are aimed at building owners and managers, but without requiring legal changes. 

Nine of the recommendations aimed at the Government or building owners and managers will have significant implications for the London Fire Brigade, which is working to ensure that it is in a position to implement these recommendations in the most effective way. 

I’ll keep you up to date with developments as they become relevant.

February 2021 update:

On 10th February 2021, Robert Jenrick, the Housing Secretary announced that there will be a further £3.5 billion funding to be released for the Building Safety Fund.

This takes the amount of funding confirmed by the government to fully fund the cost of replacing unsafe cladding for all leaseholders in residential buildings, 18 metres and over in England, to a £5 billion investment in building safety.

These funds are to try to help the estimated 700,00+ people who are affected. However, there are many voices who are crying out that this is not enough. Also, residents of smaller blocks don’t appear to be covered by this, yet are still affected and they feel as if they’ve been forgotten.

According to a report by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, remediation works to remove and replace unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding systems have either completed or started on 77% (351) of all identified high-rise residential and publicly owned buildings in England.

Other statistics

• 236 buildings (52% of all identified buildings) no longer have ACM cladding systems – an increase of five since the end of August. 189 (41% of all buildings) have fully completed remediation – an increase of 22 since the end of August; 
• Of those with ACM cladding remaining, a further 115 have started remediation. Of the 105 yet to start, eight are vacant and 80 occupied buildings have a remediation plan in place. 
• 95% (148) of social sector buildings have either completed or started remediation. 74% of the 155 buildings have removed the ACM cladding, with 84 (54%) having completed remediation 
• 61% (127) of private sector buildings have either completed or started remediation. Of these, 60 have had their ACM cladding removed.

What does this mean for those who are buying or selling leasehold properties?

You may need an EWS 1 form:

The government have reached an agreement with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), UK Finance and the Building Societies Association (BSA) around this. Owners of flats in buildings without cladding will no longer need an EWS1 form to sell or
re-mortgage their property, thanks to this agreement reached in November 2020.

This form was introduced to support homeowners who have unsafe cladding on their buildings, and there is still more work to do.

However, the EWS1 form was also being applied to buildings without cladding, and this stopped people from selling or moving home, which was causing unnecessary anxiety for many homeowners.

This new agreement means up to nearly 450,000 flat owners are now able to sell, move or re-mortgage their homes.

The bigger picture

These updates may be good news but they are not the whole story! There are still wide-reaching implications and exclusions from support.

Lower-rise buildings, with a lower risk to safety, between 11 and 18 metres will gain new protection from the costs of cladding removal with a new scheme. However, this will be paid through a long-term, low interest, government-backed financing arrangement. In other words, the residents who own the properties will pay for it themselves eventually.

Under this scheme the government say no leaseholder will ever pay more than £50 a month towards the removal of unsafe cladding (yet for how many years?).

There are still people who are unfairly trapped in a vicious cycle of not being able to move because of pending works, but also not able to stay living at the property and may still be liable for costs. 

Also, with the EWS1 form, this is bringing up a number of issues around costs. For example, this includes so-called ‘intrusive’ surveys to understand what is in the cavity and this will cost around £1500. 

The government are looking at ways to address ongoing concerns about the availability of professional indemnity insurance linked to the issues with EWS1 forms.

With some of the intrusive surveys, leaseholders need to consider if the building is listed and consequently they then need to obtain listed building consent to do the work. 

And three years after the tragedy people are still living in flats they are unable to sale, are un-mortgageable, uninsurable and unsafe. However, hopefully, the additional funding, and the removal of the EWS1 form where not required, should make things move more quickly.

A few resources you might find useful:

Government steps in to help homeowners caught up in ‘EWS1’ process – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Cladding Q&A (rics.org)

Government to bring an end to unsafe cladding with multi-billion pound intervention – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

BULLYING is such a serious issue in life – both through childhood and into adulthood that there are several key ‘moments’ throughout the year to raise awareness of it. As a victim of bullying myself, it’s a subject I talk about and refer to frequently. 

One of those moments is coming up on Friday February 26. While the most recognised Stand up to Bullying Day takes place around the world, in November as part of anti-bullying week, this particular day creates awareness earlier in the year. 

The first Stand Up to Bullying Day took place in February 2008 where 236 schools, workplace and organisations, representing more than 125,000 students and staff, registered to take a ‘Stand’ and pledged to wear pink shirts. This small act is a visual representation that bullying is not okay and needs to be recognised and acted upon so that victims of it feel empowered and supported. 

Participating in Standing Up to Bullying, means you sign up to wear a pink shirt and to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who are also campaigning. 

This idea is based on a campaign started by Travis Price and David Shepherd, two students who took a stand for a fellow student who was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. In support, these two young went home and purchased 50 pink shirts and handed them out at school the next day, encouraging everyone to take a stand against bullying. It may be easy for a bully to pick on one person – much harder for them to pick on 51 people. 

How can you prevent bullying?

I was bullied both physically and mentally during my time at school and into the work place. You can read more about this in my previous blog.

Bullying is prevalent in school and in work – if someone is a bully at school, then it is likely they will continue that behaviour when they are in work if action is not taken to deal with whatever their issues are – whatever it is which has led them to believe this behaviour is acceptable.

Being bullied can seriously harm both your mental and physical health and can have repercussions through the decades. This in turn, can lead to major stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and high blood pressure.

For some people, like me, it can form part of a motivation to do things in my life differently such as start my own business. However, it doesn’t make that experience acceptable. Now as a mother, I’m more motivated than ever to shine a light on bullying.

It’s important to remember that bullying is not just something that happens in childhood, often around schools. It can also happen in the workplace where it can be more covert, more insidious and more hidden.

If you are suffering in your workplace, I hope these few tips will help you take appropriate action to deal with the situation. Don’t suffer in silence as it will simply store up future problems for you.

Five Tips to deal with your workplace bully

• Speak up early on.
  Challenge the bully in what they are saying, keep calm, and ask them to treat you with respect, using their name a lot, so that it becomes personal to them.Be super aware of your body language as this is the key factor in how a bully will react. Make sure you stand tall, arms by your side and look straight at them. If you stand with arms folded, looking at the floor, you will appear nervous and that gives a bully confidence to continue. Don’t let this first incident of bullying slide, it could get worse so take control and set the tone.For example, in my early 20’s I was bullied in the workplace. It was my first ‘proper’ job in an area I thought would be my chosen career working with Human Resources. I had always had an interest in helping people so working in Human Resources was a big interest for me. Unfortunately, the lady I was working with took a real dislike to me. She didn’t like my ambition, she criticised the way I dressed, she would follow me to the kitchen to see what I was doing and who I was speaking to. Considering I was only 21 at the time, I asked for a meeting with her to try and resolve the issue. She claimed that I was terrible at my job and she was going to put me on to a performance management plan. This of course devastated me because I thought I was working hard and no one else had complained about my work. Now I’m older, I realise that it was very likely that she did this because I had challenged her. In the end it became too much for me and I decided to move to a different department. A few weeks into my new role I saw this lady having coffee with my new manager. That’s strange I thought, why would they be together? The next thing I knew, my new manager suddenly had a long list of issues that he had with me but absolutely no proof to back it up. My trust in him was gone from that moment on. I tried to persevere in the role but I would dread going in each day.I decided to leave the company completely after 18 months as I felt like I would never be able to escape this issue. However, I was determined not to let these people get away with what they had put me through and risk someone else being treated in the same way. So, I followed all relevant internal processes to raise a grievance before leaving the company, and when I left, I took legal action. Remember, bullies should never get away with acting in this way.
  The long term affects it has on people can sometimes never go away.
• Document the abuse and your performance
  If it takes you a while to realise you are being bullied, and that early action isn’t possible, document what is happening to you and any comments any third parties make – others often notice the bullying too.Keep a journal stating, who, what, when, where and why the things happened.Also, keep any other evidence to back up your side of the story, e.g. emails etc. If your performance has been criticised as part of this bullying behaviour, collect documentation that shows exactly how you have been working, and include any praise you have received from other people involved in that work/project.Identify who you can talk to about this evolving situation and make an appointment to see them.For example, a former colleague of mine faced this scenario and it took her a while to realise she was being bullied because the bully had been a colleague for several years and something had changed in the relationship and she had no idea why. When she raised it with HR, and shared her journal plus a statement from a colleague, HR took action and ensured that they were present at any meeting with my colleague and the bully – who was her boss at the time.
• Take care of yourself outside work
  Bullying can have a detrimental effect on you outside of the office. It can make you very grumpy and irritable at home. Take part in things that make you happy, and help you relax, and take your mind off work problems.Talk to your loved ones about it, but don’t continually moan, otherwise, that could put a strain on your relationship. Ensure they know that you are taking action to deal with it.
• Do your research
  Find out if your company has a policy about bullying in the workplace.Check your employee handbook or any other document that sets out the company’s ethos, values and expectations.
• Talk to your manager
  If you’ve made attempts to sort the problem out yourself, but not got anywhere, then talk to your boss.However, if it is the boss who is the bully, you need to talk to HR, or if you belong to a professional organisation, ask if they have advice or support.

