What is Property Maintenance?

Property maintenance is fundamental to preserving the value and functionality of residential, commercial, and hospitality buildings.

Upkeep ensures a property remains a safe, efficient, and pleasant place to live or work. Recognising the importance of routine maintenance can significantly impact your quality of life and the longevity of your property investments.

Introduction to Property Maintenance

Property maintenance serves as a crucial aspect in managing any property's lifecycle. It involves the upkeep required to ensure that buildings and their surroundings remain in prime condition, providing a safe and appealing environment for occupants and visitors alike. Whether you own a single-family home, manage a large commercial complex, or run a hospitality venture, understanding the basics of property maintenance can help in maintaining your property's value and operational efficiency.

What is Property Maintenance?

Property maintenance is defined as "the process of preserving a residential, commercial, apartment, or hospitality building and its immediate surroundings through a set of specific maintenance activities." This ongoing care is essential for prolonging the lifespan of property assets and ensuring they continue to meet the needs of those who use them.

Importance of Regular Maintenance

Regular maintenance is key to avoiding costly repairs and replacements in the future. By conducting routine checks and addressing issues promptly, property owners can ensure that minor problems do not escalate into major issues. Regular maintenance activities include cleaning, landscaping, and the repair of electrical and plumbing systems. These tasks not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the property but also contribute to the safety and comfort of its inhabitants.

Maintenance Activities Explained

Maintenance tasks vary greatly depending on the type of property and its specific needs. For residential buildings, this might include lawn care, HVAC system checks, and plumbing repairs. To ensure high standards in electrical maintenance, property owners often employ electrician apprentices under the supervision of certified electricians, enhancing both efficiency and safety.  Commercial properties, on the other hand, require a broader range of services such as parking lot maintenance, large-scale cleaning operations, and the upkeep of mechanical systems. In all cases, the goal is to maintain a high standard of living and working conditions for everyone involved.

Strategic Planning in Maintenance

Effective property maintenance also involves strategic planning and the implementation of a maintenance schedule that aligns with the property’s usage and occupancy patterns. This proactive approach helps in managing costs and minimizing downtime due to repairs. Property managers and owners should also consider the long-term benefits of upgrades and replacements that could improve efficiency or enhance the property’s value.

Property maintenance is not just about fixing what is broken; it is about proactive management and ensuring that every aspect of the property is operating at its best. With the right maintenance plan in place, property owners can safeguard their investments and ensure that their property remains a desirable place for years to come.

Examples of Property Upkeep

Examples of property maintenance activities are:

• cleaning of the interior and exterior common areas of the building (including roof gutters, drains, corridors, etc.)
• rodent removal and management
• maintenance, replacement, and repair of all mechanical and electrical systems (such as induction motors and electrical distribution panels), landscaping, and garbage
• separation and disposal (water supply, lighting, HVAC, water heating, etc.)
• security checks (proactive routine checks of the building's electrical and mechanical systems, fire suppression equipment, and safety inspections overall).

Maintenance is advantageous to both the residents and the owner of a property because it helps to satisfy everyone.

When you get home from a long day of work, you want to be able to relax without having to worry about problems such as a blocked kitchen sink, a slippery, dimly lit staircase where your kids could fall and get hurt, or non-flushing toilets. This is the expectation that you have as an occupant.

You, as the owner of the property, want to make sure that your investment does not depreciate over time and that you do not spend the majority of your day addressing complaints from unsatisfied tenants. In addition, you do not want your investment to be depreciated. You must take precautions to protect yourself from legal action in the event that a visitor to your property sustains an injury.

What Does a Property Maintenance Company Do?

Property managers hire a property maintenance company to handle regular and specialised maintenance. The property maintenance company handles cleaning, landscaping, seasonal repairs, and one-off repairs like replacing doors, fixing locks, and repairing roof leaks.

Property maintenance companies usually agree to be on-site on certain days with the Property Manager. Larger complexes may need weekly maintenance, while smaller buildings may need monthly service.

These companies' speed and flexibility attract property managers. They're a cost-effective alternative to full-time on-site maintenance staff, and their large teams allow them to complete multiple repairs and projects quickly.

The Drawbacks of Property Maintenance Companies

Property maintenance companies may seem smart, but they have limits.

You may pay a flat monthly rate to maintain a property that requires little work. If you have low-maintenance residents or a well-kept property, the maintenance firm you hire will have little to do.

If maintenance needs spike, the company may not be able to keep up. The property maintenance company limits you. If you have a high volume of work orders, the company may not be able to respond quickly, frustrating your residents.

Lack of Expertise: Sometimes, a maintenance company lacks the necessary experience. If you need a licenced, specialised contractor, you must hire outside help, incurring additional costs and fees.

Hiring a property maintenance company might not be ideal for your bottom line.

Do You Need a Property Maintenance Company?

Look at your existing tools and systems before hiring a property maintenance company. With some planning, you may not need a full-time property manager.

First, make a maintenance list. Maintain your lawn, pool, and home. Then, check fire alarms and HVAC systems. These will increase your monthly workload. Finally, plan for emergency repairs.

Second, determine how big a team you'll need. For every 100 multifamily units, a property has enough work for one full-time maintenance tech and maintenance manager.

Here, you can estimate labour costs and hours. You can use this as a starting point to compare property maintenance companies in your price range.

