Estate Management

Protecting Your Development for the Future

Good estate management is not just about dealing with today's repairs. At Enhance Estate & Property Management Ltd, we believe residential developments should have a clear understanding of their future maintenance requirements so that larger works can be properly planned, budgeted and managed.

Planned rather than reactive maintenance

A planned approach can help protect the condition and appearance of the development while reducing the risk of unexpected expenditure for residents.

Waiting until something fails can often result in greater disruption and higher costs. Regular estate inspections help us identify deterioration and maintenance requirements at an earlier stage. This allows us to discuss priorities with Directors and consider when work should be undertaken rather than simply responding when something goes wrong.

Depending upon the development, planned maintenance may include:

External repairs and redecoration
Roofing and rainwater goods
Roads, paths and hard landscaping
Fencing, gates and boundaries
Communal lighting
Drainage
Bin stores and communal structures
Tree works
Landscaping improvements
Communal internal areas
Other estate infrastructure and assets

Long-term maintenance planning

Where appropriate, we work with Directors and relevant professional advisers to identify significant works that may be required over the coming years. This provides a basis for considering future budgets and, where permitted by the relevant leases or transfer documents, appropriate reserve-fund contributions.

Our objective is to help avoid a situation where foreseeable major expenditure comes as a surprise to residents.

How reserve funds work alongside the plan

Where the lease permits a reserve or sinking fund, contributions are collected with the service charge, held on trust and set aside for future major works. It spreads the cost across the years in which the building is being used rather than landing it on whoever happens to own the flat when the scaffolding goes up.

Reserve funds also matter at sale. A buyer's solicitor will ask about upcoming major works, and a development with a funded plan is a considerably easier sale than one facing an unbudgeted bill.

Managing major works

Larger projects require careful coordination. Depending upon the nature and scale of the project, Enhance can assist with obtaining appropriate professional advice, developing the scope of works, obtaining competitive tenders, communicating with residents and coordinating contractors.

Where statutory consultation requirements apply, including Section 20 consultation for qualifying works in leasehold developments, we can coordinate the management process alongside the appropriate professional and legal advice where required.

Monitoring work on site

Our involvement does not end when a contractor is appointed. We maintain communication throughout the project and monitor progress from a management perspective. Where specialist technical certification or contract administration is required, an appropriately qualified surveyor or other professional can be appointed. This combination of professional advice and active management helps Directors retain oversight of important projects.

Protecting the estate

Major works represent significant expenditure for residents.

We believe those projects should therefore be properly planned, appropriately specified, competitively procured where required and carefully managed through to completion.

Major Works & Planned Maintenance: common questions

Is a long-term maintenance plan a legal requirement?

It is not universally required, but it is regarded as good practice, and leases increasingly provide for reserve funds. Without a plan, budgeting for major works is guesswork.

Can we start a reserve fund if we do not have one?

It depends on what the lease allows. Where it permits reserves, contributions can be introduced through the budget. Where it does not, major works have to be raised when required, which makes forecasting even more important.

Who decides how much goes into reserves each year?

The freeholder or the resident management company directors set the budget, advised by us and by the plan. It is a balance between affordability now and avoiding large demands later.

Plan the next twenty years, not just next year

We can help identify the major works your development is likely to face and what that means for the service charge.