ehB Commercial announces merger with Reeves and Partners

Two Leamington-based commercial property consultants have announced they have merged to create “an even stronger and more dynamic” firm with a growing management portfolio valued in excess of £100 million.

ehB Commercial has joined forces with Reeves and Partners to create a partnership which will trade as ehB Reeves.

Initially, the two businesses will continue to operate independently, with ehB trading from its current premises in Clarendon Place and Reeves remaining at its base in Euston Place, Leamington Spa.

The longer-term plan is to relocate both businesses to one location in the centre of Leamington, bringing all of its services under one roof.

Simon Hain, director of ehB Commercial, said: “This is a natural coming-together of two successful businesses which will expand both our agency and management presence to cover the wider Warwickshire and Midlands region.

“We will be able to offer a strong service which people will be able to look to with confidence. It will be a comprehensive offer and enable us to diversify the business even further.

“Likewise, it will be a seamless merger for ours and Reeves’ existing clients. It’s important for us to be open about our plans with our clients and contacts, as we are a people business first and foremost.”

Richard Pomfret, managing director of Reeves and Partners, said: “This is a significant move for us and we are delighted to be teaming up with ehB, a company which, like ourselves, has worked hard to establish the reputation it enjoys in South Warwickshire.

“It’s very much business as usual for us both as we enter this exciting new partnership.”

Mr Hain said the property management market is buoyant in the Midlands, making it a perfect time to expand in this arena.

“We’re both going in with the view that we will look to expand and bring in new staff in the future,” he added.

Festive fundraisers ignore the seasons to take on Snowdon trek

A team of five intrepid fundraisers are ignoring the seasons and the glorious weather to don Santa outfits and climb Snowdon in aid of two worthy Warwickshire causes.

Staff from Leamington-based commercial property consultants ehB Commercial are taking part in the Santas Rock Snowdon event on Wednesday, May 16 – five months after it was originally scheduled to take place.

It’s a case of third time lucky for the hike up the tallest mountain in Wales, with the previous two dates falling foul of the harsh winter weather.

The team – Jonathan Blood, Nicholas Evans, Simon Hain, Scott Blake and Sam Hain – accepted an invitation from Leamington-based youth charity Young People First to take part and will be raising £1,000 for the charity’s work in reaching vulnerable young people in Coventry and Warwickshire.

They will also be raising additional funds for Myton Hospice, ehB’s charity partner.

ehB director Scott Blake said: “It might seem a little unusual to be getting in the festive spirit in the middle of such hot weather, but we’re certainly not fazed!

“It was unfortunate that we had such a severe winter as it put paid to the first two dates but we’re hopeful the conditions will hold out for us this time.

“We are really excited about the challenge and the opportunity to support two excellent local charities.”

In the past, ehB has raised money for worthy causes including Leamington care centre Castel Froma, Pancreatic Cancer UK, spinal muscular atrophy charity Jennifer Trust and Regain, for paralysed sportsmen and sportswomen.

New deli heading to Leamington town centre

We’re delighted to announce our latest let which will see a new fine food outlet coming to Leamington town centre.

We’ve let 113 Regent Street to Fred & Virginia Ltd, who will be opening up a specialist deli on the site.

We agreed a new sub-lease of the ground floor on behalf of Opera Holdings Ltd, the head lessee.

Jon Blood, senior surveyor at ehB Commercial, said: “Leamington has a great food scene and this new deli will only add to that. We’re looking forward to seeing what’s on offer and wish the proprietors the best of luck with their new venture.”

ehB helps high-end interior design firm move to Warwickshire

A high-end interior design firm set up by the former directors of High Street brand Fired Earth has moved to Warwickshire ahead of its official launch.

Claybrook Studio has moved from premises in Bloxham, Oxfordshire to Westfield Road in Southam as well as opening a London showroom in the hip Curtain Road, Shoreditch.

The commercial premises, on Southam’s Kineton Road industrial estate, measure in at just over 12,200 sq ft and will be Claybrook’s main office space and distribution centre.

