25^th March 2020

New working practices

We want to assure you that whilst we are following the government’s advice, we have the welfare of our staff, our communities, and our service contractors at the forefront of our minds with every decision taken. We know this is tough, but we are still here for you!

Our office is open for business although we have some staff working form home to ensure social distancing.

Company Advice

Property Sales and Rentals

The Estate Agency and Lettings industry is allowed to carry on as normal, so we can still arrange valuations and viewings.

Our emergency ‘Out of Hours’ service remains in place and will continue to function. This will come with the same guidelines regarding precautions regarding social distancing and good practice during visits. This service will only be actioned for genuine emergencies that cannot wait for normal working hours for example large leaks which will cause mass damage if not treated immediately.

To co-operate with government guidelines regarding social distancing, our contractors will be calling you before attending the job and advising of the policy we have in place.  This involves providing the contractor with the safest area possible to work in by possibly isolating yourself away from the contractor for the duration of the visit. These guidelines are in place to protect yourselves and our contractors.

Service Charge & Arrears

It is important to realise that the estate will continue to receive bills that will need to be paid. For example, there will still be things like insurance premiums, electricity bills, and invoices from contractors who will be servicing the development for things like cleaning and the maintenance of critical systems (eg. fire, mechanical plant etc).

As more people are home-based, it may put pressure on the service charges so anything that you can do to help minimise this pressure will benefit everyone who pays the service charge. For example, by not disposing of excessive refuse in any bin stores.

Where possible, we will do our best to accommodate the situation as it evolves.

Rental payments and arrears

Similarly, rents will remain due, including student properties and must be paid in accordance with your contract wherever possible. The government is offering assistance and it is worth keeping up to date by visiting the government website.

NHS Do’s and Don’ts

To help reduce the chance of Coronavirus spreading, the NHS have issued advice including some “Do’s” and “Don’ts”:

 Do:

• Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds and always before and after eating food
• Always wash your hands when you get home or into work, especially if you commute via public transport
• Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
• Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards
• Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell

Don’t:

• Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean

Please take appropriate steps to take care of yourselves and follow the government’s advice as it gets updated.

We thank you for your understanding as we work through this challenging and evolving situation. The most important thing we can all do though, is to keep following the latest advice which can be found here.

Stay safe and take care.