Link Group Ltd is celebrating following a successful year of kitchen and bathroom installations across its central belt housing stock by its in-house repairs and maintenance service, Link Property.

Link Property successfully installed 243 kitchens and 234 bathrooms during 2017/2018, receiving an overwhelming amount of positive feedback and surpassing internal performance targets.

The installations were made possible through a special partnership with Procurement for Housing Scotland (PfH Scotland) to source suppliers of kitchen and bathroom products who would meet Link’s stringent technical and quality specifications, while also delivering excellent value for money.

Successful completion of Link’s kitchen and bathroom installations programme comes as social landlords across Scotland continue efforts to bring social sector properties up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. The Standard sets a range of minimum criteria properties must meet in order to be compliant. These include a specific requirement that kitchens and bathrooms are in good condition.

Latest statistics show that the number of social sector properties in scope but failing to comply with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard fell from 90,000 in March 2014 to around 30,000 by the end of the 2017-18 financial year.

Commenting on the successful completion of the programme, Colin Culross, director of development and asset management, Link Group Ltd, said: “We’re delighted with the success of our kitchen and bathroom installation programme since bringing these works in house. Link Property reported a satisfaction rate of 98.84% last year, and we aim to continue to improve this as we move forward.

“Our partnership with PfH Scotland enabled us to deliver the high standard of service our tenants have come to expect while remaining within our budgets.”

Stephen Herriot, head of operations at PfH Scotland, said: “At PfH Scotland, we know how hard social landlords are working to ensure their properties meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard, including providing kitchens and bathrooms that are in good condition. But we also recognise the challenge of achieving this when labour and material costs are rising while there is a continued expectation on social landlords to keep rents affordable.

“PfH Scotland can help social landlords like Link to make big savings on repair and maintenance through a targeted and strategic approach to the procurement of products and services.”