The key thing out of all of this is that a bully needs to be confronted one way or another. While their behaviour may have consequences for them, which you cannot help, it may also help them deal with issues in their own lives which have been ignored or not recognised. Sometimes calling out a bully can actually help them too.

For more information about Stand Up To Bullying visit
https://www.antibullyingcrusader.com/day/international-stand-bullying-day

How kind are you? And does it matter in property management? Does it make your company better? 

Everyone can use more kindness in their lives, and at the moment, in the situation we are all living in, we need the positive effects of doing and receiving kind acts.

I’ve always believed in kindness though. It’s such an undervalued trait to be described as ‘kind’ and yet it’s one of the most powerful. A kind person will make you feel valued and important, will notice if you are having a bad time or a rough day. That is the person who will take you aside, drop you a note or pick up the phone. They will make it a priority to reach out. I aspire myself to be kind and to teach my child the value of kindness.

There is science behind the idea that both giving and receiving has beneficial consequences on our well-being. Scientists have found that the act of ‘giving’ stimulates the brain, releasing endorphins and creates what is known as the ‘helper’s high’. 

For me kindness in business is also very important as it speaks to good customer service, it speaks to a deep understanding that how you make a client, or supplier, feel is the one thing which stays with them – when they are assessing the ongoing value of your service or product. Even Maya Angelou famously said people would ‘always remember how you made them feel’. Kindness in business is at the heart of a good, modern business as far as I’m concerned. 

And you never know how any generous act can help, even the smallest act of kindness can change someone’s life. If you are truly kind, occasionally you will be blessed enough to see the outcome of your kindness, however you will not care about this.

Opportunities I’ve had during lockdown to make acts of kindness:

I have always believed that it is important to think of others, and be helpful, kind and considerate. To be able to help people in my own community is important.

1. I recently found a local charity that needed laptops for refugee children who didn’t have access to their own hardware. We donated five new laptops to Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees and arranged for another local business, Dependable Ltd to donate a laptop as well.The laptops, YESTEL T5 tablet computers, were set up with the latest high-definition LCD displays, and eight-core processors. 
2. During lockdown, I set up a group of volunteers to help those living in our managed developments who were vulnerable or shielding.We helped out with food shopping, collecting prescriptions or medicines, posting letters, helping them to attend vital medical appointments, or just giving them a call to check they were ok. 
3. For International book giving day, we donated 50 children’s books to a local school. This is so the school have more books for each year group so more than one child can read a particular book at any one time. 
4. We’ve also managed to keep in touch with our clients when needed via web-based systems, so they knew they could always contact us.

Other ‘kind’ things which are important to me:

*My business is designated ‘dementia friendly’ – you can see my personal story here – for me it’s important for others to know that my business and all of my team are dementia-aware and will treat anyone around us with care and compassion if they are confused, lost or distressed.

*We have a collaborative and give-back attitude – as my business grows supporting others will become part of our ethos. There are very practical, as well as personal reasons for this. It actually helps with recruitment and retention of staff; the best companies show that they care. Also showing that you care is something any company can do, however small or large.

*Property management is not just about bricks and mortar – it’s about being kind. Kind to those who own the buildings and relieving any stress or pressure they may be feeling around their properties – kind to tenants who, after all, are putting their faith in you around their homes and communal areas around their homes. Good property management is about people first.

What else can we all do during lockdown as acts of kindness?

• Call a friend or family member just to chat.
• Send an email just to say hello.
• Organise a zoom call to someone you haven’t been in touch with for a while.
• Buy someone a small present online & send it to them, just because…
• Send a card or a letter to someone just to let you know you are thinking of them.
• Send that long intended Facebook message that you’ve just not got round to, to that friend who moved away.
• Bake something for a neighbour or friend

“If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.  If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.  If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.  If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”

~Chinese proverb

Not everyone wants to be self-employed, be their own boss – they find that far too scary.

People quite rightly, worry about regular money coming in every month and the advantages that come with being in a ‘safe’ job. However what counts as safe these days! The concept of a ‘job for life’ is fast receding. 

There are around five million self-employed people in the UK, and at the beginning of 2020, there were 5.94 million small businesses (with 0 – 49 employees). We make up the majority of our economy and we are vital to economic health and recovery. 

However, you have to approach this life with a very large dose of reality and have a clear understanding of what that means, particularly in the early stages of your business. 

Four years ago, I chose to join that community of people, and started my own property management and block management business: and I love it!

Five things I love about running my own show.

1. I have a passion for what I do, and I get to do it MY WAY – I have worked in the property industry since 2007.  I am in control of my business, to run it the way that I want, without any bureaucratic decisions being made that I don’t agree with. Ultimately, all decisions are mine, and I accept that responsibility. Obviously, where relevant, I involve other members of my staff in decision-making. However, if fundamental mistakes are made, then I can’t blame anyone else but myself.
   
2. I get to work the hours which suit me – running the business means I have some control over the hours I work. With a growing business, sometimes, I don’t take the time I should, but again, it is down to me to ensure I take time for family-time, with my husband and young child. Working for someone else, I would have to take holidays when it fitted in with their schedule. I’m in charge of the schedule, so it is my choice when I take time off. However, a word of warning, this doesn’t mean not working hard. It’s actually the opposite. You will work harder than ever. However, when you work will often be your choice and you can flex around the other claims on your time.
   
3. Excellent customer service – has always been something I’ve been passionate about in property management and block management. Sometimes though it’s been sadly lacking. Often residents can feel they are a part of a process, system or treadmill and their individual needs or questions simply do not matter. This was one major reason why I wanted to do things my way. Being able to do those extra little things that I think are important for my clients, yet a larger organisation would probably deem them not to be cost effective, is important to me. Considering the needs of my clients and residents is an area I love to be involved in. Remembering the flats and properties we look after, are peoples ‘homes’ and not just commodities or numbers on a spreadsheet. This isn’t about counting beans for me – it’s about helping people.  I can choose for my business to give a more personal touch.
   
4. The choice of where I work is mine – currently my business manages properties in Gloucestershire, Bristol, London and the South West, communities which are relatively close to me. When I want to expand, I can also choose which areas to move into. I don’t have to wait for a face-less board of directors to give me the
   go-ahead, and suddenly be told I need to move to the other end of the country. I can plan how I expand my business and who joins me to support that growth.
   
5. Giving back – this is very important to me in my business. Certain charities are very close to my heart, and because it is my show, I can make choices about who the business supports. Because of this, I have ensured that the business is an Alzheimer’s Friendly Business – my grandmother has dementia and my mother cares for her so this is a charity very close to my heart. I also support charities linked to anti-bullying, because, again, it is something incredibly personal to me.

Overall my business means more to me than a business. It means deciding my own future, it means educating my daughter about working hard, being committed, being passionate and getting back up when things go wrong.

It means serving people in my sector and serving them well so that when they work with me they see the value above the price. A good property management and block management provider, like mine, is worth its weight in gold to give time back and reduce stress to the property developers and owners – and also supports residents who know my team will take their needs seriously.

It means being the master of my own fate where all rests on my shoulders so it really matters to share my messages of doing business in block management and property management in an ethical, transparent, efficient and caring manner.

During the first week of January the Government brought in reforms to make it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to buy their homes.

This is one of the biggest reforms to English property law for 40 years and should make home ownership fairer and more secure.

In reality this means that millions of leaseholders will be given a new right to extend their lease by 990 years. These changes mean that some households could save from thousands to tens of thousands of pounds. Also, the elderly are protected by reducing ground rents to zero for all new retirement properties.

