6 Essential Things Residential Property Developers Must Ensure They Do in 2021
There are a lot of things that responsible residential property developers have to consider in 2021 if they want to gain a strong respected reputation in the home developments industry. Renters and home buyers these days have high expectations when it comes to newly built homes and the standard of properties. They most certainly do not want to experience endless maintenance issues with an apartment building’s water supply system, gas and heating, bricks falling down and decaying, cladding coming loose and so on. It’s a good development company’s job to ensure the development is built to a high spec and is properly maintained so residents can enjoy a high quality of life on their homes as stress free as possible.
Here we have come up with a guide to 6 things residential property developers must do in 2021 to provide residents with suitable homes and a good reliable quality of service.
Make Sure Homes are Built to a High-Quality Standard and the Building Regulations are Met
People working in the residential property development industry will know only too well that there are now more building regulations than ever, and they can often change from year-to-year. You must make sure you employ top quality builders, who are supplied with the best possible buildings materials and construction equipment to ensure that new homes are built to the highest possible quality standard. Developers must be able to assure the quality that has been promised to prospective homeowners and rental tenants. Look out for experienced builders in the residential property market who know what they are doing. Make sure they have all the proper gear to do the job. If you’re looking for quality safety equipment and workwear clothing to supply builders with, consult reputable companies like Snickers Workwear who provide an elaborate range of safety clothing.
Make Sure the Development Stays on Track and on Time
Anybody who is seriously interested in buying or renting a property in the new development will very much hope that it’s completed within the deadline that the building developers have set. Those investing their hard-earned money into a property on a new development, whether as an investor or as a resident intending on permanently living in the property, will become frustrated and impatient if the goalposts for the dates of building deadlines are constantly pushed back. Significant delays in the completion of building a development may even lead to investors and home buyers deciding to withdraw their offers on buying a property in the development and cause them to look elsewhere. Building delays cause potential renters and homebuyers to become sceptical about whether a new residential development can really deliver on what it has promised in advertisements and marketing campaigns up to that point.
Cover All Bases and Check There are No Ongoing Major Maintenance Issues
There’s nothing more annoying for residents than moving into a new build property only to realise there are still plenty of maintenance issues that need sorting and repairing. A property development company is responsible for ensuring that the building is safe, and it has been fitted properly to provide residents with working electricity, an internet Wi-Fi connection, gas and heating, plumbing, water supply and so on. If you have promised that the properties on the development are now safe and ready for people to move into, it is best to cover your bases and make sure that this is the case. Overseeing the building of properties which consistently fail to meet the quality and standards required will ruin your property development business’s reputation and is something the business may not be able to recover from. The customer is always king and poor feedback on your work all over the internet and on customer review sites can be a nightmare. So, make sure that you work hard to get it right and install all of the home appointments and facilities for the properties correctly and to an excellent standard.
Facilities Management and Maintaining the Properties is a Vital Service
As a developer, your company is not only is responsible for ensuring building of the properties is done safely and to a high standard, but also for the facilities management and providing services to maintain and sustain the building, the grounds, infrastructure and so on. Your work and commitments to the client as a property development company certainly does not stop once the properties have been completed and moved into by residents. Those living in development buildings as leaseholders have to pay the property development company ground rent and service charges as the development company is the freeholder of the property under the lease contract. So, make sure customers get plenty for their money and the building surrounding the property is properly well maintained consistently throughout the year.
An Online Presence is a Must-Have for Residential Property Development Companies in 2021
All property development companies in 2021 should have an online presence and a way that they can be contacted on the internet. This may be in the form of a website, or an official company Instagram, Twitter, or Youtube account, for example, where customers can provide you with feedback and comments. Your company may find itself out of touch and left in the stone age if it doesn’t embrace the internet and the digital technology of today; it’s a modern-day necessity for businesses in 2021.
Communicate and Ask for Feedback from Residents
Communication is key for property developers being able to keep a good rapport and strong relationship with customers and people living in their properties. But how can developers keep in good contact with renters and homeowners in their properties.
One way to keep lines of communication strong is by communicating in a healthy and regular manner with residents’ groups and forums. You could even encourage the residents to set up a Facebook or Whatsapp group or meet once a month, for example, so they can communicate properly with your firm and raise any concerns or feedback they may have. Another way to get their feedback can be by asking your residents to complete surveys with questions regarding their levels of satisfaction with your services and work as a property development company. Surveys can either be in the form of online surveys sent electronically by email or across social media to residents, or paper surveys sent to residents in the post. Surveys are a good way to garner the feeling of residents relating to what they think about the quality of the service you are offering them and how high they rate it.
It is important to actively try and listen to feedback from people living in your developments. Their worries and concerns should be taken seriously and not overlooked and ignored. You will receive even worse feedback if you do not respond to residents trying to contact you regarding issues to do with the properties themselves, the building, or the grounds that come under your remit of responsibility as the property developer. Keep the door open and respond properly to the concerns of residents in your developments, don’t leave them out in the cold and feeling dissatisfied with the quality of your services. An unhappy customer will undoubtedly decide not to recommend your services to a friend, and this can be very bad for business.
If you follow these steps, you should find yourself getting a lot more work and growing to become respected as a business in the residential property development industry.