Condopedia Catalog
Condopedia's Condo Catalog and Shopping FAQ
Condopedia Condo Catalog and FAQ are designed to help small to midsized condo associations easily and affordably obtain useful supplies.
What products will a condo association want to buy?
Condopedia.Com currently recommends Amazon because (1) we have personal experience dealing with them, (2) find their prices competitive, (3) their return policies reasonable, (4) their customer support good (not great), and (5) we especially like the fact that they keep online your entire purchase history.
Depending on your condo association, you may want everything from pool supplies to paintbrushes. Some of the items that we recommend for a small to midsized association are listed below. (We will add new items to this list periodically.) For items you may want to buy online, we have provided links. We are recommending good quality items, suitable for light use. If you think we left any products out, please send us an email.
It's more practical to buy common, inexpensive items, such as soap bars and window cleaner, locally, because if you buy them online, shipping may cost more than the product itself.
| Legend |
| Recommended |
| Worth considering |
| Supplies | Purpose | |
| TOOLS | ||
| Basic tool kit | Hammer, pliers, screwdrivers, tape measure, level, for basic maintenance, such as tightening a door hinge or bannister, putting up pictures, etc. | |
| Flashlights | Emergencies, investigating dark areas. | |
| WD40 | Making squeaky hinges quiet. (Available at almost any hardware store) | |
| Soap bar | Making sticky doors and windows close more easily. | |
| Safety ladder | Inspecting places, changing lightbulbs. | |
| Cordless drill | Minor repairs. | |
| Paint brush | Inexpensive two-inch brush for doing minor touch up and painting. Keep a few handy. | |
| Paint | After common areas are painted, make sure the painter provides you with extra paint (even if you have to pay) so that you can inexpensively touch up. Also, consider keeping on hand a can of Rustoleum to help prevent rust spots from getting worse. | |
| CLEANING | ||
| Dish detergent | For cleaning up minor scuffs and spills. | |
| Stain remover | For keeping carpets clean. | |
| Window cleaner | To clean windows, especially glass doors. | |
| Sponges | For cleaning scuffs and other marks. | |
| Air freshener | There are times when plumbing, garbage, and animal problems practically require that you have some sort of air freshener available. | |
| Trash bags - 33 gallon | Whether to line garbage cans or hold extra trash (such as during holiday season), it's a good idea to have a supply of trash bags on hand. | |
| Trash barrels | Buy these locally because, depending on who takes out the trash and the property, you may want smaller barrels or ones with wheels. Buy ones with attached lids or buy a few extra lids for those times they blow away. Also, write your street address on the cans to discourage theft. | |
| Paper towels | Useful in laundry room and general cleanup. Buy a large quantity and save, but in our experience if you don't keep them under lock and key, some people will occasionally "borrow" a roll. | |
| Cordless hand vacuum | Very useful for quick cleaning of entranceways, laundry rooms, and other areas. | |
| Broom and dust pan | Basic clean up between regular cleanings. | |
| Hand broom and dust pan | Keep it handy so tenants can clean up minor spills, such as laundry detergent and houseplant soil. | |
| Paper towel dispenser | Useful in laundry rooms and other areas. Better than paper towel rolls, in that people are less likely to waste as much. Also buy C-Fold paper towels. | |
| Graffiti remover | To remove graffiti. | |
| Vacuum cleaner | Canister vacuum cleaner easier for cleaning stairways. It uses these bags. | |
| SAFETY AND SECURITY | ||
| Stock up on long lasting, energy saving lightbulbs especially for hallways and other areas where lights are left on all the time. | ||
| Lightbulbs 100 watt | ||
| Emergency lights and exit signs | Especially important for stairways, these are typically hard wired and contain rechargeable batteries, so they should be installed by an electrician. | |
| Fire extinguishers | Contact your local fire dept, as there may be specific requirements for your location and building size. | |
| Smoke/carbon monoxide detector | These are often required by law. Many condo associations provide these for individual units because they protect both tenants and the building. Also, don't forget AA batteries. | |
