Major works
What we did
Re-inspection overdue for over a decade when we took over. Surveys scoped, licensed remediation arranged, budget honestly reset with leaseholders, works completed safely.
Independent block management for London leaseholders who run their own building, by a chartered accountant, with every pound and every action visible to the people who pay for it.
Every pound the building spends is understood and properly accounted for. Service-charge debts pursued with strength and fairness, and the year-end service charge accounts always filed on time.
Every message, action and response logged in the leaseholder portal, visible to the person it concerns. Director meetings minuted. Contractor visits and registrations handled through a documented flow. A regular newsletter for residents and directors.
Written into how we work, for every block we manage.
No supplier invoice is auto-approved. We check each one against the work done and the lease before a pound leaves your account.
A manager visits your building no less than once a month, so the block is seen in person and small problems are caught early.
Right to Manage directors get a written financial and operational update four times a year.
Inherited problems on the left. What we did about them on the right.
Re-inspection overdue for over a decade when we took over. Surveys scoped, licensed remediation arranged, budget honestly reset with leaseholders, works completed safely.
Commissioned a competent FRA within weeks of taking over. Got directors out of unknowing liability under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005; remediation actions on a tracked plan.
Balances reviewed and brought under proper control, the block kept solvent through the period, and every charge checked against the lease rather than taken from the prior agent's figures.
Absolute refusal from the previous agent to share more than the legally required minimum. The portal logs every message, every action, every response, visible to its leaseholder.
Challenged it, verified the rebuild value, then the suitability of the cover, and the appropriateness of the premium given those facts, securing a £37k (66%) discount on an inflated insurance policy. Then consolidated every policy through one independent broker and added terrorism and directors' and officers' cover.
The professionals an RTM board would otherwise have to find, vet and chase, already in place and instructed through us. No introduction fees for any partner, and no kickbacks!
Lease interpretation, service-charge and company-law advice through a firm we trust, so the block's legal footing stays sound.
Chartered building surveyors for Section 20 works, roofs and fabric, so the biggest spend a block makes is scoped and administered properly.
Block buildings cover placed and reviewed by an independent broker, with terrorism and directors' & officers' included and the sums insured checked.
A competent fire risk assessor, with asbestos, electrics, water and lift checks kept current, so the duties that carry personal liability for directors are actually met.
Maintenance, cleaning, grounds, lifts and fire, every contractor checked for insurance, accreditation and references before they touch your block.
A qualified accountant certifies the service-charge accounts each year, so the figures leaseholders are billed are independently checked and signed off, not taken on trust.
I became the director in 2018, after over a decade of company turnarounds - small businesses in distress. Three things were key: sensible financial decisions, good communication, absolute persistence to put things right. I set up Proper Blocks to apply this to buildings, and help improve lives.
We're independent, so we only have a duty to the leaseholders of our blocks. We work with residential and mixed-use blocks across London, whatever your legal structure - RTM, Residents' Association, or organised leaseholders. The aim is always the same: a better-run block for everyone who owns, lives in or works there.
Changing managing agent feels daunting. We run the handover ourselves, so the switch is orderly and you're never left exposed.
We only take on a small number of buildings each year, to ensure each receives the attention required.