Travel is back in the foreground! Our Property Management team is ready to welcome visitors to our villas. The team is proactive and as experts in the property management arena, we know that more holiday rentals, mean more cooking, and hence, Grease Trap Maintenance needs to be scheduled. So, let’s talk about it!
Importance of a Grease Trap
Grease traps are a requirement for any holiday rental accommodation. A blocked grease trap could fast become an expensive plumbing undertaking; therefore, scheduled grease trap cleaning could save our client’s money. The residual grease from cooking will harden in the pipes, leading to a steady grease buildup, and eventually blocked pipes. You also run the risk of having the sewage system blocked especially when your kitchen is without a grease trap, or more importantly having one that is not maintained often.
How the Grease Trap Works
Importance of Scheduled Cleaning
The installation of a grease trap is only the first step. A preventative maintenance schedule is then set up to ensure routine cleaning is conducted. Depending on the occupancy levels and the frequency of kitchen sink use, emptying and cleaning the grease trap forms part of our regular scheduled property maintenance in order to avoid blockages.
Tips from the PM Team
Scheduled cleaning of grease traps will keep them functioning efficiently. This saves our clients money in the long run by avoiding costly plumbing repairs.
Tip #1: Ensure correct installation
Some grease traps are ready-made out of a fiberglass design while some are actually built on the location of a concrete design. Some companies and contractors are not consistent in their workmanship with the construction of grease traps, and often time design flaws create a lot of issues, which result in having to clean the grease traps too frequently. The cleaning and other services required to clean blocked grease traps could end up creating substantial expenses.
Tip #2: Reduce solid food
Staff and guests alike are reminded to reduce solid material from going into the drain that will end up in the grease trap. While the grease trap is intended to hold the oils, fats and grease, the use of a strainer is your best bet to eliminate the excess solids entering the trap. Remove these solid food items from the dishes before being placing them in the sink. By keeping food out of the grease trap, will maximize the time between cleaning.
Tip #3: The grease trap is not for grease storage
We advise staff not to pour grease directly into the drain but instead store it in the appropriate containers. This helps to avoid the grease trap from reaching its maximum capacity too quickly. This will reduce the likelihood of having to deal with clogged drains.
Tip #4: Schedule Preventative Maintenance
Routine cleaning is essential and it is important to keep a maintenance schedule. Homeowners can get grease traps cleaned on a more infrequent basis by using less grease. It is still important to maintain minimum standards for cleaning times. Even if there’s not much oil, fat, or grease inside the tank, it will still turn rancid and emit a pungent odor. The property managers actually keep a log through a mobile work order app, which comes in handy for reporting to owners and tracking any technical issues.
Stay in touch, we love to hear from you!
Direct Barbados: 1.246.622.4466
Freephone UK: 0800 0885574
Toll Free US/CND: 1 866 404 9600
Email: experts@blueskyluxury.com
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Once we reopened for business and visitors began to return, the safety of our guests and team members became the highest priority and the standard expectation of hygiene was elevated.
Guided by the BTMI, The Property Management team developed a comprehensive set of hygiene, cleaning and sanitization measures, to reduce transmission of COVID-19, crucial to ensure the tourism sector was positioned to safely re-open.
You might ask what is the difference between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting, since they are commonly referred to interchangeably. Here is what you need to know.
- Cleaning removes germs and dirt from surfaces but does not necessarily kill them
- Sanitizing reduces germs on surfaces by removing or killing them
- Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects
In the particularly high-touch sector with numerous opportunities for cross-contamination, more focus was directed towards housekeeping and we built on our already rigorous practices, where hospital-grade cleaning products and upgraded protocols are in use.
A Disinfecting Checklist was designed to ensure compliance. The housekeeper is required to check that each area is cleaned and sanitized and sign as having checked. SOPs were prepared for cleaning each room in the villa, with emphasis on the chemicals that could be safely used, along with the requirements, storage and standards for use.
Staff must change from their street clothes and put on a new uniform, shoes and PPE provided – gloves, mask, face shield, apron, gather all equipment and cleaning solutions and start by turning off the ACs and ventilating the rooms.
Rooms are cleaned and disinfected using the top to bottom method – upper surfaces and fixtures are wiped down using the cleaning agent specific to the materials and finishes. All high-touch surfaces and areas i.e., light switches, remotes, doorknobs, phones, flush buttons, are disinfected.