| Wet floor sign | Buy two, one for the top and one for the bottom of the stairs. Ask your cleaning people to use them. | |
| Safety cones | These cones are very useful when you need to reserve part of your parking area, such as when work is being done in the building. | |
| Anti-slid tread | Inexpensive and easily installed. Put on slippery staircases. | |
| No smoking sign | Inexpensive signs can help discourage unwanted behavior. | |
| No trespassing sign | ||
| No parking sign | ||
| Key cabinet | If you keep keys to all the units (for emergencies or if someone gets locked out), you might want a key cabinet, kept in a discrete area. | |
| STORAGE | ||
| Storage cabinet | Medium sized (36"x18"x42"), lockable cabinet to keep tools and other building supplies. | |
| File cabinet 2-drawer | Not only can your records (including minutes, bids by contractors, financial documents) be of legal importance, you may need to refer to them to conduct your normal business. Consider getting the larger one. You can always use the extra space to store tools and lightbulbs. | |
| File cabinet 4-drawer | ||
| Steel shelves | Useful for general storage -- of miscellaneous garden supplies, paints, plumbing parts and other things that condo associations accumulate. (Note, these can be time-consuming to put together.) | |
| Outdoor shed | Buy locally because you may have specific needs, such as dimensions, a, and materials. Some localities require buildings to store flammable items (such as gas mowers and snowblowers, oil paints and thinner) outside the premises. A lockable shed is a common solution. | |
| SEASONAL ITEMS | ||
| Snow shovel | For information on snow shovel safety, see this article. | |
| Salt | It probably makes more sense to buy salt locally, but it's a good idea to have some handy. | |
| Ice scraper | For removing ice from sidewalks and stairs. | |
| Snow blower | The kind of snowblower you should buy will depend on the nature of the area you need to clear. Start your research by looking at this FAQ. | |
| Salt and sand spreader | If you have long walkways, a salt and sand spreader will simplify the task of ensuring safety. | |
| Rubber mat (in/outdoors) | So people can wipe off snow and slush before traipsing through the hallways. | |
| OTHER ITEMS | ||
| Large marker | To write your street address on garbage cans and other items. | |
| Message board | Small board (24" x 18") useful for posting messages and announcements. Also buy some pushpins. | |
| Firewood rack | If your building buys wood collectively, a firewood rack can help keep things neat. | |
| Folding chairs | Inexpensive chairs for annual meetings and other events. | |
| Homeowners Association Manual | Inexpensive book contains a lot of useful information. | |
What should a condo association look for in a vendor?
The most common mistake small associations make is to put too much emphasis on price. You want a good price, but a condo association is a business, so there are some things that are equally important. For example, as a business you will want reasonably detailed invoices and receipts, fast delivery, helpful customer service, and a good product selection. In this day and age, you probably want a vendor who effectively uses the Internet so that you can easily order supplies, review invoices, and track deliveries.
How should a condo association pay for supplies?
If you have an owner who's willing to use his/her credit card, then you can either advance that person petty cash (typically from the maintenance and supply lines of your budget) or reimburse that person after s/he submits receipts. Alternatively,you may be able to work out an invoicing arrangement with local suppliers. You also may be able to secure a discount and delivery.
Can unit owners borrow condo maintenance supplies?
Your condo board will have to set policies in this regard. In smaller associations it is not uncommon to allow unit owners to borrow tools and cleaning equipment. For cleaning fluids and paper towels, you might create an honor system and ask people to periodically donate supplies.
Why do we need supplies if we regularly use a cleaning service and handyperson?
Chances are there will be times when someone spills something or there is a repair so minor that it's not worth calling someone in. Cleaning up spills, changing lightbulbs, making trash bags available, making a window close more easily are just a few examples where a few supplies could come in handy.