At present, under the current law, many people pay high ground rents, which when combined with a mortgage, can seem as though they are paying rent on a property they already own. There are still some questions that need to be ironed out around how the ground rent process will work should not all leaseholders chose to extend. This could be left up to the freeholder to choose, or the Government may look to make the rules. At this point we still don’t know.  

Also announced was the setting up of a Commonhold Council, made up of leasehold groups, industry and government, that will prepare homeowners and the market for the widespread take-up of commonhold.

Commonhold, is a model used widely around the world. It is where homeowners buy and own their property on a freehold basis, but blocks are jointly owned and managed. This means that the flat or house is fully theirs, and they can make decisions about its future too.

What does these changes mean in reality? 

These are my thoughts on some of these changes, and how they might affect people living in leasehold properties:

• Don’t mistake ground rent for service charge. Although this is really good news for leaseholders that extending their lease will no longer be as costly, it is important to remember that leaseholders will still need to adhere to the terms of the lease and pay the appropriate service charge. However, there is some discussion that arbitrary restrictions, such as banning pets will no longer be imposed.   
• Commonhold, will allow a person to own a freehold flat with shared responsibility for common areas. Managing Agents will therefore still be required for the management of shared communal areas. We believe that this will be another misconception about the commonhold process. 

• We have seen some serious mis-selling of leasehold properties over the years, especially with first time buyers not knowing the difference between leasehold and freehold. Although leaseholders are owner occupiers, they are essentially still a tenant with a landlord, with rights and obligations set out by the lease document.   
• It’s good news that Government are looking to outline plans to improve practices for future leases, but existing leaseholders need the Government to implement concrete solutions to help existing homeowners. Too many first-time buyers have been sold the dream of home ownership, without the full understanding of the obligations surrounding leasehold. Providing potential buyers with a copy of the lease early on in the purchase process, and making sure they read and understand it, would be beneficial to all involved.  

Andrew Turner, property specialist at Hughes Paddison Solicitors comments that “The headline of the Government’s press release states that the new legislation will make it easier for leaseholders to buy their homes. The press release goes on to say that leaseholders will be given the right to “extend their lease by 990 years”; so not quite a right to ‘buy’. But it is certainly a step in the right direction. The devil is in the detail of course and questions remain as to how this is going to work in practice

“For example, if all new leaseholds are to be sold with nil ground rent, is that going to make it harder for a leaseholder to sell their Victorian mansion flat?”

But these questions to one side, the announcement is positive news for many leaseholders and landlords, and should make things cheaper and simpler in the near future.

Owning a leasehold property can be great in terms of investment, yet it can quickly become a nightmare when it comes to dealing with fellow leaseholders if the block of flats is self-managed (i.e., without a managing agent)

Due to busy lifestyles or lack of understanding, many things will likely be missed. Changing communal light bulbs, meter readings and general maintenance is one thing, but when it comes to legal requirements, health and safety, debt collection and major works, this becomes another matter entirely.

Managing a long leasehold residential property (also referred to as Block Management) is complex. It will involve collecting service charge, ground rent, dealing with complaints, organising and overseeing repairs and inspecting the communal areas on a regular basis.

A management team like ours at Fraser Allen Estate Management will take away the worry and angst from all leaseholders.

The

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most beneficial aspect being, your management agent will deal directly with leaseholders, and their tenants if required on any aspect relating to the development.

Benefits of using an agent vs self-management.

• Planning and collection of service charge and major works.
  
  A professional Managing Agent will bring an organised approach to the planning and collection of service charges and reserve funds, the timetables for redecoration and repairs and inspection and supervision of works. A managing agents’ assessment of what must be done, and when, will be independent of private interests and preferences and based solely upon their duty to keep the premises in good repair. The process of collecting funds and the responsibility for taking steps to recover unpaid charges will be removed from the individual directors/leaseholders of the Resident Management Company.
  
• Administration
  A managing agent will be geared up to handle the mundane and time-consuming administration, and may handle it more efficiently through better facilities for storage and retrieval of records and documentation essential for accounting purposes.

• Disputes
  Issues and disputes can be dealt with impartially by an arm’s length agent in order to limit the animosity and division which could arise where personal issues become the business of neighbours and colleagues.
  
• Lease and company responsibilities
  The agent distinguishes between the needs and duties of the company under the Companies Acts and the needs and duties of the company in its separate role as landlord under the leases and the relevant landlord and tenant legislation.

• Professional Indemnity Insurance
  Agents should hold professional indemnity cover as a further protection against negligent acts or incompetence. Using an agent passes some of the responsibility for compliance with leases, laws and codes of practice to the agent. BUT the directors of a Resident Management Company are responsible for setting policy and monitoring the work of the agent.
  
• Fewer legal problems
  A good managing agent is up to date with the latest laws. Therefore, if a problem arises, the agent can deal with the legal issues professionally and as quickly as the law allows.

Dangers of self-management

Managing your block of flats is a good idea, isn’t it? How hard can it be? Maybe not as easy as you think!

• Problems with the law
  Managing the block can be a minefield if you’re not legally minded. The legislations, rules and regulations change, and to keep abreast of these, and do everything else, is incredibly stressful.
  If you come unstuck with legalities, the consequences can be very serious for you.
  A good managing agent will protect you and keep you fully up to date with all changes in property law.

• Section 20 Consultations
  Sometimes, like when there’s an emergency, it isn’t practical to undertake a Section 20 consultation before carrying out major works. In these cases, you can apply for ‘dispensation’ from consultation. In the majority of cases however, you need to go through the Section 20 process before you can start incurring major works costs. Without the consultation you may find that you can recover no more than £250 per leaseholder.
  Without the relevant knowledge of this procedure, the legal complications can be disastrous.
  
• Ignoring the lease
  An essential part of self-management is reading and understanding the lease and your obligations within it. Failure to meet the requirements of the lease can lead to leaseholder disputes and dents in vital cashflow.
• Spending on ‘unauthorised extras’
  Again, thinking about the lease, you can get into hot water if you spend the service charge monies on items not permitted in the lease. This could lead to being unable to reclaim these costs ending up with big financial and legal problems.
• Incorrect insurance cover
  Saving money on insurance may seem appealing, but self-management can lead to the appropriate level of cover not being placed. Worse still, the policy underwriter may not understand the complexities of block management. For example, will tenants be covered for alternative accommodation or just loss of rent? What happens if leaseholders rent to students or via AirBnB? A managing agent would ensure your insurance is adequately placed as well as placing Directors and Officers Insurance for relevant parties.

Why having an agent is a good investment?

As you can see from the points above, working with a Managing Agent, frees up your time so you can concentrate on the things you enjoy.

How do you choose your property management company?

• Ask friends, colleagues and other sources that you trust for referrals. Then check information about that referred company.
  
• Research Property Managers Online.
  Look for companies that are members of the IRPM (Institute of Residential Property Management Ltd.)
• Read online reviews from legitimate customers across a variety of different platforms. If there are recurring themes of poor practice it is worth investigating if it’s true.
• Type of property in their portfolios – do they match yours?
• Company location – make sure they are based near the property, not miles away.
• Visit properties managed by the company. How well kept are the gardens? Visit more than once.

• Talk to some of the residents about how well the property is managed.
• Always meet in person rather than select a company online or over the phone.

I’m

sure most of us have heard about Listed Buildings, but do we know what that means if we want to buy a Listed property – and what it means if you are in a managed leasehold property?

What is a listed building?

A Listed building is one that is on the statutory list of ‘buildings of special architectural or historic interest’, sometimes referred to as The National Heritage List. The building is listed to protect it for future generations.

The listing covers a whole building, including the interior and can also cover:

• any attached structures,
• later extensions
• Pre-1948 buildings on land attached to the building (in the planning system this is called ‘curtilage’ – attached land).
  

Listed buildings are all very unique, so it is worth checking with your local planning authority to find out what exactly is covered by the listing on your building.

Which type of buildings are listed?

The most significant cause for a building to be selected for listing, is its age. The older a building the more likely it will be listed.

All buildings built before 1700, which have survived in their original condition, or as near to it, are listed. Most between 1700 and 1850 are also listed.

Particularly careful selection is required for buildings from the period after 1945 to be listed. It may be that they demonstrate technological advances; possess a notable feature or are the work of a particular architect.

Some recent post-war buildings are now also being considered.

