A spreadsheet is a perfectly good way to run ten properties. Somewhere past twenty, the same spreadsheet starts costing you time you do not see: the Friday afternoon spent reconciling two versions, the certificate found the day after it expired, the landlord statement that needed three corrections. The shift is gradual, which is why it is rarely noticed until something goes wrong.
Signs you are there
- More than one person edits the sheet, and you have had a “which version is right?” conversation.
- A date was missed because the sheet was not open that week.
- Documents live in inboxes, a shared drive and a filing cabinet, and finding one takes a search.
- The same information is typed in two places (the sheet and the landlord statement, or the sheet and the diary).
- A new starter cannot work from the sheet without someone sitting beside them.
Why it happens
A spreadsheet holds values; it does not hold relationships or time. It cannot connect a certificate to its property, a job to its tenant, or a date to the morning it becomes urgent. Every one of those connections is held in someone's head, and heads do not scale.
What to put in place
- One record per property that everything else attaches to: documents, tenancy, tasks, jobs, contacts.
- Dates that do something. An expiry date that drives a status and a reminder, not a cell that waits to be read.
- A weekly review with a fixed list, so the routine does not depend on who is in the office.
- Roles. Who can see and change what, so growth does not mean everyone has everything.
- An import path. Moving across should take an afternoon, not a month.
Verixad is built for this point: flat pricing by portfolio size, every feature on every plan, a spreadsheet import with sample files, and certificates whose status follows their dates. See pricing, how to move your data and what to look for in compliance software.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Check current official guidance for your situation.