What percentile are you? 75% in this brief conversation were not happy with their agent

August 21st, 2010

Which percentile are you? In this case 75% were not happy with their agent.

From a brief conversation between colleagues at work about managing agents.Â
‘Hi Katie,  I’m an owner/occupier in a development managed by your office. I finally got around to catching up on my home emails last night ! I read the minutes of the AGM, very helpful when I couldn’t attend, – I wanted to add my thanks to all the directors and those involved in the running and maintenance of Charlesland, and I agree the place is looking really well. I recently had a conversation with work colleagues on management companies and I’m afraid out of four of us, I was the only one to put forward a very positive experience, they were impressed!’

Name is with Kennedy Wright Managing Agents.

www.blockmanagement.ie

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No more sales talk

July 22nd, 2010

Yes we are a managing agent but the purpose of this blog is to help you make informed decisions as there remains a lot of uncertainty in relation to multi unit developments.  This is not their fault as people traditionally never had to think about cutting grass in public areas or public liability insurance as it was the responsibility of the local council usually.  Things have changed however and management companies now look after the running of developments and unfortunately with this responsibility come the costs.  This is an obvious reason why the councils were eager to ensure that any new developments had management companies.   This does not mean you should pay over the odds for your services.  You are probably in the best position in years to negotiate costs with suppliers.  You should however make sure that they are not unfairly undercutting the market and then not in a position to live up to their obligations.  Ask for references and carry out a thorough check online also.  The internet contains a lot of references to service providers but try and keep a balanced view.  One negative comment doesn’t mean that the service provider is the devil incarnate but it might indicate an issue if it is repeated.

 

Got a question?  If so, we will do our best to provide the answer. www.blog.blockmanagement.ie or call Kennedy Wright 01 2871905 with no obligation on your part.

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Why you should question your service charge

July 6th, 2010

 

If you are living in a multi unit development, you will be paying a service charge to the management company to look after communal areas and also for public liability insurance among others.  Whether you are selling or not, and you want to maintain the value of your property, you need to ensure that your management charge is as low as possible while maintaining the level of service.  The reality is that the higher your service charge the lower price you can expect to receive if you decide to sell.  With increaseing unemployment, higher service charges will also put your management company under higher financial pressure.  We have achieved signficant savings and successfully lowered the service charges for our clients in addition to a higher level of services provided.  Don’t take our word for it as we are happy to provide references.  If you are interested in finding out how you can reduce your management charge, call 01 2871905 or e mail info@kennedywright.ie
 

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Got a question relating to block management?

June 9th, 2010

We are happy to answer any queries you may have with no obligations on your part.

E mail info@kennedywright.ie

All names and details will not be disclosed.

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Some questions to ask a potential managing agent.

May 14th, 2010

Are you a director and looking to hire a new managing agent?  As a Director and as an owner in your development, you want to ensure that the managing agent you select carries out what is expected of them.   A poor choice of managing agent can have a long lasting negative effect on the development which may take years to repair.  As a managing agent, Kennedy Wright have posted a few questions you might want to ask any potential managing agent.  While not exhaustive, it will help in finding out whether an agent has the capability to meet your requirements and minimise any risk to your development and home.  Best of luck with your selection and feel free to ask a question.

 

For more information see www.blockmanagement.ie or call 01 287 1905 or e  mail info@kennedywright.ie

 

- Please provide all relevant company details, including the names and qualifications of all directors and a list of proprietors if not a quoted company.

- Will your fees carry VAT?

- How close are your offices to our property?

- How many years have you been in the property management business?

- How many staff in your company are involved with management?

- How many blocks do you manage, and how many units therein?

- Please supply three references for blocks you manage. Ideally these should be similar to our own property and in our area.

- Please supply name and telephone number of chairman/secretary of the managing companies in those blocks.

- What is your fee structure?

- How can you convince us that you can offer a quality service at a fair cost?

