Maintenance Archives - Page 2 of 2

Articles Tagged with: Maintenance

Property Maintenance: 7 Key Considerations

As a responsible property owner, it’s important to engage in regular, scheduled property maintenance in order to prevent problems before they occur. This not only saves money and stress in the long run but also helps to keep your property in top condition. In this blog, we’ll cover some of the key aspects of preventative property maintenance, including why it’s important and how to go about it.

Have your HVAC system serviced and inspected every year

Fall is the best time to schedule a routine inspection of your HVAC system. This is because you want to make sure that your system is running efficiently before the cold winter months. During the inspection, a technician will clean the unit and check for any wear and tear. They will also check the electrical connections to make sure that there are no loose wires. By having your HVAC system serviced every year, you can prevent problems from arising and save money on your energy bill.

Check your roof for leaks and damage, and have them repaired as needed

Seasonal changes can take their toll on your roof, so it’s essential to inspect it regularly for leaks and other damage. If you notice any problems, have them repaired as soon as possible to prevent further damage. Leaks can lead to water damage, which can weaken the structure of your roof and lead to costly repairs. Inspect your roof at least once a year and more often if you live in an area with severe weather conditions. If you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, hire a professional to do it for you. They will be able to identify any potential problem areas and make the necessary repairs. By taking these steps, you can help extend the life of your roof and avoid expensive repairs down the road.

Keep your gutters clean and clear of debris to avoid damage.

As any property owner knows, water damage can be a severe issue. Not only can it lead to costly repairs, but it can also create serious health hazards. Mould and mildew can thrive in damp environments, and excess moisture can also lead to the growth of harmful bacteria. One way to help prevent water damage is to keep your gutters clean and clear of debris. Gutters play an important role in channelling water away from your property, and the risk of water damage increases significantly when they become clogged. In addition, regular cleaning will help to prevent the buildup of mould and mildew, keeping your property healthy and safe. So don’t neglect your gutters – a little maintenance can go a long way in protecting your property from water damage.

Trim trees and bushes around the house, so they don’t damage the roof or windows

Commercial property owners have a responsibility to keep their buildings well-maintained. This includes trimming trees and bushes around the house, so they don’t damage the roof or windows. Overgrown branches can scratch paint, break windows, and even cause structural damage to the roof. In addition, fallen leaves can clog gutters and downspouts, leading to flooding and water damage. By regularly trimming trees and bushes, commercial property owners can help keep their buildings in good condition and prevent costly repairs.

Inspect the foundation of your property for cracks or other signs of damage

Concrete is a versatile and durable material that is commonly used for foundations, driveways, and sidewalks. However, concrete can crack over time due to settling, ground movement, or changes in temperature. Cracks in concrete can create trip hazards and allow water to seep into the foundation, leading to further damage. For this reason, it is essential to inspect the concrete on your property regularly for signs of cracking. cracks. If you notice any cracks, be sure to have them repaired as soon as possible by a qualified contractor. By taking proactive measures to maintain your concrete, you can help ensure the long-term stability of your foundation.

Replace batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors

One of the most important things you can do to protect your property from fire damage is regularly check and replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Smoke detectors are required by law in most jurisdictions, but even if they’re not, they’re an essential safety measure that every property should have. Carbon monoxide detectors are also a good idea, particularly if you have gas-powered appliances or a fireplace. Both types of detectors should be replaced every six months to ensure they’re working properly. You should also test them monthly by pressing the test button. If the detector doesn’t make any sound, it’s time to replace the battery. By taking these simple steps, you can help keep your business safe from fire damage.

Consider contracting property maintenance services if you feel overwhelmed

Property maintenance is a big job with any property, no matter its size, or the size of your operation. If you or your team are trying to manage it all on your own, it can be a struggle. Beyond just being difficult or stressful, not every team has the time or the expertise to keep up with maintenance and their business at the same time. When you consider that proper maintenance is key to ensuring your business can run smoothly, any time you have to choose between working on your core business or your property maintenance, the end result is always detrimental to your business. Sometimes, the most responsible choice is to let someone else take the problem off your hands so that you can focus on what really matters.