Linens and towels are carefully removed away from the body and washed and dried at the highest setting, or line-dried in the sun. Garbage cans are also cleaned and disinfected and relined for use and A/C filters are cleaned between bookings. Rugs are vacuumed, floors swept and mopped with the appropriate disinfectant, and the relevant colour-coded mops and buckets depending on the area.
Not all household disinfectants will kill the virus, so be sure to read the label to ensure that they are approved by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) or contain at least 70% alcohol but be careful not to cause damage to certain finishes.
Finally, all cleaning equipment, mop buckets, mops, reusable cloths are cleaned and sanitized and all disposable carefully removed and discarded.
Staff must wash their hands before changing into their street clothes, taking their bagged uniforms with them to be laundered and the property ventilated before locking up.
These procedures are two-fold: to assure guests that our villas are as safe as they possibly can be and to keep our staff protected, thereby reducing community contact.
Stay in touch, we love to hear from you!
Direct Barbados: 1.246.622.4466
Freephone UK: 0800 0885574
Toll Free US/CND: 1 866 404 9600
Email: experts@blueskyluxury.com
Equipment Suitability for Rental Properties in Barbados
Turning your investment into a rental property can be a great way to earn income. It is all about providing a functional and comfortable experience for your guests when they choose to stay at your property. One of the key things needed for success in your new venture is having suitable equipment. From smart tech solutions to appliances, furnishings and IOTs, equipment for a particular property must make sense for its use and situation. Simply put, having suitable equipment will enhance your guests’ stay, meet and exceed their needs and wants and ultimately deliver on customer satisfaction. The result? Advocacy + loyalty= ROI. It’s a complex formula but the Property Management team at Blue Sky Luxury is here to assist you in choosing suitable equipment to maximize earnings.
Identifying your property niche
When deciding to enter your property into the rental market, it is important to identify what type of rental property you would like to have, a long-term or a short-term holiday rental. Your choice helps to determine the type of equipment needed. Additional factors impacting equipment choice are:
1. The type of rental property
2. The location of the rental property.
To be considered, is the property an apartment /condominium, townhouse? Is it in a maintained gated community? or is it a standalone villa with gardens and a swimming pool? Here is how you choose the right equipment for your rental property.
Furnishing a long-term rental property versus a short-term holiday rental property.
A long-term rental property can be rented fully furnished, semi-furnished or unfurnished. A holiday rental property is a fully furnished and outfitted property that is rented on a nightly rate basis to a range of clients. A long-term rental property can be rented furnished or unfurnished, to an individual or entity for a minimum of 6 months with a signed agreement. Fully furnished entails all necessary furniture, major & minor appliances, a fully outfitted kitchen, enough linen and towels for how many people the property can accommodate.
- A Semi-furnished rental property normally means some furniture and/or appliances are included.
- An unfurnished property means no appliances or furniture.
If any services are included in the rental agreement, it is necessary to provide the equipment for those services, e.g.– laundry, cooking, gardening, pool maintenance, irrigation systems.
Equipment choice based on location
If your property is located on or near the coastline, you may want to consider investing in stainless steel equipment for large and small kitchen appliances to combat the effects of the salty air. If your property is near a Gully, window screens would be recommended for flying insects or birds.
Is your property isolated? If so, you might benefit from a security system. If it is in an area affected by regular water outages, a water storage tank would be helpful.
For condominium properties, choosing a stacked washing machine and dryer would aid with limited spaces.
Must have equipment for property rentals
Do you have a generator? Depending on the type of equipment you have and how essential they are to keeping the property functioning, it is important to make note of what is run by electricity and what you might be without in the event of a power outage. Consideration should be given to having a generator to run power to these pieces of equipment. For example, electric gates, elevators, water pumps for drinking water or even sewage pumps.
Preventative maintenance is crucial
Be proactive, not reactive.
Ensure that all equipment in your rental properties is maintained and serviced regularly. Maintenance should be scheduled in three or six months periods or annually. Governed by The Blue Standards, our definitive 300 pt. checklist for property care, The Property Management team at Blue Sky Luxury has a thorough and innovative Preventative Maintenance Plan. Our Property Care Mobile App ensures that all results are reported in real-time and done right.
