You bought a NYC brownstone. How are you going to manage it?
- Ask your broker for recommended vendors; if renovating, keep track of all the subcontractors for future use
- Explore subscription maintenance services—or community listservs and social media for trusted providers
You can call a super if you live in an apartment building, but maintenance and repairs are up to you as an owner of a townhouse.
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If you live in an apartment building, you know how convenient it is to call the super when you need something fixed. In a townhouse, it's a bit more complicated.
Yes, you get abundant privacy and space, including a dedicated office for working from home. However, one downside of owning a brownstone or townhouse is that you are responsible for everything when something goes wrong.
That has many new owners at a loss when the dishwasher backs up or the hot water tank fails.
[Editor's note: An earlier version of this post was previously published in March 2021. We are presenting it with updated information for December 2024.]
"I represent a lot of buyers who have never owned a townhouse before and definitely don't understand what is involved in terms of maintenance," says Tali Berzak, a broker at Compass. "Besides the one-off repairs, you're responsible for snow removal on the sidewalk—you're liable if someone slips and falls in front of your house—and you must be familiar with garbage and recycling collection schedules."
The good news is that you're not alone. As the saying goes, it takes a village to keep things running smoothly, so lean on your neighbors, broker, and others who will be happy to share resources. Read on for more specific suggestions.
Don't wait until you move
The advice from Josh Blackman, principal of Brooklyn management company Brownstone Property Group, is to get organized before you even close on the sale of your townhouse. He suggests getting a property inspection and then "taking heed of recommendations made by the inspector." You might even consider adding additional inspections for issues like termites and the chimney.
Some mechanicals—like the boiler or hot water tank—may be decades old and out of warranty. "Being informed before you purchase helps you anticipate and prepare emotionally and financially when things go wrong," Blackman says.
Tap your broker for information
Don't close out your relationship with your broker before you've mined them for local intel on who to call when you have a maintenance issue.
"Your knowledgeable agent can be a great resource before you buy and when something goes wrong," Blackman says. He points out the seller might also be happy to give you a list of the service people, like electricians and plumbers, they have used over the years.
Berzak always provides a list of recommended vendors and a checklist of common maintenance issues at the closing so clients have a clear roadmap. First on the list: buying trash and recycling bins, and finding someone to break down boxes and take the bins to the curb if you aren't living there yourself.
"Among other things, you always need a plumber-slash-heating pro to bleed the radiators or check on the boiler before winter; central air systems should also be checked once or twice a year," she says.
Make a note of subcontractor details
If you're planning any renovations, ask your contractor for the details of the subcontractors they use, such as the plumber and electrician. When there's a leak under the kitchen sink, you'll benefit from working with someone familiar with your place.
Blackman says even if you're not renovating immediately, you might have a plumber check if there is a back-flow prevention valve on the sewer line and consider installing a sump pump in the basement. "Check the roof, check the plumbing, check for leaks on radiator valves," he says.
Brooklyn resident Dana Luria, who bought a townhouse in Park Slope six months before the pandemic, made a point of taking the contact details of subcontractors who worked on her renovation.
"Being able to contact the subs directly has been particularly helpful, especially with the plumber who comes by every few months," she says.
Share information with your neighbors
Luria told Brick that pooling information with other property owners in the neighborhood has also been particularly helpful. She compiled a Google doc with the details of local maintenance teams, which she shared with fellow owners on her block. "It's a list of all the service providers that people like, and I know many of our friends use it regularly," she says.
Local community groups—whether via listservs or social media—are other potential resources for hyper-local trusted providers.
Berzak says you can often find enterprising people in the neighborhood who offer small-job services to multiple owners like yourself. Ask around.
"Many brownstone owners rent out an apartment and can find a tenant willing to take on certain tasks for a rental discount," she adds.
Use subscription maintenance services
If maintenance issues intimidate you, consider paying a company to cover your needs. Several companies offer maintenance services that you can pay for monthly.
According to owner Barnabas Uba Shakur, Foot Soldiers offers exterior maintenance, trash sorting and recycling, and backyard clearing; they will plant or add mulch to tree pits as well.
Another important service offered is snow removal. Townhouse owners are responsible for snow and ice removal, so you should be prepared for it in advance.
"If you call for snow removal services when the snow is in the forecast or on the ground, you are going to pay. Plan in the warm season to find a company for your snow removal needs," Uba Shakur says, noting his team consistently documents the work with photos and is fully insured.
The team at Brownstone Property Group provides property management, renovation, and maintenance as well as compliance services to ensure your property is safe and observes all local laws. For example, parapets now require annual inspections, which the company provides. "Just because you live in a building doesn't mean you want to do everything yourself," Blackman says.
Like Uba Shakur, he has seen townhouse owners' needs increase over recent years. "We have clients who retain our team’s services so that they have someone to call and manage the problems that will eventually arise so that they can focus on their family and work," Blackman says.
Berzak recommends VPM NYC, a full-service property management company with over 20 years of experience.
Otherwise, she relies on Thumbtack to find painters, cleaners, and other pros.
Learn some basic maintenance
There will always be times when you need to call on certified and fully insured professionals. However, it's not a bad idea to learn basic maintenance skills—for example, how to relight the pilot light on your hot water heater, Blackman says.
"It's a worthwhile learning curve," Berzak says. "You can watch the service providers the first couple of years and then take on these kinds of tasks going forward." (Better yet, record them on video: She did just that to learn how to change the water filtration system throughout her own brownstone.)
—Earlier versions of this article contained reporting and writing by Emily Myers.
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