The team behind Claybrook – CEO Andy Manders, creative director Rob Whitaker and marketing director Lucy Kenna – were responsible for returning Fired Earth to profit in 2013 after a decade of losses.

The team is backed in its new venture with £4m of equity from Arnhold and Co, a Hong Kong-based manufacturer and supplier of natural stone, mosaic tiles and bathrooms.

“Our multi-skilled and knowledgeable team has a diverse background with experience ranging from designing theatre sets through to American retailing and high-end fashion. One thing we have in common is a love of tile, with more than 100 years’ experience between us,” said Andy.

“This experience allows us to discard many of the generic styles available from myriad websites and high street shops and over time we will expand to include other home product equally as tactile and well-made.

“We are also making a commitment to quality customer service, after living through all of the frustrations associated with the choosing, buying and delivering of lifestyle products in the mainstream ourselves.

“A central, well-served location like Southam makes perfect sense to us and we’re hoping to be a successful part of the Warwickshire business community for many years to come.”

Simon Hain, commercial property consultant and director of ehB Commercial, who leased the property to Claybrook, said: “The team know their business and hopefully Claybrook is going to become a household name over time.

“We’ve been working with them since they chose Southam as their base and it is a good-sized property we’ve leased to them. We’re delighted they chose a building through ehB, our client Wesleyan Assurance Society is delighted with its new tenant and jointly we wish them every success in their new venture.”

ehB helps RepairTech rise from the ashes

Warwickshire businessman Richard Costello watched his thriving company burn to the ground and admitted he feared for the future of the firm he had built from scratch.

However, it was with a sense of joy and achievement the RepairTech managing director walked into his brand-new headquarters three years later – constructed on the very same site on the Kineton Road industrial estate, in Southam.

It was a real ‘Phoenix from the Flames’ moment for the boss of the successful electronics repair company.

Mr Costello, who formed the company in 1999, explained: “There was a catastrophic fire in November 2014 which totally destroyed our building and threatened our business.

“It was a dark day for us and I must confess I was very concerned for our future.

“But now here we are back where we belong and bigger and stronger than ever – and with brand new premises to boot.

“It’s taken more than three years but I could barely believe it when I walked into the new unit, it was so fantastically clean and tidy and it just seemed right.

“Southam has always been the home of RepairTech and we’re so glad to be back where it all started.

“We were offered other premises in the area but I always had the hope that we would move back here one day.

“We’ve gone full circle really and are back here making a fresh start and full of excitement over what more we can go on to achieve together.”

Market leaders RepairTech now boast an impressive 848-square metre, modern, hi-tech facility and Mr Costello praised Leamington-based commercial property experts ehB Commercial for playing a key role in returning them to their roots.

He added: “Right from the start, ehB understood our situation and did a brilliant job working with us to make our return a reality.”

Simon Hain, the ehB Commercial director who brokered the deal, said: “We are delighted we have been able to help RepairTech return ‘home’.

“The fire was devastating and the building was destroyed but now they are back on the same site in a fantastic, new modern facility and we wish them continued success.”

ehB Commercial is a dynamic professional firm of chartered surveyors, commercial estate agents and commercial property consultants based in Leamington Spa, offering experience across all sectors of the commercial property market.

Double let for ehB Commercial in Harbury

One of the UK’s best-known budget hotel chains and a company specialising in classic motorcycle imports have both taken on new commercial property in Warwickshire.

Units 3 and 4 at Churchlands Business Park, in Ufton Road, Harbury have been let to Travelodge Hotels Ltd and Summerbud by Leamington-based ehB Commercial.

The five-year lease with Travelodge is for a furnishing storage unit, while Summerbud will use its unit for working on imported classic motorcycles.

Jonathan Blood, assistant surveyor at ehB Commercial, said: “These are two very different clients with different requirements, so we’re delighted to have helped them both in their search for new warehouse space.”

Commercial landlords urged to note energy efficiency rule changes

The rules on energy efficiency in commercial properties have changed – and there are some severe penalties being threatened for non-compliance.

