Top 3 Proactive Maintenance Tips for Every Home

In today’s article, we share the top three proactive maintenance tips that have been proven and tested to save us money on repairs. We at Green Ocean Property Management do these for every single multi-family unit we manage.

Generally, it is our job as property managers to be proactive about these things. We think about the problems and solve them for our landlords and tenants. By nailing the following areas, you will not only spot problems early but solve them even before they happen.

#1 Gutter and Downspout Cleaning 

If gutters are left uncleaned, the water in there is either pouring over the edge or just stuck in your actual gutters and downspouts. Stagnant water will have insects come from it, or rodents drink out of it. Most importantly, it can deteriorate any type of wood it might be touching.

Nobody wants any of that. Wood deterioration might mean rot, might mean mold. In addition, if you have these gutters and downspouts and the water has nowhere to go, it turns into ice during the colder months. The ice then gets underneath your shingles, causing ice dams, and when ice dams get underneath the shingles. Then the heat rises, and ice starts melting again, causing water damage to your property. Usually, it means mold and deterioration of the property’s interior, which you want to avoid.

As the first item in our proactive maintenance tips, we recommend cleaning gutters and downspouts at least twice a year. It is super easy and quick to do; just think of the safety, time, and effort to do it. Some properties are more difficult than others, but we will hand-sweep those gutters and downspouts. Next, we will power wash them and ensure they have a clear exit. We will also make sure to divert the water away from your house so that it is not pouring against your foundation, causing basement leaks.

#2 Boiler Servicing

On the coldest night of the year, your boiler will break down. It is trying hard to keep up as everybody has jacked up the heat, so it breaks. What ends up happening is that these calls are the most expensive for plumbers, and sometimes the plumbers can’t get to it right away because there are so many issues with heat at that time that they have to push you until the next day.

Our plumbers are great. They will get there quickly, but even one cold night can be very uncomfortable for a tenant. So what we’ll have to do as a property management company is to drop off space heaters and do whatever we can. In a terrible scenario, we will have to pay for a hotel in displacement, which can get very expensive.

In addition, proper boiler maintenance is like an oil change in your car, but even better. You will save and extend the life of your actual heating system, which can get very expensive, anywhere from $5,000-10,000. You just don’t want to replace it if possible, so you’re going to do your best to maintain it, take care of it, and have it done. 

Sometimes, twice a year is enough for boiler maintenance, but it depends on your boiler system. We reach out to our plumbing company to get an idea of its cost. Every time we take on a property that we manage, we have the plumber go and look at it, see how it is, and make sure that they fix any type of issues they might see at any given time. Again, it might not be broken, but it will break at a certain point. So you want to be proactive about it to prevent it.

#3 Leak Testing

The third easiest among our proactive maintenance tips, but probably the one with the best return on investment for your property is leak testing. Leak testing covers faucets, showers, toilets, or anywhere there’s water running. There’s a water meter at the bottom of your basement, and what we’re going to do is have someone watch that water meter and shut everything off. If that meter number is still running, that means something’s dripping. That is our first indication, so we have to find it.

If it’s a toilet, maybe a flapper needs to be changed, a fill valve continually runs, or perhaps it’s just a faucet or even a shower valve that keeps dripping. Whatever it may be, we will have these things fixed. And when we do, we see landlords’ water bills drop dramatically, like thousands of dollars. So we test leaks multiple times a year because of how much it can save you and how easy and quick it is to get a return on time and investment.

Our Commitment

If you or anyone else you know is looking for a proactive property manager that is proactive with the maintenance, saves you money, takes care of your property, and helps you avoid issues before they even happen, please think of Green Ocean Property Management: where you get more than a property manager, you get peace of mind.