Kartal has seen some of the most intense urban regeneration in Istanbul. Older stock is giving way rapidly to new high-rise schemes, and that sets a very clear agenda for management: getting the first years of a newly handed-over building right.
In a new building, the first year sets the next twenty
The first year of a new building is when decisions get made that are hard to undo. Three things stand out.
Developer handover. Common areas, fixtures and technical systems must be handed over from the developer to the owners under a signed record. A generator delivered incomplete, landscaping left unfinished or a warranty document never transferred will, if not caught, be paid for out of the building’s own budget a few years later.
Warranty periods. Lifts, the heating system, booster pumps and waterproofing all have different warranty periods, usually running from the occupancy permit. Not knowing those dates means paying for a fault that was covered.
A realistic budget. New buildings are almost always budgeted too low, because nothing has worn out yet and nobody counts the cost of periodic maintenance. When the real costs surface in year two, the charge rises sharply, and that breeds mistrust every time.
In the new buildings we take on, we build the budget around the actual maintenance calendar and recommend setting aside provisions for severance and for major repairs.
Older buildings awaiting regeneration
In buildings not yet redeveloped the job is different: it takes a long time for owners to reach a decision on regeneration, and in the meantime there is a running argument about whether to carry out maintenance that requires serious investment. Taking those decisions properly and recording them prevents disputes later.