Aberdeen’s granite tenements should factor in property management for the colder months.
There has been a turn in the weather in recent weeks and as the leaves start falling off the trees and the rainfall begins to increase, the autumn months become a time when property repairs become more apparent to home owners.
Roof issues tend to be high on the hit list at this time of year due to trees shedding their summer foliage as the colder weather creeps in. As lovely as autumn can be when the leaves turn golden, it can be a nightmare as drains and gutters get blocked. Colder weather can also cause cracks to appear in cement work and slates to slip off roofs in stormy conditions, which cause problems indoors too.
If you own a house, the responsibility for these repairs are yours alone, but what if you are in a communal building with multiple homeowners?
Many cities across the country are full of communal, flatted developments. Aberdeen has around 12,000 traditional granite tenement properties that fall under this category. If you live in a granite tenement, it is likely to have at least six different residents, so who would be responsible for paying for roof and building repairs?
Aberdeen factoring experts Newton Property Management, based in the city’s Rosemount Place but also with offices in Inverness and Glasgow, warns that many residents in the city’s tenements never think about joint repair payments until something goes wrong.
With roof issues, it is obviously those on the top floor who will be affected the most, so they are always more keen than others to get the issue repaired as soon as possible.
Ross Watt, director of Newton Property Management, said: “The main issue with multi-ownership properties without a factor in place is getting joint agreement on quotes and contractors, which can be time consuming and most likely not ideal for the owner experiencing the problems.
“If one person then pays for the repairs, it can then often be difficult and awkward getting everyone in the building to pay their share and this may well create animosity between neighbours.”
Factoring arrangement for joint ownership properties is commonplace in the central belt but, despite Aberdeen having a large number of traditional granite tenements, factoring is a fairly new concept to the city.
Of course, it is not just emergency repairs that a factor can take care of on behalf of tenement owners, they can also look after general cleaning and maintenance inside and outside, any required refurbishments and general repairs, such as gutter clearing, secure entry repairs and light bulb replacements.
Mr Watt continued: “Most new housing developments across Scotland appoint a factor at phase one of the development sales to ensure grounds and flatted developments remain maintained to a high standard for residents, as this helps maintain house values and increase potential rental income.
“With older granite tenements like we have in Aberdeen, the decision to appoint a factor to help manage the property must be agreed by a majority of owners in the building. However, once this is done it can ease most communal property issues and lead the way to a better maintained living space for everyone in the building.”
If factoring is an attractive option, ensure you look for a reputable firm with a good background and experience in managing flatted developments. Industry bodies, such as the Scottish Property Factor Register and Property Managers Association (Scotland) would be good places to start for recommendations.