Look Up!

You remember the infamous movie line, “Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!” But as a buyer, are you remembering to “look up” when you are performing due diligence at a property you may potentially purchase? Or as an operator, are you training your managers to “look up” when they do their daily walk arounds?

Oftentimes we are guilty of fixating our eyes on the trash on the ground, the weeds popping up through the cracks, or the door hasps that are due a red lock. Looking up can tell us if there actually is a bird…building a nest in the gutters which can lead to clogged downspouts. Looking up can help us spot hanging tree limbs or dying trees along the fence line that have no place to fall other than our roof. Looking up will help us question why our wall pack lights are on in the middle of the day when the sun is shining.?

As a buyer, these items could indicate deferred maintenance and should prompt you to dig a little deeper. Perhaps there are low-cost solutions, but there may be much larger issues at hand as a result of these seemingly minor issues.?

As an operator, take the time to walk the property with your managers and train them to look up. Your goal should be to keep the property looking as new as possible for as long as possible, and your managers are the ones who truly wear the superhero capes and can help you, “Look, up in the sky!”

If you need help with due diligence, manager training, consulting or third-party management, please don’t hesitate to contact me at (706) 248-7400, or [email protected].?You can also visit cardinalconsulting.info for more information.