Building maintenance can be detailed, it requires outstanding organizational and planning skills and covers all aspects of the building, ensuring that it is running and well-maintained at all times.
As a building supervisor where you are responsible for maintaining an office building or even residential building on a daily basis, it’s important to have a team of electricians, plumbers and handymen available to help you manage your days effectively. Any work you cannot complete, such as electrics, you need peace of mind that you have a company just a phone call away that can come out and handle the work quickly and effectively.
When it comes to building maintenance you have to work to very tight budgets. You are given a monthly maintenance budget which needs to span across all the floors and outdoor areas, this means that you need to choose a company to work with that can provide you with the highest level of quality service at prices that you can afford, helping you manage your budget effectively each and every month.
The budget also means that annual checks need to be separated, ensuring you don’t have all your inspections and maintenance carried out in the same month, so ensure you bear this in mind when planning your annual calendar.
Building maintenance usually covers the basics, this means water supply, electrics and gas. In some instances a building supervisor doesn’t have the qualifications to carry out important electrical work. While you can change a light bulb, when it comes to more detailed orientated projects, you need an experienced team to help you complete the job safely and to a high standard.
You will also find that you will be responsible for the fire risk of the building. This means carrying out a detailed risk assessment, ensuring the fire extinguishers are in place and working and testing and monitoring the alarm systems regularly. You also need to ensure everyone in the building are aware of the exits and procedures to follow should a fire break out.
Building maintenance also covers waste. This means ensuring the waste is removed effectively and that you have recycling procedures in place. All offices or apartments in the building need to be aware of the procedures and you need to monitor it to ensure that they are all abiding by the rules and regulations set for the building.
If the building has an elevator, this can be quite daunting. Most elevator companies offer service and support. In addition to having the elevator maintained and serviced on a regular basis, ensure you have their number at hand to call them in the event of an emergency.
Building maintenance also covers the heating and cooling systems in the building. In most instances a supervisor that is responsible for the maintenance can’t really deal with this type of project. It is a professional job that needs to be handled by qualified teams. Having regular inspections, maintenance and servicing of the systems will reduce the risk of things going wrong.
Remember to work with companies that you know and can trust. They should provide you with an outstanding level of service and support at all times. Build long term relationships with your electricians, plumbers, elevator services and more to ensure when you pick up the phone you are their priority and they will send someone out in the shortest period of time, enabling you to provide a high level of service to the tenants of the building at all times.
Building maintenance can be handled by the company that owns the company, it is often handled by estate agents who manage the property on the owner’s behalf. Either way ensure you have a supervisor in place that can handle all the maintenance requirements of the building in a fast, effective and safe manner.