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For advertising enquiries call 0845 257 6374 or visit www.flat-living.co.uk lesley Davis Editor lesleydavis@flat-living.co.uk Warwick Smith Consultant Publisher warwick@flat-living.co.uk Neil Porteous Commercial Director neil@flat-living.co.uk Sue hodnett Subscriptions Administrator suehodnett@flat-living.co.uk circulation enquiries circulation@flat-living.co.uk Shop enquiries shop@flat-living.co.uk Directory enquiries directory@flat-living.co.uk Published by www.flat-living.co.uk Ltd 5 Addisons Way, Lilleshall, Newport TF10 9HH tel 0845 257 6374 fax 0845 257 6319 email info@flat-living.co.uk Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of material published in Flat Living Magazine, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors or advertisers. Contributors and advertisers must accept full responsibility for the material they submit for publication in particular for ensuring that they do not infringe copyright, intellectual property rights or trademarks. Copyright for all materials published in Flat Living Magazine remains with the publishers. Any business advice is given for guidance only and readers must consult relevant bodies before acting on any advice given in the magazine. Flat Living Magazine is published independently of any trade or professional body and retains editorial control over all articles that appear in this issue. The Journal for Residents’ Management Companies supported by ARMA
Issue 13 flat-living.co.uk
Stay warm and safe this winter Welcome to the firSt iSSue of Flat Living for 2013 and a very Happy New Year to all our readers. As we were putting this issue together before Christmas, 2012 was officially declared the second wettest year on record and was producing some record flooding, particularly in the south and south east of the country. Dealing with floodwater is something that all home owners dread. It causes a huge amount of damage, not only to fixtures and fittings but also to utility supplies and even to the fabric of the building. Whether or not you live on the ground floor of your block, the threat of flooding is something all flat owners should take seriously. In recent weeks we have seen snow instead of rain and freezing weather can be just as damaging to property as water. Our feature on pages 58 – 63 of this issue looks at some of the problems that flat owners may face during the winter months and offers advice for tackling them. Also in this issue, alongside our regular Advice, Analysis and ARMA pages, as part of our campaign to encourage flat owners to use a specialist whenever they need legal advice we look in detail at the work of the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners, better known as ALEP. The organisation was established five years ago to promote best practice in the sector for the benefit of flat owners and freeholders. ALEP now boasts more than 140 member firms of surveyors, solicitors, intermediaries and managing agents with a proven track record in leasehold enfranchisement and has recently added barristers to its membership. To find out more, and for a list of members in your area, go to pages 46-52 of this issue. The Flat Living team works hard to provide the best possible advice and information to flat owners on all aspects of leasehold life. As part of this commitment we have been further developing the service provided to readers via our website at www.flat-living.co.uk. If you log on to our site, you should quickly spot some big changes that will make the website even more informative and easy to navigate than before. We hope you like what you see and look forward to receiving your feedback. lesley Davis
Editor
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Flat Living
Issue 13, Winter
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