Two recent buildings that fall into the category of being of special importance are the Royal Festival Hall and the BT Tower in London.

In England there are approximately 376,000 listed building entries, which actually amounts to over 500,000 listed buildings. It is hard to be precise, because a row of terraced houses can be a single list entry.

Five points to consider when buying a listed property:

1. What category does your property or prospective property belong to?
Categories of listing are:

• Grade 1 – Buildings of exceptional interest; only 2.5% of listed buildings are Grade 1.
• Grade II* – Buildings are particularly importance, being of more than special interest; 5.5% of listed buildings.
• Grade II – Buildings of special architectural or historic interest; 92% of listed buildings.

2. You will need special permission to make any changes.

There are controls over what you are allowed to do to the building in terms of alterations. This doesn’t mean there is a preservation order preventing change, but consent must be applied for to make any changes to the building that might affect its special interest. Within government planning guidance, listed buildings can be altered, extended and sometimes demolished, but consent has to be gained first.

3. Repairs are likely to cost more – and sometimes a lot more.

Often, you’ll have to hire specialist tradesmen with particular expert skills to do the work. Some buildings retain period design and or building features which require skills that are no longer used regularly by the majority of builders. This will mean hiring specialist tradesmen with a particular skill-sets to do the work, which means they will be more expensive.

4. You may be able to get a grant for repairs or for a contribution to the works.

Historic England are the body who look after Listed Buildings and they will usually offer grants when the repair will be unable to go ahead without that support.

5. You may require specialist home insurance

If you buy a property that is listed, you must inform your insurer.

The insurance should be for a rebuild, not just the market value, because due to being listed, specialist building materials may be required, which are more expensive.

All of this applies even if you have a managed property with a managing agent – such as Fraser Allen Estate Management. My team and I have to consider all of the above too and we often advise our residents if this is relevant to their homes. A rule of thumb is this – if you like heritage properties, and it’s also in a heritage setting, this will be an issue to consider from the outside regardless of whether you live in a leasehold or freehold property.

If you are buying a property and think it might be listed, but don’t know, you can check on The National Heritage List for
England here.

In my blog last week, I talked about what you can expect from a landlord. This week, I’m going to talk about the expectations some people have when it comes to what they think their landlord should provide.

When we buy a property, whether it is a house, a flat or retirement property, it is our home. The place where we can hide away from the world, should we need to. It becomes our kingdom and we can become very emotionally attached to it, which is a good thing of course. 

If your property is freehold, and as long as you keep up mortgage payments, you can do just that, after all you have full responsibility for everything about your home. If something goes wrong, within your property or within your outside space, you are responsible for the cost of putting that ‘thing’ right. 

However, if you are living in a leasehold flat, then it’s incredibly important that you understand the legal rights and liabilities. What will the leaseholder do if something goes wrong – and what is your responsibility as the resident? What do you have to pay for? 

Looking at it in simple terms, if you own a leasehold flat, it is a long tenancy, and you have the right to occupy that flat for a long period. For the term of the lease. You also can expect some things to be paid for – and some things will not be paid for and in some blocks or properties, different residents may have different rights. Check out our blog here for more info.   

This is due to the fact that some properties in the same ‘block’ or area may have different leases or no leases at all. It is not always straightforward.

What can be expected in a lease:

You, the leaseholder has ownership of everything within the four walls of the flat, including floorboards and the plaster on the walls and ceilings. Anything goes wrong within that domain, you will have to pay for it, make it right at your own expense and decorate at your own expense.

If a garden is included, then it is your responsibility too and any works which are carried out are at your cost. If, however it’s a communal garden for the building, then the landlord would be expected to care for it from the funds you pay in with other relevant residents. This may just be maintenance though, it may not mean a whole re-design or landscaping of the space.

What you cannot expect:

• The landlord to mend your washing machine, or any other white goods in your flat. That is your own personal property and therefore your responsibility to repair.
  
• To be able to make structural changes within your flat, without speaking to the landlord first.
  
• The landlord to decorate the inside of your property, or buy new carpets.
  
• The landlord’s responsibility stops at your front door. 

However, unlike ownership of a freehold property, you may not necessarily be free to do whatever you want. These restrictions and conditions are put in place to protect the interest of everyone in the building. Some restrictions may include:

• Owning pets of any kind.
  
• Making noise i.e playing loud music, or instruments, after certain times of the day/night.
  
• With retirement properties there may be restrictions on the age of people living there.
  
• The placement of satellite dishes.

What features are the responsibility of the landlord?:

1)   External or structural walls.

2)   Garden, if communal

3)   Maintenance and repair of the overall building structure and communal areas.

The third point above, is where serious problems have arisen, with landlords not effectively looking after their building with enough care and attention. However even this can be a grey area and must be looked at on a case by case basis.

Take, the worst case in recent years, the fire of Grenfell Tower. This is an example of a landlord, (in this case, the local authority), appearing to not ensure the safety of their building, and ultimately, tenants, with tragic consequences. 

Not surprisingly, following this fire, many other residents of blocks of flats have been contacting their landlords to make sure they don’t have the same issue with cladding that doesn’t comply with building regulations.

Recently, it has been deemed to be the responsibility of the leaseholders to rectify any unsafe cladding via the service charge each leaseholder pays. This isn’t good news for leaseholders as in some instances, costs are in excess of £50,000 per flat. 

In a leasehold property, although it is the landlord’s responsibility for maintenance and repair of the building, they will generally recover any costs through the service charges passed on to the leaseholders.

This has become an issue for people who took up the chance for the ‘right to buy’ scheme around their council properties. Many are now leaseholders and are suddenly being presented with large bills for works being carried out.

A different problem, is when someone lives on an estate where some properties are leasehold and some have management agents and some don’t. In reality, this means that whereas some people expect the landlord to pay for the replacement windows and doors, their agreement doesn’t actually cover that.  You don’t always have parity with your neighbours. 

My blog theme for January is going to be all about leases. In my business journey – and during my career prior to starting my own company – this is one area where the public are woefully uneducated when it comes to a lease. 

Indeed even business owners can find they get caught out because they don’t know the difference between a lease and a licence. They can sign for a lease, when they’ve previously had a licence, and many won’t bother to go into the detail. This is a BIG mistake which can be very costly. 

As a property manager, I know a lot about leases, they are frankly part of the DNA of my business day in and day out. 

While this may make me sound like a ‘lease geek’, it means I do know what a lease is, what it means, what it doesn’t mean, how to read it, what to look for and what questions to ask. A lease is like any other contract, it’s vital that you read the small print and ask questions about it before you make any kind of financial commitment. 

Indeed, if in doubt, it’s always cost effective to ask a solicitor with experience in commercial and private property to check through any lease (or licence) agreement and flag up any key terms and conditions so that you can be very clear what you are signing up for. This then will mean there are no surprises when it comes to unexpected bills for works carried out on your home or your business premises. 

Therefore my mission this month is to offer some accessible knowledge when it comes to leases. 

What is a lease?

A lease is a contractural agreement where a leaseholder will pay the lessor for the use of an asset. That asset could be a property, a car, or some kind of equipment. This agreement will require responsibilities to be accepted and understood by both parties.

When it comes to property ie. your home this contractural agreement can become a very emotionally-charged document. However that doesn’t detract from the fact that it is a legal agreement where emotion is irrelevant.

Do you know if your home is freehold or leasehold? Most houses in the UK are freehold which means that the property and the land on which it stands belongs to the home-owner. In the UK most flats and apartments with communal facilities and communal spaces are leasehold ie someone owns the land, the communal areas and the overall structure and therefore a payment is required. 

Do you really know the difference? This is important if you are moving into an apartment block, either to rent or buy – regardless of your age. You could be a first time buyer or you could be someone moving into a retirement flat or similar.

What is the detailed difference between being a leaseholder or a freeholder?

The definition of lease: A contract by which one party conveys land, property, services etc to another for a specified time, usually in return for a periodic payment. (Oxford Dictionary) The Lease contract should set down the legal rights and responsibilities of either side. You need to read these or take legal advice around it.

Freehold means, you own the property and the land it stands on outright, in perpetuity. With the freehold, your name is in the land registry as the freeholder, owning the title absolute.

With a freehold, you don’t have to pay annual ground rent or service charges, however you also have the full responsibility for maintaining the fabric of the building – the roof and outside walls, gardens, fencing and the land on which it stands etc etc.

