“Just two more buildings” can mean very different things. Two settled schemes with clear records are not the same workload as two buildings with major projects, disputes and an incomplete handover.
Building count is a starting point
A portfolio total helps describe the role, but it does not tell you whether the work fits the week. Lot numbers add context, as do the type of schemes, their locations and their stage of management. Even those measures leave out the work that arrives through meetings, maintenance and committee correspondence.
There is no single portfolio number offered here as a universal staffing standard. A useful assessment looks at the work involved and the support available to do it.
Separate recurring work from exceptional work
Map the regular commitments first: meetings, reporting, routine correspondence, contractor follow-up and internal administration. Then list the matters consuming additional time, such as defects, major works, insurance issues, disputes or a newly acquired scheme.
Give each exceptional matter a next action and a likely period of involvement. A project that is quiet this week may still require substantial management when quotes arrive or works begin.
Look at the whole support arrangement
The same portfolio can operate differently with reliable administrative and accounts support. Record who does the work today, rather than who is supposed to do it on an organisation chart.
If a manager is repeatedly covering a vacant support role, that time is part of the current workload. Replacing administrative capacity may be more useful than redistributing schemes between already stretched managers.
Run a practical capacity review
- Review the actual working pattern, including meeting nights and travel.
- Identify overdue tasks and whether they are waiting on the manager, a decision or a third party.
- List new schemes, leave and vacancies expected in the coming weeks.
- Check who owns urgent work when a manager is unavailable.
- Agree what can be deferred, reassigned or covered temporarily.
Use a normal week and a busy week as examples. Avoid planning every hour as though there will be no interruptions. Strata work includes unexpected issues; the team needs a way to absorb them.
For candidates: ask what sits behind the number
Before accepting a role, ask which schemes need the most attention and what support is attached to them. If the role is part-time, ask how the portfolio and meeting commitments have been sized for those hours.
For businesses, use the review to describe the actual staffing gap. You might need experienced portfolio cover, administrative support or help with a defined backlog. Those are different briefs and should be matched accordingly.
Discuss a staffing gap, or tell us what workload and availability would suit your next role.