10 Preventative Maintenance Tips For Park City Property Management
Preventative maintenance is an important part of Park City property management. A small amount of effort and a few dollars can save you from costly repairs and significant effort down the road. Here are 10 tips that can save you a lot of money, help maintain your property and protect your investment.
- Make sure all exterior surfaces that require paint or stain have an adequate coat on them. Wood decks and trim and cementitious siding can very easily be damaged by water penetration. Make sure these materials have a property coating to ensure a long life. With the significant snow totals you see in Park City property management this can be very important.
- Check the drainage around the property. This is also another consideration given the amount of snow we see. If there are areas where water flows toward the property instead of away consider back filling with dirt or altering the landscaping for proper drainage.
- Check gutters and keep them clear of leaves and other debris. If you have heat tape make sure the heat tape is on and functioning properly. These steps will keep water flowing down the gutters and not into your property.
- Doors should have weather stripping in good repair and any gaps or cracks around windows should be caulked. This will prevent both heat loss and water penetration. Your property will be protected and your tenant's will see a cheaper heating bill.
- If there are trees near the property make sure to keep them properly pruned and if they appear to be leaning or falling over have them taken out. Branches can break windows, root growth can destroy driveways, foundations and sewer lines, and if a tree falls it can cause serious structural damage to your property.
- Check the roof for damaged or missing shingles. Particularly in the fall before serious snow fall begins. It is much easier to make a roof repair on a clear fall day than in the middle of a January snow storm. Ice dams are also a common problem in Park City property management. Make sure your roof sheds snow on the eaves via either slip panels or heat tape. If necessary have problem areas routinely cleared.
- Wood burning fireplaces are somewhat common in Park City property management. Make sure the chimney is cleaned annually or consider switching to a natural gas fireplace. Build up in chimneys presents a substantial fire risk to your property.
- Schedule a tune up for your furnace in the fall and your air conditioning in the spring. Check the exterior condenser and keep it clean and free of plants so that is may function properly. Also check the exhaust of the furnace during your roof inspection. As a part of the lease require your tenants to change the air filter at least quarterly if not monthly.
- If there is a crawl space in your property inspect it periodically for any water leaks or accumulation. If there are any loose electrical wires make sure they are properly secured and do not present a hazard of either electrocution or fire.
- Know how a ground fault interrupter or GFI circuit works and how to test them. A correctly function GFI will prevent electrocution and fires and should regularly be tested.
Regularly scheduled maintenance is the first line of defense against property damage. Many of the items listed here are very easy to do and provide substantial protection against a number of possible problems. As a landlord in Park City property management you have a vested interest in maintaining your property. If you care about the condition of your property and work at maintaining it this will translate into higher rent payments and quality tenants.
If you would like more information about property maintenance or Park City property management please click on the link below for our free consultation. You will be given valuable information about property management along with a no-obligation quote on our services.