Statistics around leasing in the UK

• Around 14.6 million (63%) of households in England owned their own homes in the two years between 2016 and 2018.
  
• In 2018-2019 an estimated 4.5 million leasehold dwellings in England which is 19% of the English stock housing.
• Of those leaseholders, 2.5 million (55%) were in the owner occupier sector, 1.8 million (39%) privately owned and let in the private rented sector.
• The remaining 234,000 (5%) were owned by social landlords and let in the social rented sector.
• The majority of leasehold dwellings (69%) were flats, with 3.1 million leasehold flats across all tenures (2.9 million in the private sector and 159,000 in the social rented sector.)
• There were 1.4 million leasehold houses in 2018 – 2019, which made up the remaining 31% of leasehold dwellings.
  

Source: Leasehold_Estimate_2018-19

What are your responsibilities as a leaseholder?

• You do not own the land the property is built on.
• You lease from the freeholder or landlord.
• Leases are usually long term. They are often 90 years, and can be as high as 999 years, but the converse is, they can also be short, for example, 40 years.
• Leaseholders have to pay annual maintenance fees, service charges and their share of the building insurance.
• Leaseholders normally pay an annual ground rent to the freeholder.
• Leaseholders have to obtain permission for any major works done to the property
• Leaseholders may face restrictions, such as not owning pets, or subletting.
• If leaseholders don’t fulfil the terms of the lease, then the lease can become forfeit.

It is vital to read the small print of any contract, and be sure that you fully understand your rights and responsibilities.

Also, find out who is responsible for the management of the building, in case you run into problems. Is it the freeholder for the building, or is it a property management company?

For more information, check out “Common misconceptions about leasehold flats” on the Links section of our website.

What are landlords/freeholders responsible for?

Normally, the landlord or freeholder will be responsible for maintaining the common parts of the building, such as the entrance, hallways and staircase, as well as exterior walls and roof. 

Look out for my blog next week which will explore what can you expect of your landlord or their management agent? What does good look like and what are the basics you can expect.

At Fraser Allen, my team and I are here to help you with any issues or queries you have about leasehold properties.

Feel free to contact us

My Business Highlights: 

There have been several highlights for this year, yet the top of my list was having my work recognised and celebrated. As a small business, which is still young to be seen as being at the top of my sector was humbling. 

PM50 awards

The Property Management 50 awards were created in 2019, to provide a platform for recognition and celebration of Property Managers, who, as the back bone of the industry often go unrecognised for the work they do in supporting their customers.  The PM50 awards acknowledges those people who have through incredible dedication and, in many cases, go above and beyond to support their customers.

I’m particularly proud of winning this, because it was awarded by my own industry, and I certainly do value my clients. I take pride in what I call ‘intangible customer service’. I’m employed to do certain jobs within and around the developments that
I manage. 

However, I never forgot these blocks are actually ‘homes’ not just bricks and mortar. As soon as it was clear that Covid19 was going to impact us very badly, I knew it was time to step up and support those whose homes I manage. During lockdown, along with my team at Fraser Allen, I set up a group of volunteers to help those living in managed developments who were vulnerable or shielding. We helped with things like food shopping, collection of prescriptions or medicines, attending vital medical appointments, posting letters or just giving them a call to check they were ok. Each one of these things are little in itself yet they mount up to a big deal for each individual in need. 

As one of 14 winners, from over 450 nominations, it was wonderful to be recognised by the judges as Property Manager of the Year, saying, 

“Jodie always considers her customer’s needs and then takes it one step further. Her attention to detail, insight into future needs and commitment to her personal CPD is second to none. I’ve never met someone so focused and driven to provide the best service.”

Small Business 100

My next highlight was to be part of Small Business 100 or #smallbiz100. Running for eight years, this campaign promotes the ethos of supporting independent small businesses, from retailers to local suppliers. The campaign is built around buying local on Small Business Saturday, which is usually the first Saturday in December. 

You enter and then wait to see if you are one of just a handful of businesses from across the UK that the campaign will single out for special recognition across its substantial social media platforms and as case studies for its 2020 campaign. 

Each of the 100 small businesses have the opportunity to be highlighted throughout the year. I felt honoured to be chosen to take part, and Fraser Allen was highlighted on Saturday 5th September. I chose to work with an independent solicitor, offering my time to assist the general public with queries regarding leasehold property management and property law. Then Lockdown part 2 came and we were unable to hold a physical event, however I do plan in 2021 to hold such an event when it’s safe and possible to do so.

Business Expansion

Along with my team, we manage the homes of residents in apartment blocks across Bristol, Cheltenham and London. I had a goal of new clients for this year which inevitably had to change due to the pandemic. I reassessed that goal and I am so pleased to have successfully been appointed as managing agent to five new residential blocks with another beautiful development in Cheltenham, planned for January 2021.  In other words, I’ve met my business goals! Yeah!

Finally this month, I was thrilled to be ‘Recognised as a Leader in Residential Block Management’ as part of the Business Elite Awards 2020, by SME News magazine. This is a perfect way to end the year for me in business and I’m very grateful on looking back for the positive things and people who have come my way. 

What about the low points?

The main uncertainty to the year, as for everyone in business, was wondering how Covid-19 would affect my business and my clients.

Apart from worrying about my own friends and family, I was worried about some of our elderly or more vulnerable residents, wondering how they would manage if they felt isolated in their homes. I made sure we communicated with everyone, so all of our residents knew how they could contact us if needed. 

In terms of the business, we have always been set up to work remotely, and have managed with web-based systems to meet as a team, and also where suitable, talk to clients.

Following the Government’s guidelines, we have managed the business successfully. We’ve got through this last year, with our ethos of treating residents, clients and contractors with the same care and respect as those closest to us. 

My takeaways from this year are:

• Never take anything for granted 
• Expect the unexpected and flex your plan accordingly 
• Always think of others & be helpful, kind and considerate. 

Every October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month with schools and other organisations using it as a reason to talk about and confront the ongoing issue of bullying. 

So why is this important to me – in my 30s, a business owner and now a parent? It’s important because I was bullied throughout my school life and it has left its mark. 

Even today, now that I realise how resilient and determined this experience has made me, I still feel wounded. I intend to stand up and be counted to help others and also to empower my own daughter when it comes to confronting, dealing with and spotting bullies. 

The aim of this awareness month is clear: 

“…to encourage schools, communities and organisations to work together to stop bullying and cyberbullying and put an end to hatred and racism by increasing awareness of the prevalence and impact of all forms of bullying on children of all ages.”

Find out more here

I was bullied in the 1990s and it was difficult to deal with then. However, it appears little has changed.

In 2019, a study found one fifth of young people in the UK had been bullied in that year.

The survey found:

• The most common type of bullying was verbal, with cyberbullying the least common.
• Of those bullied, 33% said they had suicidal thoughts’ 41% were left feeling anxious
• 62% were bullied by classmates, and 37% by someone at school they didn’t know.
• Nearly 59% believed people’s attitude towards their appearance caused the bullying
• In the majority of cases, males were more likely to exhibit negative attitudes than females. 

My experiences of being bullied at school:

I was bullied, both physically and mentally during my time at school, pretty much from the age of 9 up until 15. For me it centred around one particular person with others floating in and out of numerous incidents. My parents tried to intervene, my school tried to intervene yet it kept on going.

It finally stopped when I was put in hospital and the school finally expelled the girl who was bullying me. 

Every day, I lived in fear going to and from school. No matter how hard I tried to keep my head down, go un-noticed, I would always be a target for some reason or another.

Some of the things that happened were: 

• Bricks thrown at our windows, so I didn’t feel safe at home. 
• The tyres of my parents and grandparents’ cars were both slashed. 
• I was removed from classes so the bullies couldn’t get to me, rather than them being removed. 
• Numerous attempts to set my hair on fire. 
• Threats to ‘beat me up’ on the way home from school or if I went to a youth club or park. 

The stubborn side of me always went out any way yet the price I paid, was living in fear of what was going to happen – every, single day.

The final straw, and when the police were involved, was when I was repeatedly hit around the head with the wooden triangle you use in pool/snooker, until the triangle broke. I ended up with 13 stitches in my head, black eyes, nerve damage and a stay in hospital. 

I lived in fear for six years! I don’t want this for anyone and I don’t want it for my child.

