When asked about affordable care in the recent US presidential debate, Donald Trump told the audience that he had “a concept of a plan”. This much-derided phrase rang so many bells with me because this is exactly the approach that so many charities take about their property. It is always such a surprise to see how much is left to chance in property.

Trustees may have a concept of a plan when it comes to long-term property management, but details, timing, dates of execution? Not so much. The fact is that they are not sufficiently interested. Property is a means to an end. It is not of itself a soul-feeding proposition like the cause or community they work for. Interestingly too, even with heritage property where the property is surely the point of the charity, it is big-picture stuff like education, interpretation of history and community consultation which inspires and gobbles up the budget, not boring stuff like drains, gutters, electricals, or the small stuff that eats money like inefficient heating or lights left on.