Learn more about our Barbados Property Management team
Locally we are known as the Property Management Experts. Our team of 17 Property Managers maintains 200 plus villas, apartments, townhouses and condominiums across Barbados.
Our Property Management Services include:
1. Routine & Preventative Maintenance
2. Human Resources Provision and Management
3. Administration, Account Management and Reporting
4. Insurance
5. Smart Staffing
View our Brochure to learn more about our range of Property Management services and why choose Blue Sky Luxury to manage your investment.
Learn more | Get your Complimentary Quotation
Contact Property Management: management@blueskyluxury.com
Stay in touch, we love to hear from you!
Direct Barbados: 1.246.622.4466
Freephone UK: 0800 0885574
Toll Free US/CND: 1 866 404 9600
Email: experts@blueskyluxury.com
Go back to our website
Find a villa here
The Hurricane season will soon be upon us, and with that comes the probability that we could experience tropical storms and hurricanes, all of which require preparedness in order to alleviate perilous problems throughout the season.
Our team of competent Property Managers take the appropriate preventative steps where possible, to reduce or even avoid property owners from being saddled with thousands of dollars in damages should we be affected by such weather systems.
Our PM Team Stays Informed
Dedicated members of the PM team sign up for emergency updates with varying apps and alert the entire team to any warnings that may potentially affect us.
On receiving an alert, the team will advise on the severity of the approaching inclement weather. This allows the other PM team members to make informed decisions concerning their personal safety, the safety of the villa staff and planning for the safety and protection of the properties they manage.
The Meteorological Office usually gives one of these alerts:
Tropical Storm watch or Hurricane watch – the team will monitor alerts, check supplies and top-up any essentials needed in case of a power outage.
Tropical Storm Warning or Hurricane warning – the team will monitor alerts, and heed any warnings for evacuation, especially where guests are on the property.
Our PM Team plans for all eventualities
“There is no excuse for not being properly prepared” especially as we enter the hurricane season. The No.1 priority of the PM’s is to make plans with their families and villa staff as they prepare for all eventualities.
The team will follow these emergency preparedness steps:
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- Prepare emergency kits for their homes and the properties they manage.
- Make preparations for power outages.
- Ensure their gas tanks are kept full.
- Become familiar with more than one route to the properties they manage.
- Provide emergency contact details. This way guests will have a direct contact if there are any issues during the storm or hurricane.
- Identify the nearest hurricane shelter and ensure that guests know how to get there in case they need to evacuate.
- Advise in-house guests to have a travel bag with essentials prepared in case they need to evacuate. It should be light and easy to carry.
- If there are pets, at any property the PM will include them in the hurricane preparedness plans.
Our PM Team will provide basic emergency supplies
The team will ensure each property has the necessary basic emergency supplies. For e.g.
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- Flashlights
- Extra Batteries
- Battery operated radio
- First Aid Kit
- Water (enough for at least two to three days, a gallon of water per person per day).
- Toiletries
Our PM Team will safeguard the properties we manage
Heavy rain and high winds can cause damage to a property. To alleviate costly damages, Property Managers will take these additional precautions before the storm or hurricane arrives.
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- Ensure homeowners insurance coverage is up to date.
- Protect windows and doors by covering them with plywood or hurricane shutters.
- If a property is prone to flood, consider placing sandbags or absorbent flood barriers around your home’s perimeter and doors that are suspect.
- Remove and store pool umbrellas to avoid these becoming missiles.
- Store lightweight items such as pool toys and patio furniture. Secure any furniture remaining outside that could become missiles in high winds.
- Check for loose shutters or screens. Tighten them as needed.
- Trim and cut back trees.
- Secure any loose wires and cables.
- Remove debris from gutters and downpipes.
- Inspect roof, and repair loose or damaged shingles.
- Test septic pumps and clear exterior drains of debris.
- Test generators and ensure adequate supply of fuel available.
Stay in touch, we love to hear from you!
Direct Barbados: 1.246.622.4466
Freephone UK: 0800 0885574
Toll Free US/CND: 1 866 404 9600
Email: experts@blueskyluxury.com
Go back to our website
Find a villa here
Keeping on top of maintenance basics for your pool can go a long way in helping to save money long term.
