Our Property Investment Standard

Our core purpose is to provide safe and decent homes for customers for today and tomorrow. There are four key principles that guide all planned investment to make sure our homes meet the Government’s Decent Homes Standard as a minimum and remain great places to live for customers.

Our Investment Principles

1. Safe

All homes will be free from the presence of severe HHSRS* hazards
Planned investment work will be completed by competent contractors
Planned investment specifications will be regularly reviewed to ensure they are in accordance with relevant building regulations and best practice
All new windows and doors will be installed to the current Secured by Design standards

2. Modern

We will carry out stock condition surveys every 5 years
Kitchens and bathrooms will be given a target lifespan but investment will be driven by condition, repairs and customer insight data
We will regularly review our investment specifications to reflect modern designs

3. Energy Efficient

We will improve the energy efficiency of homes up to EPC C where possible by 2030
We will seek to minimise the environmental impact of homes, such as reducing water consumption though installing over bath showers
We will aim to reduce energy demand and reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere by installing A rated heating systems and adopting a ‘fabric first approach’*

4. Customer Focused

You can choose from a range of colours and designs in kitchens, flooring, wallboards and external doors, where appropriate
You will be involved in the process when appointing new contractors or suppliers
You will have a Customer Experience Coordinator to support you through investment works. We also offer the supply of packing and storage services and decoration vouchers or packs

Investment standards

Kitchen replacements will include:

Adequate space for storage, appliances and food preparation
A choice of worktops, units and vinyl flooring
Chrome sink, taps and splashback
Stop-tap replacement
Renewed hot and cold water pipework
Replacement radiators if defective
New extractor fan
Making good of plasterwork, decoration of walls, ceiling and woodwork

Bathroom replacements will include:

Steel white bath or shower cubicle if you live in a ground floor flat or bungalow
New chrome thermostatic mixer shower and shower curtain
New white toilet and sink
New chrome taps
Removal of existing tiling and a choice of new wallboards
Choice of vinyl flooring
New extractor fan
Making good of plasterwork, decoration of walls, ceiling and woodwork
For wet rooms, new anti-slip vinyl flooring and wallboards will be fitted

Electrical rewires will include:

New consumer unit and cabling
Re-plastering of all affected areas
New white sockets and switches at convenient locations
New light fittings and low energy bulbs (LED)
New fire and carbon monoxide alarms
Removal of downflow heaters, towel rails and associated electrical sockets/cables
Removal of any secondary heat source, such as gas or electric fires, this is optional and a choice of alternative finishes are available

Roof replacements will include:

Ecology surveys and installation of bat or bird boxes
New tiled/felted roof covering with dry verge system
New white uPVC fascia boards, soffits and barge boards
New black uPVC guttering and downpipes if present
Roof alignment
Removal of chimneys that aren’t used but we will keep chimney breasts. If the chimney is in use or shared with a non Gentoo property, it will be repaired where necessary
Replacement of corroded wall ties
Upgraded loft insulation to meet current energy efficiency standard
Replacement of flats roofs on bay windows, outhouses, garages or offshoots
Canopy replacement

Windows and doors replacements will include:

New white uPVC windows with ‘easy clean’ hinges
New white 4 panel composite front door and 2 panel rear door.
Chrome letterbox, spy hole, house number and low-level threshold
Fire escape windows, where required
Windows restrictors as per building regulation requirements
Obscured glazing in bathrooms
Windows will feature ‘easy clean’ hinges to ensure they are accessible for cleaning from the inside
For properties in a conservation area or a listed building, we will focus on maintaining the historic windows and doors whilst providing additional security and improving energy efficiency

Cyclical Decoration (external) works will include:

Repairing and painting front and dividing fences and gates supplied by Gentoo
Cleaning or painting of house render
Repairing or painting anything that was previously painted, such as door canopies, fascia boards, meter boxes etc
Cleaning out guttering to make sure they are freeflowing
Cleaning uPVC fascia and soffit boards
Repairing and painting in communal/ shared areas

Cyclical Decoration (internal communal spaces) works will include:

Making good and decoration of walls and ceilings
Repairing and painting timber and metal items, such as skirting boards, handrails, windows, doors etc
Removal of wallpaper

Boundary replacements will include:

Exploring alternative materials such as transitioning from brick walls to fencing
All boundaries next to a highway will be up to 1m high
All rear boundaries not facing a highway will be up to 1.8m high
All boundaries and gates will be replaced with a durable material
Where permission has not been granted for work or drop kerbs are not present, we will revert the boundary to its original design

Please be aware the painting of rear fencing and gates is your responsibility as a customer.

If your home is due investment work as part of our annual investment programme, you will receive a letter from us and contact from our contractors to let you know the details of any planned investment work due to take place to your home. We carry out stock condition surveys to check if your home needs investment work. Find full details of our annual investment plan or a printed copy can be requested.

