This winter has been a very strange one all across the country. Some places have had hot Decembers, but the typically-freezing February. One day will be warm enough for shorts, but the next will be frigid and calling for snow. It may almost be spring, but that doesn’t mean that the winter chill is gone for good. If you work as a property manager, then you should know how to better heat your property and to keep your units (and residents) from freezing before things warm up.
Small Changes Can Better Heat Your Property
To begin with, consider weather stripping, which are those lines of foam-like material laid out along windowsills, beneath doors, or even along fireplaces in order to keep out cold air from seeping in and warm air from leaking out. Stopping drafts will do a lot to control the temperature and to reduce weather-related complaints from tenants. Whether they use similar methods in their own units is their decision, but you can make some subtle adjustments to public spaces and areas that are more under your jurisdiction. Check with residents to see if they need any caulking done to prevent lesser breaches inside the windows in their unit.
Windows “can account for up to 25 percent of heat loss,” so how do you work to prevent that from happening, at least to some degree? To begin, consider a simple solution: curtains. They can be open during the day to let in sun, if it shines in through those windows, but they can be closed other times to provide a sort of barrier between the outside and inside. Even if the cold finds its way through the glass, the fabric is a physical blockage to keep as much of it from intruding into your home. Particularly if you find a thicker material, you can better heat you property by preserving a lot of the warmth.
One place you may not have considered as a likely culprit for drafty air is the power outlets. After all, they’re open holes into the wall, no matter how small. Spaces behind and around these outlets aren’t always insulated properly, which can contribute to the subtle leak of cold air from within. Luckily, a quick trip to the store can provide you with the tool you need: gaskets. These can help to cut down on that air flow without breaking the bank (though you may need to recruit some help in getting them installed in all outlets) and can better heat your property.
You can better heat your property by making an even simpler change in making suggestions to your residents. For example, if they close vents that aren’t needed, the warm air will flow in greater concentration to the rooms that they’re occupying. You can also propose use of space heaters, but they can drive up heating costs in certain situations even if the central heating is adjusted lower. Finally, if your units have fireplaces, or if you have them in any of the common areas, then utilize them. If you don’t have any, consider adding one or two in a main area, as they provide not only heat and light, but a comfortable ambiance.
These small changes can make a huge difference not only in the temperature, but also in costs for heating. Remember that heat is important throughout the winter to keep pipes from freezing and bursting or for cosmetic damage, like peeling paint, from occurring. Remind your residents of these facts in case they are more comfortable in a cooler unit and don’t seem to want to pay for heat; it could cost them big later on.
Don’t let the winter weather freeze up your productivity. Anton Systems offers Budgetrac Property Management Software so that you can stay on top of all of your work; its flexible lease administration handles even the most complex lease with ease. You can access it from any device, so you can maintain your busy manager lifestyle while checking your information on the go. Budgetrac is simple enough for anyone to use and can vastly improve the functionality of your work without sacrificing power or accuracy. Let this software solution work for you and get in touch with Anton Systems today.