Facility maintenance is a necessary component of good commercial space management. Facility maintenance is the process of regular service and maintenance on a commercial spaces capital assets and appliances. Facility maintenance keeps a building in good working order so that is clean and effectively used by tenants in a budget-conscious way.
Facility maintenance includes interior equipment such as HVAC, plumbing, electrical and elevators. It also includes exterior items like windows, doors, paint and surroundings. Depending on the size of a property, facility maintenance can be a time consuming job and may even require outside service from specific companies.
Facility maintenance can be frustrating to investors because it’s not an immediately income-producing activity. It’s important to recognize that keeping an expensive investment like a commercial property in excellent condition is beneficial because of the cost-savings in terms of repairs.
When working with clients to assess facility maintenance needs, we strongly encourage a proactive approach. The building is the biggest asset, and treated as such, it will continue to produce a good return on investment for years to come. Here are 4 proven ways to reduce facility maintenance cost.
- Create a regular maintenance schedule.
- Maintain a modestly stocked supply of materials.
- Work toward greater energy efficiency.
- Hire a facility maintenance company.
Create a regular maintenance schedule.
The use of a maintenance calendar or checklist will enable you to see what needs to be done and when. Shared with maintenance staff, it becomes valuable to provide accountability and awareness when issues arise. Work with maintenance staff to create a checklist, schedule or calendar that includes the biggest interior and exterior items to maintain on your property. These items include:
- HVAC
- Plumbing (bathrooms, kitchens, service areas)
- Electricity
- Energy
- Fire & security systems
- Windows
- Doors
- Elevators
- Exterior facility
- Landscape
- ADA accessibility
This thorough article on FMX provides a long and detailed checklist for facility maintenance. Each commercial property is unique and schedules should be site specific.
You can also find the article here:
https://www.gofmx.com/blog/facilities-management-checklist/
Maintain a modestly stocked supply of materials.
There is a balance to keeping adequate supplies for commercial use. It’s important to keep supplies on hand so that time is never wasted waiting for supplies to arrive, but also not overstocking supplies so they expire or are wasted. Additionally, facilities maintenance teams will find specific parts and pieces required for replacement can become out of stock from time to time. To avoid the hassle of not being able to fix something immediately, keep these parts on hand and reorder when the last one is used.
Work toward greater energy efficiency.
Hiring companies conduct an energy efficiency audit is a great way to cut down on costs long-term. While the initial expense of the inspection may be a concern, it’s important to weigh it against the long-term savings of making the necessary changes to be energy efficient. Replacing light bulbs, keeping HVAC serviced, and installing lower flow sinks faucets or toilets is a great way to save on facility maintenance. Without a proper inspection, it’s impossible to know what savings you’re missing out on currently. Some areas to inspect for better energy efficiency:
- Daylight usage
- Insulation
- HVAC
- LED lighting
- Automated thermostats
- Plumbing, leaks
Hire a facility maintenance company.
Hiring a dedicated facility maintenance company can be a good investment in the long-term savings desired at a commercial building. A facility maintenance company can assess the demands of the building, provide scheduled maintenance and offer suggestions on greater energy efficiency. Additionally, they can provide skilled service on expensive investments like HVAC without calling a separate company for this service.
Weaver Realty provides excellent facility management and is ready to assist property owners in daily operations to curb expenses and operate efficiently. Call us today at 904-733-0039 to work with our team of facility experts.