As part of the whole standard of preventive maintenance, think of pool maintenance as a way to stay up to date with health and safety protocols, maintain your property in good working order and most of all save on costs for big-ticket repairs.
Ensuring this asset is well maintained, serviced, and routinely checked is the best way to keep the value and quality of your property as high as possible.
When it comes to your pool, there are a few key boxes that need to be ticked off to ensure that it will be in good shape for as long as possible.
Filters – make sure your pool filters are always working. They should capture any unwanted debris in your pool. Everything from small pool toys to leaves and insects that have fallen into the water will be caught by your filters.
Monitor your pool level! Excessive rain can cause the water level to rise, as well as change the ph balance of your pool. A drop in the ph level of your pool is an easy indicator to make some checks and ensure that your pool is not leaking.
Always be aware of your chemical levels – these are a key factor for the health and longevity of your pool and pool water. The right levels will not only make the pool water look bright and inviting but will prevent harmful bacteria from breeding. Make yourself familiar with the amount of chlorine your pool will need.
A quick skim of your pool’s surface will help keep it looking clean and fresh, as well as assist the filters from having to do all the work!
Brushing your pool regularly will remove debris and algae as well as improves the efficiency of the products you are using.
Tips from Kerry Beckles, Pool Maintenance Technician of Pool Creations
“To keep your pool looking good and extend its life, you need to ensure the chemicals are at the right level at all times. Ideally 3.0 or slightly higher”
“The ph needs to be 7.6, check it often!”
Every 1 – 2 months, he suggests adding an algaecide to the pool and monitoring it
“Your pool should be thoroughly vacuumed once or twice a week depending on the size of it”
Be aware of what is immediately surrounding your pool area!
Hurricane and rainy season can wreak havoc on your pool. Debris from trees, excessive rainwater, and salt breeze can heavily affect the balance of your pool, so it makes sense to ensure the area around your pool is kept as tidy as possible to eliminate the chances of leaves and even patio furniture ending up in the pool!
After high winds and bad weather, pool area furniture often ends up at the bottom of the pool! This not only causes a change in your levels, but scratches to expensive finishes, and chipped tiles. Prevent this easily by packing away anything that can be blown into the pool during a storm or high winds.
It’s a good idea to have your pump area or pump room serviced annually by a professional. A check of sensors gauges pressure metres to ensure they are doing their job is a must. Think of your pump room as the heart of your pool and your filter as the kidneys!
Of course, you want your pool in tip-top shape at all times but do a quick check to ensure that swimming is safe for everyone. Our hot climate and humidity cause so many things to have a short life span.
Check your safety rings regularly to see that they are of good quality should they be needed to save a life! Always have it in a spot that is easily visible and easy to access if someone needs it in an emergency.
If you’ve been hearing great things about the team at Blue Sky Luxury and you may be thinking about listing your villa with us for property management services in Barbados, let’s chat. As a busy individual, you may not have the team to keep track of ph and chemical levels, but we do. We have a large client list of on and off-island owners and would be happy to share a referral with you or you can contact us for a free Property Management consultation. Leave the preventative maintenance to us while you do what you love.
Stay in touch, we love to hear from you!
Direct Barbados: 1.246.622.4466
Freephone UK: 0800 0885574
Toll Free US/CND: 1 866 404 9600
Email: experts@blueskyluxury.com
Go back to our website
Find a villa here
Finding the right Property Management Software Solution
The need for companies to embrace technology is becoming more and more important. Property Managers must have the ability to work remotely as the demands of the job require them to be out of an office regularly. The restrictions put in place by Government during the COVID-19 pandemic have brought this need to the fore. After completing the research and testing, Blue Sky Luxury has fully invested in a web-based property management software solution.
Why invest in a Property Management Software Solution?
Blue Sky Luxury recognizes the benefits of having information about each of the property located in one centralised place. It is a much more efficient way to store and access information. Everything from owner contracts, leases, inventory lists and owner contact details can be stored here.
