Pests, which include insects like bees and wasps, and rodents like rats and mice, can be really hazardous both to human health and to structures and buildings. Especially when aggravated and provoked, such pests can inflict painful bites and stings, causing different reactions like pain and allergies, with some even becoming life threatening. Sadly, a research done by Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in UK revealed a tenfold increase in the number of councils that are no longer providing pest control services. The good news, however, is that you have the option to get rid of pests on your own, or have a pest control professional do the job for you. IThere are many companies you can choose from, offering different pest control services for different types of pests. The process often starts from home inspection - which includes identification of sources of infestations, the amount of infestation and how much the infestation has damaged the structure. If you have chosen to hire a pest control expert, the service provider would offer suggestions for pest extermination while considering the concerns you may have about the processes. Also, while an expert may have specific strategies and methods for certain situations, they may tailor their actions to ensure that they do not just apply the best treatment but also employ pest control techniques that you are comfortable with. The process also includes the use of either chemical or non-chemical type of extermination. The fastest way of eliminating pests and the most commonly used by experts is chemical extermination, or the use of insecticide sprays or powder. Experts generally use Pest Control Billericay chemicals and compounds that are specifically designed to kill pests, and at the same time prevent damage to structures. Meanwhile, especially if you are doing the process on your own, you may also choose to use non-chemical pest control methods, such as habitat modification, elimination of possible hiding spots for pests, and application of pest-baiting or trapping systems. For a small infestation, or an infestation that has just started to grow, eradicating pests on your own may be wiser. There are several products that are easily accessible in the market. Some of the basic tools, which may already be kept at your house, include a mini flashlight, screwdriver, dusting equipment, baits gun and spray rigs, as well as safety equipment including chemical gloves and goggles. Meanwhile, if the infestation has gotten serious and has grown into something that is difficult to handle, asking help from an expert may be your best option. Pest control companies offer diverse services, including emergency services like removing hives and nests, as well as killing pests that have started to plague your home; pretreatment of newly constructed homes and buildings which include sealing corners that can be potential avenues of entry for pests; and infestation inspections and sanitation services. Some companies also offer follow-up services.

Can you grow herbs indoors? Certainly you can! They won't be much good, but sure, you can grow them. Let us dispel an enormous myth, generated by too many idiotic filler articles on the internet, as to growing herbs indoors. Yes, they will grow indoors, but the expectation of most people is that they will grow enough herbs to harvest them every second night for making dinner - it's not going to happen. They are not going to look like the bunches in the supermarket, and they will not be as potent. For starters, herbs need at least, got that - at least, six hours of sunlight, per day - for at least 10 days, in order to be able to reproduce that which you took last night for dinner. If you harvest too much, the plant may very well cark it, as it needs its leaves for photosynthesis in order to survive. Now, I don't know about you, but my experience is that most house-holds do not have enough window space, that allows that much sun in. Then again, should you have so many windows and if, you want to spend your days running around the house with an armful of potted herbs, moving them from window to window as the sun moves - all the best to you. People living in flats and apartments, depending on their geographic location, may be lucky to get 2 hours of sun - and most will get none. Given the opportunity, you could take them outside each day, whilst the sun is shining, but I have little confidence that this practice will continue after the second week, if that, for most people. Add to this, the fact that herbs are essentially an outside plant, when growing inside, regardless of how much sunlight they get, this is still not optimal conditions - therefore, Canna Nutrients the plants will be leggier than normal (more stalk than leaf), so twice as much of the plant is needed in cooking. The taste/aroma of house-herbs is weaker and so, twice as much is needed to get the same effect. When you look at plants like sage, rosemary, oregano and similar - the natural environment for these plants is on the side of mountains, just above the tree-line. It is the harshness and exposure that makes these herbs potent. Unless you have a purpose built sun-room, actually live in a glass house, or have a couple of dozen of each plant that you can set up on a rotational system, it will end up being a once-a-month treat, to actually use some of your precious indoor herbs. The first argument about this, is of course "But you can grow lots of plants indoors" Very true, however indoor plants do not ordinarily have their leaves ripped off them, they are only there for looking at, not harvesting. Having said all that, there are of course herb kits that come with everything necessary - including GROW LIGHTS! Brilliant idea and works reasonably well, too. However, if you are thinking of going to go the expense of a grow kit, I think you will find it is far more economical to buy yourself a case of decent wine and a packet of herbs from the shop. On a practical note, it is far more practical to grow more herbs than you need in the garden in spring and summer, then cut and dry the excess. You still get bragging rights with this method, as opposed to the sad display that will be sitting on your window sill. For those people living in flats and apartments, herbs, especially dried herbs, are cheap as all get out - AND they last for a long time before becoming impotent, like years, so do yourself a favor, buy 'em. Thus ends my rant on the reality of growing herbs indoors.

