Inside Imagine Homes: Maintaining Exceptional Service

At Imagine Homes Management, helping people is at the heart of what we do. We caught up with Tim Black, Senior Maintenance Technician in Cleveland about his work with Imagine Homes, why he considers services his calling, and what his day is like out in the field.

Growing up, I was raised by a dad who taught us how to do everything ourselves.

My father didn’t pay anybody to do anything around the house. So we had to learn how to fix electrical problems, plumbing issues, and even cars on our own. Because of that, I developed skills that you can make a great living with today.

I’ve done many, many things: I was a butcher. At one point, I was a commercial electrician. I was also into water treatment, working as a service manager for Culligan Water before I came to Imagine Homes.

I got into apartment maintenance while on a job doing carpet installation.

I met a property manager who told me about how he needed a maintenance guy, and at that point, I was not feeling very healthy.

Yes, I was young at the time. But doing carpet is very hard on my body and I had considered doing something else for a living. I applied for the job and that turned into 17 years of doing property maintenance—mostly for apartments.

Fast forward to years later, I stumbled on an ad for Imagine Homes on Indeed while still working at Culligan Water. After meeting with Adam Pry, I came away feeling excited to be a part of what Imagine Homes was doing.

By January 2022, I’ll be with Imagine Homes for three years.

Everything about doing maintenance is just part of who I am.

The thing I love most about my line of work is how every day is different. I love that I have to use my brain to figure out how to solve the different problems that I come across. I enjoy that it allows me to help people because I like taking care of people.

Recently, we had a resident who was struggling with some plumbing issues at her house. When I came by to work on a backed-up kitchen sink, she was home and told me that before she put in the work order, her daughter had asked if she was going to call “Uncle Tim” to come fix it.

I personally don’t want to be in a resident’s home so much that their kids start thinking I’m a visiting relative—but it does make me happy to think that residents are comfortable enough to feel as though I’m part of the family because they know I’m just there to help.

I’ve been to her home several times, so I’m a familiar face. I think her daughter is the sweetest little girl—even if she always runs and hides behind her mom. As a grandfather with a three year old grandson, I just get attached to little kids. So it warms my heart to know that this little girl now apparently calls me Uncle Tim.

I want residents to feel that when they live with Imagine Homes, this is their actual home. They’re not just renting.

As far as I’m concerned, this is their house. Because of that, I want everything to be just right.

I’m a big believer in calling in any issues that you might find in your home. If you know something’s not right with your house, call it in. Don’t wait for it to become a bigger problem. Most little things will continue to get worse and become a larger issue, which makes it a lot more difficult to repair.

If you find anything uncommon at home, call it in immediately. If you move in and everything works, but two weeks later, one of the light switches doesn’t want to work—call us.

It could be a loose wire in a box, or it could be a number of other things that are an easy fix in the beginning. But if you don’t get it taken care of, it could cause a large issue that becomes a whole day project to repair.

As for recommendations in preventive maintenance: pay attention to what you have in your house.

Consider that the home you’re renting from Imagine Homes is your house. Remember that all you have to do is put in a work order and someone will show up for it.

Typically, we’re there the same day to address them. If you have a leak and your drains aren’t running, we do our best to be there within that day. If it’s a bigger issue, we might have to get a contractor in. That may take a day or two, but since we try not to disrupt our resident’s lives, we try to get things done as quickly as possible.

I feel that people decide that they want an Imagine Home because the quality is evident from the moment you walk in the door.

Our homes have electronic lock systems that offer you peace of mind when you’re not home. Admittedly, I had never seen these systems before coming to Imagine Homes. But people embrace technology these days and I think that’s great. You could be in Aruba on vacation and you would still know what’s going on at your house. That’s a big perk.

We also do great renovations. Our homes are updated with granite countertops, new appliances—all of that is a draw. And finally, I think people stay with us because when they look around and they see the competition, the competition doesn’t match up. I’m of the opinion that they just don’t take care of people the same way we do. Having spent so long in the apartment business, I think I can say that with confidence.

In another company, it might take me three or four days before I finally get your work order. At Imagine Homes, I do my best to get to you as soon as possible.

I hope that when residents see me, they understand that I just want to make sure that everything is taken care of and that they’re comfortable and happy.

My work keeps me out in the field going from work order to work order. This means I get to meet people from all over. I’ve met residents that are here temporarily from Japan or Germany and other countries. I’ve met people from all kinds of ethnicities and backgrounds. I enjoy that a lot.

Experience all of the benefits and advantages of homeownership—in a rental.

Our residents deserve to feel truly at home. Beyond fully-renovated homes, our locations are also second to none. We make it so easy, all you have to do is come home.

Talk to our team—we’d love to know how we can help.

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