Temples Girls Team would just like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all who have donated to this great cause by sponsoring us in our Race For Life event for Cancer Research UK.

The event took place across Delamere Forest on Sunday 19^th May, and we are pleased to say that all who took part from Temples made the full 5k to the final line, and we are pictured here with our medals!

There was a lot of aching bodies in the Nantwich, Crewe and Northwich offices on Monday morning, but a great sense of achievement and pride in having done our best to raise as much as we could for Cancer Research, as many of us have lost loved ones to this devastating disease.

Thank you once again for all the support, it has been amazing, and we have so far raised in the region of over £600!!

We will publish the final figure on the News section of our website when all monies are in during the next couple of weeks.

There is still time to donate by visiting http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/templesteam

The team of eight is eager to complete the 5km event in a bid to gain donations from local businesses and well-wishers, and includes Natalie, Amy, Julie and Sue from the Nantwich office, and Rachael and Kimberley from the Crewe office. Owners Robbie and Natalie have also signed up.

The girls at Nantwich  said training so far been tough, but that hasn’t stopped them from rallying around after work hours and hitting the Nantwich streets.

Natalie Sheen, Team Leader, said: “The support and enthusiasm has been infectious in the office, we have been making the most of social media and business contacts to raise as much awareness as we can”.

Director, Roy Kitchen said: “I am incredibly proud of my team dedicating their time to training for the event and it’s been great to see them motivating each other towards their goal. I also have my wife Robbie, daughter Natalie, plus grandchildren taking part. I am looking forward to supporting them all on their race to the finishing line”.

The race will take place this Sunday the 19^th of May at 11am, in Delamere Forest, where there will be refreshments and entertainment for all the family.

The group so far has raised money through targeting local businesses and suppliers, but would be very appreciative to receive more kind donations to hit their £500 target.

To donate you can go directly into the Temples offices at 12 Bull Ring Northwich, 4 High Street Nantwich, and 135 Nantwich Road Crewe, or visit the team’s online fundraising page http://raceforlifesponsorme.org/templesteam.

Two Gold Awards and a Silver for Temples

Three Prestigious Awards

Temples Lettings has received the Gold Award in the national category for Best Small Lettings Chain at the prestigious Estate & Letting Agent Awards 2013 – for the second year running. The Nantwich office, owned by Roy Kitchen, won the Gold Award in the regional category, being named Best Letting Agent in the North West, and the Northwich office, owned by Roy’s daughter and son-in-law Natalie and Gary Williams won the Silver Award for the region.

The hat trick of awards was announced on Friday 19th April 2013 by Phil Spencer, the TV property expert, at a lavish luncheon & ceremony at the Hilton Park Lane London attended by 600 of the UK’s top estate and letting agents and suppliers to the industry. The awards, celebrating their 10th year, are known throughout the industry as the ESTAS.

The ESTAS determines the best estate and letting agents in the UK through research carried out amongst customers who are asked a series of questions about the service they have received from their agent, 23,000 questionnaires were completed by customers during the competition.

Phil Spencer, who has hosted the ESTAS every year since their inception in 2004 said “I think these awards help us all to focus on customer service for the greater good of our own businesses as well as the wider industry. We must all drive standards higher, raising the bar in terms of the quality of advice we offer and the level of customer care we deliver.”

Agents were shortlisted in 18 regions around the country. “The ESTAS competition is about recognising the hard work agents put in every day, every week and month of the year” says Simon Brown who runs the national scheme. “So to be shortlisted is a great achievement, but to win is the highest accolade any agency can achieve”.

Owner of the Northwich office, Natalie, who entered the group for the first time into last year’s ESTAS, said “Gary and I are extremely proud of our success again this year, and I’m thrilled that my Dad’s office did so well too. The fact that our landlords think so highly of us and our team to give us such amazing ratings for all aspects of our service is truly the highest accolade, and we thank them all very much for taking the time to complete the ESTAS questionnaires. We also improved our national ranking from 25th in the 2012 awards to 9th in the 2013 awards, which demonstrates our total dedication to striving for the highest standards and to better our customer service wherever possible.”

Steve Kitchen, Natalie’s brother, and Lettings Manager at their father’s office in Nantwich, was shortlisted as one the top 25 individuals in Lettings and Sales across the country for the ESTAS ‘People Awards’. Steve said “I was delighted to represent Temples within this category as our family business truly believes in the personal touch when dealing with all customers, and being named by so many landlords for this Award was the crowning moment of my 10 year career at Temples.”

Proud Day for Northwich Team: Clockwise from top left Andi Hartles (Property Manager), Sophie Heaton (Marketing Coordinator), Richard Styles (Property Manager), Olivia Edwards (Lettings Negotiator), Nicola Buckley (Lettings Manager), Sarah Murray-Smyth (Senior Property Manager), Becca Shannon (Lettings Administrator), Natalie and Gary Williams (Owners), Helen Briggs (Lettings Negotiator).

The majority was only five, with 211 supporting Baroness Hayter’s proposal and 206 against it.

Almost with exception, the peers voted along party lines – raising a large question mark as to what will happen to the amendment when the measure goes to the Commons.

