Wendy Christoforou joins Kurtis Property 

Kurtis Property, an estate agency based in east London, has appointed Wendy Christoforou as property manager at their head office in E18.

Christoforou, whose property portfolio covers London and the Home Counties, has worked within the property industry for the past 20 years and has brought her experience and knowledge to Kurtis, as they look to grow their presence in the areas they cover.

Elliot Dash, Senior Director at the company commented: “She [Christoforou] carries accredited extensive knowledge and experience in property management, dealing with both Landlords and Tenants on a daily basis.”

Christoforou added: “I am very excited to join the property management team at Kurtis and to continue the high level of customer service already provided to their vast database of Landlords and tenants, whilst helping to grow their current management portfolio.”

Housing valuation specialist joins Savills

Savills has welcomed experienced social housing valuer Giles Sutcliffe to its affordable housing consultancy.

Sutcliffe has joined the consultancy’s housing valuations team as a director, bringing almost three decades of experience in affordable housing valuations. He will lead on delivering valuations across housing portfolios, new developments, land opportunities and Section 106 planning agreements.

As a RICS registered valuer since the 1990s, Sutcliffe’s career has seen him valuing affordable housing projects for Chesterton across the north west, before joining Cluttons in London, where he spent almost 20 years valuing properties and projects across the south east.

Catherine Wilson, director, leading the Savills affordable housing valuation team, said: “With an in-depth understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the affordable housing sector and a wealth of experience in valuations, Giles will play a key role in the service we provide to clients. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the team.”

With a professional and personal passion for access to decent and affordable homes, Giles has also been part of a team dedicated to raising money for various charities including those tackling homelessness. He will now lead on housing valuations for the consultancy, working with Savills clients across the UK, including housing associations, local authorities, charities and landowners.

Sutcliffe said: “It’s no secret that we need more affordable homes in the UK, whether for shared ownership or general needs, and I’m proud to be a part of valuing and progressing those projects and developments.

“Joining the team at a time when inflation and interest rates are causing rising costs for the affordable housing sector will raise challenges but I’m excited to bring my years of valuation experience to the Savills team and to continue to provide an excellent and knowledgeable service to our clients.”

Martin Boyd announced as chair of the Leasehold Advisory Service

The housing minister and secretary of state have appointed Martin Boyd as chair of the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE), where he will champion the rights of leaseholders and park home owners.

LEASE is a government-funded body which provides free information and advice to these homeowners, empowering them to challenge poor practice where it occurs.

Boyd brings a wealth of experience to the role and is currently chair of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, where he campaigns on behalf of leaseholders and provides advice on how they can challenge their freeholders and managing agents.

Boydwill oversee the transformation of LEASE to enable it to provide support to more leaseholders and lead its new remit of highlighting the issues they face.

LEASE already provides a valuable service to these homeowners, with more than one million customers accessing its website last year and LEASE advisers dealing with just over 28,000 enquiries.

Housing Minister Rachel Maclean said: “We are firmly on the side of leaseholders and Martin’s appointment is another indication that we are standing up for them.

“I look forward to working closely with Martin as we bring forward further changes and legislation to support all leaseholders.”

Boyd commented: “After years of campaigning for leasehold and commonhold reform with the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership it is a privilege to be offered this role as Chair of LEASE at this critical point in the transformation of our housing system.

“The secretary of state has asked that I expand the existing service offered by LEASE and add two new roles.

“We will create systems to give robust and regular insights to DLUHC and the Welsh government on the issues that leaseholders and park homeowners are facing, and we will ensure that LEASE works closely with leasehold and park homeowner stakeholder groups.

“I look forward to working with LEASE staff on this exciting mission.”

This new appointment has also been welcomed by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Leasehold and Commonhold Reform.

Chair of the APPG for Leasehold and Commonhold Reform, Sir Peter Bottomley MP, said: “The All-Party Group for Leasehold and Commonhold Reform welcomes the choice of Martin Boyd to lead and to guide LEASE in its work.

“Together, government, parliament, leaseholder groups, the Law Commission and LEASE can make lives better while improving important sectors of the housing market.

“Martin Boyd is admired because he is fair, fearless and able to work with all parts of the leasehold eco structure.”

Comings & Goings