What it was like for my best friend to watch this happen to me:

How does it feel being the friend of somebody being bullied as kids? Pretty impossible really… you know the right thing to do and you want to do it, but standing up to a bully puts you in a vulnerable place. What if they start bullying me? What if they hurt me? So as a kid I know for a fact that I didn’t do enough for Jodie.

I met Jodie on our first day of school at 4 years old and more than 30 years later she is one of my dearest friends. She is bright, successful, stubborn and determined. I can’t remember exactly when the bullying started, I can’t remember if it built up from something smaller and then gradually turned into something ugly. But I will never forget those girls.

Back then, in secondary school, people wanted to impress them. They saw them as the ‘popular ones’. Only now in adult life do I realise that it was all borne out of fear that if you didn’t worship them, they could make your life hell.

Nobody wanted to be ‘the chosen one’. Unfortunately, the chosen one was Jodie. Not for any reason that I have ever known; I’ve no idea why they picked her. There was nothing about Jodie that made her stand out as an obvious target. They just needed to have someone, someone who they could pick away at slowly and deliberately.

Over time, the severity got worse… cornering her in a room, taunting her after school in the park. I remember once they stole her hairband. Full of bravado and determined to finally do something to stand up to them, I marched on down to the park to find them. I found them by the skateboard ramp. They chased me and had me trapped at the top of the ramp for over an hour. I was too scared to come down and they just waited at the bottom laughing. They got bored eventually and left. I never got Jodie’s hairband back.

By late secondary school, it got more serious. Physical. Violent. They smashed her across the head with a wooden pool triangle. She went to hospital and the police got involved.

I can’t believe it ever had to get that far. It makes me feel sick to the pit of my stomach. Why should anybody have to endure that and also what ever happened to these kids to make them behave in such a cruel manner?

About 10 years ago our old secondary school was being knocked down to make way for a shiny new building and all ex students were invited along for a trip down memory lane before demolition began. I went with Jodie and even that many years later, the harmful memories were clear to see. Her memories of her time at school are dark and painful. They took that time away from her.

It is easy now to look back and say ‘look who came out on top’. Jodie has a beautiful daughter, a marriage, her own business and is surrounded by love. The bullies have experienced prison, life on the streets and loneliness. But I know there are many flecks of Jodie’s personality that have been shaped by the way she was treated. Her determination to prove to the world she can achieve anything. Her constant need for perfection. 

I am proud beyond words of what she has achieved. Of the successful business woman and super mum she has become. But even prouder of the way she has held her head high.

With each knock back she has kept moving forwards. Jodie, my best friend, has come out on top.

The Views of my Life Coach

Jodie bravely sought my help after she left school. It was, and is still self-evident, that the horrific experiences she has endured both at school, and subsequently at work, have fundamentally altered and shaped her outlook, and character.

Bullying usually has a profoundly negative impact on any person’s self-esteem, and Jodie was no exception. Bullying, (which is simply another form of reprehensible abuse), generates the repeated internal negative dialogue which says, ‘Why me? What is wrong with me?’, and if there is no prompt satisfactory solution forthcoming from those in positions of authority, inevitably the beliefs that ‘Something must be wrong with me. Maybe I deserve this somehow’, can easily arise from the depths of despair.

This results not only in a low mood and depression, but also a lack of trust in the system, which is supposedly designed to help protect the rights of all. It will never work unless the majority stand up and call out bullying wherever it occurs.

One method of self-protection involves refusing to let others show just how one is hurt by cruel taunts about one’s appearance and circumstances, internalising hurt and pain, which makes sharing feelings and emotions in any relationship very difficult indeed.

Many reading this, may identify with some or all the issues raised above. Bullying can leave a person hurt and reeling psychologically, emotionally, as well as physically.

Jodie, (like any human being who had suffered even an iota of what she went through), was I am sad to say, significantly and adversely affected by all the above.

However, Jodie differs from many, in that deep within her character there was always a spark of defiance; a tiny burning candle which refused to be extinguished by all the darkness; a stubbornness that refused to accept the status quo, and sought help and fought to overcome all the wounds bullying had left.

With time, and talking, and many homework tasks, gradually Jodie began to turn things around.

Uncertainty of her true worth, was gradually turned into a fiery, focused drive. Constant self-doubt, little by little has and is being turned into a burning curiosity and desire to learn and improve every aspect of her life and business, and to correct every adverse issue relevant to any and every domain of her life.

There is no part of bullying which is in any way positive, but if like Jodie, you do not want to spend your whole life feeling victimised, you too should seek help and support, and you too can overcome life’s obstacles and reach for your dreams, developing unconquerable resilience, reaching for the sky, and ultimately achieving your goal of reaching it.

Doing nothing is choosing to remain a victim – and it is a choice.

After all, the best form of revenge against any type of bully, is unqualified success. It all starts with a decision to stop feeling like a victim and start to take control of your life and quash the negativity left by the bullies. Do not let them win.

As a person, as a woman, Jodie is an inspiration – truly exceptional, and I am proud to call her a great friend. I am even more proud, that she has not forgotten her roots and her past, and actively campaigns to prevent anyone else suffering the torment she endured.

And when you too succeed, please share your story with others and campaign against bullying. Yes, recovery is tough, yes, it is a long road, …but even the longest journey begins with the first step.

Bullying in the workplace:

Sadly, bullying doesn’t stop at school, it can happen in the workplace too where it can be more covert, subtle yet just as damaging.

According to research published by the TUC:

• Nearly 29% of people have been bullied at work
• Women (34%) are more likely to be victims than men (23%)
• The highest prevalence is among 40 to 59-year-olds, with 34% of people affected.
• In nearly 72% of cases the bullying is carried out by a manager.
• More than 36% of people who report being bullied leave their job as a result.

What does this type of bullying look like?

• Spreading malicious rumours
• Unfair treatment
• Picking on someone, or regularly undermining them.
• Denying someone training or promotion opportunities.

Bullying or harassment can happen:

• Face to face
• By letter
• By email
• By phone
• Online

My experience of workplace bullying:

The issues during my school life affected me terribly growing into an adult and I was bullied again in the work place. 

I had re-built my confidence bit by bit and at 21 years old, I started my first proper job after leaving college. I was ready and excited to start my new career. Sadly, it seemed I was in the firing line because I’ve always been driven by my ambition.

One particular lady who obviously wasn’t happy about my ambitious attitude, started belittling me and following me wherever I went to see what I was doing. She would spread rumours about me, she would follow me into the canteen to see what I was having for lunch and with whom I was eating. Even when I moved departments to get away from her she went to my new manager to continue these rumours. 

For some reason, I have come across this type of behaviour over and over again for most of my career. I had to ask is it me? Or is it them? The answer lies in this – it’s both. I have had to learn that some people will be threatened by someone who is perceived, rightly or wrongly, to be more proactive or more ambitious or simply a bit cocky.

What have I done about it?

Rather than let these experiences curtail my ambition and ruin my personal life, I have taken control of my career and set up my own business. In doing so I’ve taken control of my own ambition and have only to prove myself to – myself.

As a result of running my own business, I’ve found through personal development that bullies are easier to spot and easier to walk away from. Running my own show means that I can align myself with those who are caring, compassionate and who welcome, rather than fear, ambition and drive.

This is the best thing I could ever have done, and my business is growing from strength to strength. I haven’t let the bullies define my life, or me!

Today is World Alzheimer’s Day and it’s a day which presents an opportunity to share why it’s very important to me – and many, many people like me. 

My family lives with Alzheimer’s as my grandmother Dorothy, known as Dot, was diagnosed around five years ago. My mother Shirley and I have cared for her ever since with mum living with her now as the disease has progressed.  

Living with Dot and seeing this awful disease take her from us means that I personally will take any opportunity to raise awareness and also spread the word about dementia. 

This month is also World Alzheimer’s Month and theme for this year is, ‘let’s talk about dementia’. I agree with this sentiment, we do need to talk about it. It’s a good thing to educate people, campaign for more support for families living with dementia and to demystify dementia.

Today there’s an opportunity to demonstrate how we can gradually overcome these issues and help people live well with dementia.

What is dementia?

Dementia is a syndrome, (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain function. There are different causes of dementia and different types.

Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting between 50% and 70% of those diagnosed.

Other types of dementia include: vascular dementia affecting up to 20%, frontotemporal dementia, affecting 2% and dementia with Lewy bodies between 10 and 15%.

