New year, new system: Ditch spreadsheets in 2026

Gemma Nettle

By Gemma Nettle

13 January 2026

We've all been there. It's the first week of January, and you're staring at a desktop cluttered with "FINAL_v2" spreadsheets, an inbox of unread maintenance requests, and that nagging feeling that there has to be a better way to manage your portfolio. 

Every year, property managers promise themselves that this is the year they get organised. Then, the spring rush hits, the boiler breakdowns pile up, and those good intentions are buried under a mountain of manual admin. If you've been meaning to upgrade your processes for years, this is your sign. 

New year, new system- Ditch spreadsheets in 2026

 

The cost of “just getting by”

Before looking forward, take a moment to look back. Think about the hours you spent last year trapped in a cycle with Excel, manually updating statuses, tracking gas safety certificates, and praying no one accidentally deleted a row. Consider the daily hunt through your inbox, where you scroll through endless threads just to find out if a contractor actually visited a property three weeks ago. 

When you add it up, that isn't just admin time. It's time you could have spent growing your business, improving landlord relationships, or actually taking a lunch break.

 

Making the change you've been planning for years

We often avoid new software because we fear the hurdles of onboarding. But the reality is that the friction of a new system is temporary, while the friction of a broken system is permanent. Fixflo helps you centralise the chaos. Instead of juggling files, you gain a single source of truth where every repair request, photo, and invoice is stored in one accessible place. 

The shift is about moving from being a middleman to being a manager. By automating the mundane, you solve issues before they even reach your desk. You provide your tenants with a 24/7 digital portal to report issues accurately and your contractors with a streamlined way to provide quotes. You stay in control.

 

How to start the journey

Breaking the cycle of procrastination doesn't require an overnight overhaul. Start by identifying the one manual task that drained your energy the most last year. Commit to moving just your most frequent contractor or a small portion of your portfolio onto the system. 

Once you reclaim your first Friday afternoon from the grip of spreadsheets, you'll realise that the change wasn't nearly as scary as the old way of working. The "New Year, New Me" mantra usually fades by February, but “New Year, New System” is an investment that pays. 

Don't let 2026 be another year of Excel-induced headaches. Make the improvement you've been talking about for years. Get your free, no obligation quote now! 

 

Gemma Nettle

When Gemma is not writing at work, her main hobby is writing at home. Entertainment is her bag, lapping up every new film and TV series with ferocity. She is always on the lookout for a new pastime, having experimented with dance, baking and bass guitar.

See more posts
default-placeholder

BLOG DISCLAIMER

This article is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have any questions related to issues in this article, we strongly advise contacting a legal professional.
These blog posts are the work of Fixflo and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. In summary, you are welcome to re-publish any of these blog posts but are asked to attribute Fixflo with an appropriate link to www.fixflo.com. Access to this blog is allowed only subject to the acceptance of these terms.

Gemma Nettle

By Gemma Nettle

13 January 2026

Be the first to hear about new content for property managers

eBooks and webinars, always free

  • Data-driven industry insights
  • Compliance and legal updates
  • Property management best practices