DO NOT DERAIL BUILDING MAINTENANCE
DO NOT DERAIL MAINTENANCE AS EXTENDED LOCKDOWN LOOMS
DELAYING MAINTENANCE INCREASES COSTS
As lockdown bites hard into our economy with the end still some way off, South Africa has entered a period of significant change. From the way we live, eat and entertain, to the way we manage business, attend meetings and manage properties, one constant will remain, and that is change.
When it comes to sectional title properties and the property market in general, there is sure to be an uptick in movement, from a selling and buying viewpoint, the management of structures to changes in trustees in bodies corporate and duties of facilities managers. A critical decision among property managers and owners is that of deferring maintenance or sticking to planned maintenance strategies.
According to contractor, Indawo, lockdown deferred maintenance on many buildings and sectional title properties. Already a constant challenge with changing trustees in bodies corporate, decisions to carry out maintenance tasks will have been put on hold, resulting in the deferment of vital maintenance projects; potentially exacerbating structural damage that has already manifested on buildings.
Indawo managing director, Geoffrey Jäck, says this could be a costly mistake and urges bodies corporate and facilities managers to get repair projects back on track to avoid the inevitable further deterioration of structures, especially as the Western Cape sees the welcome return of a traditional rainy season.
The graph illustrates that ignoring maintenance results in higher, often uncontrolled, costs to repair damage to a building. When buildings are maintained in a reasonable condition, the costs of restoration and maintenance are controlled and improves cash flow management.
Jäck says that from an economical viewpoint, the benefits of keeping to a regular maintenance programme results in lower costs spread over a number of years. This by far outweighs the uncontrolled costs of restoring a building or home in a bad condition.
Deferring maintenance projects has been proven to significantly increase repair costs later on. Structural damage and leaking tend to fast-track deterioration and it is vital that repairs are carried out before significant damage sets in. Damaged asbestos roof sheeting and structures have also just received attention with the Asbestos Abatement Regulations 2020.
Jäck says that the rainy season, falling in the middle of the country’s lockdown, may exasperate damage evident a few months ago. Ignoring structural damage has a compounding negative effect on a fixed asset’s investment value, if not attended to.
With the extended lockdown that South Africa is experiencing, there is bound to be change in structures at bodies corporate and building facilities management teams, he says. Maintenance should not be ignored and even as the country stays in lockdown, repairs can get back on track to restrict further structural damage.
For any queries, contact Indawo on 021 941 5000 or email info@indawo.biz.