Symptoms of dementia include memory loss, confusion and problems with speech and understanding. It is a terminal condition which often gets progressively worse. 

Dementia statistics:

I’m sure most of us know someone, either in our family or in our circle of friends who has either suffered from dementia themselves, or has a relative with the disease.

Dementia is one of the biggest challenges we face, with nearly 54 million people living with dementia worldwide.

Research shows that more than 850,000 people in the UK are affected – and this is expected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.

The condition affects one in 14 over the age of 65 and there are over 42,000 people under 65 with dementia in the UK.

More than 25,000 people from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups in the UK are affected.

Dementia affects the whole family:

Although it is my grandmother with this disease, the whole family has suffered watching her go through this – and it’s worth remembering that and having empathy. 

I have memories of my grandmother which I have to fight to hold on to as day to day she changes and moves further away from the person I remember. I know that my own daughter will not remember her in any way as I do. I will keep fighting for those memories and as my own child grows I will remind her of this wonderful, strong, supportive and loving woman. 

As you can tell, dementia impacts a family in many different ways and may mean some family members making huge decisions around where they live, whether they work or not in order to support a loved one with the condition. 

Some things we’ve had to think about as a family include:

• Developing predictable routines
• Not arguing with your loved on – let things go.
• Giving your loved one as much independence as possible.
• Having fun.
• Meeting your loved one in the now – don’t argue with them about lost memories.
• Accepting the disease is responsible for their mood and personality changes.
• Remembering the person is more than the disease.
• Caring for yourself and any other carers too. 

Having a family member suffering from this disease changes so many things. It can be difficult when meeting up with wider family members who we don’t see regularly, as they might not understand how seriously the disease has impacted on my Grandmother. Or they might be shocked by the different behaviour being exhibited. 

Some people are embarrassed and shy away, unsure of how to act. For me, the saddest thing with this disease is, you lose the person you love more and more every day.

My advice would be to find out about local support groups, and any training courses that could help you. At present many of these groups have moved online, due to the Corona Virus. Both the NHS, and the Alzheimer’s Society have information. 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia/carers/

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/help-dementia-care/understanding-supporting-person-dementia

Are you dementia friendly? 

I run a business which specialises in block management – my team and I look after blocks of flats, including arranging maintenance, cleaning, gardening, insurance, and health and safety to communal areas. In other words, I look after people’s homes and some of those people are older. 

Because of my grandmother, it is important to me to be SEEN to be ‘Dementia Friendly’ in my company because of the first-hand experience of the devasting effect of this disease. I know my grandmother is safe in her home, because my mum is with her, yet not all people suffering from the condition are so lucky.

When I set up my property management business four years ago, I always planned to be dementia aware and dementia friendly so that no one – from a resident to a loved one to anyone in the communities I serve would feel worried or distressed around dementia.

I want my residents to feel safe in their home and to know that they or their families can contact us and will understand we are there to support them.

During lockdown, along with my team at Fraser Allen, I set up a team of volunteers to help those living in managed developments who were vulnerable or shielding. My tam delivered shopping and contacted those who were vulnerable to make sure they were coping ok and had someone to talk to. 

I would encourage any business owners to consider being ‘Dementia Friendly’ too. This could be you have a retail shop and people can come in and won’t be turned away if they are acting strangely or confused – or you may be able to offer a friendly ear to an exhausted family member. How you support the cause is up to you – and for bigger companies it may open up conversations with members of staff who are having struggles at home around dementia. 

All sectors can become involved, and the Alzheimer’s Society have sector-specific resources you can download. You can find out more here https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-involved/dementia-friendly-communities/organisations/resources-organisations

How can we help?

Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease or any other type of dementia.

Delaying the onset of dementia by five years would halve the number of deaths from the condition, saving 30,000 lives a year. Research for dementia is desperately underfunded. I think this is tragic, which is why I want people to find out more about the disease.

You think you can’t make a difference – you can. Even by taking small steps, quite literally. During May, National Walking month, with my team we walked 850,000 steps in one month. We managed it, and raised £300 for the Alzheimer’s Society.

We will be doing more fundraising in the future, please could you support me and my team by either donating or liking and sharing posts about our fundraising.

Jodie Fraser, founder of Fraser Allen Estate Management has been named as one of the nation’s Small Biz 100 in a national campaign highlighting some of the UK’s most inspiring small businesses.

The 36-year-old, who has run her business managing the homes of residents in apartment blocks across Bristol, Cheltenham and London for the last four years,, has also recently been named Property Manager of the Year. 

“I couldn’t believe that I’d been chosen for this honour so soon after winning an award within my own industry,” Jodie said.

“I fully support the aim of the Small Business Saturday campaign as it promotes the ethos of supporting independent small businesses, from retailers to local suppliers. Now, as one of the Small Biz 100, this year I plan to work with independent solicitor Andrew Turner from Hughes Paddison to offer a morning of my time to assist the general public with any queries they may have regarding property management and property law.  

“I also plan to support small business by arranging a networking event where everyone involved is a local business, for example a photographer who can capture the event and a local baker who can provide cakes and refreshments. Watch this space!.”

Marking 100 days building up to Small Business Saturday on 5 December 2020, the Small Biz 100 provides a major profile boost to small businesses across the UK, particularly at this challenging time.

Showcasing a daily celebration of individual businesses through social media, the campaign aims to support and celebrate a vibrant range of small, community driven businesses across the UK. Jodie’s business will be highlighted by the campaign on Saturday September 5. 

Michelle Ovens MBE, Director of Small Business Saturday UK, said:

“Congratulations to Jodie for joining the Small Biz 100! This campaign highlights the amazing, positive impact small firms have on communities across the UK. Given the phenomenally tough time small businesses have had, and the special role they played supporting communities in lockdown, it’s vital we continue to support them as this crisis continues. This year’s Small Business Saturday is going to be the most important one yet, and were determined it will also be the best.”

Now in its eighth year in the UK, Small Business Saturday has grown significantly each year, with a record turnout of 17.6 million people choosing to shop small on the day last year, generating an estimated £800m.

Featured in Total Guide Bath, Total Guide Bristol, Total Guide Swindon and News on The Block

Jodie’s business celebrates its fourth anniversary this month.

How are you feeling about your business?  

I’m feeling really positive and feel that the uneasiness I felt over the past few months is starting to subside. We are celebrating our 4th birthday this month and we’re so grateful to still be trading, especially after the recent pandemic.      

How are you feeling about business in general? 

I think business in general is changing. We’re all adapting to the new normal but I think that there are a number of positives that have come out of this situation within the working world.  

We’ve learnt to be more flexible, less commuting and working from home. So many business have adapted exceptionally well, not only to continue trading, but to help their customers.  

I’ve noticed how businesses are going out of their way to help people more and that is the sort of thing that you remember.

Tell us three ways in which you now apply this phrase to your business and/or life ‘buy local supply local’. 

1. We have always been really proud to support local contractors for the maintenance requirements for our developments.

2. We manage developments local to our offices to provide a more hands on approach.  

3. We prefer to use local suppliers for our business needs – for example, our web designer (Kate Hayden Design), printing (Sprint Print), legal support (Hughes Paddison Solicitors) 

Find Kate Hayden Design on Facebook.

https://www.hughes-paddison.co.uk

What has changed for you positively as a result of lockdown? 

Proving how adaptable the business can be and how I feel I can deal with any challenge.  

Tell us what, for you, makes a ‘good’ local business.  

A business that will go out their way to help. I have recently come across a business who couldn’t help one of my clients, but they put her in touch with someone who could help her and really went above and beyond the call of duty.  

My client was so happy and told me about it when I saw her. This business left a positive lasting impression on her.  

Can you name a local business which you support around food & drink? 

Daisy’s Coffee Shop in Winterbourne, Bristol – http://www.daisyscoffeeshop.co.uk

Can you name a local business which you support around health, wellbeing or fitness? 

Georgina Evans of Let It Flow Yoga – https://www.facebook.com/LetitFlowYogaUK https://letitflowyoga.com

Can you shout out to three businesses which have helped you? 

1. Kate Hayden Design

2. Sprint Print 

3. Dependable Limited – They are based in Chippenham and have been fantastic to us during lockdown and have enabled us to continue providing a great level of service to our clients.  

Can you name anyone in business who has really had your back over the months? 

