property management

Following the Grenfell Tower Tragedy in 2017, there have been many initiatives and procedures implemented to improve building safety, in particular, the assessment of flats in multi-storey buildings. The EWS1 form, or External Wall Fire Review form, is intended to provide a consistent and universally recognised record of what assessments have been carried out on the external wall construction of...

A bid to save leaseholders from bills to remove cladding has been defeated in parliament.

From 1 April, all landlords in England must follow new rules to help improve tenant safety.

On 8 March 2021 we mark International Women’s Day. To celebrate today we have been speaking to some of our amazing women, in the Blocks and Estates team for their viewpoints.

The majority of flats and some houses in England and Wales are leasehold. As a leaseholder you have bought the exclusive right to live in your property for a fixed number of years, which will reduce over time from the date the lease was originally granted. Flats and apartments can never be sold with an absolute freehold title as by nature they are built on top of each other and therefore occupy the same area of land. 

At Watsons we are a team of dedicated property management professionals, supported by a network of approved contractors and local tradespeople. While we undertake regular site visits and interaction with property owners, residents and contractors, sometimes problems arise that we are not aware of.

Having a nice place to live is something we all want and strive for, and as managing agents Watsons consider this a vital aspect of what we achieve.

Housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, has announced a new £3.5bn fund to fix cladding on high-rise buildings in England and further loans for leaseholders to fix similar problems in shorter buildings, with maximum monthly repayments of £50 a month.

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has confirmed that the housing market will remain open during the new lockdown in England.

Now might be the time to take stock and have a professional evaluation of your property. Don’t rely on guesswork or out of date information. You need to be confident that your insurance cover is sufficient to cover all your assets should the worst happen. Ensuring adequate protection is a paramount issue for any property, yet the extent of underinsurance in the UK property market continues to be...