We are very pleased to bring you an interview with Dorian Gonsalves from Belvoir Lettings PLC in which Dorian discusses Belvoir Lettings and property related issues.
With over 162 offices in the UK there is a Belvoir office near you for lettings, sales and more.
It certainly is a pleasure to have Dorian at ByeMould.com.
1) Could you tell us about yourself and Belvoir Lettings?
Director of Belvoir Lettings PLC for a decade and our network consists of 195 lettings and sales offices across the UK. Passionate about property and specialists in property lettings and franchising. Belvoir is relatively small PLC managing over 35,000 properties nationwide with a market capitalisation of over £30m.
2) Belvoir Lettings is listed on the stock market and I see that you had a recent placement. Could you expand on those points?
We were the first lettings specialist to list on the AIM market. Investors include franchisees, investment funds and a variety of institutions. Since our floatation in 2012 we’ve deployed around £5m into franchisee-based acquisitions as well as securing a number of other key acquisitions such as a 30 branch network in July of this year.
3) What sets Belvoir apart from the competition?
Being mostly franchised, our franchisees are deeply committed to delivering a high quality and specialist service to their clients. Our core principles are Customer Service, Professionalism and Specialism within our sector. We’re the only lettings franchise to have been award Gold for Best Lettings Franchise in association with the Times and Sunday Times five times in the last six years.
4) What are the most challenging aspects of the rental market from the view of both
landlords and tenants?
Being a landlord is complex and becoming more and more complicated each year. The vast majority of UK landlords maintain their properties extremely well and make every effort to look after their valued tenants, either with or without the help of a skilled lettings agent. Landlords should be congratulated for this and thanked for providing much-needed properties for rent when successive Governments have failed to tackle the housing shortage. Landlords should enlist the help of good letting agent to help them navigate the legal minefield and tenants should choose an agent over trying to rent privately to ensure their tenancy and ultimately their home is managed legally, correctly and safely.
5) Since the UK has a lot of older, poorly build housing stock do you think that damp problems such as mould are widespread, especially in winter? ( generally speaking not including Belvoir properties)
Absolutely. Maintenance is usually a landlords biggest expense and if damp or condensation problems aren’t dealt with quickly a property can deteriorate to such an extent where it becomes uninhabitable. An early remedy with advice from someone who understands the causes of damp and condensation is essential.
6) Could you kindly share your thoughts about ByeMould.com.
Very few landlords and tenants understand the need for proper ventilation of a property and the amount of water vapour produced by the inhabitants of a property is incredible, but rarely considered until damp becomes a problem. Education is only part of the solution and sometimes further steps need to be taken to prevent damp and mould becoming a costly problem for a homeowner. Unusually, ByeMould has taken the time and trouble to explain their range of products clearly and from a position of complete understanding. It’s well worth having a read through their product range and product descriptions.
ByeMould, an independent uk dehumidifier review website, wishes to thank Dorian for taking the time to answer these questions with insightful answers.
