Our Services
Regular Site Visits & Property Inspections
The single biggest difference between a managing agent who looks after a development well and one who does not is how often somebody actually walks the site. We visit every residential estate we manage regularly, in person.
Why site visits matter more than paperwork
Most management problems are visible long before they appear in a complaint. A gutter starting to sag, a communal light that has been out for a fortnight, bins overflowing because a collection was missed, a fire door propped open, a car park gate dragging on its runner. None of that reaches an agent who manages the development purely from a desk.
Because we visit, we tend to find these things ourselves and instruct a contractor before a resident has to chase us. That keeps costs down too: a small repair caught early is nearly always cheaper than the consequence of leaving it.
Visits are also when we meet residents. People raise things face to face that they would never write an email about, and directors of resident management companies get to walk the site with us rather than read a summary of it.
What we look at on every inspection
Each development has its own inspection checklist, built around its age, construction and the risks a fire risk assessment has identified. The core of it is consistent:
- Condition of the roof, gutters, downpipes, external walls and windows, so far as visible
- Communal hallways, stairs, lighting, flooring and decoration
- Fire doors, signage, escape routes, emergency lighting and whether escape routes are being kept clear
- Grounds, car parks, bin stores, gates, fencing, boundary walls and lighting columns
- Standard of work by cleaners, gardeners and other regular contractors
- Any works in progress, checked against what was instructed and quoted
What you get afterwards
Findings feed straight into instructions to contractors, into the long-term maintenance plan where something needs budgeting for, and into the next report to directors. Where a visit turns up something that affects residents, we tell them rather than waiting for the AGM.
For resident management company directors, this is the part that makes the annual budget legible: recommendations arrive with a reason attached, and you can see where a figure came from.
Regular Site Visits: common questions
How often will somebody visit our development?
It depends on the size and complexity of the site and what the management agreement sets out. Larger developments and those with more plant, grounds or communal space need more frequent attendance. We agree the frequency with you at the outset and stick to it.
Do residents get to speak to the person who visits?
Yes. We do not use a separate inspection contractor. The person who visits is the person managing your development, so anything you raise on site goes to someone who can act on it.
Is a site visit the same as a building survey?
No. An inspection is a visual management check. Where something needs a specialist opinion — structural movement, roof coverings at end of life, drainage — we recommend a surveyor or specialist report and get quotes for it.
Related services and guides
- Routine MaintenanceRoutine and reactive maintenance for residential estates, including apartment buildings: cleaning, gardening, window cleaning, communal repairs and how emergency work is handled.
- Health, Safety & ComplianceManaging health, safety and compliance in communal areas: risk assessments, fire safety, tree and external-area inspections, contractor compliance and tracking actions to completion.
- Major Works & Planned MaintenancePlanned rather than reactive maintenance: long-term maintenance planning, reserve funds, specifying and tendering major works, Section 20 consultation and monitoring work on site.
Want an agent who actually turns up?
Tell us about your block or estate and we will explain exactly how often we would attend and what we would be checking.