Heating replacements will include:

Replacing existing gas boilers with an A rated combi boiler and Air Source Heat Pump*
Electrical heating upgrades
New heating controls to improve energy efficiency
All boundaries and gates will be replaced with a durable material
Ensuring all radiators have thermostatic radiator valves unless the room has a thermostat
Replacing any radiators that are too small for the room
Ensuring a carbon monoxide detector is located next to the boiler
Covering pipework below the boiler with removable timber boxing
Replacing existing pipework in concrete floors with low level surface
Removing secondary heat sources such as gas or electric fires. This is optional and a choice of alternative finishes are available

Please be aware the investment standards information is generalised and work may differ depending on your personal circumstances.

Putting customers at the heart of decision making

You will:

Work with a kitchen designer to agree the layout of your new kitchen
Be given a choice of cupboard doors, worktops, upstands and flooring when designing your new kitchen
Be provided with a packing and storage service when your home is undergoing kitchen replacement and rewiring planned investment work
Be provided with decoration vouchers and disturbance contributions when your home is undergoing kitchen replacement and rewiring planned investment work
Be given a handbook guide to internal modernisation with all information needed about the work
Be given a choice of wallboards and floor coverings when receiving a new bathroom
Still have working aerials, telecommunication cables, satellite dishes etc during roof replacements
Be offered options for the space where an electric fire was located, if the fire is removed
Be given a choice between clear or privacy glass during rear door replacements
Be given the choice to keep or change window designs where windows reach full wall height with glazed panels on top and insulated panels below
We understand some improvement work can be disruptive. You will have a Gentoo Customer Experience Coordinator to support you whilst work is ongoing
We will engage with Sunderland Care and Support if aids and adaptations are required. Your personal circumstances will be considered as part of any improvement work

Customer Charter for Property Services

All Gentoo colleagues and contractors working on behalf of Gentoo will follow the below Customer Charter to make sure you receive the best possible customer service when having work carried out in your home.

Brilliant basics

Show you their ID badge before entering your home
Look presentable wearing full uniform and wear shoe covers to protect your floor coverings
Be courteous, friendly and polite
Treat your home with respect
Aim to get jobs right first time where possible
Ask if there is anything else they can help you with

Respect and empathy

Providing a tailored service to your needs
Communicating with you every day whilst work is taking place in your home
Treat your home respectfully and always keep work areas clean and tidy
Accommodating reasonable requests. For example, avoiding appointments during the school run
Adopting the Gentoo CARE model, ensuring our actions are Clear, Assured, Respectful and Empathetic

Communication and Engagement

Keep in regular contact around the work happening in your home, by sending an email, text, phone call, or an in person visit
If there are any changes to work being carried out in your home, you will be informed in a timely manner
You will be given the opportunity to provide feedback on our service through satisfaction surveys. Your views are important to us and we always act upon customer feedback
You will receive an in person induction visit before major works are completed in your home
You will be provided with a dedicated after-care service to ensure work you are happy with the work. If any issues arise, we will work with you to resolve these

Quality

Works are delivered to specification, to a high quality and on time
A Gentoo colleague may attend your home to complete quality checks during or after the work Access to your cooking, washing and toilet facilities will not be affected at the end of each day
If you are dissatisfied with the quality of work, we will aim to communicate with you within one working day
If you would like to make a complaint about our service, you will have access to our complaints policy and procedures

Key building components lifecycle*

Kitchens 23 years
Bathrooms 30 years
Boiler 15 - 20 years (depending on boiler type)
Heating system (pipework and radiators) 30 years
Windows 30 years
External doors 40 years
Roof finish (pitched) 70 - 90 years (depending on type of material)
Roof finish (flat) 20 - 40 years (depending on type of material)
Electrical systems 40 years

*Component lifecycles are indicative. All properties are subject to regular stock condition surveys where the condition and estimated remaining life of each component is assessed. This will result in some components being replaced in advance of the indicative lifecycle if they are in poor condition while others will be extended if they are in good condition.

Key word glossary

HHSRS - The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) assesses 29 housing hazards and the effect that each may have on the health and safety of current or future occupants of the property

Fabric first approach -The use of high-quality, energy-efficient materials and construction techniques to create more energy efficient homes.

Air source heat pumps - Uses heat from the outside air to heat a building and provide hot water. It is more efficient than traditional boilers.

Decent Home Standard - A minimum set of quality standards for social housing. The standard ensures homes are free from health and safety hazards, in a reasonable state of repair, have modern facilities, and provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.

Stock condition survey - An inspection of key elements inside and outside of your home. The survey allows us to assess the age and condition of these elements and ensure your home is safe and comfortable. The survey helps us plan future improvement work to your home and ensures we are compliant with the Government’s ‘Decent Home Standard.’

Cyclical decoration - Cyclical decoration refers to a type of property maintenance where specific areas are refurbished in cycles, usually around 7 years, in order to maintain the appearance and condition of properties.