Proactive Olympia and Lacey WA Property Management Maintenance
Planning ahead with maintenance checklists and frequent tenant contacts is the best way to proactively prevent very expensive maintenance issues from arising or at least arising as a surprise. As we tell everyone who lives with us, we want to know about it when it is dripping not when it is flooding . . . we will never be “bugged” by someone letting us know of a small maintenance item.
Late each spring and fall (extending well into the summer and winter) when gutter and roof cleanings are underway – chimney, vent, and roof “health” will be assessed at the same time. In addition, whenever a maintenance team member enters a unit we use a checklist to quickly assess all of the building components and to make sure a property is being well taken care of by the tenants. Plans can then be made well in advance for major expenses (such as painting, roof coverings, floor coverings, HVAC systems, appliances, etc.). Often the life of a building component can be extended by early attention from our maintenance team.
We also help our owners understand the options available if something suddenly goes wrong. For instance, a refrigerator will fail on the hottest day of the year – if it is 8 years old, how much will the control board cost to replace versus a new one from our local supplier. Once we know these numbers the owner is able to consider the pros and cons of each action accounting for the costs and risks of future failure, respond quickly and make a choice without a large gap of no refrigeration for a resident.