Any estate manager, let alone an agent, can recount tales of horror from long or short-term vacant properties under their management. From graffiti through to drug dens, storm damage to squatters, the longer a property remains empty, the more chance it has of falling into disrepair and becoming even more difficult to find new owners or tenants.
Over the last 25 years, a team of specialists in managing void properties, VPS Group, have built up a strong reputation with many of UK’s biggest estate agents, surveyors and property owners, providing a unique store of expertise for the sector.
They provide literally an A to Z of services, from alarms and assessments through to creating 24/7 monitored security zones, geared to providing time-saving tasks and peace of mind in supporting estate agents’ specific requirements. This week they have launched an initiative to highlight these services to the sector, including:
- Protection of long-term vacant property, to optimise chances and improve turnaround speed for sale or rental.
- Property maintenance services, to mitigate cost and hassle of property damage, including drain downs, grounds maintenance, fly-tipping removal and prevention, graffiti removal, prevention of aggravated trespass and lock boxes to simplify contractor works or viewings.
- Pre-tenancy and mid-tenancy inspections to deliver increased cost-efficiency and time savings, with photographs of the condition of properties, meter readings, and inventory lists, all available on an award-winning real-time customer web portal.
- Guardians for commercial properties – free security through occupancy, mitigation of business rates liability, preventing building decay, and also supporting future planning applications for change of use.
“The aim is to inform estate agents who haven’t used us before, that VPS’ estate agent services are designed to support their in-house resources, so they can optimise efficiency and profitability.” Says Tom Acland, managing director of VPS Security Services. “Our teams of trained, experienced personnel can complete all types of pre-, mid- and post-tenancy inspections to capture property condition via trackable visits, photographs, inventory lists, meter readings and other information, making this data available in real-time through our secure, on-line portal. And in short, saving estate agents’ time, money and administration across their property portfolio.”