Unfortunately, the property industry is awash with lots of technical jargon, which can confuse even the most intrepid flat owner. However, it pays to know a little about these terms, as more and more of us are turning to block management companies in order to more effectively manage our blocks - but what exactly is "block management?" Quite obviously a block management company will help residents to manage the entirely of their block. Many residents, understandably, might find the idea of handing over the control of their block to a property company a little hard to swallow; however there are plenty of reasons why a block management company could really save you time, trouble and perhaps even a little money. It's worth considering the range of activities that go into the effective Resident Management Companies London of flats: Rent and service charge must be collected: it can be difficult collecting the ground rent and the correct amount of service charge in a block of flats. Let's face it, no-one wants to be the one to be the one who takes money out of their neighbour's pockets. Maintaining a single property can be challenging, even for the keenest DIY enthusiast. So imagine the difficulty involved in taking care of maintenance for a whole block of flats, managing internal and external repairs, hiring contractors etc cost effectively and with the agreement of all the other residents in your block. Even with the best will and intentions, living in close proximity with your neighbours can lead to all sorts of issues, whether they be emotional, financial, to do with the condition of yourblock. For instance, perhaps your neighbours are noisy, have pets they're not supposed to (i.e. they are in breach of their lease) or they are causing a general nuisance. Still feel like managing your block? Well luckily a block management company can handle all these activities and more, no longer do residents have to go through a laborious decision process as to how much the service charge should be, or which contractors to hire, block management companies can help you with all of this. Of course block management companies cost money, and with little regulation some managing agents should be avoided. With this in mind, in order to ensure that you choose the right management company for block, look for guarantees such as "cheaper than managing agents or your money back. A member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and of the Association of Building engineers, Mary-anne Bowring has extensive knowledge of building law and the Landlord Tenants Acts. She has recently launched the website https://uniqblockmanagement.co.uk/block-management-london/, the site offers step-by-step guides on topics including the right to manage, freehold purchase and lease extensions along with a host of other services free of charge. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// PROPERTY BLOCK MANAGEMENT AGENTS AND LEASEHOLDERS RIGHTS Having established that statutory tenants' rights are critical to the residential block management process, they are also an important consideration for all of the leaseholders affected. Some of these rights are now briefly summarised below. Leaseholders have specific rights to receive certain information from their landlord or property block management agents including as follows : · The landlords name and address. · Property service charges and the right to challenge them · A summary of costs for the last service charge accounting year · A summary of tenants' rights and obligations · Freeholder or block property management agents administration charges · Receive notice of assignment of the freehold. · A written summary of the current insurance buildings insurance costs which must be reasonable · Other tenants rights include various entitlements to Form a Recognised Tenants' Association challenge their liability for any part of the service charge they feel is unreasonable, vary a lease on certain specific grounds, consultation on certain qualifying works and long term agreements, arrange for a management audit of all the management functions, inspect the insurance policy and to receive information about it, appointment of a manager by a LVT if tenants believe the block is poorly managed or the landlord cannot be found take over the property management of the block of flats themselves Right to Manage or RTM - subject to qualifying criteria leaseholders may appoint block management agents under the Right to Manage (RTM) provisions apply to the county court to acquire the landlord's interest - only applicable in extreme circumstances where the landlord is in breach of its obligations enfranchise or extend their lease first refusal on disposal of a block of flats or freehold security of tenure at the end of a long tenancy As you would expect, the above list is subject to conditions exclusions, qualifying criteria and exceptions however it is hoped this will serve as a good point of reference for further reading. The key to properly addressing the above legislation is to employ the services of a good property block management agent. The RICS Service Charge Residential Block Management London Code sets out what is regarded as best practice for property management agents in the private residential leasehold sector. It also highlights any legislative requirements that block managers need to comply with and adequately covers requirements to comply with the above statutory rights. The services of any practising managing agents should therefore meet the standards set out in this code. If not, questions should be raised and he