SitexOrbis - Property & People Protection 24/7

One-Stop Void Property Security Solutions

by Debansu Das, Head of Marketing, SitexOrbis.

Parts of the UK are addressing the vacant property dilemma in innovative ways. Burnley Council, for example, recently announced that as part of its vacant property initiative 56 houses would be acquired through compulsory purchase orders, refurbished and offered to first-time buyers via a purchase assistance loans scheme.

But still the number of UK vacant properties continues to rise. The Empty Homes Agency estimates that as of November 2011 there were 930,000 empty homes, 350,000 of which are long term empty. The problem is also prevalent in the social housing sector, and social landlords are always seeking innovative approaches to vacant property management. The risks of negating to do so are just too substantial. Properties lying empty not only forfeit potential rental income but are also magnets for squatting, vandalism, metal theft, arson, graffiti and fly-tipping. They can also be a blight on areas and communities.

SitexObis has established itself as a leading provider of innovative void security and vacant property management solutions. The company has transformed social landlords’ approach to void management, ensuring that voids can be turned around quicker than ever before. This means that waiting lists can be reduced and people rehomed quicker in better housing.

Over the past two years the company’s innovative approach and products, combined with strong customer service has won it 13 awards, including the Most Innovative New Product of the Year category at this March’s Housing Innovation Awards. SitexOrbis took home the trophy for its integrated void property solution, which combines property security with 24/7 monitored battery-powered videofied alarms, and real-time tracking via Aura.

Information management solution

Aura is SitexOrbis’ real-time web-based workflow management and reporting system, which enables customers to instruct, control and track the progress of all jobs undertaken by their contractors. The technology delivers vast data across the breadth of SitexOrbis’ product offering with comprehensive search technologies, mapping functions, trend analysis and report printing capabilities. Clients no longer need to literally drown in piles of paperwork or deal with hundreds of phone calls, chasing suppliers and property visits... that’s nearly half a day and up to 150 miles per week wasted. With Aura, clients simply log on and access information at the click of a mouse. It also provides a full audit trail.

Security solutions

As well as Sitex® screens and Permascreens, clients are now turning to SitexOrbis’ videofied solution as an excellent security solution. In fact Videofied recently saved Liverpool social housing provider One Vision Housing an estimated £1 million by preventing the theft of boilers from its empty properties. Theft attempts have fallen from at least two per week to none, equating to about £1 million over four years, since the arrest of several intruders who broke into an empty property containing a SitexOrbis Videofied portable intruder alarm with a visual verification camera. The camera was activated as soon as the intruders entered, transmitting a series of 10-second video images to SitexOrbis’ 24/7 BS5979 Category II accredited alarm receiving centre (ARC) in north-west England. A trained SitexOrbis operator immediately alerted Merseyside Police who reviewed the video footage and were able to track the intruders down.

Property access solution

SitexOrbis’ eMAKS access system solution, an efficiency boosting key that opens up to 6,000 locks, has also won awards and client acclaim. Central to eMAKS (Electronically Managed Access Key Systems) is an electronic key that can be continually reprogrammed remotely to control access to a multitude of properties, thereby solving the problem of not being able to find a key such as in an emergency. Access reports are provided for health and safety and invoicing, and the travel and administration associated with key collections are eliminated. The key, about the same size as many car keys, can’t be duplicated and comes with easy to fit locks that can’t be picked. Reprogramming is routed through the SitexOrbis ARC mentioned above. One happy user at Client Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council reports saving three hours each day because they no longer have to travel to provide keys for tradesmen. Energy wise, a Ford Transit van travelling 100 miles a week just to pick up and return keys would save emitting 13.5kgs of CO2 into the atmosphere each week.

Integrated one-stop solution

As part of the integrated vacant property management solution SitexOrbis also offers specialist cleaning and clearing services including pest control, infection control, fly-tipping and bulk waste removal, graffiti removal, needle sweeps and mould eradication. The company’s innovative approach can be seen in all of these areas. Take mould for example. Usually it is only superficially treated and so comes comes back with a vengeance. SitexOrbis’ approach involves a four-stage treatment process which uses a unique vaporising technique to kill the mould spores, ensuring the mould is totally eradicated and not just covered up.

As is often the case, clients tasked with managing vacant properties require numerous services all in one. That’s where SitexOrbis comes in. By offering an integrated approach, SitexOrbis saves clients significant hassle and the expense of managing multiple contractors.

Visit stand D34 at the CIH Housing 2012 exhibition in Manchester from 12-14 June 2012 to see SitexOrbis’ innovative products and solutions