This was the second time that Hayter, a Labour peer who chaired the now defunct Property Standards Board, had moved the amendment to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill.

If – and it is a big if – it is approved by the Commons, it would mean that letting agents would have to belong to an ombudsman scheme and could be banned by the Office of Fair Trading – which currently does not recognise letting agents as estate agents.

The move would also prevent estate agents who had been banned from opening up the following day as letting agents.

On the first occasion she withdrew her amendment as a matter of procedure after the Government made its opposition clear.

Last week, the Government continued to maintain its opposition.

Speaking for the Government, Viscount Younger of Leckie, parliamentary under-secretary at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), said that expanding the supply of rented homes was “at the heart of the Government’s strategy. We want a bigger and better private rented sector.”

But boosting supply, he said, meant avoiding excessive regulation.

“Excessive regulation, however well intentioned, can result in precisely the outcomes we want to avoid,” he said. “That is why we did not proceed with the proposals of the previous Government, such as a national register of landlords and the full statutory regulation of letting agents.”

He went on: “We have heard a number of people express the view that the lettings market is totally unregulated. That is not in fact the case.” He drew attention to legislation such as the Unfair Trading Regulations, and Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations.

He added: “We know that trading standards bodies use these powers to prosecute lettings agents. Some very substantial fines, and indeed prison sentences, have been handed down to agents who engage in serious misdemeanours, such as misrepresenting their membership of professional bodies, or indeed misappropriating clients’ money.”

He said that he strongly supported “making better use of existing regulations before we create new ones”.

Hayter, in wrapping up the debate, pointed out that current housing minister Mark Prisk wanted regulation of letting agents back in 2007.

The wafer-thin majority in the Lords did not stop the lobbyists from greeting the amendment almost as though it was a done deal.

Ian Potter, managing director of ARLA, said: “We all look forward to working with the Government on the Bill as it moves back to the Commons for final approval.”

The British Property Federation said it welcomed the amendment “that will introduce statutory regulation of letting agents”.

Property Ombudsman Christopher Hamer said: “This will mean greater protection for a number of consumers.”

Peter Bolton King of the RICS sounded a note of caution, saying that the decision was “one step nearer to this vital change becoming law”.

When the Bill does get back to the Commons, much will depend on the usual behind-the-scenes horse trading. While the Conservatives are against regulating letting agents, their coalition partners, the Lib Dems, support the idea.

Mike Down, of accountancy firm Baker Tilly, said he had seen a copy of a ‘stencilled’ letter sent to one landlord client. The landlord in question had been perfectly compliant about declaring his rental income. The information utilised by HMRC had been supplied by a local council in the west country.

Down said the letter was asking for information on addresses of properties, periods let, and the amounts of monthly or weekly rent involved, as well as asking a string of further questions such as how each property was acquired (e.g. purchased, inherited or gifted), and the number of tenants in each property.

He said: “Clearly it’s good to see HMRC cracking down on tax cheats, but we do have real concerns over what appears to be the non-risk-based approach of this campaign.

“What’s even more shocking is that telephone staff at HMRC are openly admitting that the probing letters are being issued without the department having first checked whether the landlord is in fact fully declaring the rents on their annual tax returns.

“Quite aside from the fact that questions asked of taxpayers who have completed returns under Self-Assessment must be made under the formal and time-sensitive enquiry framework, it seems that HMRC staff are unnecessarily wasting the time of law-abiding taxpayers, as well as their own valuable people resource.

“Surely it’s time HMRC were more careful with their precious resources and invested time in carefully checking third-party information before sending what might be viewed as scarily aggressive letters to those who are fully tax compliant?”

The Estate & Letting Agent Awards, better known as the ESTAS, have announced their shortlist for 2013, and the Crewe, Nantwich and Northwich offices nervously wait to find out if they will retain their title of Best Small Chain as well as gaining individual recognition for their outstanding customer service.

The ESTAS determines the best letting agents in the country through research carried out amongst customers who are asked a series of questions about the service they have received from their agent during 2012. 23,000 questionnaires were completed by customers during the competition.

Agents have been shortlisted in 18 regions around the country. The regional and national winners will be announced by Phil Spencer, the TV Property expert at the 10th annual ESTAS ceremony at the Hilton Park Lane on 19th April. Phil says “I think it says a great deal about company who’s prepared to stand up and announce to customers and competitors that they believe in providing the best possible service and they’re happy to prove it. These awards help agencies to focus on customer service levels and that’s why so many take part each year”.

“The ESTAS competition is about recognising the hard work agents put in every day, every week and month of the year” says Simon Brown who runs the national scheme. “So to be shortlisted is a great accolade for any agent”.

Gary Williams, owner of Temples Northwich said “It has been a nerve-wracking time having set the bar so high last year, so we were extremely pleased to be shortlisted for the ESTAS 2013. We gained an even higher customer satisfaction rating this year, so have our fingers crossed it will be enough to win some more awards. Our customer service standards are something we work hard to surpass every day and we are extremely proud of our staff for their continuous hard work and dedication.”