Taking a few simple steps each year can help you avoid costly and potentially dangerous repairs down the road. Please feel free to contact us for a free quote and inspection to make sure your property is ready for the winter weather. We’ll make sure your HVAC system is in good shape, your roof is leak-free, your gutters are clear and more. Keep your business safe and warm this winter by preparing your property now. Or, if you’re interested in our property maintenance services, we’d love to get together and explore the possibilities for a partnership. Get in touch with us today to schedule a FREE on-site consultation.

What is Asset Management Consulting?

We here at Bilt recently launched our new Asset Management consulting program, and today we’re excited to share some details about it from our President, Jeff Gould. We sat down with him recently to ask some questions about what it is, how it works, and what clients can expect when they sign on.

What is Asset Management?
What value does Asset Management offer property owners?
How do you generate an effective asset management plan?
Why should property owners trust that this service has value for them?
Not convinced?
More info about the program.

1. What is Asset Management? What aspects of property ownership does it cover?

Asset management covers the entire lifecycle of an asset, like a property or a building, including optimizing maintenance expenditures and maximizing its utility.

This kind of management is focused on the asset and its maintenance, not on the business you use it for. We leave the running of your core business up to you.

2. What value does asset management offer property owners? How are these benefits achieved?

Excellent asset management involves optimizing maintenance costs, which reduces expenditure. But it also ensures that your property is always in good condition, so maintenance issues don’t get in the way of your revenue generation.

So increased profit is the main benefit, but it also maintains the value of your property, making it more likely that you’ll get a surplus should you decide to sell.

3. Generally speaking, what questions do you ask about each property to generate an effective and efficient asset management plan?

We look at the financial details of the asset, the ways the asset is used, the most significant cost issues, and consider both tangible and intangible costs of maintenance failures.

If a room in a hotel is unusable due to maintenance failures, that’s tangible lost revenue. On the other hand, if you lease out a property and a maintenance failure impacts your tenants, they’ll still have to pay their rent, but there’s an intangible cost in terms of your reputation with them and the likelihood that they’ll renew their lease.

The goal is to identify high and low-risk maintenance failures, consider the likelihood of failure and the long-term consequences, and allocate maintenance costs accordingly.

4. Why should property owners trust that this service has value for them? What makes Bilt qualified to offer this kind of consultation?

Well, for starters, we want to show property owners how we can help so that they can decide for themselves; no trust required. We offer free consultation meetings with any owners wanting to see how we can help them.

Owners of individual, small properties might be more than capable of handling their asset management independently and won’t need our help. However, owners of multiple properties, or very large properties like hotels, are more likely to benefit from our insight and assistance.

As for qualifications, Bilt is unique in this industry, as we have extensive experience in every step of the construction process, as well as in renovations and property maintenance. Many of us also have experience in industrial settings where asset management is more common and are now carrying those insights into this new asset class.

5. What would you tell a property owner who is interested but not entirely convinced that asset management consulting is right for them? What other services can Bilt offer them?

We also offer property maintenance services they might find valuable, even if they’re not interested in asset management.

However, I’d encourage property owners to get in touch with us and go through a free consultation before making that judgement.

6. How can owners get more information about the asset management program?

They can visit our website to contact us or download a free information sheet about the program, or they could meet with us for a free consultation session to discuss how the program can help them.

Property Maintenance: Outsource, or DIY?

If your organization owns or operates a property, then proper maintenance is an essential part of staying in business:

If you use a property to operate a consumer-facing business, you know just how important it is that customers like the appearance of the storefront and feel safe spending their money there.
If your property is used as office space by your employees, you’re probably aware that a safe, tidy, functional workspace is essential for facilitating efficient work.
If you lease your property out to commercial or residential tenants, then more than anyone you know how important it is that the building and the grounds stay in good shape.

Not only does proper maintenance keep the property functional, but it also helps it retain its value. The further that damaging problems like leaks, pests, or decay are allowed to progress, the harder they’ll be to fully repair. If your building falls into disrepair, not only will it make business more difficult, but it will also drive down the price of the property if you ever decide to sell it.

