Essential Maintenance Tips

Do routine inspections help avoid unexpected costly repairs for Landlords?

and

Do routine inspections ensure that tenants enjoy a safe and hassle free home?

The short answer to both questions is that they should.

With a significant proportion of housing in the northern Gold Coast corridor now becoming 25 years old (or older), now is the time to consider "how healthy" your property is. Unlike newer homes in parts of Coomera, Ormeau and Pimpama, planned schedule maintenance is more important than ever to avoid unexpected breakdowns. Below I discuss strategies that will help keep your property in top shape and ensure your tenants treat it like their own.

Regular Inspections

The Importance of Routine Inspections

Regular inspections are the foundation of effective property maintenance. By conducting routine checks, you can identify potential issues before they escalate into costly repairs.

Where cha differs from most Property Managers is that we bring more than a decade of experience in facility management where ensuring the continuity of operation is a key focus of routine inspections.

Rather than focusing on whether the tenant has stacked the dishwasher before the inspection, perhaps it is more important to check whether the dishwasher filter is clogged and likely to flood or breakdown.

Some key aspects that property managers should focus more on are:

• Roof and Gutters: Inspect for loose ridge capping, debris in valleys, and damage. Clogged gutters and blocked downpipes can lead to water damage, mould and fungus growth.

  
  

• HVAC Systems: Ensure heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are free from accumulated dust (especially in the return air filter). Accumulated dust on air conditioner fans provides the perfect dark environment with constant humidity to feed mould spores. Apart from making your air conditioner work harder and wear out faster, mould growth will disburse spores throughout the home, causing allergic reactions and triggering asthma or other respiratory issues. Regular filter cleaning and unit servicing can improve machine efficiency and air quality.

  
  

• Electrical Systems: Check for flickering lights, and other signs of electrical issues. The most common failure point for electrical circuits is the wall switch. Older style switches, when failing, will expose direct electrical circuits to people. Addressing these problems early can prevent safety hazards.

  
  

An Inspection Checklist Should Include a Seasonal Schedule

During any regular inspection, a checklist will help ensure that all areas of your property are covered. Apart from this, we, at cha, recommend a comprehensive inspection of the entire property annually.

Each season brings unique challenges for maintaining your property. To help you stay ahead of potential issues. Here’s a breakdown of essential tasks for each season:

Spring

• Landscaping: Check whether any larger trees or shrubs need cutting back.

• Exterior Cleaning: Power wash cladding, eves and roof to remove airborne algae, mildew, mould and grime (like dust, pollen and tree sap and seeds).

• Pest Control: Inspect for signs of insect infestation and schedule treatments as needed. Recently significant infestations of Fire Ants have been reported in Coomera and have spread across most of the northern Gold Coast.

  
  

Summer

• Air Conditioning Maintenance: Ensure HVAC systems are ready for peak usage. Annual servicing should include checking the refrigerant levels.

• Structural Maintenance: Repair cracks in masonry, claddings and repaint. This will ensure buildings are sealed and prevent penetration by water and pests.

• Assess Storm Threats: Inspect for loose roof tiles and metal fixtures, overhanging trees, blocked drainage, worn sun shades, etc.

  
  

Autumn

• Gutter and Valley Cleaning: Remove leaves and debris to prevent blockages of downpipes.

• Check the Smoke Detector: Make a specific date your date for checking smoke alarms. At cha, we recommend that all smoke alarms should have their annual inspection completed before ANZAC Day.

• Chimneys: If you have one, now is the time for its annual cleaning.

• Gardens: Clear away any annual growth from Spring/Summer and pack away any outdoor items you won't be using over Winter.

• Check your Heater: Make sure your heating is working before it gets too cold and there is a high demand on repairers.

  
  

Winter

• Prevent Timber Rot: Remove any pot plants or large mats from decks or timber surfaces to prevent fungus growth. Reseal any timber to prevent water penetration. Ensure the free flow of air under and around timber fixtures.

• Where You'd Least Expect it: Keep a close watch for mould growth in hidden spots like wardrobes and behind furniture. Higher humidity and reduced airflow (from closed up rooms) will promote mould growth. Open some windows on warmer days and use moisture absorbing calcium chloride-based products.

• Ventilation: Make sure your Laundry exhaust fan is able to cope with clothes dryer moisture. Especially if your drier isn't ducted outside.

• Pool Maintenance: Make sure the Pool is covered, if you have one.

• Standing Water: Take notice of areas where water pools after rain. Identify repairs for Spring/Summer.

Energy Efficiency

Implementing Energy-Saving Measures

Energy efficiency not only reduces costs but also contributes to environmental sustainability. Here are some strategies to improve energy efficiency in your retail property:

• LED Lighting: Replace traditional bulbs with energy-efficient LED lighting. This can significantly reduce energy consumption and costs.

• Smart Thermostats: Install smart thermostats to optimize heating and cooling schedules. Consider installing zoned heating and cooling.

• Insulation: Ensure proper insulation in ceilings to maintain temperature and reduce energy usage. Consider double glassed windows and retrofitting wall insulation.

  
  

Monitoring Usage

Regularly monitor consumption of water. This will identify usage trends and be an indicator of hidden leaks if it suddenly increases.

Reliable Maintenance Teams

Nothing More Difficult

Maintenance contractors that always ensure tasks are completed efficiently and effectively are far and few between. There is nothing worse than paying for a repair that then causes more problems and ongoing costs.

In Queensland contractors are required to perform their tasks competently and safely. This should ensure that individuals possess the necessary knowledge, experience, training and mandatory qualifications to perform the task that they are doing. Don't trust your assets to the cheapest bid from online "Tradies" sites. We will only use trades people that we'd use ourselves. This way we can stand by any work undertaken and ensure we're improving your property, not just bodging a repair that won't last.

Conclusion

At cha we maintain a proactive approach with attention to detail. Our regular inspections ensure more than cosmetics including seasonal maintenance, safety measures, aesthetic upkeep, and energy efficiency strategies. This will ensure a well-maintained property that not only improves tenant satisfaction/attraction, but also contributes to long-term value and improvement in rental rates.

Taking the time to invest in your asset is a win win situation. While you might consider the short-term cost of outlays, you will reap the rewards of better tenant attraction, fewer costly breakdowns, an improved rental return and a well presented property that will appreciate more rapidly in value.