News & Views
HCR Staff Training Day – 24th Jan 2017
IMPORTANT NOTICE – HCR’s offices will be closed on the morning of Tuesday 24th January for staff training and development, therefore HCR personnel will be unavailable on the telephone or via email during this time. Investing in the development of our team is a vital part of ensuring we…
UK Letting Agency Fees – An HCR Briefing
In the Autumn Statement on November 23rd 2016 Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announced a ban on Letting Agency fees to tenants although the ban will be subject to consultation. HCR believes that this is part of the major shift in the UK housing market from purchase to rental…
Peace and goodwill to all…time to come together and celebrate this Christmas
Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission David Isaac has urged businesses across the UK to stop being so sensitive about Christmas celebrations offending people of other faiths. According to the watchdog, bosses should allow workers to enjoy the...
New Online Furniture Venture Designed to Create Home-from-home for Relocating Employees
Employees who are upping sticks and moving to a different region for work will find it easier than ever to feel at home in their temporary property – thanks to a new service from HCR. The relocation specialist is introducing…
Adaptability is key for future job security in an automated world
Oxford University economists Dr Carl Frey and Dr Michael Osborne are predicting that 40 percent of roles in the job market will be lost to automation by 2050. A sobering thought. For years, many have feared this progression towards reliance on ‘robots’. And...
Is this the time for a resurgence in Guaranteed Sales Price relocation strategies in the UK?
I apologise; I’m going to have to start this article with a swear word… Brexit. If like me you are already fed up with continual post-mortems on what went wrong, who is to blame and how we got ourselves into this mess, then please forgive me for even raising the...
Rising rental costs are triggering a fall in UK home ownership – but it’s not all bad when you’re in the know
Think tank, The Resolution Foundation, has published some gloomy analysis about the UK’s property market. The nation has seen its sharpest fall in home ownership since the early 2000s. And it’s not just London that is suffering. This latest report shows plummeting...
Brexit would create an EU mobility headache for UK businesses
With the EU referendum fast approaching, tensions are running high in both camps about the dire consequences facing Britain - whether the country leaves or remains within the union. The latest debate focuses on immigration. Can leaving the EU really improve the lot of...
Keeping track of travel and residency laws is our bread and butter
It may soon be possible for Turkish people to travel without a visa inside Europe’s passport-free Schengen area - thanks to conditional backing from the European Commission. Any change to visa conditions could come into effect from July - but it must first meet the...
When not to call the Foreign and Commonwealth Office…
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has released its annual list of inappropriate requests from UK citizens visiting or living overseas. And it’s fair to say that many expats and holidaymakers are failing to understand the proper role of the Government...
Bank of England calls for lenders to apply tougher stress tests on buy-to-let investors
The Bank of England has proposed that buy-to-let investors should be limited on the amount they can borrow. According to the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), which is part of the Bank, lenders should take into account landlords’ wider financial circumstances -...
Budget 2016 brings new challenges for landlords and buy-to-let investors
It’s fair to say the UK was not holding its breath for unexpected treats from the Chancellor in this year’s Budget. And, in the main, we were absolutely right. George Osborne used the Budget as something of a band aid - with a view to keeping things ticking along...
Making sure relocation isn’t bad for your health
There are many factors to take into account when considering - and seeing through - the process of relocating abroad. But whether you’re a UK citizen concerned about missing the spoils of the National Health Service (NHS) if you leave the country, or a foreign...
CARBON FOOTPRINT
HCR offset 354 tCO2e through the Florestal Santa Maria REDD project in Brazil (Verified Carbon Standard #875) as well as planted trees in the South East region of the UK thereby offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, helping to prevent climate change and creating space...
Have pets, will travel
The UK is well-known to the rest of the world as a nation of dog lovers. We just can’t get enough of them. In fact, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) estimates there were 9 million dogs here in 2014. And that’s not all. We owned 7.9...
‘The Chaos’ of the English Language
As a visitor to The British Isles, quite possibly for the first time, the English language - in its endlessly rich texture - can seem quite daunting to learn. One reason being that the language is synonymous with irregular spellings and double meanings. "The Chaos" is...
To Our Service Personnel; so Long and Thanks for the Honour.
After 18 years and providing over 80,000 homes from the Private Rented Sector for our Service Personnel, HCR will no longer be looking after the Contract for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). HCR won the first ever Substitute Accommodation contract in...
Time to celebrate – wherever you happen to be this Christmas
Major Tim Peakes made history this week - becoming the first ‘official’ British astronaut. He’s now happily floating around the International Space Station, conducting experiments and enjoying an incredible view of us all back here on Earth. He, like many others, will...
Growth in private rental sector prompts clamour for homes across UK
The lack of private rental homes available - particularly within London and across the south east of England - has contributed to a sharp rise in rental prices in recent years. According to the latest English Housing Survey, 4.4 million of the country’s homes are...
Working nine to three – are we ready for the ‘Swedish Way’?
With the nights drawing in and our thoughts turning to the festive season, spending all our daylight hours at work can be a strain. The clocks have only just gone back but that earlier start is already swallowed up by the commute, early-morning admin and planning for...
Just your average ‘Spooktastic’ day here at HCR
Happy Halloween everyone!
Making Moves Into the ASEAN Market
UK businesses are reaching ever-further into new markets, with South East Asia rapidly climbing the wish list for home-grown companies laying down roots around the world. With ever-more sophisticated technology and communications, strong workforces and idyllic...
The REAL Price of the New EU Working Time Directive
Any business in the European Market will be aware of last week’s European Court of Justice ruling on travel to work pay. This prominent Working Time Directive – enforcing the 48-hour working week – will impact any UK business operating on the continent employing staff...
Education matters when it comes to relocation
If you’re relocating an employee for work, it’s very likely you’ll be heavily involved in the process - helping organise the move and then supporting that individual throughout. But what if they’re taking their family with them to their new post - moving to another...
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