Improvisation in operational management: the invisible cost for horizontal property
A property manager’s daily routine revolves around burst pipes, dealing with disgruntled co-owners and countless unforeseen issues. Many condominium managers have been trained empirically in resolving urgent issues in a residential building and say they have very little time to plan.
When asked why he doesn’t work with more structured plans, a manager named Roberto responds with a phrase that has become commonplace in many residential units: «We’ve done it this way for years and it works well. Why would I change it?»
The reality is that this management approach is more common than it seems and while it may appear to solve immediate problems, it hides an invisible cost that, in the long term, affects the asset value, coexistence and financial sustainability of the condominium.
In most residential units, improvisation has become the standard way of working. The consequence is a reactive management model: there are no operational plans with defined priorities, schedules are conspicuously absent, and management indicators are rarely discussed. This generates burnout, inefficiency, and a constant feeling of always «chasing the problem.» Improvisation is not always obvious at first glance. Therefore, here is a quick test to identify if it is present in your condominium:
Is improvisation taking place in your condominium?
- The symptom of improvisation: decisions are reactive, there are no clear indicators, and management relies almost entirely on spreadsheets or various sources of information (including notebooks).
- The hidden cost: administrative and operational staff are constantly under stress, efforts are duplicated, cost overruns increase and trust between co-owners deteriorates.
- The practical example: projects that drag on indefinitely, poorly planned inventories, maintenance delays or services contracted hastily.
If these signs are common in your co-ownership, it’s likely that improvisation has become the norm and the community is assuming costs that could be avoided with planned management.
The True Cost of Improvisation
Beyond manager fatigue and board frustration, improvisation generates economic and social losses. Ignored preventative maintenance can double or triple its cost when the damage is already critical. Poor financial planning can translate into unexpected additional fees or weakened cash flow.
In terms of living arrangements, the lack of clear processes erodes resident trust, increases conflict and creates a hostile environment that, rather than protecting the value of shared assets, actually diminishes it.
In short, what seems like a «time saving» by not planning becomes an invisible cost paid by all co-owners.
At Prymero, we support residential units with strategic consulting and technological solutions to put improvisation behind them.
Schedule your free 30-minute initial consultation and let’s start building trust and results.
