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Property Maintenance can be a daunting task, but something we all need to tackle in one way or another.  It is an essential part of property management and one we all need to be on top of constantly.  Here are a few tips to help you on your way to perfect property maintenance.

1. DIY or Managed

Depending on your ability, you may be able to take on some or all of the tasks needed for your properties.  You may think that taking on all the work yourself, especially for a renovation job, will save you a packet, but it's worth taking a step back and estimating properly the time you're tying yourself down to, do you have something more profitable to be spending your time in?  If you're after an easier time, then you may wish to employ a property management company which will give you more peace of mind that you're getting a quality job done, and that they are there when you need them.

2. Inspect before Tenancy

This kind of goes without saying but prior to each tenancy, make sure you inspect that everything works and record as such on your inventory.  This ensures that you know your new tenant is going to coming into a working property and that you have recorded this before they enter.

3. Clear Tenancy Agreement

Making sure your tenancy agreement is clear with regard to the items within the property, but also what will be charged to their deposit if work is required to reinstate the property after the tenancy ends.  This ensures that everyone knows the state of play at the end of a tenancy.  You could also make sure the tenancy agreement includes the facilities that you will maintain, such as boiler, or if furnished, appliances etc.

4. Inventory Evidence

Keeping a record of items within a property is needed, before, during and after a tenancy.  Taking pictures with a phone and recording the items in a tool like property managed is a great way of keeping track of your assets.

5. Inspect Regularly

Inspecting your property regularly isn't just to make sure things are where they should be, but also to inspect the state of the physical environment of the property, this is important to make sure that there isn't any damage being done to the fabric of the building.  If there is any damp present, this should be looked into, not only for the obvious reasons, but there could be further ramifications to the building if the underlying cause is not rectified.

6. Be Proactive

Keeping your property in working order is a task that will, in the long term, pay for itself.  Keeping on top of all those small jobs may seem like constant cost, but if you leave them they may become bigger than you initially thought.  Making sure that issues are dealt with quickly, will keep your tenants happy, and your property happy too.

7. Find your Dream Team

No matter what your level of DIY to Managed property maintenance you are at, your probably going to need a tradesman at some point, make sure you find your dream team of tradesmen that you can rely on.  It is much easier if you can just pickup the phone to your goto plumber rather than having to phone around to find someone that can help you.

8. Start From A Good Base

Starting your journey with a building from a good position will help you in the long run.  When you take on a new property, ensuring that everything is working the best it can and nothing is broken or worn will give you a good confidence of moving forward for (hopefully) years without any major issues.

How can we help?

At property managed we think we can help a little, but helping you keep track of the se maintenance tasks, you can add costs, dates, comments, even have the tenant comment on the work too.  We can also keep track of your certificates, like gas safety etc.