Whilst owning a home is a joy, it also brings with it the issue of ongoing maintenance. It can present with some common home maintenance mistakes. Whether your home is relatively new or getting on in years, keeping up with maintenance is needed to keep your home a ‘home’ – a comfortable space that is nice to live in.

While some of us have the skills to attend to general wear and tear, finding the time can be more of the issue. You notice a crack in the wall, flaking plaster, a leak in the gutter…you will get around to it when you have time.
Finally, you have the time – you seal the crack, scrape off the flakes, and put some no-more-gaps around the gutter. Then the same thing happens again.

Amedeo Properties can co-ordinate skilled tradesman and handyman in Perth who can treat the symptom and have an everyday remit that they also need to find the cause. That doesn’t mean you need to treat the cause – sometimes treating the symptom really is OK! Amedeo can easily guide you when a real issue needs rectification versus an opportunistic attempt to make your small job more profitable.

Obtaining quotes to get repairs done is the smart thing to do. It’s effortless to engage a handyman or tradesman without getting what is covered written down. What happens if the job takes more time than they anticipated? Are they quoting you a lower price because they have not included some items where another has? For instance, what quality is the door you are getting replaced – is the door surrounds included, new hinges, handle? Some of your basic expectations are not necessarily part of your agreement. It is ok to establish the job requirements – you are employing them and providing an income. Just know how to pick the right person.

It comes down to the standard of work

Some of the highest quality work can be from a handyman…and also the poorest. If you are not in the industry, it can be hard to know who the right person to choose is – are their prices fair, are they reliable, do they work hard?

Having spare funds to perform maintenance is often an issue – it can be a costly exercise. Choosing who will do the job is often a decision based on the quote. It makes sense – we all want to save money where we can. Getting a cheap job can sometimes mean that … a poorly executed job, using poor quality materials. Going for the highest quote might still arrive at the same result. Establish what is included in the written quote, and you have an agreement to refer back to if things don’t go as planned.

Not all property maintenance issues do need to be actioned straight away, but knowing which ones do can be problematic. That tiny leak in the gutter may well lead to a collapsed ceiling because of where it is. That rotting timber on your patio is actually a structural beam that will lead to the whole patio collapsing if not fixed.

Navigating the choice can be easy, and doing this yourself can be too. It can be even easier when you have an experienced, and trustworthy contact to guide you on the way.

If you want to chat about your maintenance issues, contact Amedeo.