If you’ve ever purchased a vehicle at a dealership, there’s that moment everyone dreads when the salesperson stands up and leads you over to the finance manager. On his desk is a stack of five-part NCR papers twice as long as your arm and a dot-matrix printer sits at attention in the corner. You prepare yourself to decline every offer he throws at you… the extra clear coat on the paint, the extended warranties, the extended maintenance plan… after all, you came here to buy a car, not empty your bank account. — And, in most cases, that’s a prudent strategy. Consider the fact that when you purchase a new vehicle, the dealership will build the cost of pre-scheduled maintenance for the first 100K miles into the price. Why? Because they want you to be satisfied with your vehicle (so you’ll tell your friends), and they know it must be properly maintained in order to operate safely and at peak performance. Consider the manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations for the following vehicles: Tesla (any model) Toyota (Tundra) I don’t know about you, but whenever I review the recommended maintenance schedule for my vehicles I am reminded of all the whirligigs I take for granted that make things work the way I want. How does this translate to my home? Given all of the potential for expensive damage, or disaster (leaks, fires, pests and the unappealing effects of native northwest moisture, i.e. moss, lichen, mildew, mold, fungus, bacteria), wouldn’t it be reasonable for your builder, or real estate broker to wrap a pre-scheduled maintenance plan into the price of your home? When you purchase a new car, you’re not expected to become a weekend mechanic. In the same way, why should owning your own home force you to become a property maintenance technician? Aren’t you already a qualified professional in your field of choice? Of course you are, so what then are the benefits of contracting a company like DAPrDAN to provide regularly scheduled maintenance of your home? Let’s take a closer look… Predictable Service Schedule With more than two decades of service experience in the Pacific Northwest, DAPrDAN understands the patterns associated with regional and local environments and can predict the vulnerabilities your home will be facing. We have built 9 preset maintenance plans that take into consideration the regional implications of our northwestern climate, however we are available to meet with you at your property to discuss some of it’s unique attributes (i.e. shoreline proximity, forest canopy, etc.), and create a custom maintenance plan that addresses these issues. Proactive Early Detection of Developing Problems Once you have selected a plan for your home and DAPrDAN has serviced it a few times, there’s a deeper level of detection that is brought through familiarity. Due to our training, tools and checklists, we’re able to recognize and alert homeowners to areas of potential concern in advance of any major issues developing. This is largely a result of regularly checking areas of your home you may never see, such as the area of roof behind your chimney where debris collects, or the caulking above the large window in the family room where pests have made an entry for their new brood. DAPrDAN puts eyes on the hard to reach, vulnerable areas of your property in order to detect problems in advance, thereby preventing excessive damage, saving you money in restoration costs and diverting you from big inconveniences. Tailor-Made to Preferences It’s not necessarily the concern for preservation that drives your desire for maintenance, but that of order, cleanliness and beauty. If you own a destination property — one that could be listed in Luxury Home Magazine, you likely maintain your home from a different set of priorities. DAPrDAN’s management and technical staff, as well as our administrative systems, are setup to meet the scope and frequency of your objectives. Some of our customers are very hands-on, while others delegate to management and we work in the background, undetected. We are proficient to coordinate with other staff, contractors and residents of your property, as well as managing sensitive data related to finance and security. While remaining committed to your target outcome, DAPrDAN improves thrift through optimizing the efficiency of our service, and we keep your property free of blemish over the duration of our service agreement. Service Provider Accountability The best professional relationships are those where inherent systems of accountability can be found. In the business of seasonal property maintenance, there’s nowhere to hide, and eventually, time reveals everything. The clear benefit of signing a service agreement with DAPrDAN is that all parties will be measuring success by the same standards and a bond of service accountability is formed. This can only be made possible when you, the property owner, choose to place value on the relationship with DAPrDAN — namely our systems and our people. It is a level of service that few people truly understand, but those who do reap the rewards accordingly. Access to DAPrDAN’s Away Services With service provider accountability in place, you may find additional security in DAPrDAN through our ‘Away Services’. What’s that? — Simply put, it’s the ability to schedule planned visits of our personnel to your property whenever you’re going to be away from home for an extended period of time. Here is a partial list of some of the things we can do for you: Run vehicles to circulate fluids Re-park cars to give an ‘at-home’ appearance Turn lights on / off Cycle various household appliances (dishwasher, toilets) Check exterior structures Manage various contractors on-site Disburse payments to service personnel (escrow account required) Detailed reporting and documentation Conclusion In nearly one-quarter of a century, I have not found a company that can provide the level of personal service combined with the delivery of consistent service standards as DAPrDAN. While some companies offer one attribute (ex. concierge services) adequately, the rest are only half-baked versions of DAPrDAN and they can not deliver a full package of value.