How to Find the Right Company?

The majority of property maintenance websites also feature a photograph or image gallery, which will give you an idea of how their services have contributed to the transformation of various properties over the years. The majority of companies that provide property maintenance provide a wide variety of services, enabling them to provide all-encompassing care for your property.

Timeliness

You need to look into hiring a property maintenance company that is capable of delivering its renovation and maintenance services in the most efficient amount of time possible. For instance, if your property has been subjected to some water damage, then the clock is ticking, and you need to act quickly. If it is not treated, water has the potential to become polluted very quickly.

Even worse, it can seep into the woodwork and walls, eventually causing much more severe damage. It is for this reason that you should investigate the turnaround time that a property maintenance company can provide for you as it is a very smart move to take.

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Range of Services

Ideally, you should be able to retain the services of a single property maintenance company in Auckland and allow them to look after your house thoroughly. Therefore, it would be good to hire the services of a company that can give you:

• plastering and plumbing
• painting
• looking after your tiles
• repairing your various appliances
• looking after furnishings and furniture
• gas fitting and even
• locksmith services.

This way, all you have to do is enter into a comprehensive contract with a single company and leave your property in their care.

Reasons Why You Need Property Maintenance Company

Right Ways Are Done By Property Maintenance Companies

Even though these businesses won't be as concerned about the asset as you are, they are concerned about maintaining a good reputation in the marketplace. They are aware that in order to avoid you never using them once more and perhaps leaving a negative review online, they need to do everything correctly.

Since these individuals are specialists in the field, you can have peace of mind knowing that they have a better chance of doing a job well than you do. Despite what the video creator on YouTube may claim, simply observing some videos on the platform will not qualify you as an expert in replacing drywall or repairing pipes.

It is true that you can expand the scope of your investigation by purchasing additional books or engaging in additional practice, but there is something else that you must bear in mind.

Employing Property Maintenance Companies is a Time-Saving Move.

If you respect your time, don't waste it on maintenance. As an investor, you buy property to earn cash. Property managers should spend their time networking and pursuing new customers.

Some say DIY is worthwhile because it adds variety to your life. You can add variety to your life without installing windows, putting down hardwood, or painting walls.

Should you pay a painter $50 per hour? If your hourly wage is $25 and you are a painter as good as the $50-an-hour guy, put on your painting attire.

If the artist's fees are $25 to $30 an hour and your hourly wage is $25, you should hire him so that you can invest your time in more important tasks.

It Is The Responsibility of the Property Maintenance Firm

Have you ever damaged something while attempting to fix it around your house? Perhaps you attempted to construct a hardscape patio, but it came out uneven. Or perhaps you attempted to fix a leaking pipe and inadvertently made matters worse.

Guess who is in charge when that occurs? Yeah, you. This increases frustration, which is not what we want in a rental home. Your efforts might be better spent finding tenants, discovering new property management software, etc.

If you hire a handyman or maintenance company to complete the task, they are accountable. Yes, you are still the owner of the house, but they must correct any issues they cause.

It Isn't Just A One-Man Show

It's too dependent on a single person to do all the maintenance on an investment property by yourself or by hiring one individual (like a maintenance man).

What transpires if that person becomes ill? Or do their kids fall ill? Or do they encounter a problem that they are unable to resolve?

When you work with a team, these kinds of things don't occur as frequently. Maintenance and repair companies typically work together so they can complete the job even if one or two people are temporarily absent. When you're rushing to get your property fixed up so renters can start moving in, this might not seem big, but every day that passes means money is being lost through the broken window.

Tips for Keeping Your Property in Tip-Top Shape

In addition to what we’ve mentioned above, here are a few tips that will help you to guarantee that your property constantly remains in its best condition:

Finance Maintenance Projects First

Given all the other problems that demand funding on your property, it might be tempting to make cuts. on the money you spend on maintenance. However, this can result in the rapid deterioration of assets and an uncontrollable list of maintenance that has been put off, which produces an environment that is ripe for the development of safety hazards.

You need to make a proactive estimate and budget for annual maintenance costs, including both operating expenses and capital expenses, in order to avoid these problems even more. In most cases, it is recommended that you allocate preferably between 2 and 4 percent of your property's present-day replacement cost to the budget for annual maintenance for your property. According to the findings of some internal research, if you spend one dollar on maintenance, you will save five dollars long-term.

Purchase and Utilise Robust Components

If you wish to maintain your estate in pristine condition, use new parts that are dependable in their operation and can last as long as possible. By stocking your replacement parts with greater-quality components, you are making investments in the durability of your residence or place of business (like motors, fan belts, light bulbs, HVAC parts, and pumps, among other things).

Although extremely long-lasting products may have a higher initial price tag, they will save you money on maintenance and reduce the number of issues that require frequent rework.

Enable Routine Property Audits

Routine facility condition assessments (FCA) are another key to maintaining your property. FCA provides baseline data on the property's systems and highlights improvement areas.

Throughout FCA, the examination crew checks the quality of all assets and identifies security hazards for rapid correction.

Property maintenance companies are essential. It may take some time, but the investment is worth it. As your portfolio grows, you'll need more time for other tasks.

If you manage or own residential property, don't neglect maintenance. Most jurisdictions require it.