Why going paperless will help you, your client and the environment

How many times have you wished for easier Handovers? Or wanted to find an important project file quickly but couldn’t find it? Going digital may seem daunting, but it can make the entire process so much easier and more efficient for everyone involved, throughout the life of the property. 

Digitising the Handover process can help to reduce admin costs, time, and post-build issues, improve transparency and brand perception, and stop paper wastage – making your company more competitive and environmentally friendly.

Going digital with inndox is a win-win situation for everyone!

inndox helps you maintain your biggest asset

How do I set Maintenance Reminders

inndox has a property maintenance feature to help you care for your property.

Step 1. Go to the Maintenance Reminders section on your inndox dashboard

Step 2. Select the View all button

Step 3. Click on Add maintenance button

Step 4. Enter in the details: Title, Due Date, select if Recurring & End date, if additional person for reminder, Who it is scheduled for & add any notes

Step 5. Finally click on Add maintenance item 

Your important maintenance reminder is now scheduled and you will receive alerts from your inndox app, 2 weeks in advance.

Examples of some typical maintenance checks:

• Annual Termite inspections

• Annual Pest Sprays

• 6 monthly gutter cleaning

• Annual Smoke Alarm battery replacement

• Annual air-conditioning service

• 6 monthly window cleaning

• Monthly garden maintenance

• Annual timber deck re-coating

• 5 yearly hot water system valve replacement

• Annual water tank service

• Annual water filter replacement

• Annual pressure wash of pavers, driveways

• Fortnightly pool checks and cleaning

• Annual pool equipment inspection

• Annual carpet cleaning

• Annual curtain & blind cleaning

Here are some consequences for not caring for your property:

***spending thousands of dollars on repairs such as structural integrity issues (a result of not having your property's timber decking recoated)

***potential fire hazard or drainage issues by not having your guttering cleaned on an annual basis

***termite infestation due to unexpected termite invasion by not having annual termite inspections 

By using inndox to manage all of these important tasks, you will feel more relaxed.

For example, you will have peace of mind that your painter gets notified two weeks in advance when the timber decks need re-coating, your plumber will be notified two weeks before the water tanks, hot water system and refrigerator filter services are due, the air-conditioning technician gets advance notification that you want your air conditioning units serviced, and the window cleaner gets notice that your windows need cleaning. 

No more diarising or simply forgetting. You can become a paper-less and care-free property owner.

inndox receives a finalist award from the Urban Development Institute of Australia (QLD)

A finalist award for Construction Technology went to inndox at the UDIA (Qld) Awards for Excellence at Brisbane City Hall on Friday 30th October 2020. 

These industry awards celebrate and recognise businesses in property development that excel in meeting the highest possible standards. inndox co-founder & CEO, Trish Mackie-Smith, sees this award as an endorsement for what inndox is doing to help lift the property industry standard with respect to compliance, safety and sustainability.

An urban property developer, Joe Licastro, MD of Signature Properties said that inndox saved him during coronavirus lock-downs. "During the COVID19 restrictions when social distancing laws did not allow us to deliver the as-built plans by courier or meet our clients face-to-face, inndox allowed us to provide a completely remote service that was certainly appreciated by the elderly owners."

"My co-founder, Andrew Mackie-Smith and I are grateful for this acknowledgement that clearly shows acceptance of “proptech” by the industry"

inndox is in the running for a UDIA award!

inndox is in the running for the Urban Development Institute of Australia Awards for Excellence Queensland 2020. The Institute’s Awards for Excellence is one of Queensland’s most respected and highly regarded industry Awards programs.

The inndox digital handover was utilized by Signature Property Partners (SPP) for smart, cost-effective, sustainable, transparent and convenient paperless delivery of their handovers of seven luxury freehold homes at Seville Residences, Coorparoo during May 2020 at the height of the very challenging COVID-19 restrictions.

View the video interview with Joe Licastro, Director of Signature Property Partners about his experience using inndox for his project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dO9hsGUmvg

Joe Licastro, Director of SPP was midway through the development of Seville Residences Coorparoo when he was introduced to the inndox digital handover solution. He was impressed by the uniqueness of the oering that could facilitate a paperless process during and post-construction to deliver reduced liability, compliance and far better customer experience, thereby enhancing his reputation as an innovative high-end developer.

Joe started by sharing an inndox login with tradespeople and consultants near project completion to enable direct upload of files such as ‘as-built’ drawings, certifcates of classifications, plumbing approvals, supplier information for the timber flooring etc. He wanted to ensure complete transparency for the owners. He utilised the inndox features such as “templates” for pre-populating accounts with relevant folders and the powerful “cloning” feature which allowed him to create duplicates of an existing property logbook including all its folders, filles, contacts, warranties and maintenance reminders to create the additional six logbooks. This greatly alleviated the laborious task - significantly reducing the administrative time and cost usually associated with the preparation, collation and delivery of handover materials.