Each home under our management is added to the software, where preventative maintenance schedules and routine inspections are set up and scheduled. Any issues noticed while doing routine checks by the Property Manager are logged as work orders. These work orders will then be assigned to various contractors or on-site staff. The job is then monitored and tracked during the resolution process through to completion. The logging of these issues is done immediately at the property, as this software is coupled with a mobile app for both iPhone and Android devices. This makes it easy for Property Managers to submit work orders on the spot. Digital photos can also be attached to these work orders for reference. All corrective and preventative maintenance is captured and as the work progresses, updates are added as well as photos if needed (all digitally time-stamped). Vendor profiles are set up so that they can be assigned to each work order and this can be tracked as well. Quotes and other documents can be saved, and various reports are available to track to the completion of any work. This ranges from pending, active and closed work orders in progress at any property, at any point in time.
As a reference, checklists have been generated in the software system. These include health & safety checks, guest/owner arrival preparation, hurricane preparedness and COVID-19 cleaning and sanitising checks. Once submitted in the app, the checklist is stored (date and time stamped) for reference and any corrective action to be taken is logged as a work order. This has become even more important with the newly implemented protocols by the Government regarding COVID-19 and the requirements for sanitising and cleaning measures that have to be followed and completed. These checklists are also saved for audit purposes.
The coordination required to ensure that all information is always live can be very time-intensive. Having a solution that allows the Property Manager to assess issues at a holiday rental home is very important. A Property Manager or an owner may need to be able to:
- Block the availability calendar in real time due to an emergency. This avoids the possibility of bookings being taken while the property is ‘out of commission’.
- Share information on maintenance issues arising
This avoids the possibility of bookings being taken while the property is ‘out of commission’.
Work orders (service records) will be maintained for reference and can be used to support forecasting maintenance expenses and plan for fixed asset replacements. Since the software has now become a ‘home’ for all information and records regarding property-related repairs and preventative maintenance, it is a much more efficient way to report to an owner on what is happening at their property.
Contact us today for more information on what we can do to partner with you to ensure your property is looked after the way you want it to be.
Stay in touch, we love to hear from you!
Direct Barbados: 1.246.622.4466
Freephone UK: 0800 0885574
Toll Free US/CND: 1 866 404 9600
Email: experts@blueskyluxury.com
Go back to our website
Find a villa here
Getting Here
Barbados is very easily reachable from most countries in the world. The Grantley Adams International Airport offers direct links to a variety of markets, and several major hub destinations. The frequency of international flights ensures that you can travel with ease. Popular airlines like Jet Blue with the addition of their premium flight option complements British carriers. The recent addition of a direct flight from Panama to Barbados was a historic partnership for the island. The island also features many additional seasonal routes to the UK and Europe during the peak season.
Choice of Accommodation
The range of accommodation on offer in Barbados has something for everyone. From luxury hotels to the more budget conscious offerings with value as a priority, travellers can choose their ideal holiday experience. A growing number of hotels are offering all-inclusive options with the completion of planned branded hotels, the options in this segment would be further enhanced. Complementing this range of hotels is a diverse range of vacation rental properties, with on-island providers – like our sister company Blue Sky Luxury – offering several staffed and managed homes and private estates, and modern beachfront apartments. Online marketplaces round out the choice of offerings to ensure that there is truly something for everyone. It’s no wonder Barbados has the highest repeat visitor percentage in the region at 39%.
Transport & Infrastructure
The paved road network along with the island’s relatively flat terrain and extensive public transport, make Barbados’ infrastructure one of the best in the region. The ABC Highway stands out as a vital route from the airport to the west coast and points along the south coast. The island’s modern telecoms options ensure that visitors are never out of touch with their home base. This extends to the island-wide cellular offering which facilitates the use of navigation apps which makes travel around the island easier.
Things to Do
When it comes to sun, sea, and sand, the Caribbean as a region offers this in abundance, and while Barbados is regularly recognised for having some of the region’s best beaches, there is so much more on offer to visitors and residents. These include: Bushy Park Barbados, the only Grade 3 FIA racing circuit in the Caribbean; the Garrison Savannah, a six-furlong grass horse-racing course which hosts the Barbados Gold Cup, one of the most prestigious thoroughbred classic horse race events in the Eastern Caribbean; a variety of polo fields which host several tournaments with international teams competing during the January to May season, and golf courses ranging from the affordable to the exclusive and many in between, several designed by internationally renowned course architects. Once the sun goes down, Barbados continues to shine, with world class restaurants and nightlife that include international hospitality brands like Nikki Beach.
