An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the old saying goes. As property managers everywhere can attest, small problems that go uncorrected for a lengthy period of time often have a knack for growing into larger and far more expensive problems. These 3 common housing problems are vital to consider during inspections, and a good property management app can help you do exactly that.
If It Rains, It Pours: Watch Out for Leaky Roofs
As countless property managers and roofing contractors can doubtless attest, roofs have a tendency to leak as they age. Asphalt shingles are a common roofing material due to their cost-effectiveness, but as they age they warp and degrade and become vulnerable to water damage. Wooden shingles, another common building material, also degrade. In addition, wooden shingles are vulnerable to rot and insect damage.
Roofs are important to keep an eye on, but realistically, how often will you be prepared to climb up onto one and take a look? If you’re like most property managers, you inspect your roofs from the ground or from another building, looking for age-related damage like popped nails and worn shingles.
Fortunately, a good property inspection app can go a long way toward helping you keep track of which roofs might need more attention. For one thing, you can let the client know that there might be a problem right away. Instead of having to return to your office to type up a report and send it to the client, you can complete the report on your mobile device and send it to the client with one tap.
It is generally a good idea to refer any potential problems with a roof to a professional contractor, who will carry out a thorough inspection and let you know what your options are. A property inspection app can help with this as well by organizing your schedule, helping you keep track of when you need to meet the roofing contractor. Next inspection alerts can also help you remember when to follow up on a roof that might need another look.
The (Dis-)Comforts of Home: Malfunctioning Appliances
Appliances present a whole host of different issues, all of which have to be kept track of until they are resolved satisfactorily. How often have you received a call about a broken washer or dryer, or a refrigerator that refuses to cooperate? It’s all very well to check all of the major appliances during an inspection, but what about managing problems afterward?
Property management software can go a long way toward helping you keep track of all the appliances you are responsible for. Take a short video of a malfunctioning appliance so that you can show the problem to your client and to the technician if need be. Use the app to help you arrange your schedule to meet a technician on-site.
Malfunctioning appliances are often a source of annoyance for tenants and property managers alike. Fortunately, the right property management software can help you to minimize the hassle.
Foundation Issues:
Like leaky roofs, grading and drainage issues pose potentially serious water-related threats to the livability of a home. Poor drainage and grade sloping can undermine a foundation. Water seeping up from the foundation is a recipe for rot.
There are indicators of these problems that are important to look out for during inspections. Foundation movements due to drainage issues have a tendency to put windows out of square. A similar thing happens to doors, with the result that they develop uneven gaps between the door and the jamb. Floors also tend to warp, creating unevenness.
For these issues, a property inspection app that can remind you of the next inspection might be particularly helpful. After all, if you note any of these issues you will want to follow up with the client and then schedule a time for a technician to come out. Good property management software will help you document the problem and notify the client quickly and efficiently.
Grading and drainage issues have a tendency to become extremely expensive if they are not addressed promptly. The good news is that with a little help from a handy app, you can keep track of what needs to be done.