The inndox digital handover triggers an email to each owner giving them access to their inndox logbook. This handover is time-stamped with all the files related to the handover accessible at any date in the future. This gives developers the convenience to find answers quickly for authorities, stake-holders, owners and successive owners should the need arise.

The developer branding continues for the life of the property, reaching future owners, tenants, and property professionals to increase the lifetime value of the project and increase referral opportunities.

According to Joe, some of the innovative aspects of inndox are the maintenance reminders and warranty alerts. Each owner now receives an email alert for maintenance checks and when a product or service warranty is soon to expire. After just one month of occupation, the owners have already received reminders to have gutters cleaned and air conditioning filters serviced.

Other necessary maintenance like annual termite inspections and hot water valve replacements are also scheduled so the owners can keep their luxury townhouses in peak condition. Handy trade contacts, suppliers and businesses involved in the project are included in the logbook for the owner to call or email directly from the app.

Mr North, owner of number 8 at Seville Residences Coorparoo appreciates the convenience of having access to all the approvals, certificates, plans, finishes schedules, maintenance instructions and appliance manuals. He enjoys having an app to add more information and share access with third parties including solicitors, accountants and property professionals. “I am delighted with the outcome and impressed with the whole experience of Seville Residences Coorparoo”.

Launched in 1994, theses Awards were created by the property development industry as a vehicle to recognise excellence and innovation. Receiving an Award is valued recognition for the recipients work as well as an honour given the winners are chosen by their peers.

The judging program is rigorous, taking eight months from launch through to the completion of judging.

How to know if the defect is urgent or minor

Whether it is during Practical Completion or in the after-sales period, Owners or tenants may find defects in the property that need to be fixed. But what constitutes an urgent defect compared to a minor defect? 

Urgent defects are anything that involves a health and safety issue, security issue or leads to loss of essential services, like water and flushing toilets, that are within our control. 

Minor defects are anything that cause a minor inconvenience, like loose fittings and specific items that should be checked for before the end of the defects period, such as cracks, split wood, loose kitchen drawers, decorating blemishes, etc. 

Pro tip: During Practical Completion, make sure you document and take photographs to record any minor defects that you discover during the inspection. Make sure both you and the builder (or your respective representatives) sign that document noting the defects. Ensure you include the agreed dates as to when the items will be fixed.

Practical Completion: 3 Key Items

The 3 Key items that need to be considered for Practical Completion are:

1.   Minor defects and omissions - these should be recorded on a signed defects document, signed by the Builder (or their representative) and the Client (or their representative). This document should formally acknowledge the times, issues and defects that have been agreed on, and also the defects where there is disagreement. 

2.    Contracted work completed properly. The contracted work needs to be completed in accordance with the Building Codes, Standards, relevant laws, and contract documentation.

3.    Certificates. Some contracts require provision of all inspection certificates, collection of all the necessary Form 16s, and the final inspection certificate known as Form 21. 

These key items are often a condition for the final payment from the Owner. 

Once Practical Completion has been reached and the final payment has been made, all the relevant files are provided to the Owner at handover.

inndox can help you manage your handover and provide the next level of service - a digital handover in a convenient app that helps Owners manage and maintain their biggest asset.

No more worrying about warranties with inndox

Warranties are important to be included in the Handover to the Owner.

Noting the Warranty expiry dates for all the products and household appliances is usually overlooked. It's not until something goes wrong with the equipment, that the Client will search through their Handover records to find the product Warranty that may have already expired. This results in the Client often missing out on a legitimate claim causing them undue expense and inconvenience.

What if a Client calls asking for their Warranty information a number of years after completion? Would you know where to find them? Who was the person responsible for archiving those documents? Your client may expect you to retrieve those details and may get frustrated if a seemingly simple task takes hours to be accomplished.

When using inndox, your Clients get an easy-to-use app with Warranty Expiry options that alert them when the warranty is one month before expiry giving them ample time to check the appliance and make a claim if appropriate. Both you and your Clients get peace of mind having access 24/7 to all the property information including the important documentation for product Warranties.

So next time you get that call from the Client asking you where the Warranty details are, just direct them to their inndox!

Why it is important for Builders to always have all documents onsite

Since the recent tower fires in Sydney and Melbourne caused by non-conforming and non-compliant cladding, the National Construction Code has been updated.

For Builders, this means needing to be able to show authorities and clients proof of compliance of all the building materials used in the build and approved installation methods while onsite. Builders should work with all professionals involved in the supply chain for the project with these documents, including the designers, architects, manufacturers, suppliers and trades.

If you don’t have all the information close at hand, you could have your site shut down and be subject to hefty fines, which has already happened to a few building sites in Queensland.

Ultimately, the compliance of the building will rest with the Owner, so this means it is more important than ever for Builders and Developers to provide an enduring record for the Owners at handover.

With inndox, your records are safe, secure and available for the life of the property.