Property management companies

upw

Hello,

Looking for recommendations of the property management companies around Balbriggan area. There are around 10 apartments in block and would like to change a company which is looking after building and surround area, as we are not very happy with current service.

Thank you very much!

Edgware

I wont give a recommendation but I will say that a ten apartment complex should not be too difficult to manage.
Have you considered managing it yourselves?
There is a bit of work in the early stages but once good practices are put in place it works fine. It does need cooperation of all owners and there can be issues with landlords who are only interested in rent

GalwayGaillimh

All you need is block insurance and refuse removal after that its all cosmetic i.e. cleaning common areas...
Save yourself getting fleeced by a managing agent and do it yourselves and put the saving back into improving your complex

The_Conductor

The issue with such a small development- is any of the more reputable companies simply aren't going to be interested- as you have no scale.
I suggest you should look at other managed developments in the immediate vicinity- and see who the managing agent is- and if you approach them- on the understanding that they are already in the vicinity- they might bite- but there is no point in randomly casting a net out there for suggestions.

Alternatively- and what I'd suggest is the most obvious solution- is as per the above suggestion- just do it yourself.
Citybin will give you a good rate for a communal bin collection service, Murray Spellman will do block insurance for you- get a local guy in a few times a year to tidy up the landscaping- and get an annual contract from a pest controller- to set boxes in the autumn- and bobs your uncle, off you go (the other aspect is of course collecting charges, the accounts, the agm etc etc). Its actually more straight forward than you imagine.

jim-mcdee

You could try OCPM. They are based in Drumcondra but have a few places in Balbriggan they manage now. Under no circumstances consider MacFar Property Management. I assume you are a Director in the management company. If you are not, you need to have agreement with the Directors. If the directors are also the agent, you have a tough task ahead of you.

davo10

GalwayGaillimh wrote: »

All you need is block insurance and refuse removal after that its all cosmetic i.e. cleaning common areas...
Save yourself getting fleeced by a managing agent and do it yourselves and put the saving back into improving your complex

Have you any experience of dealing with owners who do not/ will not pay MC fees? Have you experience of drawing up articles of memorandum for your MC which provide the legal basis for your MC. Will you deal with the complaints of your fellow owners and know the legal standing of your responses? Will you know if the tenders you receive for works is good value compared to other developments or will you just accept the lowest and hope for the best? It's all easy and cost saving until someone falls out with the MC and legal letters start flying.

Caranica

jim-mcdee wrote: »

You could try OCPM. They are based in Drumcondra but have a few places in Balbriggan they manage now. Under no circumstances consider MacFar Property Management. I assume you are a Director in the management company. If you are not, you need to have agreement with the Directors. If the directors are also the agent, you have a tough task ahead of you.

Another vote for OCPM. Moved to them 2 years ago and wish we'd done it years earlier.

caviardreams

davo10 wrote: »

Have you any experience of dealing with owners who do not/ will not pay MC fees? Have you experience of drawing up articles of memorandum for your MC which provide the legal basis for your MC. Will you deal with the complaints of your fellow owners and know the legal standing of your responses? Will you know if the tenders you receive for works is good value compared to other developments or will you just accept the lowest and hope for the best? It's all easy and cost saving until someone falls out with the MC and legal letters start flying.

Would agree with this, and it really depends on the set-up and specifics. There could be lift maintenance, on-call arrangements, electric gates to service and repair, servicing of fire alarms (which may be required for insurance), parking permits etc. Personally I don't mind paying €150 a year for a good managing agent, so it depends

happyfriday74

If the directors are also the agent, you have a tough task ahead of you.

Not supposed to happen. Complete conflict of interest.

10 apartments is a tricky one. its small but would still be a pig to manage yourself. Also a fee would be more than 150 a unit for a block that size. Agent would make a loss at 1500 a year with dealing with calls, debt collection, board meetings, agm etc.

Any agent a distance away will school themselves in mileage alone so your only options are someone local.

jim-mcdee

I would ignore the posters speaking of difficulty in finding a new agent, and simply contact a few agents, and let the agents themselves decide if they are interested or not. I think you will find any agent operating in the area, with or without a local office, would be interested. But what they will look for is a functioning board of directors.