by Paul Wood, Estate Manager at Victoria Mills
My place of work is Victoria Mills in West Yorkshire, a stunning residential development that is a mix of Grade II listed 19th century mill buildings and contemporary architecture located within the buffer zone of Shipley’s World Heritage Site. I’m lucky to work in such a beautiful setting so it’s always a pleasure to come to work. I live about a 20-minute drive from here if the traffic is kind. I’m usually on site four days a week and one day working from home.
Every working day as an Estate Manager is different and the variety adds to the job satisfaction. I manage a team of ten, which includes office, post-room, maintenance and cleaning personnel. I make sure I spend time with all of the team members during the week. As our office is right in the middle of the site, it’s easy be on hand for residents. Regular interaction with customers and answering their queries is one of the main parts of the job, and I think that is crucial - an accessible and engaged on-site team is the key to successful property management. My other key areas of responsibility include health and safety compliance, contract management, and generally ensuring standards are kept high and budgets controlled.
Rendall & Rittner took over the management of Victoria Mills two years ago and I’ve only been in my role for six months, so things are still fairly new to me. It’s a complex site with 448 apartments with roof gardens and balconies, set in landscaped grounds accommodating almost 1,000 residents. It is considered one of the most prestigious residential developments in the north of England, in a lovely position on the edge of Shipley town centre just a short commute from Leeds and Bradford.
Despite its size, it is really peaceful here and feels like somewhere people enjoy living. As well as the concierge service, landscaped grounds and river frontage, there’s a tennis court and French Boules Court, a gym and commercial units such as a bar/restaurant and yoga studio providing great amenities for residents. We are also looking at developing some events for residents to further develop the sense of community.
I’ve worked in property management for twelve years, before that I worked in retail and wholesale management. There is quite a lot of overlap between these sectors especially the focus on customer service. At the end of the day, it all comes down to people and having a great team so that you can give customers the best possible service.
