Find out what’s happening with Fresh Start this year

We’re continuing with our Fresh Start offer this year and will be investing £750,000 into improving the re-let standard of 290 empty properties.

Our Fresh Start standard is a pioneering project which sees some of our hardest to let one-bedroom flats and bedsits refurbished to a higher standard.

Over the last year we spent £610,000 and fit out 151 properties across Birmingham and Coventry.

This financial year we will be spending £750,000 to fit out 290 properties across areas of Coventry including Bell Green, Hillfields, Wood End, Willenhall and Willenhall Wood as well as pockets of low-rise flats in Birmingham. Hereford and Worcester will also be included in the scheme.

Last year half of the homes provided customers with new flooring and white goods, while the other half had new flooring and fresh decoration. We listened to customer feedback which told us decorated properties offered the most value to customers, we will therefore continue with the decorating and providing flooring. There will be customers who require white goods, and our staff will continue to assist with applications for community grant funding.

Our Head of Allocations and Lettings Clare Garner said: “It’s fantastic that we are moving on to the third year of our Fresh Start standard and we aim to refurbish 290 homes this financial year.

“We believe that people who move into our homes deserve a fresh start and this scheme really helps.

“We have received some fantastic feedback from customers who really appreciate the decoration and flooring and say it has made a huge difference having these when moving into their new home.

Head of Voids Matt Lloyd said: “Following the various specification tests last year the team has now been increased to accommodate full decoration in all properties. The team have settled into what now feels like business as usual which is great.

“Thank you to everyone who has worked on Fresh Start to date – you’ve done a great job and we’re looking forward to helping more customers over the next year.”

Our Fresh Start project has been running for over two years and by the end of this financial year we will have completed 521 homes across our regions.

For media enquiries contact our Communications Team.