Irrigation Audits Are Worth Doing Because of The Resulting Benefits

Posted by admin in Property Management on August 7, 2011

Irrigation audits are a key step in checking the efficiency of an irrigation system. Efficiency is achieved when most of the water from an irrigation system is actually used by the plants in the irrigated landscape in a consistent manner. Conducting an irrigation audit and the resulting irrigation efficiency results in several benefits:

*lower water use and lower water costs

*improved landscape appearance

*fewer wet spots and dry spots

*less water runoff

*less water lost below the plants roots

*less fertilizer needed

Irrigation audits should be done to evaluate an irrigation system’s performance immediately after installation. Doing so will mean that any shortcomings found from the audit will more likely be addressed instead of waiting months to survey the installation. The installing contractor is also far more likely to be available and willing to address system shortcomings in a timely manner.

An irrigation audit consists of a series of field procedures for collecting and gathering irrigation system information. Once this data is compiled, the performance of the irrigation systems can be determined by measuring such characteristics like distribution uniformity and precipitation rates.

Conducting an irrigation audit is a matter of turning on one irrigation valve, or station, at a time. Before testing a station, the valve should be turned on so that each irrigation head can be flagged and to visually inspect the station.

It is important to be on the lookout for broken or unobstructed sprinklers, low/high trajectory sprinklers and leaks in the station. These obvious problems should be corrected before beginning the test. As for the flags, make sure that none of them interfere with the water flow from the sprinklers.

The key tool needed for an irrigation audit is a catch can. These are small water collection devices of a particular throat area and dispersed throughout a station in a grid-like pattern. It is crucial that the dimensions of each catch can are identical to one another. When it comes to placing the catch cans, the goal is to have a catch can near each sprinkler head and another one located halfway to the adjoining head. Read the rest of this entry »

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Systems to Follow in Commercial Property Management Handover

Posted by admin in Property Management on August 7, 2011

In commercial real estate, the property management handover is critical to the future stability of the property and the associated property management procedures. This is where the new real estate agent has to be very careful in obtaining the necessary information from the previous property owner or property manager as the case may be.

It is not unusual for previous property managers and property owners to be uninterested or uncooperative in the property handover process. This can be for a variety of reasons but they will certainly frustrate the ongoing operation of the property. The new property manager has to be very diligent and focused in the property handover process. This means that you need a property handover system to suit your business and your client.

Every property is unique and therefore the management handover should be treated accordingly. However the following is a list of topics to cover in the property handover procedure. The list can be added to given the nature of the property and the client.

Typical property management handover system:

  1. Inspect the property and review the precinct in which it is located. Look for any environmental and or boundary matters that can impact occupancy.
  2. Understand the history of the property financially and physically over the last few years. Have there been any problems and challenges that impact the property?
  3. See if you can get a history of lease changes, and a history of financial performance over at least 2 years.
  4. Get a tenancy schedule that can be reviewed against the existing leases. Expect that the tenancy schedule you are given is not accurate and requires complete review.
  5. Check all lease documentation fully before meeting with the tenants on the property
  6. Identify any vacant tenancies that need to be leased
  7. Look for any leases that will soon be coming to their expiry dates
  8. Identifying any of tenants that are in default or have matters that are in dispute
  9. Review the income and expenditure for the property currently and historically.
  10. Understand the outgoings as they relate to the current function of the building.
  11. Meet with the tenants and see what concerns or issues that may have in occupancy Read the rest of this entry »

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