Although politicians may be reluctant to use the ‘C’ word, everybody else recognizes that Britain is in the throes of an energy crisis. We haven’t seen anything quite like it for almost 50 years and it is causing serious concern for householders and businesses alike supporting the need and importance for taking energy meter readings. What has fuelled this rise in energy costs? The sudden increase has mostly been down to a rise in global demand for gas as the world’s economies recover from the pandemic alongside the depletion of reserves caused by last year’s exceptionally severe winter. All ar ..read more

Weather extremes are the exception to our generally temperate climate here in the UK. The fact that people still refer to landmark events – such as the drought of 1976, the great storm of 1987 and the harsh winters of 1947 and 1963 – reinforces the notion that such severity is rare. But preparing your property for winter can involve some simple preparations that can make all the difference between an uneventful winter and one that is memorable for all the wrong reasons. Climate change Although we regularly experience sub-zero temperatures, heavy snowfall and calamitous flooding, we seem to be ..read more

The earliest evidence of bricks and mortar can be traced to the Indus Valley in Pakistan, where, in about 6,500 BCE, sun-dried bricks were used to construct buildings. Gypsum mortar, also known as plaster of Paris, appeared at the same period. Mud huts may have long pre-dated this innovation but bricks and mortar came to define the future of what is known so widely as property but do we really understand the importance of having a home? Do we view a property as more of a money making commodity, a vehicle to deliver a pension or should it be lauded as a home for people to thrive in and build th ..read more

While it may not yet be common practice, the requirement in the private rental sector for a guarantor to stand behind a tenancy is becoming more familiar. Landlords who are nervous about the protection of their income and property, particularly with the current legislative limits on the level of security deposits, are turning to this long-established method of minimising their exposure to risk. Rental market experts, Goodlord, analysed a sample size of 730,000 tenants who took on a rental property between January 2018 and December 2021. It revealed that requests for guarantors for non-student ..read more

Compiling an Inventory is a time intensive job that is often impacted because the property is either not ready, not clean or is undergoing last minute maintenance work. This could result in the report being ‘out of date’ as soon as the clerk leaves the property! So how can landlords minimise disruptions to their own schedules, avoid costly tenant fall throughs and ensure that the report accurately reflects and safeguards the property? Tenancy documents As every landlord will know, there are literally hundreds of legislative hoops, armfuls of required documents and forms to complete, many of wh ..read more