Work: Using Reserve Studies to Understand and Manage Facilities

Sharon Villines

Often not understood is how useful reserve studies are in understanding and maintaining facilities. Sharing copies of her community’s study, Sharon Villines will explain how her team uses their study to manage their facilities. A Capital Reserve Study, often called a “replacement reserve,” is designed to protect the investment of owners by ensuring that current owners are saving enough to pay future replacement costs. It lists each component of the buildings and grounds, analyzes their current condition, estimates the useful life of each, and calculates its future replacement cost. A Maintenance Reserve Study does the same for shorter-term maintenance. A $10 fee is required for those wanting a copy of the 60 page Reserve Study and spreadsheet materials.

Sharon Villines is an original resident of Takoma Village Cohousing in Washington DC and budget and reserve study coordinator for the Facilities Team. She lived through moving into a construction site where, to her dismay, she became close friends with the construction company manager since many things were not working as planned. She currently writes on community development and governance issues and is co-author of We the People: Consenting to a Deeper Democracy, A guide to Sociocratic Principles and Methods.