The owners boot
“Prevention is better than cure.” Nice proverb, but analytical anticipation is better than both. Some things are predictable, even unavoidable, like the proverbial “death and taxes.” Planning is not natural: effort is required to provide solutions that alleviate the spectrum of problems that have not yet manifested themselves. Meanwhile, the lack of urgency placates all but the most determined to de-prioritize preparations. The natural tendency is to change proaction for procrastination. Few could imagine an ambulance arriving in an emergency without oxygen or bandages on board; life and death situations do not allow such dereliction of duty. Maintenance is rarely critical, so careless disorganization is tolerated. Grooming reduces stress and, once disciplined, requires much less effort. Ask yourself, “What does it take to motivate me to take action?”
Homeowners who do their own maintenance, take heart! owner’s boot focuses on being prepared for possible emergencies and maintenance issues, during the course of an academic year. How do we best prepare and use storage space within a vehicle: car, van, etc. For quick access to the tools and parts needed for a quick repair The owners boot o The vehicle is ideally compartmentalized into appropriately sized pockets to contain the minimum number of specific parts likely to be needed at any given time.
The goal is to avoid time-consuming, unnecessary duplicate trips to DIY stores to purchase items that will be predictably needed sooner or later. Instead, an efficient operative could be on the next job. Carrying a spare stopcock can save more than time, it can prevent a leak from turning into a flood! But without foresight, these items are not on hand when needed.
Having everything one might need can be unwise. A problem with having a well stocked owners boot It arises when looking for what is needed among what is not needed. Too many spare parts clutter both the trunk and the mind. By the time the trunk has been quickly emptied and refilled during an emergency search, a leak may have turned into a flood. So how do you strike the balance between carrying too many and too few spare parts?
The first step is to analyze an average of twelve months of calls. Good record keeping makes this job a breeze. Real estate agents have expensive software that details exactly what, where, and how many different categories of calls occur per year. In its simplest form, this could be translated into a four seasons printed laminate table. The needs of each station then correspond to the contents of the owners boot . This table progressively indicates Boot changes at the end of each season. For those without state-of-the-art software, experience and memory may suffice, until a clearer pattern emerges after awareness of the need to keep records. In time, it will become apparent what is needed. The reason for the twelve month analysis is logically that there are four seasons in a year, each with their own unique demands. In winter, a failed boiler can be an emergency, unlike in summer. So the content of The owners boot it can vary to include small portable electric radiators in the cold seasons.
During the summer, say between student rentals, your shower and tub drains are likely to have a ‘plug’ of hair which, when it dries, solidifies and blocks the drain. Hair thinner in a bottle can be quickly poured down every drain. Shower heads and hoses may need to be replaced. Likewise, kitchen and bathroom sealing putties. Sealants – Needed to replace defective or moldy seals have a short shelf life before solidifying in the tube, so order sparingly based on likely demand. Pay more for mold-resistant caulk since it lasts much longer and most of those costs are labor; so get it right the first time! These small jobs, if done in passing, can reduce maintenance between leases and therefore reduce stress, but only if one has the means at the time to observe defects, for example during inspections or visits not scheduled to handle emergency jobs.
The owners boot It should include separate compartments to store easily accessible tools and spare parts for each job.
The whole process only works well if there is occasional inventory. Therefore, every time a spare part is consumed, it must be replaced the next time at the builder’s dealer so that it is ready for the next time it is required. Broken pieces are discarded or thrown into a recycling bin. The last few parts should only be stored if there is a reasonable prospect that they can later be cannibalized for repair, rather than replacing other potential items. Avoid creating clutter by holding on to little-used items. Discard any used parts worth less than £1 as they will cost more than they are worth to find; buy a new one when necessary. Don’t store items that are used less frequently than once a year, unless having them would prevent a disaster. We’ve all heard stories of those who throw away our stuff only to need it a week later; if they had been saved, they would never be found among all the other things that “might be useful some day.”
To have well ordered owners boot, Ideally, a separate store is required, but not essential. An easily accessible garage with shelves labeled by category is perfect. This makes it possible to restock the trunk without visiting the DIY store. Used items are only replaced when such a visit is essential. An inventory allows each spare part to be identified, as suggested below. This also shows the remaining items, compared to the ideal number stored. Preventative time requires discipline, which pays off handsomely in reduced waste, labor costs, stress, frustration, disasters, and disappointment. Tenants appreciate a landlord who is able to remedy an instant repair, especially if the service provided exceeds the customer’s expectations. Often a tenant will wait until a visit to announce a faulty installation. On one occasion I received a list and when I announced that all the required parts were in my vehicle and would be replaced before my departure. Then the tenants asked me with some disbelief if I had a big van. “No,” I replied, “just a well-stocked owners boot.” Do you think they were impressed… Praises and recommendations followed for simply doing my job! Not used to such a quick response, the student tenants thought it commendable.
Landlords sometimes spot items that contractors haven’t and are easier to fix by walking by than by calling the contractors, but only if the boots is stocked.
The following is an example summary of a Owners boot. Advice: Always buy the same type of shower, vacuum cleaner, hose, refrigerator, washing machine, etc. so that they are always compatible, reducing the number of spare parts in stock.
Summer boots for owners: A series of categorized and labeled clear plastic containers allows the contents to be viewed from the outside of the box or container for each category. Such intuitive logic limits any search for parts to the only place it should be. Always store spare parts and tools in the space decided upon when creating the storage system to suit individual needs.
Security – Apron, gloves, glasses, – Fire extinguisher/blanket First Aid Kit.
Garden tools: pruning shears, hedge trimmers and herbicides, etc. When waiting for a potential tenant, it’s easy to prune while you wait: another job done with minimal effort that adds to favorable first impressions and a feeling that the property is appreciated, installing the perception that tenants should maintain it!
Lights: lamps/bulbs have a selection as needed for each home. Consider swapping out incompatible lighting fixtures with more frequently used ones. Having spent a fortune a year doing exactly that, the cost was saved tenfold on electricians bills. Any non-standard fixture is beyond the average renter. Stick to consistent basic accessories.
Adhesives / Fasteners – PTFE / Gaffer / electrical tape, super glue, impact adhesive, screws, nuts and bolts. Anything that connects one thing with another.
Fillers: Putty, Caulk/Brown, White, and Magnolia – These are tall, cylindrical-shaped tubes that store ideally alongside the adhesive tubes. Mouthpieces are easily lost and are best stored separately in a nozzle container
Paint – Small amount of white and magnolia emulsion for marking. A pencil eraser is equally useful.
Cleaners: Carpet / kitchen and bathroom mouse, oven sprays, descaler, dishwashing liquid for fat”,oven prideBag for oven chrome, bleach, etc. Solvents like white spirit and WD40.
Sacks – Debris Sacks, Trash Bag: Black, Purple (Canterbury) Concession Sacks, Vacuum Bags.
Cloths – Dusters, scourers, sponges, ideal for mopping small leaks.
Utensils: mop, small bucket, dustpan, brush, vacuum cleaner.
Spares: shower heads/hoses/washers, curtain hooks.
ToolBox – Torch, pump-pliers, drill, bits with special square tips for DIY assembly and repair, tape measure, camera and drill.
Keys – with unique access identification codes.
The owners winter boot would be restocked to include: portable radiators, drain plungers to dislodge solidified grease from cold pipes, and a 15mm and 22mm pipe splicing kit to repair most split pipes.
Each business has its own peculiarities. The principles outlined here can be adopted to meet the needs of almost any business.
