Claire Archbould is an Irwell Valley Lettings Officer. Covering Bury, Radcliffe, Walkden, Rossendale, Pendle and Bolton, Claire is responsible for signing up new residents and making sure existing residents are happy in their homes.

 

My alarm goes off at 6.30am, so I get up, get ready and manage a slice of toast before making my way to my first appointment. This morning, I’ve got a viewing with a new resident at 8.30am in Bury. Part of my job involves showing prospective residents around available Irwell Valley homes, and hopefully finding somewhere new for them to live. My first appointment goes really well and the new resident decides to take the property, so I let them know about the moving in process.

I’m based in Irwell Valley’s Bolton office, so after the viewing, I head over to check my emails and see what else is planned for the day.

Transfers

As part of the lettings team, I answer calls from residents on a variety of issues from rent enquiries to transfer applications. Today, a resident calls to find out about moving to a bigger house, so I go through what’s involved and advise the resident what to do next.

 

Normally, to qualify for a transfer, a resident must have been an Irwell Valley resident for at least twelve months and their house must be in a good condition. As this caller seems to meet the criteria, I send out a transfer application form for them to fill in.

New Resident

At 12:15pm, I’ve got an interview with a prospective new resident, who has applied for a new home in Bolton. After we receive an application, we invite new applicants for an interview so we can to find out more about their needs. All prospective residents are assessed according to a points system, to make sure everyone is treated fairly. During the interview we go through this system with the applicant to check all their information is correct. We also ask for references from previous landlords to make sure they met all the terms of their tenancy. The applicant is then placed on a waiting list until an appropriate home becomes available.

After the interview, it’s time for lunch!

Making Life Easier

At 2:00pm, I have another property viewing with a current Irwell Valley resident, who is also looking to move house. The resident is now less mobile and requires a home that meets her needs. I take the resident to see one of Irwell Valley’s supported housing schemes, which allows residents to enjoy their freedom but ensures they are safe within their home.
Finding a new home for a resident when their needs change is a big part of my job and it’s really satisfying to know that you’ve made a difference to that resident’s life when you find them a new place to live. The resident thinks that the scheme will suit her perfectly, so I arrange for her to transfer.

 

Improving Standards

Once again, it’s back to the office, this time for a quick meeting with the maintenance team. Another part of my job is to keep an eye on the status of empty homes within my five neighbourhoods. When a resident moves out and before the home is re-let, Irwell Valley makes sure that the home meets our re-let standard. With help from a panel of residents, this standard has recently been updated to make sure residents are happy with their new home, as soon as they move in. The maintenance team tell me that a home in one of my neighbourhoods is now ready to be re-let, so I can now match this home with someone on the waiting list.

After the meeting, I suddenly realise it’s 4:45pm and almost the end of my day.

Tonight I’m going swimming, which I really enjoy, so I leave the office at a reasonable time, after organising my jobs for tomorrow. After a few lengths of the pool, I head home and have dinner. I sit down just in time for one of my favourite programmes, Property Ladder – I’m a bit of an aspiring property developer, probably because of all the time I spend looking around houses.

So, I finally sit down for the evening, put my feet up and dream about making millions!