Page 28 - Project Acanthus_Mainstay

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Mainstay: Response to Tender | Project Acanthus - Part Two
27. What is your experience with major works? Please describe what your role as managing agent provides with these works. For example, do you provide recovery and apportionment advice? Do you handle communication or form part of the project team from an operational perspective?
We have extensive experience with major works, ranging from projects currently valued from £10,000 to £1.4 million. This experience ranges from routine redecoration to complex projects such as replacing defective soil stack pipes, and
roof replacement — which took place over several years
and involved providing phased temporary accommodation for residents.
Mainstay is fully conversant with the requirements of S20 consultation. However, our role really begins far in advance of the works themselves. We make a point of understanding each building so we can create considered long term plans and correctly budget for works. Part of this is understanding the various lease obligations and cost apportionments. Our property managers, who oversee the whole process, would not recommend starting major works without checking lease agreements and planning accordingly.
The development’s Account Manager in the Service Charge team will undertake the apportionment. This will be in line with the percentile contributed by individual leaseholders. Generally, we do not start major works until all funds are in place, which highlights the need for Reserve Funds to be collected. We
will therefore collect the required funds either in line with the provisions within the lease or as an additional payment during the accounting period, if permitted by the lease.
Communication is one of the most vital elements of any project. Our Property Managers engage with our clients at the earliest opportunity. This starts from creating the long-term plan, all
the way to completion. We also ensure that we communicate with residents to gain their buy-in. On larger projects, this would mean holding meetings with residents to discuss why the project is needed, what effect it may have, its progress, and costs. All major works projects will have a nominated member of the Mainstay team to either manage the project or to form part of the project team, if the work is outsourced.
Our Property Managers are supported by an in-house Technical Team. They are able to provide guidance and input for clients, as well as advise on the best courses of action to take in order to meet a project’s requirement. This gives property managers easy access to a considerable bank of experience. This hub
of practical knowledge covers a wide spectrum of residential managed properties — from those with listed status to large, modern luxury apartment developments.
Throughout a project, there are other in-house teams that also provide support and expertise. For instance, Mainstay has specialist Health and Safety, and Mechanical & Electrical Engineering teams.
Mainstay also has a team of qualified Chartered Building Surveyors who can provide project management services from producing specifications through to project completion. This team is available to clients as an additional service. The Building Surveyor Team can also source suitable suppliers, manage the tender process, and make recommendations to the client.
This team is involved in producing planned maintenance programmes for the calculation of sinking fund provisions. They can also provide Project Management Services on major and minor works, insurance reinstatement cost assessments across the portfolio while providing traditional Building Surveying duties, such as defect analysis and supporting warranty claims.