Homeowners' association chairman transformed a 20-year-old nine-story building

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Instead of the traditional question for many: "what can I do alone?" sometimes it's just enough to think and start acting, as Mikhail Shvyganov, the head of the HOA, who made a palace out of a nine-story panel building at a municipal tariff, did.

Four porches from top to bottom in Italian ceramic tiles. Porcelain stoneware floor. Stainless steel railings. Silent Bulgarian elevators. Facade cladding - especially resistant multi-colored plaster. Entrance ramps, pavement sidewalks. We in Nizhny Novgorod have not yet seen such a richly equipped high-rise building as house No. 7/2 on Verkhnepecherskaya. It is hard to imagine that it is possible to maintain a house in this way, charging residents a fee according to the municipal tariff … An ordinary panel nine-story building with a 20-year "run" was brought into its present state by Mikhail SHVYGANOV, who headed the board of the HOA in 2003. Mikhail Ivanovich shared with the "Housing issue" his principles of maintaining a house

Save on consumption

Nineteen years ago, when Shvyganov moved here, the house was not well-groomed. There were many construction deficiencies; there was not enough money for current repairs and maintenance of the building. They needed to be found. But where? Increase the rate for owners? Mikhail Ivanovich found another way - to save money.

- First of all, I began to build relationships with resource supplying organizations. We made an audit of the contracts - it turned out that we significantly overpaid. We achieved a recalculation in three years.

At the same time, they installed house metering devices and began to pay with the resource workers not according to the standard, but for the actually consumed volumes. This is another source of tangible savings.

Now it is possible to use funds to improve the house.

- But from the first money it was too early to direct the external polish, - Shvyganov shares his strategy. - First you need to eliminate the factors due to which the house is constantly losing money. Therefore, we started with the repair of not the entrances, but communications.

Eliminate accidents

We also revised the laying of communications itself. For example, polypropylene hot water pipes were hung from the ceiling:

- We made good slopes, and the diameter of the plates on the risers was increased: instead of 50 millimeters, we made a hundred. All this ensures good circulation of hot water. And the thermal insulation of the pipes helps to save on giga calories.

Of course, the elevator could not have been repaired: it was not so bad. But Shvyganov's principle is not to lead to emergency situations:

- It is expensive to plug holes. If you service your networks in such a way that you exclude emergency repairs, then you will have additional money for current repairs.

Delineate boundaries

At the same time, we achieved a revision of the boundaries of operational responsibility with resource workers. Previously, these boundaries passed through the heating point, and the owners unfastened for heat loss or cable repair:

- We collected money to repair the main pipeline. Now the boundaries of our responsibility have been laid along the foundations of the house.

Shvyganov has several formations, and everything is as if on selection: technical, legal and economic. After graduating from the Polytechnic with honors, he worked at an instrument-making plant in Sevastopol, then as a deputy commercial director of a large trading house in Nizhny. Therefore, he delved into the accounting documents of the HOA with knowledge of the matter:

- For example, one of the resource-supplying organizations put up an additional payment of 229 thousand rubles at the end of the year. I counted - 82 thousand extra. Achieved a recalculation. Or he could just wave the bill and pay.

This is how, by the grain, the economic well-being of the house was cobbled together. And only after putting in order the communications and defending the borders, Shvyganov took up the renovation of the building itself.

It is expensive and long-term to repair

Shvyganov's approach to repairs may seem to some to be chic. However, according to his calculations, the "economical" repair is not economical at all:

- Six months later, the whitewash was erased, the walls were covered with writing - just right to be repaired again. I always use new and better materials that will serve you to the fullest. We're not rich enough to do cheap repairs.

For example, entrances. The walls are finished with ceramic tiles, the floor is made of porcelain stoneware, the suspended ceilings are made of plasterboard. Aesthetics - time. Convenience in cleaning is two. Durability is three.

- And this repair is already 10 years old! If I had been saving in the traditional way, I would have had to make several repairs during this time. Or a roof. The minimum service life after repair is 10 years. How many roofs have you seen that pass this "trial period"?

It's not only about the materials, but also about the scrupulous control of the work:

- On the roof, I forced the workers to completely remove the old material, to make the interpanel joints, waterproofing and cement screed. For all hidden works, he signed separate acts of acceptance. And here is the result: the eleventh year does not flow! Now there are no problems with information: all requirements for work can be found on the Internet.

Shvyganov concludes contracts with contractors only for work.

He buys the material himself - as a rule, from manufacturers:

- It is beneficial from all sides. And for the price. And the fact that in relations with contractors I have room for maneuver. And the fact that the material is guaranteed to be original.

The object of special pride of Mikhail Ivanovich is the appearance of the house. From the ends it is insulated with polystyrene and along the entire facade it is finished with especially durable decorative plaster of three colors, with which the single burgundy color of the balconies is in harmony.

- I attend all construction exhibitions, keeping abreast of all new materials and technologies. Take this plaster - you cannot scratch it with a nail, it does not burst, does not fade in the sun, does not fade in the rain. Who's to say that she is already four years old? Look at the neighboring house. Last year it was plastered in blue, and now it has burned out, has gone spots. The interpanel seams are sealed with either black or white mastic. Unaesthetic. This is where poor economics can lead.

However, recently Mikhail Ivanovich was invited to this neighboring house by the manager. People liked how another neighbor began to transform, which Shvyganov took over earlier: the gray facade of the building became coral-yellow-white. And soon the former "blue" will also become multi-colored - violet-yellow-white.

House number 7/2 amazes with its refinement to the mind. There are no trifles for Shvyganov. For example, he demanded from Internet providers to enclose all the wires at the entrance in a single box.

Respect rights, remind of responsibilities

Shvyganov has been running the partnership for 13 years, the house is thriving, and internal conflicts are not shaking him.

- For some reason, the owners (not ours, but in general) are used to communicating with the board from the position of “you owe us”. Yes, we should. But you also owe a lot. For example, install individual metering devices. We do not have them in 60% of apartments. And I'm not forcing anyone. You do not want?

Then do not blame us that we will invoice you with a multiplying coefficient. Or we will force you to pay according to the number of people actually living. I cannot but demand the fulfillment of legal requirements and thereby not protect law-abiding owners. The person who installed the meter is not obliged to pay for the water consumed by the tenants who enter the apartment without the meter …

In general, an amazing thing: the head of the HOA does not burn at work, he has time for exhibitions, trips, self-development, tenants do not rush into his house in the middle of the night, he can safely go on vacation with his wife and three sons-the weather, and the house not just in good, but in perfect condition! Why?

Probably because there is no imitation of seething activity, no fever, no desire to take part in everything personally. There is a strategy, there is calm systematic work. There is trust in their employees and the absence of fear of delegating their powers to them - there is a correctly built "vertical of power":

- The owners rarely call me personally. They know that many issues can be solved with an electrician, janitor, plumber, passport officer.

And only if the problem is not solved at their level, I get down to business.

Tatiana KOKINA-SLAVINA

Photo by Dmitry MARKOV

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