Where did it go?

19th June, 2021

We are better at keeping records on our cars than on our homes!

Any time a vehicle is serviced or repaired, details such as date, inspection results, name of mechanic(s), faults addressed, components replaced etc. are recorded and appended to the vehicle’s history — either online or within a folder in your glove box. But what about our residential properties?

Do you still have the receipt and/or details for the last time your home was serviced or had something fixed/replaced? This includes safety checks, maintenance inspections, HVAC repair, warranty renewals, renovations etc...What usually happens is this data is either lost, thrown away or not easily accessible.

Houses have significantly longer lifespans than cars so you would expect record management practices to be more meticulous yet we only seem to refer back to property information when we absolutely need to. This affects long-term property management and sustainability. Is there a way to incentivise better record keeping?

We feel the reasons for poor record-keeping in the real estate industry are because:- It can be inconvenient to access, manage and share paper records- Receipts can seem trivial or not immediately relevant at the time- The long-term value of keeping property records may not be clear- It can require too much time, effort or even money to maintain records- Previous homeowners/managers/developers may forget to hand over completed, or properly managed records, if any at all

Wouldn’t it be great if there were a dedicated digital platform where you could easily, or even automatically, upload all this information as soon as you get it so you wouldn’t have to worry about it after? Then you’d never have to think ‘where did it go?’ should you ever need that vital property document in the future!

There are several benefits to maintaining history records for vehicles such as improving resale value, minimising unexpected issues, tracking accountability, allowing for more effective troubleshooting down the line and saving money in the long-term. Many of these benefits apply to homes as well, at varying degrees, but the records we’re expected to maintain often seem too insignificant by themselves so they get lost, thrown away or just become hard to follow up on.

We are on a mission to simplify the property management experience for occupiers, managers and developers. Digitising the home owner manual and property passport in a way that is accessible, intuitive and facilitates long-term management and sustainability.

If you’d like to get involved or have any questions or feedback, get in touch. 

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