Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Ramaswamy | NAVAL BASE GUAM (March 7, 2022) - Contractors perform repairs on a vacant home onboard...... read more read more
NAVAL BASE GUAM (March 7, 2022) – There are approximately 795 homes occupied or being prepared for occupancy for families onboard U.S. Naval Base Guam (NBG), and a team of Housing Area Managers have the task of ensuring each home is fit for families to move in.
Once a family is ready to vacate a unit, the home goes through a series of procedures, before it is move-in ready for the next family. After a home is initially vacated, the average turn-around time for a home is approximately two weeks.
“Housing units undergo multiple inspections in between occupants,” said NBG Housing Area Manager Tricia Reyes. “Prior to occupants moving out, inspectors do a preliminary inspection to discuss with occupants what must be cleaned or restored, before their final move-out inspection - this includes going over cleaning guidelines, restoring walls to their original color, as they may have been painted, or removing picture hooks from the walls.”
Reyes is one of six NBG Housing Area Managers at NBG who are responsible for ensuring homes on the installation are safe, habitable, and clean. Each Area Manager is responsible for one NBG neighborhood: Flag Circle, Apra View, Lockwood, North Tipalao, Harbor and Bay View.
As Reyes conducts her inspections, she has a methodical process, and checks everything right down to the handles on each cabinet in the home.
“I’ve been doing this for nearly two years,” Reyes said. “I know what areas to check for to ensure the water isn’t leaking, light fixtures and the air conditioning is working, amongst other things.”
The Area Manager meets with the occupants again for a final termination inspection.
After the inspection is completed the contractors from Defense Base Services, Inc. (DBSI), meet with Area Managers to see what additional work must be completed before a new family moves in. Contractors perform tasks including repair work and another thorough cleaning.
“Even though most owners take care of their homes, there will still be some wear and tear, and we owe it to the next resident to get it as close to new as we can,” Reyes said.
After contractors complete any and all repairs, inspectors return to the home for an occupancy inspection to ensure the work is completed correctly and that the home is in good condition before a family moves in.
Finally, once customers accepts a unit for occupancy, they walk through the home with an Area Manager to make sure everything is up to standard and document the condition of the home at check-in.
While the average turn-around time for a home is approximately two weeks once it is vacated, the length of time may vary based on the extent of repairs a home may require. Lengthier repairs may include tile or carpet replacement and extensive painting.
“Moving is stressful and moving overseas can add onto that, so it’s so important to me that we try to get it right – and to make sure that a family has a comfortable place they can call their home for a while,” Reyes said.
Even after families move in, Housing Area Managers are readily available to receive all occupants concerns.
“If something needs to be repaired or if a customer has concerns they want to address, or if they have questions, we encourage them to contact their Housing Area Manager,” said NBG Housing Director Berni Aquiningoc.
Customer feedback is used as a tool to continue identifying ways to improve housing conditions by enhancing communication with residents, creating and prioritizing action plans to correct deficiencies, and identifying items that are the most important to residents.
“It’s about making the living experience better for our residents - that’s our goal for all of us here at NBG, making it truly a great place to live,” Aquiningoc said. “We know how big our role is in the quality of life of our service members and their families, and we’re committed to a cohesive team effort to make things happen.”
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.13.2022 20:37 |
| Story ID: | 418465 |
| Location: | GU |
| Web Views: | 296 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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