All homes have areas that require maintenance due to normal wear and tear. Even brand new homes have minor defects on completion.
Obtaining a pre-purchase building report will identify these maintenance items and defects.If identified early these types of works are not expensive to rectify.
The following are my top ten common maintenance issues found in most dwellings;
1. Grout or silicon that has been displaced around tiles in wet areas and skirting boards
2. Timber rot which is usually found on weatherboards or window frames
3. External surfaces that require re-coating e.g. weatherboards and paving
4. Box roof gutters that do not have sufficient fall causing water to pool
5. Rusted out roof guttering or downpipes that are leaking
6. Debris build-up in roof guttering
7. Flashing that requires replacement around roof penetrations and window frames
8. Gaps that need to be filled around window and door frames
9. Minor cracking in internal plaster work or external cladding
10. Servicing of gas appliances especially heaters
These types of issues are never a reason not to buy a property however they should be rectified as soon as possible. Spending a few hundred dollars regularly on your home will stop problems getting worse and costing many extra thousands of dollars down the track.