- How comprehensive a panel of contractors do you have?

- Do you charge a fee for contractor selection and/or a percentage of their charges for:
- Contractors chosen by you?
- Contractors chosen by us?

- What selection criteria do you use for contractors on your panels?

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Have a question that hasn’t been answered? Feel free to ask and we will get it answered for you.

May 10th, 2010

Feel free to ask a question and we will get it answered.  Kennedy Wright Estate and Managing Agents hope you found our blog information or if not we would also like to hear from you.  Looking for some free advice then call 01 2871905 or e mail Kennedy Wright info@kennedywright.ie

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Useful links from the office of corporate enforcement

May 2nd, 2010

The office of the Director of corporate enforcement has issued a detailed Company Law Handbook on Residential Property Owners’ Management Companies.  This is a  guide for management company directors and property owners to provide guidance on their responsibilities and obligations.

 

These pdf documents are available at the following link 

http://tinyurl.com/managementcompany

or by contacting Kennedy Wright Estate and Managing Agents at 01 287 1905 or www.blockmanagement.ie

 

Feel free to contact our office at info@kennedywright.ie or call 01 287 1905 for more information or a free budget audit to find out how Kennedy Wright can help you achieve savings without a loss in service.

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Should I attend my management company AGM?

April 23rd, 2010

Is the AGM important?

An Annual General Meeting is arranged by the Managing Agent, on behalf of the Management Company to review the previous year’s activities, and discuss and agree plans for the following year.

It is very important to attend the AGM, as this is the resident’s chance to have a say in the running of the development. All owners are given notice of the time and location of the AGM 2at least 21 days in advance.

Only owners are entitled to attend the AGM, and those whose accounts are not in arrears are entitled to vote on motions raised. The resolutions agreed are binding on all members.

All comments welcome.

For more information see http://www.blockmanagement.ie or e mail info@kennedywright

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Choosing the right managing agent

January 27th, 2010

Management companies should always keep costs under review and where appropriate require agents to submit competitive tenders or provide competing quotations. The following general advice – from the National Consumer Agency – may be useful when choosing a managing agent:

- Know what your budget is. You don’t need to disclose what you can afford if you are negotiating on price;

- Be clear and specific about the work you want carried out, ask about the quality and frequency of service;

- Get several quotes detailing specifically what work needs to be done and the price you will have to pay. The cheapest quote may not provide the best quality work;

- Ask if the fees are inclusive/exclusive of VAT;

- If possible try to get a personal recommendation from an informed, experienced person. If possible, visit other developments managed by this agent. This may help you make your decision. Ask for references from other management companies and check if the agent is registered with the Companies Registration Office;
- Spell out what work is being done, timings, costs and any other important aspects;

- Check that the agent that you engage has appropriate insurance, particularly professional indemnity insurance. Even where a management company asks the agent to do things for them, the company is still legally responsible for any neglect, omission or mistake by the agent. This means they must be sure that the agent is able to pay for compensation or damages. Professional indemnity insurance is an important requirement for most professional businesses. It protects firms and their employees against claims which may arise as a result of their professional conduct, neglect, error or omission.

For more information see http://www.blockmanagement.ie/

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Commercial Service Charges guidelines

November 25th, 2009

This code was recently published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and endorsed by the Irish Society of Chartered Surveyors and the Irish Property and Facility Management Association. The intention of this code to outline and embody best practice for practicioners in the field of property and facility management of commercial properties.

To view the code of practice, please follow this link

http://www.scs.ie/publications/digital_publications

The code outlines the industries recommendations in relation to the setting of commercial service charges. Blockmanagement.ie support the code of practice and the increased level of awareness it will provide to both practicioners and lease holders of commercial buildings. We hope the code of practice provides some insight to the area of commercial service charges but please feel free to contact our office at 01 287 1905

For more information see www.blockmanagement.ie or http://www.ipfma.com/

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