who we are
michellegardner BSc MRICS
CHARTERED SURVEYOR
Michelle joined Mark Atkins Associates in 2000 to establish a property management department using her experience of managing commercial properties, client finance and rent accounting gained with Bruton Knowles during the preceding 20 years where she built up and ran the Property Management Team with nationwide responsibility for a team of over 40 staff. Adding property management to the existing investment, asset management and development work enabled the provision of a more comprehensive service to optimise the performance of clients’ property portfolios.
A Chartered Surveyor, Michelle is married with 2 children. She is a keen dancer (particularly Argentine Tango, Swing, Tap and Modern) as well as an enthusiastic gardener.
sarahgrundy BSc MRICS
CHARTERED SURVEYOR
Sarah joined the Client Finance Department of Mark Atkins Associates on a full time basis in September 2010. As a result of internal restructuring, she subsequently took on her current role as a Property Manager liaising with contractors and tenants, making sure that all properties are maintained to a high standard, organising any reactive, proactive or routine work, interacting with other professionals involved with the properties as well as any compliance and health and safety advisors whose brief is to ensure adherence to current legislation. Sarah began her working life with various local businesses in a customer service role. Her interest in property management was inspired by work placements within the Property Management Departments of surveying firms.
A Chartered Surveyor, Sarah is a very keen netball player and enjoys cooking, helping out on her boyfriend’s farm and taking her dog Hugo for long walks in the countryside.
what we do
Our single focus is on the skill of providing the right property management service for each client, looking after clients’ properties with the same care and attention as if they were our own.
Our strong commercial sense, attention to detail and a simple philosophy to do our job well have earned us an enviable reputation with our clients
The property portfolio under management which has a rent roll of approximately £10 million per annum and a capital value in excess of £100 million extends to business and science parks, retail units, offices and industrial space throughout England and Wales.
Mark Atkins Associates’ Property Management Team places great emphasis on listening to clients’ needs with a proactive, rather than reactive, approach. This is achieved by close consultation with the Investment Department within the firm or other professional advisors and frequent client and tenant liaison.
The operation is fully computerised but not to the exclusion of being able to offer a personal service. We believe that the art of successful property management is to seek opportunities to improve the asset thereby maximising its performance. Services include:
- Collecting monies due promptly and efficiently whilst seeking to maintain a good landlord/tenant relationship.
- Dealing with budgeting and service charge administration (including advice on the RICS Code of Practice).
- Ensuring that both owners and occupiers comply with their responsibilities.
- Reacting to practical building issues arising such as maintenance and repair, arranging building surveys, schedules of dilapidation and condition.
- Proactive management of repairs and maintenance, using planned maintenance programmes and regular reviews.
On behalf of landlords and tenants we undertake:
- Rent reviews
- Lease renewals
- Representations to Arbitrators and Independent Experts
- Expert witness appearances in Court
- Submissions in PACT
All of the above services include:
- Lease summary
- Property inspection
- Collation of rental evidence
- Negotiation of rental value
- Preparation of Memorandum
For further information about our Property Management Services, contact Michelle Gardner at michelle@markatkinsassociates.com or Sarah Grundy at sarah@markatkinsassociates.com
