25 June 2025

Regular maintenance is key to well-cared for properties

Looking after property is a never-ending job – but sticking to a regular programme of maintenance is the best way to keep tenants happy and avoid problems developing.

That’s our priority here at The Benyon Estate, where our Maintenance Team aims to carry out a thorough check of every one of the 300 plus residential and commercial properties at least once every five years.

That means erecting scaffolding, calling in specialist contractors and making sure that everything from the tiles on the roof to the paint on the windows is in tip-top condition for the benefit of tenants and the long-term health of the property.

Our Building Surveyor, Steven Whitby, oversees the process, sending out tenders to a range of specialist contractors and organising the work that needs doing. At any one time, between 30 and 40 properties will be undergoing maintenance checks.

Our Maintenance and Procurement Administrator Sheanay Humes and Maintenance Manager Duncan Urquhart play a central role in the process, supported by Carpenter and Handyman Jamie Brickwood and his son, Carpenter Jamie junior. 

Contractors, most of whom have had a close working relationship with us over many years, are called in as needed.  This summer, (2025) we have been working with KM McLoughlin and Erdol Construction Ltd.

Duncan says the work is concentrated between April and late October when the weather is generally better for operating outside.  The jobs that need doing range from replacing slipped or broken roof tiles, repairing sash windows, fixing broken masonry and brickwork and repainting windows and doors.

“The key to looking after our residential and commercial property is to keep on top of everything, so that you are not caught out and you can tackle any problems before they become serious,” he says.  “I think long-term, keeping a close eye on everything on a regular basis really pays off.”

The challenges include working on heritage buildings in a conservation area which must be maintained using traditional materials and maintenance methods – and accommodating the needs of residents and commercial tenants as much as possible.

Duncan says: “We understand that it can be inconvenient to tenants when scaffolding goes up and so we try to get in and out as quickly as possible.”

And he reveals it’s not only the human residents’ properties that get checked as part of the maintenance programme.  Our all-important swift boxes, that provide nesting spots of the migratory birds, get checked over too!

Sheanay Humes said: “External redecoration and associated repairs are carried out on a cyclical basis, usually every 5 years to all Estate properties. This forms part of our proactive maintenance programme. This is an integral part of our commitment to maintaining these homes for our current and future tenants. 

“The homes owned by The Benyon Estate are also a significant part of De Beauvoir's History, a history which the Estate is keen to preserve.”

To find out more about our commercial and residential property, click here.