Block management case study
Project: The Bank, Broad Street, Birmingham city centre
“The pinnacle of city living”
The Bank is a new-build residential development comprising two apartment blocks on Broad Street in the centre of Birmingham. Developed by Regal Property Group, the luxury residential scheme contains studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments.
KWB Residential was instructed on the 21-floor Tower 1 of The Bank in July 2018 and 33-floor Tower 2 – the tallest residential building in Birmingham – in November 2019. Together, they total 417 apartments.
The property management requirement
Two years prior to completion, the developer – Regal Property Group – was looking for an experienced residential management company to work alongside them to create the service charge budget and plan how the new scheme would be managed going forward. They wanted a company with in-depth knowledge of the Birmingham city centre market, and a personal and responsive approach to managing the scheme that would align with the property’s luxury positioning.
After practical completion, the ongoing property management requirement included all building management services – maintenance, repairs, cleaning, safety and security – for the structure of the buildings, their M&E services and equipment, and communal areas and amenities – such as gym, kitchen and coffee lounge. This also extended to the perimeters of the development, including landscaping and grounds maintenance.
A 24-7 on-site concierge service was also a fundamental requirement for providing the level of service envisaged for residents of The Bank, to assist them with any issues.
Services
In creating the service charge budget, achieving the right balance was incredibly important for The Bank – as it needed to deliver the luxury experience expected of the development whilst also offering value-for-money.
Having established the budget, we now collect service charge payments from residents and manage the finances – documenting and overseeing all monies collected and spent.
To maintain the development and protect the overall investment, we provide the following services:
- All building management services, including assisting the developer in resolving snagging issues
- Landscaping and maintenance of paved areas
- Compliance, health and safety, fire safety and security services including CCTV
- Window cleaning and cleaning of communal areas and amenities
- Repairs and maintenance including lift maintenance and all M&E
- Management of utilities
“The Bank is really well kept and the staff here are very friendly. The cleaning service is frequent and very thorough so that the corridors and common areas are always really nice. The security service is particularly important to me – it makes me feel safe at night.” Amelia
In addition to this, we provide a 24/7 concierge service, with one of our representatives on-site at all times. The responsibilities of the concierge, along with the Site Manager we have assigned to the property, include reporting of maintenance issues, assisting residents with queries, and handling of the postal service within the building.
“Management of The Bank has been excellent, especially the concierge service, which has been so helpful. If I need help with something to do with my flat or to raise an issue, the Concierge is responsive and resolves things for me quickly.” Amna
Tower 2 comprises a host of communal amenities that we oversee, such as a gym that we support with training sessions for users and nightly cleaning, and a kitchen and coffee lounge offering complimentary refreshments, that we maintain, stock and clean.
Communication
We make residents feel welcome and well cared for. Communication is the cornerstone of achieving this and we deliver excellent communication through:
- Welcome documentation:
- Welcome letter – greeting all new residents by introducing ourselves
- Residents manual – our manual provides residents with a go-to document that they can use to acquaint themselves with the property, various procedures and need-to-know information.
- Responsiveness: Our dedicated on-site concierge handles snags arising from the construction of the property, and addresses repairs and queries raised by residents.
- Online portal: We also support the residents through a dedicated online portal, which we have developed. This provides residents with key property information, utilities and emergency contacts as well as updates on any works scheduled to take place at the property.
“Generally, we’re really happy with our property, and the common space at The Bank is maintained at a high standard – cleaners always do a very good job. The people at reception are great, as are the facilities, and that enhances the overall experience of living here.” Chrissie
Contractor management
To deliver the broad range of services we provide at The Bank, we instruct and manage contractors – ensuring they always meet our service level agreements as well our expectations, and that their services are delivering value-for-money.
We conduct regular inspections at The Bank to ensure that maintenance works are up to standard. In addition to this, our concierge is also responsible for liaising with contractors when on-site. This ensures that good relationships are developed and maintained between all parties – including between the close-knit team of contractors that may sometimes be on-site simultaneously.
We continue to tender, after that initial instruction, to ensure that we are delivering best value.
Compliance
Health & Safety is of paramount importance and much of what we do at The Bank ensures that the residents are safe and happy. To achieve this, we conduct routines checks of all safety services including the alarm and sprinkler systems.
