Managing Agents

Cheryl – Dedicated Property Manager

Cheryl is one of our dedicated Property Manager’s; spending her time looking after her sites, residents and owners, as well as forming a key member of our team

Cheryl helps KT Management in the service provided to residents and owners; ensure all the communal areas are clean and tidy whilst being maintained to a good standard, helping to keep the estate a nice place to live and visit. Here at KT Management we like to keep it straightforward, whilst adhering to the obligations in the Leases/Transfers

Communal grounds – Looking good even in the rain!

Tips on keeping warm this winter……

How to save on heating bills!

With the temperatures dropping, everyone immediately turns the thermostat up, but that means higher bills…

To avoid sky high heating bills this winter here are some simple no cost to low cost tips and tricks to help keep your home warm:

• Move furniture away from vents to help heat circulate the room
• If you have a ceiling fan, set the rotation to a clockwise direction to help push heat down from the ceiling
• Roll up a towel to use as a make shift draught excluder and place at the bottom of doors and by windows to keep drafts at bay – other homemade draft excluders can be- an old pair of tights stuffed with old socks or newspaper, you can also use old trousers and sew up the legs, old curtains – the possibilities are endless… and cheap!
• Close the door in the room you’re in to trap in the heat and close doors to unused rooms. Think of all that wasted heat that’s travelling through those empty rooms… it just doesn’t make sense! Use your head and keep those doors shut!
• Purchase weather strips and use them on your windows; they seal in the heat and stop air escaping. These are fairly cheap to buy and easy to apply, making them cost efficient and effective at keeping those bills low…
• Keep your radiators clear; don’t block them with furniture as it will absorb the heat. So yes that may mean moving your favourite chair from in front of the radiator as really it was stealing all that radiator heat!
• Set a timer for your heating to come on when you’re in the house and to go off when you’re out or when you go to bed – it’s not necessarily true that you should keep it on all day – especially when nobody is at home. Think of the money you could be saving!
• Invest in some thick curtains and they trap in the heat, but make sure to open them during the day to let the sunlight in –  use as much as all of that natural heat from the sun! then close them once dusk hits to make sure that your home retains as much heat as possible.

When you hear the term service charge most will associate this with leasehold apartments. The fee paid to maintain communal corridors, the grounds maintenance, buildings insurance and the long term plan for the apartment block.

KT-Management have found construction companies are using our services more for new housing developments. This is because Local Authorities don’t always adopt the areas of private land around a new build housing development. Dependant on the site requirements we manage private roads, grass verges, any greenery, street lighting, water pumping stations, walls and much more. We prepare an annual budget to cover these costs and all (or part dependant on the terms and site)of the freeholders contribute a small amount to cover these works. Terms will be found in the deeds when purchasing the freehold property.

Here at KT-Management we also prepare a long term plan and each homeowner puts aside a small amount into a reserve fund, this then covers any wear and tear that may occur on sites and prevents owners receiving a large bill if major repairs are needed.

We work hard to make freehold site management affordable with the best interest of the site and residents in mind, so you can enjoy your new home with piece of mind that the surrounding areas are well looked after.

If you require our services please contact Kailee on 01384 573637 or kailee.hurdiss@kt-management.co.uk

Here at KT-Management we are always looking at ways to improve our services. With this in mind we have upgraded our phone systems so you can be directed to the department you require.

There are also more options and information on our out of hours emergency line. 

Here is a reminder of our new address

Unit 4 Shaw House

Wychbury Court

Two Woods Lane

Merry Hill

DY5 1TA

 Communal bins are provided for apartment sites for general waste, although the bins are large these are not to be filled with other household items and furniture.

Larger items being dumped and items on the floor can result in the bin men not collecting any of the rubbish.

Arranging for removal of extra items comes at a cost in which the homeowner has to pay. Even if you rent you may find your rental fee increases as the landlords fees increase.

Here is a link for you to find your local- Recycling Centre.

Also you can help local charities by giving unwanted furniture to them. British Heart Foundation for example do a free-collection service.

If you see anyone fly tipping please inform us of any details as fly tipping is an offence.

