If you’re building a new association and are currently developing the property, you need to be thinking about ongoing management for the future. Limited assistance from the board and the lack of community volunteers with a new association may present a challenge, but community management services may be the answer. If you’ve never worked with management services before, you may be surprised to learn what they can provide for your community association.
A Custom Approach
The best community management services provide a custom approach to community associations. They understand that it’s not a one-size-fits-all design. Since they work with single-family homes, condos, high-rises, and more, these companies recognize that different levels of service are necessary.
On-Demand Services
If you already have a board that is hands-on with the association and volunteers to help with many of the day-to-day tasks, you may only need assistance at certain times. An on-demand style for community management might work best for your association.
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In this scenario, you have access to all the services that a community management service provides but only when you need them. You can get help with site inspections, managing maintenance issues, and even guidance on investing. With this service, you can get extra help during busy periods or when the unexpected happens. You don’t have to feel like you must be able to do it all on your own.
Full-Time Assistance
If you need full-time help and don’t have an active board, you may benefit from full management assistance. In this situation, the company manages the day-to-day operations of the association and makes sure all legal requirements are met. This arrangement frees up the board to focus on planning and special projects.
You provide the guidelines for the community management services. They operate under your rules and requirements while becoming the face of the association to the members. A community association manager takes care of tasks such as managing finances, overseeing maintenance issues and tasks, conducting site inspections, and enforcing compliance. This arrangement ensures a smooth operation without undue stress for the board and volunteers.
Financial Management
Your focus may be on improving the bottom line, saving money, and providing financial stability for the association. Property management services can take care of the financial needs of your community.
In this capacity, the community management company may manage the current budget. They often prepare annual and financial reports for the board to approve. Services can include organizing contracts with vendors and providing payment after the work is completed or services are provided. The company may also assist with the collection of the HOA dues.
Maintenance Management
Maintenance is often a separate service for associations. If they don’t have their own maintenance team, they may choose to work with a community management company that provides this service. The maintenance team will take care of the physical appearance of the association, handling repairs and emergencies, so you don’t have to deal with these issues.
You can choose what aspect of maintenance you want the community management services to provide or select them to oversee this entire aspect of maintaining an association. These companies take care of ongoing and recurring maintenance as well as janitorial services, such as cleaning the common areas and maintaining the landscape.
Community management companies take care of large-scale projects, such as redoing the landscape or remodeling common areas. They can manage other community projects, such as roof cleaning. Another important aspect of maintenance is the inspection of the exteriors of buildings and interiors of common areas to detect small issues before they become costly problems. These companies take care of upgrades to the association and repairs, ensuring the association looks its best without burdening the board or volunteers with this responsibility.
Do You Need Community Management Services Now?
You may hesitate to hire a community management services company while in the development phase. However, it’s not too soon to partner with professionals to have expert help during the building of the properties.
These services can help you establish the structure of the community by developing guidelines for the association. They can begin maintaining the common areas even during construction. The company acts as a liaison between the community and the developer, which can later transfer into a manager of the association.
In these situations, the management company can help with the transition from development to a full-fledged association. They often assist new homeowners with understanding the differences between homeowner and association responsibility and clarify the requirements of the association.
Find the Community Management Services That Your Association Needs
While this is an overview of what community management services provide, not all companies are the same. Some aren’t experienced in working with developers on new associations while others may focus on one type of association. Once you define what you need in a management company, you’ll want to look for the one that best aligns with your goals.
