Walk Ilford from Valentines Mansion and Park outwards and the mainly Edwardian pattern is obvious: 45% of the 11,156 households in IG1 live in flats, 55% in houses.
Owner-occupation runs at 41% in Ilford, so alongside the 46% rental churn there is steady planned work — refurbishments, downsizes and probate clearances booked weeks ahead.
Expect solid London stock brick; locally that also means some of it dry-lined during a later refurbishment — where 41% owner-occupation means the same home is booked again rather than a new tenant each year behind the plaster in IG1. That is why fixings are picked in the room rather than off a van shelf, and why in IG1, fixings landing in soft lime mortar joints instead of the brick body — and with 20% one-person households in Ilford, one adult is usually the only pair of hands on site is the fault we are called back to undo.
Two streets can behave very differently in Ilford: a major town centre with the Exchange mall and a fast-growing skyline of new flats. The quote reflects the street the job is actually on. Ilford is outside the Congestion Charge zone but inside ULEZ; our vehicles are compliant, so nothing is added for it.
On access, town-centre loading windows, new towers with booked lifts and a busy one-way system — one reason two crew and a Luton or tipper; three where everything has to be carried through a hallway. Fitters travelling in use Ilford (Elizabeth line).