KT-Management working together for a nice, clean and safe environment to live.

We were contacted by a director from a block of apartments where the residents had purchased the freehold. The had self-managed the site for several years but due to ill health and retirement they decided to look to appoint an agent to look after the running of the apartment blocks and grounds, freeing up their valuable time.

We initially asked to be sent the lease; this will establish if there are provisions to allow a managing agent to act on behalf of the company (the site).

Once we established the terms of the lease we arranged to meet the directors at the block, for us to see what is involved but also to introduce ourselves and pass over information on KT-Management and the services we provide and discuss the future plans of the site.

We received feedback from the directors after the meeting and we were told that they would like to use KT-Managements services.

Then we produced a contract between us and the directors (the site management company). The contract highlights what services are provided and the frequency. We also drew up specifications for gardeners and cleaners for each individual site and discuss these with the directors to make sure they are happy with the specifications put in place. The directors were able to give us their input on whether they wanted to continue using their current contractors or if they wanted us to obtain new quotes for new gardeners and window cleaners.

The final stages of the process was for us to set up new site bank accounts in line with the Landlords and Tenants Act and look at the accounts. Then we send out our welcome packs to residents with information of the handover along with contact numbers and our information. We also held a residents meeting so the residents could meet us and discuss the needs of the site where they live.

Some initial work and communication is needed when a site wants to appoint a managing agent like KT-Management but now the site in question are free from property management stress and they have more time to themselves whilst having the amount of involvement that they desire.

 We are pleased to announce that KT-Management have been ARMA-Q accredited.

Posted by ARMA-

We’re proud to announce more successful members to achieve ARMA-Q accreditation.

Congratulations to:

• KT Management Co (UK) Ltd

These members have successfully demonstrated that they meet the best industry standards through ARMA-Q – a powerful quality assurance to their current and potential clients that will give them a competitive edge.

In the UK at present there is no statutory regulation for property management companies to follow, which can lead to lots of inconsistences. This is why we became members of ARMA (Association of Residential Managing Agents).

ARMA-Q is the new self-regulatory regime for ARMA members. The Q stands for quality. By signing up to ARMA-Q we have shown that we are committed to providing the best service when managing your estate.

http://arma.org.uk/regulation/arma-q

When you live in a leasehold apartment it’s important the communal areas are well managed, so that they are safe and clean. Not only can it cause stress if the area that you live is badly kept it can also prevent you from trying to sell your property if you choose to do so.

We are often approached by leaseholders who are unhappy with their current managing agent or from site’s who self manage who want to free up their time from management.

Here are some tips of what to look for in a managing agent-

Response Time- How long did it take for your initial enquiry to be responded too? If you feel you had to wait too long this can be a bad sign.

Communication- Is there a good level of communication, so that you understand the process and all of your questions are answered.

ARMA- Are the managing agent’s members of ARMA (Association of Residential Managing Agents), the industry is currently unregulated and companies who are members of ARMA are showing a commitment to high standards. ARMA vet all members and promote excellent standards.

Experience- What experience do the managing agents have? How long have they been operating and what types of developments do they have experience managing?

Arrange a meeting- Can you arrange a meeting to meet the managing agents. This is a great way to get to know the company, the staff and discuss the site needs.

References- Ask for references from residents living on sites the managing agent manage and discuss their experience with using the managing agent.

Visit a site- Visit a site the managing agents manage and see for yourself the standards.

Finding the right management company is vital for the future of your site and your current happiness. Here at KT-Management we know communication is key, working together for a nice, safe and clean environment to live.

If you feel KT-Management could help you contact Kailee

kailee.hurdiss@kt-management.co.uk

01384 573637

We were pleased to be appointed as the management company for an apartment site in Stourbridge today. The owners who own the freehold wanted to free up their time from managing the site.

If you are a leaseholder managing the apartment site where you live and want to free up your time please be in contact for a free, no obligation consultation.

kailee.hurdiss@kt-management.co.uk

01384 573637

The Phillips v Francis case was heard in the Court of Appeal last week, so far no decision has been announced but we understand it might be good news.