It’s wonderful having a new home. You can really make it a reflection of your personality. It’s a space to show off your hospitality skills, a place to relax and just ‘be’, and somewhere that’s safe. You can grow your own vegetables, paint or decorate your environment according to your taste, and become part of the local community.
The challenges that come with a home need your attention too however. You may have a lot of repairs and maintenance to do over the years, and it’s wise to plan ahead and budget for these tasks. What’s more, we will give you a list of services to keep in your phone book. For example, sooner or later you’ll need the best hot water service Melbourne locals can obtain. Or an electrician.
First handy tip: keep these important numbers saved on your phone, labelled as ‘Maintenance and Repairs’. You’ll know exactly who to contact when the time comes.
To help you along, here’s what all homeowners should know.
Obtain Recommendations
What do you need to do to start your general maintenance process? Firstly, ask friends and family for recommendations of handymen, plumbers, electricians, builders and gardeners. It’s always best to go by referral. Then, search online for any services you haven’t yet found, looking for ones with very high recommendations and positive reviews.
Now, what maintenance do you need to do? And what repairs might you be called upon to make? Our checklist will be a helpful guide for you.
Maintenance Issues
It’s surprising how many items in your home need maintaining, but if you look after them, there will be fewer repairs.
The Roof
Repaint the roof every 10 years. The colour fades, and makes your home look old, so, to keep it looking smart, give it a coat to brighten up the colour. It’s best to get professional advice, because you want that paint to last in the harsh Australian sun.
The Fences
Paint and repair any broken sections of fence. Repainting where paint is required helps prevent rust in metal, and makes your house look more upmarket. What’s more, if the fence is broken and you repair it straight away, it will prevent further breakdown.
Painting the Walls and Windows
Paint your inside and outside walls every 8 – 10 years. It’s important to keep everything looking new for your home’s resale value, and for the sake of having a great space to live in. You can certainly do this yourself, but getting a professional painter will save you time and potential spills that are hard to clean up. What’s more, they will often do it much neater.
Taps and Drains
Every now and then, you’ll have to replace either the taps themselves or the washers inside. If there’s a leaky tap, it’s likely to be a washer, so replace this first, because it’s far cheaper than replacing all the hardware.
A note on getting new taps: it’s best to buy high quality taps. Plastic ones break easily, because the friction of regular opening and closing causes damage.
Drains need to be cleaned once a week. Rather do that often with mild agents such as bicarb and hot water than having to use harsh chemicals or call professional drain cleaners once it’s badly clogged.
Repairs
Roof
Fix any loose tiles and replace broken gutters. Roof leaks can cause untold damage to the home.
However, it’s still best to get professional services, so find vendors who do roof repairs Melbourne residents can rely on.
Window Putty
Every now and then, window putty will need to be replaced. This only occurs in older houses that don’t have glazed window or wooden frames. The putty becomes cracked, worn and unusable.
It’s hard, time-consuming work, so it may once again be best to employ a handyman to do so.
Door Fixtures
From time to time, you’ll need to replace parts of doors. Handles and locks may become worn or the door may start to fall off its hinges. In that instance, the door will need to be taken off its hinges, and you’ll need to rehang the door on newer, stronger hinges. This can happen with room doors or cupboard doors.
Shower Heads
Shower heads become clogged with lime from the water that flows through it. You can either remove the shower head every week and clean it with vinegar, or you’ll need to replace the shower head every few years. Do preventive maintenance and you’ll save a lot of money!
Electrical Plugs
On occasion, an electrical plug will blow. The most common cause is moisture that affects the outlet, so, you’ll have to buy a new plug and put it on yourself. It’s easy to do yourself, as long as you have a pair of wire-cutters.
Conclusion
There are many odd jobs to do around the home, and a number of repairs to undertake. If you keep them part of your homeowner’s routine, it will be far easier and less costly to do. Be smart and know when to call experts to help and do the work for you. It may cost you some money, but at least you know that things will be done correctly the first time.
