Home Improvement

A Beginner’s Guide to Home Maintenance

Grace

June 24, 2024
3 min read

So, you finally got the keys to your first family home and you and your partner are already thinking about the pitter and patter of tiny feet; this is an exciting time and there are costs with property ownership and one of those is building maintenance. We are living in a matrix whereby every single thing is in the process of decay and that includes your home.

You might already be into DIY, in which case, the following information might not be of much help, but if, like most young people, you have limited knowledge of building maintenance, we put together a brief guide to taking care of your prime investment.

Tradies

The first thing to accept is that there will be jobs that you simply can’t do; start by pre-sourcing the following services:

Electrician
Plumber (drain unblocker)
Roofer
Locksmith
Small builder

Pre-source these services and store the numbers in your smartphone; then you are ready for just about anything. Make sure the contractors are reliable and have a good name within the local community and if you can’t fix it yourself, you have access to local tradies. When in need of a plumber in Southern Highlands, Google is your best friend and can put you in touch with the right provider.

Be proactive

Don’t sit back and wait for things to go wrong; sometimes the damage is already done when you discover an issue; rather you should carry out regular building inspections; see the web for a long list of stuff to inspect and what to do if you encounter problems. Contact a local roofer and have him check your roof, do that every year and you won’t have any major roofing issues. Ask a local electrician to give your home the once-over and walk the property every month, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The impact the weather has on a building is considerable, which is why you need to be proactive with your upkeep.

A stitch in time saves nine

We all know this one and as far as property upkeep goes, it rings true! Leave a leaking roof for a few weeks and you are looking at a few hundred dollars where 50 would have done it if you replaced the tile right away! Be prompt with repairs and you won’t regret it.

DIY repairs

Of course, you don’t have to call in a professional for minor issues and with the rising cost of labour, why not invest in some tools and fix small stuff yourself? YouTube has the biggest video library in the entire universe and whatever the job, there is a tutorial to watch. Many Australian homeowners are into DIY, for both maintenance and home improvements.

Make sure that all materials used are of good quality and never forget that your home is a major investment and you should treat it accordingly.