News

​This week is Mental Health Awareness Week (13 - 19 May) and it aims to make us all more and more aware of how poor mental health can affect anyone, in their own way, at any time and in any situation.The NHS characterises a person’s mental health as their emotional, psychological and social wellbeing and it impacts how we think, feel and act.As our society evolves we are all...

​Two London-based housing associations, Catalyst and Aldwyck, have completed their merger creating a 32,000 home ‘super’ housing association in the process.The merger, announced last September, will see Aldwyck and their current 9,000 homes become a subsidiary of Catalyst, which currently has 21,000 homes, and in a statement Catalyst said the groups will “integrate fully” ov...

​When searching for a new job it is very easy to focus only on the significance of skills, qualifications and experience and how they will impress any recruiter.Yes of course your skills, qualifications and experience are vitally important however it might surprise you how important your attitudes and behaviours are to both recruiters and employers when both applying for job...

​Recruiting has always been a risky business as the consequences of getting it wrong can be very costly and can impact so many different areas of a business.However, today’s recruiting climate is the most challenging it has ever been.Brexit is breeding staff shortages and the future of recruiting post Brexit still remains a total mystery. Unemployment is at record low levels...

What is Homes England’s new interactive Land Hub?The new Land Hub is an interactive digital tool developed by Homes England is hailed as key to achieving its target of building 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s and in particular building them quicker by matching builders to plots of land which are already approved and ready for home-building.When was it launched?The ...

​Chancellor Philip Hammond has announced, as part of his Spring Statement, that the government will introduce a ‘Future Homes Standard’ as part of its action to create a carbon neutral future by “marking the end of fossil fuel heating systems” in all new homes by 2025.By 2025, all new build homes must feature low carbon heating and “world leading levels” of energy efficiency...

​After several years of falling satisfaction amongst new build homeowners things are definitely starting to look more positive. The latest survey from the Home Builders Federation, in conjunction with NHBC, has revealed an increasing majority of new home owners are happy with their housebuilder and their new home, a second successive year of improvements across all question ...

We all probably feel that we use our body language only to our advantage, after all choosing a career in property sales means you consider yourself body language confident. But how many of us have that close somebody or friend that always does that odd thing with their hands when they get excited or that colleague that isn’t aware that they have a resting face that says - we...

Working as a new homes sales negotiator is a challenging, fast-paced, hands-on and demanding career but also one that brings with it many benefits and there is nothing as exciting as making a sale.But it isn’t all about the sales as being a great new homes sales negotiator requires many skills and attributes.Here we list some skills and attributes that you will find necessar...

When applying for that dream job where you have all the required experience and qualifications, do you consider if you have the ‘soft’ business skills necessary to succeed at the role?No? Well don’t worry too much as although your ability to demonstrate an abundance of these highly prized group of subtle, intangible but vital traits and behaviours is necessary, the good news...

​Now, if you’ve never heard of ‘Airspace Development’ don’t worry you’re not alone.However, that is probably all about to change as the Communities Secretary, James Brokenshire MP, has agreed a £9 million funding deal to build affordable homes on five sites across London’s rooftops by the summer. In total 78 rooftop homes are to be built under a three-year deal, although 360...

​Off-site manufacturing (OSM) and modern methods of construction (MMC) are often seen as both a knight in shining armour and something to be very suspicious of.Something to be suspicious of because historically the construction and house building sectors have always been risk averse and therefore moving into new methods of building and delivering homes would be not be an eas...

​In a move that the government claims highlights their commitment to build on its reforms to make the property market fairer and more transparent for everyone, no matter what type of home they live in, Communities Secretary James Brokenshire MP has announced an overhaul of the “broken” housing complaints system for the entire housing market to ensure both homeowners and tena...

So, you have an interview for your dream job. You’re taking this seriously and have been preparing accordingly. You know that you only have one chance to show yourself off in the best light, so you are all prepared to make a great first impression and you are more than ready to answer why you are a perfect fit for this job.No one could say you are ill prepared. But you might...

​Simon Dow, interim Chair at the Regulator of Social Housing has told housing associations that they must carry out stress-testing and prepare for worst-case Brexit scenarios.Speaking at the Social Housing Conference, Mr Dow referenced the recent Bank of England’s predictions for what would happen to the economy in the case of a “disorderly Brexit”.Projected worst-case scena...

The need for more housing, especially more affordable housing, is probably something nearly everyone, including all the political parties, can agree on.When Prime Minister Theresa May announced in a speech, given to the National Housing Federation in mid-September, that the UK government would be spending £2bn to boost the country’s affordable and social housing supply the i...

​Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) has always been a controversial topic and drawn many a comment from MPs, experts and campaigners.Indeed, recent speculation on the topic focused on the belief that the Government would announce an overhaul of the tax in the recent budget.An overhaul didn’t materialise however and the changes that were made, no Stamp Duty for first-time buyers on h...

​We are busier than ever and facing exceptionally high demand for experienced Sales Negotiators and Sales Managers. Talented candidates are required immediately for current permanent vacancies and to further strengthen our temp team in key areas. We are offering increased rewards under our referral scheme for a limited time only.​(*T&Cs apply see below).Earn up to £100.0...

​Speaking at this year’s Housing Market Intelligence (HMI) conference in London housing minister Kit Malthouse has dramatically warned housebuilders not to become “the Kodaks” of the industry, referencing film forerunner Kodak’s perceived slowness in recognising the impact of digital photography which culminated in the firm filing for bankruptcy protection in the US in 2012....

​London’s largest housing association London and Quadrant (L&Q) Housing Trust has announced that after conducting extensive research and consultation with its residents they have decided to scrap Fixed Term Tenancies (FTTs) for all of their tenants.The association currently houses approximately 250,000 people in more than 92,000 homes mainly throughout London and the Sou...