Alex Chesterman, Founder and CEO of Zoopla Property Group said, “We’re now in our fourth year of sponsoring the ESTAS and are delighted to be once again supporting this key industry event. The collection of valuable customer feedback is essential to success in any business and rewarding those who provide the best service in the industry, as these awards do, is perfectly aligned with our business. Congratulations to all those shortlisted this year.”

Steve Kitchen, Lettings Manager nominated in the Person Awards category of the competition said “I am absolutely thrilled to be nominated for an individual award. A massive thank you to all our clients who mentioned me in their votes. Although, I think it’s my father [Roy Kitchen, Managing Director] who really deserves the award. He’s truly an inspiration to us all here at Temples when it comes to pushing the boundaries to ensure the best possible service for our Landlords.”

The aim of the Green Deal is to improve the energy efficiency of properties by removing the upfront cost of improvements and instead allowing the cost to be paid in instalments through energy bills.

Green Deal Finance can be used to pay for improvements such as cavity wall or loft insulation; upgraded heating; installation of draught-proofing; installation of double glazing; and installation of renewable energy technologies such as solar panels or wind turbines.

A Green Deal Assessor will carry out an inspection of the property being proposed for improvements and will make recommendations as to the most suitable – weighing the cost of the improvements against the likely savings that the improvements would attract. The golden rule is that the savings enjoyed as a result of installing any particular technology must be equal to or greater than the cost of the finance required.

Once the Green Deal Assessor has made recommendations, a Green Deal Plan will need to be signed with a Green Deal Provider. The Green Deal Plan is a contract setting out what work will be done and how much it will cost and once it has been signed the Green Deal Provider will arrange for a Green Deal Installer to carry out the contracted work. All participants in the process are bound by the DECC’s code of practice and must display the quality mark.
Once the Green Deal Installer has carried out the work, the cost will be payable in instalments through energy bills. As the finance obligation passes with the liability to pay the energy bills rather than with the person that signs the Green Deal Plan, Green Deal finance must be disclosed in all new property transactions as part of the EPC information. A written acknowledgment of the finance should be obtained from the tenant, licensee or purchaser in a standard form to confirm the information has been given.

In respect existing tenancies, neither the landlord nor the tenant can sign a Green Deal Plan without the permission of the other.

There are plans afoot to obligate landlords to install green technologies upon receipt of a “reasonable request” from tenants but, as we understand it, these are unlikely to come into force before April 2016.

The awards measure the quality of customer service provided by agents through the home buying, selling and rental process.

Phil Spencer, TV Property Expert says “I think it says a great deal about company who’s prepared to stand up and announce to customers and competitors that they believe in providing the best possible service and they’re happy to prove it. These awards help agencies to focus on customer service levels and that’s why so many sign up each year”

“Taking part in the ESTAS sets agents apart from their competitors. It sends a clear message that they are passionate about customer service, prepared to go that extra mile for their clients and keen to listen to feedback”.

Gary Williams, owner of Temples Northwich said “Entering the ESTAS 2012 not only proved to our customers that we were willing to take the risk of asking for honest feedback on the service we give, but also allowed us to use the comments given to improve. Winning last year doesn’t automatically mean we’ll win this year, and we’re constantly working hard to ensure that we deliver the best service possible”.

If you are a landlord who has used Temples to let or manage your property during 2012, please click on the link below to rate our service:-

http://www.theestas.com/vote/

HM Revenue & Customs is warning property investors that specialist task forces are ready to target those with undeclared rent profits or gains from disposing of homes.

At the same time as another task force aiming to uncover illicit property dealings started work in the South East, HMRC announced the general amnesty.

John Whiting, from the Chartered Institute of Taxation said: “This is about urging people to come in out of the cold and to join the rest of us who pay taxes on time and in full. This is about clamping down on the minority who don’t.”

HMRC promises to crack down on anyone who fails to file details on their full earnings with harsh financial penalties and even possible criminal prosecution.

After a similar amnesty for plumbers finished recently, five tradesmen were arrested, 600 faced tax investigations, and one was sent to prison after admitting not declaring any earnings and owing £50,000 in tax.

Taking part in the amnesty will still involve a penalty – paying at least any tax owed plus 3% interest.

“We may not forget every penalty, but will treat those who co-operate leniently,” said an HMRC spokesman.

“Innocent mistakes are unlikely to be punished, especially if the taxpayer asked for advice and received wrong information.”

Despite the amnesty, HMRC refuses to rule out stiffer penalties or prosecution for the worst offenders.

HMRC’s director-general of enforcement and compliance Jennie Grainger said: “The message is simple: the net is closing. We will find out if you are working off the books, if you haven’t disclosed investment income, or if you have assets offshore. Do not believe HMRC won’t take action – it is only a matter of time before we catch up with you.”

Comprehensive plans were submitted by David Wilson Homes in April 2012 in support of their Application and subject to compliance with a comprehensive schedule of 33 conditions, planning permission was granted on 9th November 2012 and works must commence within the next two years.

Full details can be found at: http://planning.cheshireeast.gov.uk/applicationdetails.aspx?pr=12/1381N&query=e33ead943745481d8fe5ac25ac992c3f&start=&from=m