leaseholders, landlords, RTM's and freehold property companies might well be concerned. There are of course always those management agents or freeholders who will simply refuse to take effective action or responsibility for quality standards and are happy to muddle through. Wherever possible you should avoid these firms. Staff are often poorly trained, not fully aware of codes of practice and standards, and are not always sufficiently qualified or experienced to meet clients' needs. In instances where leaseholders are intending to apply their rights and wish to pursue some of their entitlements it is essential that the property manager is experienced and well informed. Problems and expensive liabilities can soon arise if these rights are not properly attended to.. Additional information concerning lease management legislation and statutory rights can be found online and through the links in the Resource Box below. VFM block property management agents is an estate property management company providing residential property management services for blocks of flats, apartments and private estates VFM's block management service standards are unique in their application and are Regulated by RICS. For further information and advice regarding the management of residential freehold and leasehold blocks of flats and apartments and associated property estate management activities please contact VFM directly or visit their website by clicking one of the links above..

The belief that London and the UK property market values will continue to increase has led many a property investor into troubled waters in recent times. Since the financial crash in 2008, the London market recovery has been something of a surprise but the rest of the country remains at a low ebb with prices of houses, flats and apartments considerably marked down from the peak. The government's Help to Buy scheme certainly appears to be leading to improved market conditions and concerns are already being raised warning of the dangers of overheating, particularly in the London area. The buy to let market for residential apartments in the Resident Management Companies London and South East area has however shown resilience in the face of the economic downturn. Among other factors I see this as a product of overseas investors and property investment on a commercial basis as a hedge against falling currency values resulting from Quantitative Easing. With the ratio of average house price to earnings still dangerously high, particularly in London and the South East, there lies a warning to would be property investors out there who might think the worst is over. Combined with the extension of the UK Government's mortgage guarantee scheme at the end of the year all of the warning signs are there. Residential property management commentators can be influenced in their views. Reports from estate agents and block property management companies for freehold and leasehold blocks of flats and apartments are no doubt set to ride the boom while it lasts. The service charge activities of leaseholders is a good indicator of the cash that property owners have available to them and many are frankly not in good financial shape. Leasehold property management agents get to see first hand how many leaseholders are struggling to make payments. Service charge and landlord ground rent arrears are certainly a problem in some locations. London property management problem spots include areas near Croydon and Lewisham and other inner London Boroughs like Lambeth appear to have also been affected. The credit crunch may seem a distant memory for the bankers however others are not so fortunate and still struggle for cash flow. Some simply cannot afford to pay and many leave it to the courts in the end where they defend their plight. In my experience the flat owners or leaseholders who are under financial pressure are simply more likely to default on their service charge payments than their mortgages. The perception being that the risks of service charge debt default initially seem less onerous. But all of those leaseholders currently feeling the financial pressures are vulnerable to economic pressures and remain sensitive to even the smallest of interest rate movements. A rate increase of half a percent can mean a significant percentage hike in net monthly mortgage payment. All of this questions the future growth prospects of the UK property market in the short to medium term. There are other factors to consider such as government stimulation in the form of Help to Buy and this might also in the short term hold prices artificially high.Demand may well outstrip supply, but if housing is simply unaffordable for most the fundamental long term movement is clear for all to see, I certainly think a few of the more cautious entrepreneurs might rethink their approach with the benefit of further careful consideration. Who knows what will happen and when but if we are faced with interest rate increases one day the effect will not be pretty.. Never say never but the recent talk of recovery in the market could well be a false dawn for UK property growth. VFM block property management is a property management company specialising in residential property management services for blocks of flats, apartments and private estates VFM are property management agents to landlords, freehold owners and leaseholders in residential blocks of flats and apartments. VFM's block management service standards are unique in their application, are Regulated by RICS, members of ARMA and Ombudsman Services Property.

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