Can your condominium manager read blueprints and plans? Make sure they can! We took over managing a condominium which had their pipes on a rigorous cleaning schedule: one year the horizontal drains were cleaned, and the next year the vertical ones were cleaned. Each cleaning cost the condominium $5,000.

When the next cleaning for vertical pipes was due, we went to tender on quotes. Can you guess what we found? After carefully reviewing the drawings, we discovered the building had a yoke pipe system, with no horizontal pipes. All the pipes were in a Y drainage formation. We had them cleaned by an honest contractor and learned they hadn’t been actually cleaned in years.

Make sure your condominium managers take the time to learn what systems are in your building and follow-up with contractors. It can cost you a lot to underestimate the importance of skills of your condominium manager.

(Image courtesy of Will Scullin)