New contracts prompt expansion for property firm

A property management firm is expanding following a clutch of new contract wins.

Despite the restrictions of lockdown, Common Ground Estate and Property Management has taken on the management of 12 new developments totalling 274 homes since last August. These comprise of 250 flats and 24 freehold houses.

Two of the most recent new developments added this year are Imperial Square in Binfield, a four-year-old development of 73 properties and Southfield Park, just off the Cowley Road, Oxford with 57 properties.

Common Ground was appointed on behalf of the Residents’ Management Companies (RMC’s) for both developments on full management contracts.

The residents of Imperial Square had issues with several roof leaks while the RMC of the Southfield Park development had been self-managing the block for several years and felt that with changes in legislation it was too much for them to cope without professional help.

Alan Draper, managing director of Common Ground Estate and Property Management, said: “We received a glut of enquiries in August which would usually be our quietest month and the overriding message was that with people in lockdown at home, they could see managing agents had not completed works and were using Covid-19 as an excuse to not fix property issues.

“This is despite the Housing Minister saying that block managing agents should carry on working.

“We have never used the pandemic as an excuse and have continued to support all the residents in the properties we manage throughout 2020.”

The company has developed a solid Covid-19 policy and if a member of staff has to come indoors, they will do a test first to ensure that they are negative.

As a result of the new business, Common Ground is looking for an experienced property manager and an office assistant to help senior staff having just recruited an additional service charge accountant and a property administrator within the last three months.