Okay, so maintaining your property is important, but how do you do it? What kinds of skills and expertise do you require to keep your building(s) in good condition? What counts as property maintenance?

What counts as property maintenance?

For starters, property maintenance refers to the preventative or reactive inspections and repairs done on any physical assets or infrastructure on your property.

So this includes those visually appealing interiors you had designed, and the exterior envelope that’s the first thing clients, customers or tenants see. But it also includes the hidden parts of the building: structural integrity, electrical wiring, water and gas lines, heating and ventilation, etc. Everything that makes your building safe and comfortable to live or work in.

Preventative Maintenance is done on a regular basis to seek out problems that might otherwise go unnoticed and to deal with minor damage from regular wear and tear. In other words, it’s maintenance done to prevent problems that would interfere with your business. For example, it’s good practice to check up on your HVAC systems a few times per year, even if they’ve never caused you any problems.

Reactive Maintenance is done to quickly repair/resolve problems that have already occurred so that you can minimize the impact on your business. So if your HVAC system suddenly stops working in the middle of winter or on a hot summer day, you’ll need quick, reactive maintenance to keep your occupants comfortable.

What skills and expertise are required to maintain a property?

Maintenance requirements will vary based on the age and location of the property, the quality of its construction, and what you use it for. But in general, maintaining a property involves understanding a diverse range of complex systems and regulations well enough to know when things are going wrong, and how to fix them.

Unless your business or organization runs itself, you as the owner probably don’t have the time to take care of the regular maintenance work. And unless your building is relatively small or simple, the maintenance needs will probably be too diverse for one person’s expertise.

You could hire an in-house team of maintenance professionals to cover all your maintenance needs, but if your organization is under a certain size, this would probably be prohibitively expensive.

Why not use contractors?

Luckily, you can outsource maintenance services to contractors: plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other specialists are always an option depending on your need. Contractors only have to get paid when you need them, so you don’t have to employ maintenance personnel when everything is going well, potentially saving you a lot of money.

Contractors are also more scalable, if you suddenly need more maintenance work than your in-house team can manage, you’ll either have to wait until they can get around to the other issues, or hire more workers you probably won’t need in a short time. You could always make these temporary positions, but that still requires a lot of administrative work to seek out and hire new members. Contractors, on the other hand, you can just call when you need.

But outsourcing your maintenance does have its downsides. As free agents, contractors may be stretched thin if many other properties need their services, and might not be as available as your in-house team would be.

Contractors also need to be contacted and requested every time you need them; if your maintenance needs are urgent (e.g. a broken pipe spraying water into a tenant’s unit), these extra steps can delay the solution. An in-house team, if you can afford one, would probably be able to respond more quickly.

Outsourced Property Maintenance Services

There is one more option, however, besides contractors or an in-house team: Bilt’s comprehensive property maintenance services. Instead of having to deal with a plumber and an electrician and an HVAC specialist and a carpenter and any other specialist contractors individually, Bilt provides all of these services when you need them, all in one business. All of our service packages involve all maintenance services, but there are three levels of availability depending on your need:

Our Bronze Package sets you up with as-you-need services for an agreed hourly fee and ensures that any maintenance concerns get addressed within 1-3 days. This is the best option for properties that only require infrequent, mostly reactive maintenance.
Our Silver Package is designed for properties that need more regular maintenance, but won’t be too badly affected when things break down. Together, we’ll create a run-to-failure maintenance program for your property and assets so that you get the most use out of what you already own. Just choose 2-4 days per week, and we’ll come and perform any inspections or maintenance you need on those days.
Finally, our Gold Package is designed for organizations that can’t risk having maintenance issues with their property or their assets. The Gold Package keeps us on-call 24/7 so that we can respond to any maintenance requests as soon as they’re made. Best for clients that need at least 5 days, or 40 hours, per week of maintenance.

You can read more about our services by downloading our Property Maintenance Services Guide.

So which solution is right for you? There are a number of factors to consider before making a decision, so we’ve summarized them in the table below so you can compare every factor. Bilt’s service packages can accommodate any sized business with any amount of property maintenance needs. Get in touch with a representative today to see how our services can start saving you money and keeping your property in tip-top shape.