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# A repair in time saves nine down the road
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/a-repair-in-time-saves-nine-down-the-road/
- Published: 2006-09-27T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T01:03:24.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By JODI SUMMERS*

Last week, we spoke about preventative maintenance for the rainy season... so continuing along that line of thinking, we thought we’d go one step further and talk about overall preventative maintenance for investment properties.

The art of preventive maintenance involves noticing small problems and fixing them before major ones develop. Practicing preventive maintenance on your properties is like changing the oil in your car. By changing the oil at the recommended intervals, you will prolong the life of the motor. By inspecting and making basic repairs to your property, you can minimize your maintenance budget.

According to Douglas D. Chasick, Senior Vice President of Professional Services, CallSource, an effective preventive maintenance program accomplishes two goals: 1\. By regularly inspecting and maintaining your buildings and equipment, you can avoid breakdowns. “For example, regular inspections of your air-conditioning units, filter replacements and coil cleanings all prolong the life of your HVAC equipment.” 2\. Being thorough when making repairs can help avert more serious problems from occurring.

MAKE A LIST First, identify what items need to be included in your preventive maintenance program, and write down the list and what needs to be done to each item.

Your list may include: ■ HVAC: Clean coils, change filters, oil motors. ■ Rain Gutters: Inspect for secure fastening and clean. ■ Roofs and Flashing: Inspect and repair. ■ Water Heaters: Drain to remove deposits from the bottom of the heater, which will corrode, and rust out the heater prematurely. Also, check the seems for leaks. In large buildings, boiler water should be analyzed by a laboratory to determine the need for chemical treatment, which minimizes the build-up of scale in the boiler that reduces efficiency and shortens equipment life. ■ Plumbing: Inspect the underside of the building. Early detection will not only reduce your water bills, but also reduce the damage from dry rot and the possibility of mold. ■ Rooter the Common Drain Lines: Avoid big, smelly sewer back-ups by regularly rootering the common lines. When a back-up is reported, attack it immediately. ■ Elevators: Service companies offer contracts that range from providing minimal service to full maintenance contracts ■ Fire Extinguishers: Inspect and recharge. ■ Smoke Alarms: Inspect and test battery. ■ Photocells: Inspect, test and clean. ■ Storm Drains: Inspect and clean. ■ Lawn Sprinklers: Inspect, test, replace heads and reset timers. ■ Exterior Doors: Inspect weather stripping, thresholds, hinges, door closers and locks. ■ Balcony and Stairwell Railings: Inspect for secure fastening. ■ Painting: Different exposure to the elements or patterns of use dictates that some areas need touch-up paint more often than others. Failure to treat wood when needed may result in unnecessary damage. ■ Check Signage: Are the signs you posted still in place? Signs can disappear and you can become liable. ■ Check Parking Areas: Look for debris, grease/oil spots, and unauthorized storage and/or vehicles. Look for evidence of leaks in the garage ceiling or walls. Inspect for cracks and potholes. ■ Check Walkways and Driveways: Look for cracks, uneven surfaces and problem tree roots. Repair to avoid the lawsuits related to tripping and personal injury. ■ Clean Out Dryer Vents: If you have residential units, this can turn into a pricey headache if not done, and it can create a fire hazard. ■ Exterior of Buildings: Inspect for wood rot, loose or damaged trim, paint deterioration and loose or damaged siding. ■ Swimming Pool: Inspect filters and pumps, oil and adjust. ■ Exterior, Common Area and Signage Lighting: Consider equipping the outside lights on photocells instead of timers. You will be rewarded with lower utility bills and less maintenance.

Do a complete walk-through of the property, that will help you list everything to be included in your preventative program.

When owners or managers feel that preventive maintenance is beyond their capability, they hire engineers to establish and implement a program.

“We nurse along about 100 buildings — it’s a super-handholding operation,” said Arthur L. Spaet, president of Arthur L. Spaet and Associates, which handles maintenance programs.

MAKE A SCHEDULE Obviously, to keep your property in top order, you will need to inspect various aspects of your property on a regular basis. Ask the manufacturer, read the service book and talk to the subcontractors when figuring out how often you need to inspect each entity on your property that involves maintenance. If you’re feeling inspired, add a frequency column to your list.

CHECK INSIDE THE UNITS Experts suggest that an annual inspection of each leased unit is a good idea from a property maintenance standpoint. Check the smoke detectors for proper operation. Check for plumbing leaks, and areas that might need caulking or repair — running toilets, dripping faucets, walls, windows and ceilings.

COST-EFFECTIVE BEHAVIOR Save time and money by having your service technician perform a “mini-maintenance” on additional units when they are completing a service request. After completing the service request, the service technician can check all faucets for drips, flush the toilets to see if they run, check all the window screens, graphite the locks, check the HVAC filter, etc. This “mini-maintenance” should-n’t take long and can be noted in the records.

CREATE A BUDGET Bet you guessed that most preventive maintenance programs fail because of time and money. Your chances of success increase when you have a budget and then you divide that amount by the total number of units at the property to find out your “per-unit” cost. Then, figure out approximately how much time is going to be involved with each expense. To come up with this budget, do similar research that you would do if you purchased the building — get a few years of financial statements and invoices together. Do you have common area maintenance fees? Do your CAM fees cover the preventative expenses?

USE RELIABLE TECHNICIANS When implementing a maintenance regime, make sure you surround yourself with a reliable team. You don’t want your tenant calling you to fix the same problem again and again and again.

These items may seem costly and time-consuming, but it is less costly and time-consuming than allowing today’s crisis to determine your maintenance program. If you still aren’t convinced and won’t do everything, at least prioritize. Attend to the problems, which occur most frequently at a particular building.

For information on Southern California investment properties, there is a great website at www.SoCalInvestmentRealEstate.com.

Jodi Summers is Director of the Investment Division at Boardwalk Realty. For your real estate needs, , or call (310) 309-4219, or visit her website at www.san-tamonicalandmarks.com.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 27, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/092706.pdf?ref=smdp.com)