THE BIG 5 YEAR MAINTENANCE GUIDE

Whilst 'surfing' the property sites I found a guide to regular property maintenance... THE BIG 5 YEAR MAINTAINENCE GUIDE

Your property is generally 'worth' more than your car, so you need to keep it in good working order.

Just wondering what others opinions were on your property maintenance plans i.e.:

(1) Seasonal Maintenance Calendar
(2) Monthly, Semi-Annual and Annual Maintenance
(3) Maintenance Inspections Checklist

For example, do you repaint, recarpet, change window dressings every 3-6 years or have a plan for each property for up to 10 years? You may have one low maintenance tenant for 10 years, or a multitude of low maintenance tenants for up to 10 years, or, you may be on the other end of the spectrum and have high maintenance tenants requesting small issues be repaired/maintained regularly

• A service by your garage door supplier is generally required every 2 years to maintain the warranty. With your Hot Water System it is advisable to check the pressure every 3 months or so by opening the relief valve on the side of the system until a constant stream of water flows from it – if this flow occurs in a matter of seconds the system is working correctly, if not you may need a plumber to investigate.
• A newish or renovated house with Natural stone bench tops may require sealing with approved products on a regular schedule.
• Air conditioner and reticulation systems may require regular/annual servicing to pro-long lifespan and ensure the work.
• Vertimowing or aerating the lawn may be required every few years to remove excessive thatch
• RCD’s and Smoke alarms are now installed, do you have a testing regime in place. AS/NZS recommends that each RCD be tested every three months.

Do you have a wooden deck, or a pool, how about annual or pre-seasonal maintenance?

Do you have tiled roofs, how about Inspect roofing for missing, loose, or damaged tiles or leaks, gutters to be cleaned etc

High heel shoes can exert over 8,000 pounds of pressure per square inch on the floor under the heels, in some cases any damage resulting on laminate or hardwood floors may not be covered by warranty

Do you carry out audits on your properties in regards to expected equipment lifecycles or do you have a regular maintenance program?

We’ve had property managers that continue recommending to continuing to repair an oven, or an in wall air conditioner when it was quite obvious that the whole unit should have been replaced

Another factor which can affect the quality of tenant applying for a property is cosmetic maintenance. Touching up the paint job on interior walls when the property is between tenants is a simple task, and is reasonably inexpensive if landlords do it themselves. It may also enable you to add extra dollars to the rent that you charge the next tenant. The same approach applies to replacing aging fixtures and appliances, over the longer term you may replace carpets during a vacancy period also

A spruce-up between tenants is an opportunity to improve the performance of a rental property. A nicer place will generally attract more tenants for you to choose from and the possibility to achieve a higher rent. You want your property to be in great shape to attract good tenants prepared to pay a premium rent and you want them to look after it. Aside from obvious maintenance issues like fixing broken locks, handles and light fittings, there are many simple jobs you can do to rejuvenate your property in a short amount of time.

New carpets, paint, bench tops or curtains to creating a small outdoor area and an older house may require you to install insulation. Any upgrades will be noticed and welcomed by prospective tenants. A spruce-up is generally superficial work that is easy and quick to do and doesn't require any structural or building changes.

Some landlords may not be prepared for or prepared for vacancies or budgeted for necessary work.

A safety buffer per property is necessary as if you are unprepared this will not only sting you in the hip pocket but will likely cause a longer period of vacancy while you organise everything. Downtime = lost rent

Do you have a checklist for your home for monthly, quarterly or annual maintenance work? Dividing your tasks into seasons is also an idea to spread them out across the year so a little work regularly doesn’t feel like such a burden.

Examples:

• Check smoke alarms on April fool’s day each year – as per DFES
• Annual termite inspection on an anniversary date
• Get your garage door mechanism serviced on the annual renewal of your vehicle registration.
• Organise a service of your air-conditioning system or units during spring. Clean filters every 3-6 months.
• Organise your hot water system check/maintenance just before winter. Check taps for leaks at the beginning of every season.
• Reticulation servicing at the start of summer
• Clean out gutters before winter rains and cut-back branches ready for storms.
• Check exterior paint just before summer.
• Check balustrade and handrail fixings every December before the party season starts.

I realise it comes down to priorities, budgets etc… but I was wondering if anyone has their own Master Plan?

Something similar to the Defence Force Housings Schedule may be a good idea.

(1) Drains and gutters
(2) Emergency repairs
(3) Lawns, gardens and trees
(4) Light bulbs
(5) Mould
(6) Pool laws and pool maintenance
(7) Smoke alarms

If a property does not receive ongoing general maintenance, and if repairs are not acted upon straight away, there are several consequences.

It’ll likely cost more and take longer when maintenance or repairs are eventually undertaken, and the value of a property in disrepair is significantly lowered, decreasing both its investment and rental income potential.

Many landlord insurance providers expect homeowners to maintain their property to the standards of the relevant Tenancies Act, and failure to do so could result in claims being denied.

 

THE BIG 5 YEAR MAINTENANCE GUIDE

Maintenance is part of owning a home and an orderly, planned approach is the only way to go. Lay your plans by drawing up a maintenance schedule - grab pen and paper, wander around the home making notes, then hang the hammock in a cool spot and plan the next five years' activities.

