Spring is a busy season for most of us. We shed off the short days and long nights of winter and embrace the longer daylight hours that accompany spring. With these extra hours of daylight we fill up the time quickly. The road construction season is in full swing and home and garden centres have people lined up at the checkouts! It seems we all realize there is work to be done after the long winter months.

Your condo building is no different. Maintenance and other jobs that have been waiting to get done since the fall now press for attention. Also, spring is a prime time for condo corporations to have their annual general meetings held. As a condo owner, spring is a busy season for you, too!

Maintenance work that needs to be completed can affect you, individually. Several, standard, annual items may include parkade cleaning (do you need to be home to move your vehicle), window cleaning (maybe keep those blinds closed), and exterior building maintenance (some building exits may be inaccessible). It is important to be aware of what is happening around your building and when so as not to experience any unnecessary surprises. Most management companies do an excellent job of keeping owners informed of spring maintenance activities happening around your building.

There may be a need for the management company to have access to your unit for some maintenance items. These could include fire protection equipment check-ups, heating system maintenance, window replacement or other items. It is important that the management company have key to access the unit if you are not going be there. Most of these activities will occur during business hours so leaving a key with the building manager will help expedite the work to be completed.

If spring is when your building holds its annual general meeting, plan to make room in your busy schedule to take part. AGM’s are a great opportunity to meet your neighbours, the building manager and hopefully offer you an opportunity to get more involved in your condo community. Consider volunteering for the board or one of the committees, perhaps the landscaping committee! If you have green thumb and feel it is not getting enough use living in a condo, why not flex that thumb muscle for the benefit of the whole building. Your neighbours will love you for it and you will be enhancing your investment at the same time.

Springtime in your condo building can be a very busy and rewarding season. Why not make the most of it!