Vaccines and Vacancies

Property Managers Pivot to Attract Tenants with Premier First Impressions

With 2020 in the rearview mirror, businesses all over the country are putting the research and development for business/workplace survival while in lockdown into action. In the property management sector, including both commercial properties and residential multi-family developments, the planning process has been constant and ongoing. After many buildings have gone virtually empty for almost an entire year, the property management community has had to develop plans for survival; namely recouping rents and maintenance upkeep of properties. With vaccines in the infant stages of distribution and huge rollouts coming, buildings and property managers need to prepare. Maintenance – both interior and exterior – is going to be a critical component to a smooth transition. The following are what property managers and real estate professionals are doing to keep up with the high demand of creating great first impressions for tenants.

Maintenance companies that provide both interior and exterior maintenance are in the business of cleaning and creating top-notch first impressions. Whether it’s for the residential sector or the commercial sector with high-rise office buildings, there are critical steps that should be taken.  Here is a comprehensive maintenance list for both sectors to further enhance properties and to maintain upkeep of buildings as a post-COVID-19 environment approaches.

Commercial Properties

• Pressure cleaning exterior surfaces – This includes sidewalks, trash dumpster pad sites, building facades, monument signs, water features, retaining walls, and other hardscapes.
• Parking Garage Cleaning – For above- and below-ground parking lots, it’s important to keep surfaces clean, preventing rodent infestation and tracking dirt inside buildings, resulting in further damage to floors and carpets. Overhead pipe cleaning and pre-treating oil stains are important as stains have been sitting while many garages have been empty. The longer stains remain, the harder it is to remove them. Overhead pipe cleaning should be tackled as there will likely be significant dirt and dust buildup from the past 9 plus months.
• Window Cleaning – This includes interior and exterior windows, atrium windows, partition glass, skylights, and high-access cleaning, including dusting of soffits and ledges, light fixtures, air return vents, and ceiling fans.

Maintenance is now more important than ever. Below is a maintenance list for the residential sector.

Residential Properties

• Window Cleaning – This includes the interior and exterior, including screens, storm windows, and window tracks and ledges.
• Pressure Cleaning – Sidewalks, driveways, steps, patios, and vinyl siding should all be cleaned to get rid of mold and mildew.
• Gutter Cleaning – A critical preventative measure. Clogged gutters and downspouts not taken care of can result in backups and leaks inside of homes, damaging drywall. In colder months, the freeze/thaw cycle plus clogs can cause major damage.

Creating the optimal first impression and keeping buildings clean and safe as we begin to see the pandemic in the rearview mirror is the name of the game in property management right now. Following the aforementioned exterior and interior maintenance items for your property or your home will make all the difference as we begin to try to view the virus that has rocked our world as a distant memory as we move forward toward recovery.