An estate manager who shows you the books.
Skratchsphere runs residential estates and commercial buildings day and night, with open-book service charge reporting, a resident helpdesk and engineers on the same team as the managers.
Residents pay the service charge. They rarely see where it goes.
The most common dispute in Nigerian estates is not the size of the service charge, it is the absence of accounts. Managers who will not render accounts get taken to court and replaced. We built our management service around the monthly report because it is the only thing that keeps residents paying and excos in control.
- Round-the-clock estate operations with a named estate manager and shift supervisors
- Security coordination with the estate's chosen security provider
- Cleaning of common areas and offices, post-construction cleans, waste collection and pest control
- Landscaping, drainage and road maintenance
- Mechanical and electrical maintenance: pumps, generators, lighting, gates, water and sewage plants
- Repairs and vendor management, with three quotes above an agreed threshold
- Resident helpdesk by WhatsApp and phone, with logged tickets and response times
- Service charge billing, collection support and arrears reporting
- Monthly open-book report to the exco and an annual independent audit
| Income | Service charge billed, collected and outstanding by unit | N |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | By category against the approved budget | N |
| Utilities | Water and effluent test results, diesel used and cost per unit | mg/L, N/kWh |
| Helpdesk | Tickets opened, closed and overdue | count |
| Decisions | Open issues and what the exco needs to decide | list |
Taking over from a manager who has failed
Estates that replace a manager usually inherit no records, no asset list and a queue of unpaid vendors. Our transition service covers the first ninety days: a handover audit, an asset register with photographs, a vendor and contract review, a residents' briefing, and a stabilisation plan the exco approves before we start.
For developers at handover
We can be appointed before handover to set up the estate's operations, billing and utility contracts, and then transfer the management agreement to the residents' association once it is formed, so buyers move into an estate that already works.
Commercial buildings
For offices, mixed-use buildings and retail, the same open-book approach applies: a facilities manager on site, planned maintenance, office cleaning, energy and water costs reported per square metre, and tenant requests logged and answered.
Questions we are asked about management.
What does it cost?
A management fee agreed with the exco, either a fixed monthly amount or a percentage of the service charge, set out in the management agreement with everything included and excluded.
Can residents see the accounts?
Yes. The monthly report goes to the exco and a resident summary is posted on the estate notice board or portal.
Do you employ the security guards?
No. Security is contracted separately by the estate. We coordinate and supervise the provider on the estate's behalf.
What if we are unhappy?
The management agreement includes a notice period and a handover obligation, so the estate is never held hostage by its manager.
Ready to see the books?
Tell us about your estate and we will show you the report we would send you.