Business is all about cutting costs. Therefore, keeping property costs low shouldn’t be an afterthought to other budget-saving activities. Property m
Business is all about cutting costs. Therefore, keeping property costs low shouldn’t be an afterthought to other budget-saving activities. Property maintenance is important whether you own or rent a property and keeping high standards in the short term will lead to fewer problems in the long term. To ensure your property is taken care of, make sure you consider the following:
Stay Clean and Tidy
When your office is clean, your staff work better and potential customers will be more comfortable working with your company. Over time when dirt, scraps and unwanted objects start hanging around the office too much, they can get in your HVAC systems, electronics and more. HVAC systems can be expensive to repair, but they can also lead to employee costs if they aren’t functioning properly, as they can increase the spread of air-borne illnesses or pollution and cause more sick days, which can be costly in the long term. Make sure the front of your property and any garden you have is properly swept and cleaned, as leaves and other debris can increase the likelihood of flooding.
Treat Your Drains Well
If you have a kitchen, make sure your staff don’t put coffee grounds down the sink and that they treat your drains well. Not doing so can result in flooding, sinks backing up, or terrible smelling odors wafting throughout your place of work, which won’t help anything.
Also, if you allow basic cooking in the kitchen, make sure you have a designated disposal area for foods and ingredient waste, too. According to Maplewood Plumbing, who are highly regarded for their drain cleaning in St. Louis, you should never pour hot grease down your kitchen sink because when it cools, it will harden and block the pipe. Instead, it should be disposed of in the trash.
Be Wary of Weather
If you live in a region that has climate changes throughout the year, make sure you take precautions for each different climate. When the weather turns cold, snowy and icy, you should be aware that your property needs to be salted if there are any areas exposed to this weather, otherwise you could face a lawsuit for not taking proper precautions. Cold weather can also lead to problems with your pipes, so when the office is empty, it might be worth periodically checking pipes for leaks.
Make Repairs as Soon as a Problem Arises
Appliances in your property will stop working eventually, but you should be monitoring the important ones (like dishwashers and boilers) because small problems (like broken washers) can soon turn into much bigger problems. When unattended, a problem with a boiler’s valve can turn into a wider issue that requires anything from an extensive service and repair to a new boiler, which can be very expensive. Similarly, make sure you speak to the people working at the property fairly regularly to see if there are any inconveniences (e.g. the AC has become less effective) that could be symptoms of a greater problem.
