Receiving a new building seems an ideal opportunity — everything is new, clean, and complete. But the operational reality shows that new buildings have their own challenges that must be prepared for.
The New Building: An Opportunity and a Challenge
The advantages of the new building: modern systems, no historical wear, warranty procedures cover many of the first reports. Its challenges: the systems haven't been fully "run in" yet, some breakdowns appear only in actual use, and coordination with the contractor during the warranty period adds complexity.
The First Three Months: The Most Challenging
| The month | The expected breakdowns | The action |
|---|---|---|
| The first | The highest rate — systems running for the first time | An intensive maintenance team |
| The second | Cumulative breakdowns from use | Careful follow-up |
| The third | Stability begins | A natural rhythm |
The Contractor's Warranties and How You Benefit From Them
- Document every breakdown as soon as it appears
- Communicate with the contractor's project manager for reports within the warranty period
- Distinguish between what's under warranty and what's outside it
- Don't fix yourself what the contractor should fix — it may void the warranty
The New Building's Documents
Be sure to obtain:
- As-built drawings
- Operation manuals for all systems and equipment
- A list of contractors and support numbers for each system
- Warranty certificates and their dates
- The access code for all smart systems
📌 Important: These documents are valuable and disappear quickly. Keep them in a safe place and make digital copies of them.
Conclusion
The new building needs an operations team that understands the particularity of this stage — patience with the startup breakdowns, benefiting from the warranties, and documenting everything to build a strong knowledge base for the coming years.
Frequently Asked Questions
The first months may be higher in cost due to the density of reports. In the long term the new building is usually lower in cost because its systems are modern.
Immediately and in writing. Every day of delay may be interpreted as you acknowledging that the breakdown isn't from the contractor.