Every three months

Check under the house for termites by learning to identify the mud tunnels they build. If you find evidence, don't disturb the tunnels - get a pest exterminator to check whether they are active or old workings.

Test all smoke alarms and make sure fire extinguishers and fire blankets are where they should be.

Check all lights for blown lamps and replace as necessary.

Check taps for leaks - dripping taps indicate a worn washer, while leaks under the cover plate or up the spindle indicate worn O rings. Get a plumber to repair as soon as possible.

Operate hot water pressure relief valve to make sure it is working.

Every six months

Remove spider webs and insect nests - carefully.

Clean and wash windows and walls.

Operate all windows and doors - ease if they are sticky (but not after long periods of very damp weather when timber naturally swells).

Check for and remove mould from walls and ceilings. Mould is related to humidity and does not necessarily occur in the same season throughout the country. Investigate ways of decreasing the water vapour in the air, such as venting tumble-dryers outside, using an exhaust fan at shower times and improving general ventilation.

Check for cracked glass and replace as necessary. Broken glass should be replaced immediately.

EVERY YEAR

Spring

• 'Spring clean' the house thoroughly, recycling or discarding unwanted items. If you haven't done a spring clean for a while, the first year will be the hardest.
• Replace or repair damaged insect screens and screen doors.
• Free paint-bound windows if not done quarterly.

Summer

• Check for drummy tiles - gently drag the plastic handle of a large screwdriver over tiles - you will hear the hollow sound of poorly adhered tiles. Re-glue as necessary.
• Have wall cracks assessed if they have changed over the year and decide whether they need attention.
• Prune plants away from house, especially near underfloor vents.
• If you have large trees or shrubs close to the home, make sure they are trimmed well back to avoid branches damaging the exterior of the home, the shingles or interfering with vents.
• Inspect and lubricate garage door roller shafts
• Make sure sprinklers and hoses are not directed against the outside of the house.

Autumn

• Arm yourself with overalls, kneepads, gloves, safety glasses, face mask, large screwdriver and a good torch. Crawl under the floor if you have timber floors and check for soundness of floor. If you can move termite shields (ant caps), the floor is not properly supported and should be packed out. Note any other work needed, such as tipped-over or sunken piers which need rebuilding, or floor framing which needs replacing due to rot or pest attack. Check for dampness under the bathroom.
• Check roof for damaged and dislodged tiles and repoint ridge and hip capping as necessary.
• Remove rust from metal railings, posts and roofs. Treat and repaint as required. Don't leave rust too long as the problem will quickly escalate.
• Check for draughts around doors, windows and skirting boards and take measures to seal the gaps.
• Check and clean chimneys and flues especially if you mainly burn softwood.
• Check for leaves and debris in gutters and eavestroughs - check for blockages at the down-pipe connections.

Winter

• Remove moss and algae from paving and steps.
• Remove oil stains from concrete.
• Punch down nails protruding from a timber deck.
• Check cold parts of the house for condensation. If surfaces are wet, increase ventilation or insulate to keep warmer.

Five to 10 year tasks to tackle

• Paint the interior of the house. Divide the number of rooms by five and allocate rooms to each of the five years. Adjust for relative size and complexity of each room. Interior painting is an ideal task during the hotter summer months as you are out of the sun and it's great drying weather.
• Paint exterior of the house. Over a period of four years you can paint the north, west, south and eastern walls, windows and doors, which is much more manageable than trying to do it in one hit. The ideal seasons are spring and autumn - the paint dries well but surfaces are not too hot. Take a holiday during the fifth year, unless you have a metal roof to paint.
• Check brickwork for missing mortar and re-point as necessary. This is slow work, and is best done during autumn and spring.

Things to check after a major storm (cyclone etc)

• Check that the weather stripping and flashings around the house have stood up to the storm. Look for wet stains around doors and windows, below where roofs join walls and under box gutters.
• Check that your drains were working adequately - clean leaf debris and silt from the drains and silt traps if you have them, ready for next time. Increase capacity of system (larger or more pipes) if water did not get away quickly enough.

Quick response tasks for those who move fast!

• Change a fuse or replace with plug-in circuit breaker when circuits blow. If this is a frequent occurrence have an electrician check out the circuit.
• Clear blocked drains as soon as possible to avoid flooding.
• Repair loose brick steps and paths as they can be dangerous.

You can probably add more

 

Love this

 

Just reading this makes me tired.

I'm going off to have a nap now...

 

I am praying for no more HWS breakdowns/ replacements for this year.

 

Since when did houses and units require maintenance? Regular rent increases, claim depreciation, never maintain anything (no repainting, servicing, tree trimming, carpet replacement, gutter clearing etc), wait until it breaks. Cry poor mouth & tenants abuse of property.

Why would tenants get upset - they should be grateful for the roof over their heads.

 

I watch some of the reno shows of varying degrees and I think I wonder if the current owners gave the property a renovation, how much better off they may have been

 

Wow I don't even do half of these things for my PPoR!

 

Me neither, but then again, I'm totally failing at adulting

 

Do it once, do it good.