26/01/2021
It has, of course, been a very different twelve months for us all.
I am all too aware that I have been somewhat quiet on my professional sharing channels.
This is mostly because there have been fewer of the exciting, big refurbishment moments over the last year.
Those that social media would have us believe are everyday occurrences, and that I confess I do enjoy sharing periodically.
The truth is often quite different of course, and sharing your failures is far less fashionable.
The day to day problems of managing a property portfolio are often far less glamorous.
We have all had our challenges this year. Some may be seen as mere inconveniences, but many have been much more difficult to deal with.
Outwardly, we may choose to wear a brave face and carry on, however sometimes many of us may simply not cope well.
Problems in life, be they personal, professional, financial, emotional or mental, can all manifest is so many different ways.
I consider myself very fortunate to have the stability of friends, family, health, and a business that has managed to weather this storm, although the latter has certainly taken a battering.
But what about those not so lucky.
Whilst attending to the day to day running of my business over that last year or so, I have sadly witnessed first hand how such problems can be reflected in the reactions and living conditions of many.
It is too easy to point the finger of blame when rent payments stop, or when a tenant no longer looks after your property. When furniture is damaged, carpets ruined, or kitchens left to rot. Someone must be at fault, surely.
The temptation is always there to take it all personally, to throw your hands in the air and shout "Why me?". To shed a tear at the thought of the time, effort, inconvenience and cost of the lengthy repairs, or to bury your head in the sand and wait for it all to just fix itself.
Perhaps it is more helpful, however, to try to understand such actions or indiscretions, and to try to minimize the strain on your clients wherever you can.
Some will be thankful, and unfortunately some will not. The support that some require is significantly more complex, and guiding them to the appropriate support services may be all that can be done.
I therefore wanted to share a glimpse of three particularly unsuccessful tenancies that have caused me notable strain through 2020, capped off with the upset of a fourth property disaster in the form of a devastating roof leak at the most recently finished development.
Destroyed furniture, fixtures, fittings, finances and the very fabric of the buildings themselves, can all be fixed in time.
The sense of achievement, satisfaction, and relief, as these problems are solved, is enough of a reward in itself.
Circumstances will never always go our way. We can only learn from the experiences, and look forward to the successes that this new year is set to bring.