In our latest blog, ehB Commercial director Simon Hain explains what this means for landlords…

As of April 1, a new legal standard for minimum energy efficiency applies to rented property in England and Wales.

What this means is that, in most cases, it will be unlawful to let residential or commercial premises with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G – the two lowest grades of energy efficiency.

Known as the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), the regulations will have a significant impact on landlords.

The Estates Gazette says more than one in ten commercial properties in England and Wales are at risk of being unlettable due to these new standards. In Warwick, this figure could be as high as 17.8 per cent of all commercial property.

The rules are not only far-reaching but also threaten severe financial penalties for non-compliance:

• Where a breach has lasted for less than three months – a fine of up to £5,000 or (if greater) 10 per cent of the rateable value, with a maximum penalty of £50,000
• Where a breach has lasted for three months or more – a fine of up to £10,000 or (if greater) 20 per cent of the rateable value, with a maximum penalty of £150,000

The regulations will be enforced by Trading Standards officers.

In the future…

The regulations will initially be enforced when new leases are granted and existing leases are renewed.

However, from April 1, 2023, this will be extended to cover all leases, including where a lease is already in place.

It will not apply to properties which aren’t required to have an EPC, such as listed buildings. It also won’t apply to lettings of six months or fewer, or 99 years or more. However, the regulations will apply to sub-lettings and assignments.

A changing landscape…

It is worth noting that EPC conventions have been updated five times since the standards were introduced in 2010.  Therefore, EPCs which have a current rating of E which were undertaken more than five years ago are particularly vulnerable once the EPC expires after a decade.

It is our advice to our clients to ensure that all property assets have a valid EPC and that an energy performance plan is put in place to improve the energy efficiency of the property.

Geo Kingsbury has the tools for the job

A company specialising in the production of high-precision machine tools has opened its new Midlands operation with a helping hand from ehB Commercial.

Geo Kingsbury Machine Tools, which has its manufacturing base in Gosport, Hampshire, has leased a two-storey modern office building at Tournament Court in Warwick.

The company supplies advanced German machine tools to the UK’s most advanced manufacturing businesses, including aerospace and automotive OEMs.

The premises at Tournament Court form part of Tournament Fields, Warwick’s premier business park, which is located just off junction 15 of the M40.

Simon Hain, a director of ehB Commercial, let the 3,063 sq ft site to Geo Kingsbury.

He said: “Geo Kingsbury is a very well-respected company in its field and we are delighted to have helped it put its roots down in the Midlands.”

For more information on Geo Kingsbury, visit www.geokingsbury.com.

Featured property: Frazier House

We’re delighted to present Frazier House, a high-quality car showroom and two-bedroom apartment located in the village of Tiddington, near Stratford-upon-Avon.

The freehold property, in Main Street, features a car showroom of approximately 1,000 square feet and a well-appointed apartment with roof garden and car parking.

The property has undergone considerable redevelopment to incorporate the classic car showroom.

Planning consent was granted in July 2017 for a 2.5 storey extension to enlarge the showroom and remodel the first-floor apartment, to incorporate a first-floor extension and construct of new rear roof incorporating a second-floor bedroom suite.

Local amenities include a pub, post office, village stores and restaurants.

The property is priced at £675,000, subject to vacant possession.

For more information and to download a brochure, visit https://ehbcommercial.com/properties/view/frazier-house-main-street.

ehB Commercial Secure Six-Year Lease For Children’s Education Centre

A new six-year lease of 31-33 Park Street in Leamington Spa has been agreed for Kip McGrath, thus completing the transition of the formers doctor’s surgery into one of the globally renowned children’s education centres.

Kip McGrath has bee well established for over 40 years, globally providing the opportunity for hundreds of thousands of children to improve their English and Maths skills. The centre in Leamington Spa joins their international portfolio of over 500 centres and brings yet another vital service to the local community.

More recently 31-33 Park Street had been used by Relate- a national counselling charity. Jon Blood of EHB Commercial commented “it’s rare a property like this comes available to market and I am thoroughly delighted to be able to engage with such a well known and highly regarded tenant which will benefit young children in our community”.