Chelsea Austin, Marketing Coordinator, Earl Kendrick
For two and a half years, I lived in a shiny new flat on a brand new development in Torquay. I arrived with fresh eyes, and what I found was almost unnervingly perfect. The buildings were pristine, the grass was mowed and from my balcony you could see the sea. Everyone said hello. Families picnicked together in the communal gardens. It felt like The Truman Show – that bubble of safe, wholesome, sunlit suburbia. For a while, it was the perfect environment to bring up our child.
But, as with Seahaven in The Truman Show, cracks eventually appeared. Not in the façade (although some literal ones did appear), but in the fabric of community life. The small maintenance jobs weren’t done. The shared areas became a little unloved. That easy friendliness among neighbours began to fade. The place lost its sheen. It lacked soul – not because it was inherently flawed, but because good environments need nurturing.
That experience taught me something: you can’t engineer a community feeling, but you can create the conditions in which one can grow. Safety, cleanliness, comfort, good communication and shared involvement – these are the foundations. And in my role at Earl Kendrick, I’ve come to appreciate just how much a multidisciplinary surveying practice can contribute to helping people not just live in their block of flats, but truly live well.
So what does “living well” look like, and how can firms like ours help deliver it?
Building safety first
There’s no wellbeing without safety. Earl Kendrick’s building safety consultants have worked extensively with Principal Accountable Persons, Responsible Persons and their managing agents to help meet the obligations of the Building Safety Act 2022 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. From creating resident engagement strategies to compiling safety case reports, our team brings together multiple disciplines to keep buildings safe, sound and regulator-ready. And we’re not afraid to call out developers when their legacy issues need fixing.
Keeping the building healthy
A well-maintained building is a harmonious one. We help managing agents and freeholders to identify defects, implement planned maintenance programmes (PMPs), and prepare long-term capital expenditure plans. This helps smooth out the financial peaks and troughs that can stress leaseholders – and service charge budgets! Predictability and affordability are essential if people are to feel secure in their homes, and our project managers ensure that repair and improvement works are delivered with care, communication and competence.
Energy efficiency and retrofit
In a world facing a climate emergency, comfort and conscience go hand in hand. Our green retrofit specialists work with clients to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and lower fuel bills. Whether it’s insulation upgrades, ventilation strategies or groundwork for EV charging points, we help blocks of flats move toward net zero, while making homes warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
Shared spaces, shared lives
Communal areas can be soulless corridors – or they can be welcoming spaces where neighbours meet and relationships grow. Earl Kendrick’s interior designers transform these spaces with warmth, light and accessibility in mind. We believe in beauty and functionality. That includes thoughtful lighting for safety and mood, and step-free access that helps everyone feel welcome.
A Helping Hand for Property Managers
We don’t just design and assess – we collaborate. Property managers who work with Earl Kendrick have a team of surveyors, building safety experts, planners and designers behind them. We act as their trusted advisors, helping them create environments where people feel safe, heard and connected.
At the end of The Truman Show, Truman steps through the set wall in search of something real. For those of us in flats, the goal isn’t just a flawless façade – it’s a place that feels safe, lived-in and genuinely connected. Community can’t be scripted, but it can be supported. At Earl Kendrick, we help shape places where people don’t just live – they thrive, connect, and feel truly at home.