Martin & Co. Expanding

Martin & Co. is bucking the trend in the property market and expanding.

“We have continued to grow steadily in the area, and have recently opened offices in Wokingham and High Wycombe” says Mike Walker, Managing Director of Martin & Co. Maidenhead and Windsor.

“With this growth we are now able to offer a service covering the whole of the Thames Valley region.

“It is definitely a tough time for just about everyone, but our success proves that even in difficult climate, good strong honest service can still build a successful business.

There is a huge amount of negative press on almost every facet of business and finance. Whilst national and even international statistics are of course important, we should also look to what is happening in the areas that affect our business, and that can be regional or very local.

There has been pressure on rents over the past year due to oversupply of properties that weren’t able to sell. I can definitely see that changing on our figures as the market steadies. Across the whole of our managed portfolio, rents have only declined by about 2.4% during the last 6 month period. I’m pretty sure we’re at the bottom of the rent price cycle.

Our time to let has actually decreased over the same period, as we advise our landlord clients on the best way to deal with the markets – a realistic asking price will always work. We are getting a very few calls from tenants who have been unfortunate enough to lose their jobs or business, but mercifully that has been only a handful out of the hundreds we deal with.

We have invested in technology to take advantage of new marketing channels presented by an increasingly tech-savvy society, and that is paying off”

With established offices in Reading and Newbury to the West, and plans in the pipeline for a Slough presence, Martin & Co. are weathering the storm remarkably well.

Friday, 17 April 2009

Important Gas Regulation Changes

Gas safety in Great Britain is changing. CORGI gas registration ends in Great Britain on 31 March and will no longer apply to gas safety law. From 1 April, all gas engineers must be on the new Gas Safe Register™ to carry out gas work lawfully.

The requirement for annual maintenance and safety checks on gas appliances hasn’t changed but landlords should make sure from 1 April these are carried out by a Gas Safe Register engineer. By law landlords must make sure: • pipe work, appliances and flues provided for tenants are maintained in a safe condition • that all appliances and flues that you provide for tenants use have an annual safety check • that maintenance and annual safety checks are carried out by an engineer registered with Gas Safe Register • all gas equipment (including any appliance left by a previous tenant) is safe or otherwise removed before re-letting • a record of safety checks is provided to the tenant within 28 days of completing the check or to any new tenant before they move in • they keep a copy of the safety check record for two years

From 1 April you can find or check a Gas Safe Register engineer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online at www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk or call 0800 408 5500. You can even get a photo of the engineer with details that tell you if they’re qualified to do the job sent to your mobile phone for added peace of mind. Remember to check the engineer’s ID and encourage your tenants to do the same.

Landlords should provide tenants with a record of safety checks. This is often done using a ‘Landlord Gas Safety Record’, often referred to as a ‘Gas Safety Certificate’ or ‘CP12’ form. It is quite acceptable to continue to use this style of certificate – even if it has a CORGI logo or the word CORGI on it. There is no requirement for new paperwork. The important thing is to have a check carried out and to make sure the tenant receives a record of the check within 28 days.

Gas Safe Register will run a national public awareness campaign from February 2009. From April, the Gas Safe Register website will carry a wealth of gas safety information too.

Remember before April installers must remain registered with CORGI to carry out gas work legally. From 1 April, always use a Gas Safe Register engineer. Be gas safe. For more information go to www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk

Friday, 17 April 2009