There was a time when I did not know about the existence of ‘building maintenance services’ in Seattle. Yep, that sounds highly ignorant, I know. Even more when you are the owner of a lovely office building overlooking the Lake Union.
I bought the derelict property about 5 years ago. It was not in a great shape, but it was all right, and the money I saved from the deal could be fully utilized for its renovation, I thought. A year and nearly $50,000 debit in my bank account, I reopened the building with a small ceremony, and not long before, my building was full of clients.
One day, I saw a TV commercial for a building maintenance service firm from Seattle, offering a great deal for first-timers. I decided to visit the firm in person to inquire more about their maintenance services.
I asked them to give me time to think about it, which they gladly agreed to. I had renovated the building only 6 months ago, surely it would be repair-free for at least 3-5 years? Keeping that thought in mind, I returned back home and decided to keep the matter aside for now and give it a good thinking later. I had no need for building maintenance right now.
Or so as it seemed.
I got a call from the office building a few days later. The secondary power generator had blown off for some reason, cutting the power supply to the upper 2 floors. I immediately called an electrician and left the site. The electrician, after checking the affected generator, concluded that a water leak from the crack in the roof directly above the generator led to it short-circuiting.
Further investigation showed that a blocked pipe in the upper floor caused the water leak, which damaged the generator. Now I had concrete and plumbing problems to deal with in addition to an electrical problem. I ransacked my mind for ideas.
The maintenance firm.
I ran back to their office and chalked up a quick contract with them. They immediately agreed to start work and sent the necessary personnel for repairs. A couple of hours later, it was all patched up.
Now there aren’t any surprise problems to discover, for the firm carries out maintenance tasks monthly. I can now save more as well as focus on other improvements.
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