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Can you come after business hours to give a quote? - Yes, I can within reason.
Can you work on weekends when I am home? - Yes we can!
Are quotes free? - Yes they are.
Do I need to call a locksmith to have my door locks replaced? - No, we can help you out there.
I have accidently put a hole in my wall, can you fix it? - Yes we can!
I have purchased a 3m x 3m shed and need it built. Can you do it and do I need council approval? - Yes we can and No you do not need council permission for structures under 10 square meters under the building code.
My sliding doors aren't sliding really well, can you fix repair them? Yes we can.
When you’re maintaining any property it’s important to have a plan. While it might seem obvious, a surprising number of home owners, property maintenance companies and property managers don’t have a proactive documented plan.
Not having a plan is a common property maintenance mistake that can lead to expensive issues further down the track. Here are a few other mistakes to avoid:
1. Not inspecting your property and grounds regularly for damage. If you don’t take a proactive approach to seeking out problems and fixing them straight away you’ll be forced into a reactive situation where repairs aren’t carried out until they have become serious and expensive.
2. Not keeping records of maintenance carried out. Keeping a log of what maintenance has been carried out can help you plan and budget for future work as well as providing documentation that can be used in the event of a tenant dispute.
3. Not getting out and around your property. Many property managers make the mistake of trying to manage their property from the safety of their desk. Without getting out and about and checking out your property yourself on a regular basis, you won’t really know what’s going on.
4. Not informing tenants of work being carried out. This is a common mistake that can lead to unhappy tenants and sometimes even legal issues if you require access. It’s important to keep your tenants happy as if they aren’t happy they may leave. Make sure your tenants are given ample notice of any repairs or building works that are going to be carried out, especially if their business is going to be affected.
5. Not budgeting adequately for repairs and maintenance. It’s essential that you create a budget and keep an eye on it or you may face difficulties in the event of urgent work being required. Without a budget, you may also find you’re unable to complete regular maintenance work or be proactive and this can lead to higher costs in the future.
6. Scoping your project badly. It’s easy to blow a budget that wasn’t set out correctly in the first place, and unless you're a building maintenance expert it’s easy to under- or overestimate costs. Whether you’ve miscalculated the price of materials, or underestimated the time and amount of labour a project needs, “blowing the budget” is all-too familiar for many of the best-intentioned facility managers.
7. Only doing reactive and emergency maintenance. Emergency fixes are more expensive than planned maintenance. And if you’ve noticed missing roof tiles or a crack in the wall, it’s already too late for the most cost-effective maintenance option. When you’re planning your maintenance budgets for your home or commercial property, cost out a proactive maintenance schedule and stick to it! Regular, preventative maintenance will keep disruptions to a minimum and help keep your costs manageable.
8. Not leaving room for changes. Always plan for the unexpected when budgeting for maintenance. Building in a buffer gives you the flexibility to adapt financially to unscheduled events that might delay your project or pay for unexpected repairs that your initial plans may uncover. For instance, we were once asked to quote for repairs for a small water leak, turned out it was small and that they needed urgent, more extensive roof and carpentry work done to fix their problem.
Whether you’re maintaining your own home or commercial property or someone else’s, it’s important to plan thoroughly and be proactive. Property maintenance doesn’t just impact the appearance of a property, it can have serious safety implications and property value affects.
Do it right and you’ll be able to avoid a lot of stress and ensure everyone on and around your property is safe.
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