We are Taylor & Martin, a bespoke property factoring service. A question we get asked a lot is, ‘what is it that factoring companies do?’
A recent appeal case at the Court of Session helped to clarify, for the first time, who is classed as a property factor – so it seems there is industry-wide confusion on the exact role of a factor.
We set up Taylor & Martin in the hope of being the most transparent, open, factoring company we could be. We’re here to clarify exactly what a factor does and what you can expect from Taylor & Martin.
What is a property factor?
Put simply, a property manager’s job is to manage and maintain all common areas of land and property owned by more than one homeowner. This includes stairwells, hallways, and lifts as well as the actual grounds and gardens of a property.
This land may be owned jointly by all or several of the homeowners or by someone else. For example, the factor as a land-owning management company.
A factor can operate as a private business or a registered social landlord. In some cases, like local authority housing, the council acts as the factor for the properties it owns.
While it’s not absolutely necessary to have a property manager to look after communal property – it does make things a lot easier.
When it comes to regular maintenance, cleaning and upkeep – having someone to organise the work and keep all homeowners up to date can save a lot of hassle and avoid potential disagreements.
Under the Property Factors Act, which was introduced in 2011, all property factors are required to register with the Scottish Government and adhere to a statutory code of conduct.
So what can you expect from Taylor & Martin?
Face to face meetings on request
We set up our business with transparency in mind – and a large part of that is easy communication. You can reach us and request a meeting at any time. We’re more than happy to meet and discuss issues regarding your property management – there is no issue too small to bring to us.
Access to our roster of trusted contractors
You deserve to know who is coming in and out of your home building carrying out maintenance. We only work with our trusted roster of contractors. We want to make your experience as straightforward and as comfortable as possible, so that’s why you’ll always be made aware of who will be attending your property and when.
Regular property visits
Factoring is about prevention rather than cure. That’s why we arrange regular site visits to ensure your property is in a healthy state of repair. We aim to recommend and undertake preventative works which will save time and money in the long run – and that begins with regular site visits.
A single point of contact
With Taylor & Martin, you’ll also receive a single, recognised point of contact who is available to speak with you regarding your property. We are always available and you’ll never be passed off to someone you don’t know when you need us.
No commission
We are fully transparent when it comes to finances. That’s why we don’t take any commission or upsell any work undertaken. We never pass costs onto you – and we never will. We encourage you to understand every element of your factoring bill. In fact, we’re always delighted to provide further breakdowns and analysis where necessary.
On-call 24/7 to deal with emergencies
You can count on us when it really matters. We are on-hand 24/7 to tackle life’s property emergencies. We give you a set of emergency contact numbers as well as access to a specific blog detailing how we can help you in an emergency.
Flexible billing arrangements
We work with you to ensure that bills and payments are manageable and reasonable. We can be flexible with billing arrangements to allow you to prepare for work that needs done. If you ever have queries or concerns about your bill, please get in touch.
Online portal
We have created an online portal that allows you to view all information associated with your property such as upcoming bills and invoices. As well as regular email updates, we wanted to create a platform where our clients could easily access documents and have a bird’s-eye view of their property management.
Find out more
Visit our main website or call us on 0141 353 3049. You can drop us an email at info@taylorandmartin.co.uk and follow us on LinkedIn for more information and industry news.