When it comes to property, being proactive in your approach can mean the difference between small repairs and extensive, expensive maintenance work. Regular checks identify potential issues at the earliest opportunity, allowing them to be repaired with the minimum of fuss. As we enter 2023 amidst a tumultuous marketplace, the Opago team has identified four preventative maintenance tips for property owners.
These tips are designed to go alongside aesthetic and small maintenance tasks. Painting and dressing improves guest experience, while checking smoke and carbon monoxide alarms regularly means you'll avoid unnecessary call outs. Getting all of this in hand prior to busy seasons means you have more time to focus on your core business objectives.
Read on to find out more!
Appliances
Aside from the purchase price, the appliances in a home are often the most expensive part of owning a property. Whether you’ve chosen standalone units or integrated appliances, regular checking is vital in keeping costs down and providing favourable guest experiences. Washing machines, cookers, coffee machines, and more should all be inspected regularly, with some smaller appliances also requiring PAT tests on an annual basis.
Then, less glamorous appliances also need to be closely monitored for faults that could potentially cause damage to your property or yield. A good example is the home’s water heater - this expensive piece of equipment is vital for any property, but faults could arise that cause issues within the home or a spike in your overheads.
Regular checking removes worries about appliances having a negative effect on your investment and tenants, and if you want to get something in place easily, why not consider all-in-one maintenance and compliance services?
Pests
Statistics about pests are thrown around in every major city in the world. While some of it may be hyperbole, it’s worth keeping an eye out for telltale signs that you’ve got an unwanted guest in one of your properties. As well as being unsightly and a worrying sign for your tenants, some pests can also cause short- and long-term damage if left unchecked.
If pests managed to get into your property, you could be looking at exposed wires that present immediate danger and the risk of fire. Longer term, these pests could carry disease that sticks around on hard surfaces, and this is a further health risk for you, your tenants, and anyone else using the building.
Having dedicated pest control experts is vital for any property manager, with more and more businesses choosing to outsource. This is a proven way to reduce overall cost, too, and it should be considered, especially in the current economic climate.
Roofing and Gutters
Roofs and gutters are designed to last for decades at a time, but when issues arise, a lot of their good work can be undone. A broken roof has the potential to let in pests and rain, while broken gutters can cause serious damage to a home’s structure if left unchecked for long periods of time.
A professional maintenance crew identifies and repairs issues with the minimum of fuss, and this gives you and your tenant peace of mind for years to come. Regular checking is the only way to see how a roof or gutting system has been affected, with MyTrustedExpert suggesting that two inspections a year is the optimum level.
Highly trained maintenance teams take care of everything for property managers just like you, and locally based crews are ideally placed to be on site in rapid time for storm damage or ad hoc tasks that can’t wait.
Water Damage and Leaks
Following on from roofing and guttering, water damage and leaks are a huge cause for concern amongst London’s property owners. In 2021 alone, the Local Authority for Building & Maintenance identified more than 200,000 homes at risk from flash flooding damage after intense rainfall. With heavier rainfall and more severe weather predicted for 2023, property owners need to be aware of the damage severity we’re facing.
Without a professional outlook, water damage can be hard to distinguish from commonplace issues. However, experts with vast experience in the area can identify, rectify, and future-proof homes efficiently. This type of damage has the potential to cause real issues in the short-, medium-, and long-term, so having a plan in place should be a priority for London’s property owners.
What’s Next?
If you want to get ahead and choose effective preventative maintenance, get in touch with the expert team at Opago. We’re ready to improve your processes, protect your portfolio, and scale your business, so why not check out our comprehensive offering here.
Opago is one-stop shop for property operations, providing everything from regular maintenance and annual compliance checks to guest services and an introduction to flexible letting. Our industry-leading tech aligns with you, your portfolio, and your ambitions, allowing you to take a hands-off approach to property management. The approach we take allows businesses to scale at twice the speed with half the risk, growing portfolios and providing superior yields. Our expertise, knowledge, and experience in the ecosystem set us apart, so why not get in touch today?
You can also see how much you can save with Opago's far-reaching services using our Savings Calculator.
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