Ben Head from Dependable Limited. Although I have only worked directly with Ben for the past few years, he’s been really supportive and helpful regarding any business concerns I had or simply to help me resolve a client’s issue or a repair at a development. 

Can you name on person in your life who has really helped you during this time? 

My husband James. I have had moments over the past few months where I have felt really overwhelmed but he has always been there to help me through it and to look at any problems with a clear and logical perspective.  

What are your business plans for Q4?

We would love to take on more developments to manage, but in general we plan to continue providing a high level of customer service to our existing clients.  

And Finally…

When you support local small businesses you are not just supporting someone’s livelihood,
you are supporting their dreams. 

Featured in Total Guide Bristol and Total Guide Swindon

A young Bristol mum who has been running her business for only four years scooped a prestigious prize in the Property Management 50 Awards. Jodie Fraser (36) Managing Director of Fraser Allen Estate Management was entered into her very first awards competition and came away a winner in the Property Managers category.

Over 450 nominations were received, so the judges – all of whom were winners in last year’s awards – had quite a challenge in choosing this year’s overall winners. Jodie said: “I was nominated by others in the industry and clients I work with. A form was completed, which gave an opportunity to say why I deserved the award. I am delighted with the win. It was totally unexpected.” The Property Management 50 Awards citation read: 

“Jodie always considers her customer’s needs and then takes it one step further. Her attention to detail, insight into future needs and commitment to her personal CPD is second to none. I’ve never met someone so focused and driven to provide the best service.” 

Jodie said: “Property management is a team effort and I believe that all those involved in the company are also winners.”

The Property Management Awards, which span six categories: Property Managers, Influencers, Build to Rent, Rising Stars, Suppliers and Legends, were created in 2019. This year it was hoped that the awards would help to acknowledge the dedication that has been shown in the property industry during the pandemic as well as earlier in the year before lockdown. Due to the Covid-19 crisis, Jodie’s trophy is being sent to her in the post and the awards presentation ceremony will have to take place at a later date.

Fraser Allen Estate Management, that specialises in residential block management and now has offices in Bristol and Cheltenham, was incorporated on 2nd August 2016 and started trading 18 months later. Jodie explained: 

“For the first 18 months after I incorporated the business, it was important to me to do the ground work and really understand what my clients wanted from a Managing Agent before I actually started trading. During this time, I was also caring for my grandfather who had cancer and my grandmother who suffers with dementia. It has always been my dream to run my own business and I am really proud of what has been achieved in a short space of time.”

 Jodie believes that having offices locally in both Bristol and Cheltenham gives her clients a sense of confidence that they are dealing with a local agent and not a big corporation miles away.

So what is next for award-winning Fraser Allen Estate Management? Jodie says that having recently celebrated four successful, diverse and exciting years in the industry, she would love to expand into Bath, Swindon, along the M5 corridor to Worcester and maybe even the Birmingham/Shropshire areas where Jodie has family. It is in her make-up to be driven and ambitious and she believes she owes her success to genuinely caring about her clients and residents and understanding their needs. 

“I don’t see the properties I manage as buildings” she said, “but as homes that need to be looked after.” 

As featured in Total Guide to Bristol, Total Guide to Swindon and Total Guide to Bath

The PM50 awards were created in 2019 to provide a platform for recognition and celebration in what can be a largely thankless industry. The hope is that the awards will help to acknowledge the incredible dedication that has been shown in the face of the pandemic as well as recognising the hard work that has gone on earlier in the year.

The awards span 6 categories to allow for industry-wide acknowledgement with titles available for Property Managers, Influencers, Build to Rent (new for 2020), Rising Stars, Suppliers and out and out Legends. Property management is a team effort and we believe all those involved should have the opportunity to shine for the work they do in improving the lives of leaseholders up and down the country. Over 450 nominations poured in throughout May and June so our judges, all of whom were winners in last year’s awards, had quite a task on their hands! We’re so grateful for their input and for fitting this responsibility in around their very busy schedules:

• Jonathan Channing, Director of JC Property Consultancy (Influencer, 2019)
• Beth Lancaster, Senior Property Manager at FirstPort (Property Manager, 2019)
• Matthew Lewis, Partner & Head of Residential Leasehold Property at Coles Miller Solicitors LLP (Rising Star, 2019)
• Colin Stokes, Managing Director, Adiuvo (Supplier, 2019)
• Brett Williams, Managing Director at Principle Estate Management (Legend, 2019)

Of course, the awards also couldn’t happen without this year’s sponsors; Property Management Recruitment, Flat Living and Be Original. Two of the driving forces behind the awards, Rebecca Kelly and Mark Allen, give us their input below:

“I’m so happy with the response we’ve received to the awards. We’re only in our second year and the support that we’ve felt from the industry has been immense. I’ve loved reading through all the nominations- it’s given me a great feeling of what’s to come for the industry and evidenced the dedication and resilience shown in the face of the pandemic. I couldn’t be happier to announce the winners- they are all so deserving of their awards.”

Rebecca Kelly, Head of Partnerships at Flat Living and Founder of Be Original.

Another 50 of our industry’s best and brightest have now been awarded for their amazing efforts over the past year and you can find out the results here.

A huge congratulations to all of our winners!

As featured in Total Guide to Bristol

Here at Fraser Allen, it is incredibly important to us that the residents living within our managed developments feel safe, secure and have a lovely place to live. With this in mind, and as a lot of our developments are in Cheltenham, we wanted to speak with a group of volunteers from ‘Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees’ to better understand the background to this charity and how they help refugees who arrive in the area.

The ethos upheld by Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees, echoes our own mission to support, assist and create a safe environment for our residents and a kind and understanding approach to management.

The theme for Refugee Week this year is Imagine. Refugee Week takes place every June around the same time as World Refugee Day. I don’t think any of us can imagine how it must feel to desperately need to leave the only country that you know to flee poverty, war and in some cases horrific violence.

Packing up all of your belongings, your family, your children, to travel to a new country in generally turbulent and dangerous conditions to simply try and find a better life. There are estimated to be nearly 26 million people, half of them under 18, who have fled their countries, with 80% of them living in countries neighbouring their country of origin such as Bangladesh, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Uganda. Another 41 million have been displaced from their homes within their own country.

Maggie Powell told us

“We started in 2015 as an awareness-raising group. It was the summer with all those terrible pictures of families trying to cross the Mediterranean to safety in
over-crowded and fragile boats.

But then, in 2016, Syrian families started coming to Cheltenham under the Government’s Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.

They have been coming pretty regularly since then and there are now more than 30. The long-established Gloucestershire charity, GARAS, have workers who help with getting people settled, children into schools, everyone signed up with the NHS, starting English classes, help with getting into work. But we provide social contacts, opportunities to practice English informally, activities for the children – and anything that makes people feel safe and welcome. And we can help the GARAS workers by helping prepare accommodation for newly arriving families – it’s always nice to have a few toys for the kids. We can give lifts and help in all sorts of ways.

The people of Cheltenham have proved incredibly generous so we have been able to find things like pushchairs and other equipment which make life more comfortable. Then, last year, the Home Office started placing a small number of asylum seekers in Cheltenham and we are in touch with about 10 of them. Their lives are much harder as they wait to hear whether they are going to be allowed to stay – they are not allowed to work, have very limited access to college classes and are given an allowance of just £37.75 a week to live on (with a room provided).

We can help in practical ways but we are finding that is the friendship and kindness that is most valued. You are my new family, a young man said recently. And like many families we can’t meet up at the moment but it is amazing what you can do with WhatsApp and Zoom!”

During the Covid-19 crisis, it has been even more important to be welcoming, to help those in need and to be inclusive. Lockdown has made us all feel isolated and picturing what the future may hold. What our new normal is going to be? How are we going to cope financially during and after this crisis? Can we use this new normal to create a brighter future?

Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees have always been so kind and generous with their work to help refugees and people seeking asylum. It is their mission to help them find the independence they deserve and to find opportunities for them to flourish and connect with others.

They Boomerang-Bet Casino bonus have created many events such as their summer picnics, where they have dancers, musicians, singers, face painting, art and craft and storytelling.

They find second-hand bicycles so that asylum seekers can find their way around town without needing to spend their very limited allowance on bus fare. With Cheltenham becoming a Home Office settlement centre back in 2019, Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees quickly responded to establish a support and resource network and weekly hub meeting so that people had a safe, warm place to chat.