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Monday, August 25, 2008

Property Sparrow is hopping mad about a hedge


Property Sparrow has always enjoyed a good relationship with her lettings agent: she has the utmost respect for their quiet efficiency, ability to communicate and willingness to solve problems. Value for money every month.

Not so with freeholders’ agents. In her experience, birds of very different feathers.

Property Sparrow has three to contend with in her small portfolio and has strange relationships with them. The best keeps the grounds in immaculate condition with the hedges tightly pruned. Periodically they send stroppy letters to the leaseholders to tell them to put their rubbish in the right bin. The worst does not seem to know why this sort of thing is important.

Since 21 July Property Sparrow has been trying to get this freeholder's agent to prune the hedge at the front of the building where she has a vacant flat.
The local sparrows love it but on Rightmove it looks like a burglar’s paradise. Property Sparrow has sent a two page letter, three e-mails and made two phonecalls. No reply; he is always out of the office. Her lettings agent has also tried to get this done.

Property Sparrow does not understand this. It’s not a glossy corporation, it’s a small local property outfit. Under the current management arrangements at this flat Property Sparrow is wholly dependant upon this person to get the hedge cut. Is this incompetence? Laziness? A contempt for leaseholders?

Property Sparrow is not tall enough to cut the hedge herself and why should she – it’s more than 40 miles away.

New landlords: work at your relationships.

And remember, just because you’ve paid £100s per year to a freeholder’s agent doesn’t mean that you won’t need to buy a hedge trimmer.

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