The responsibility of home maintenance comes with the ownership of the house.
Home maintenance experts at ServiceMarket, UAE’s leading marketplace for home services, suggest that every year you should set aside 1% to 2% of the purchase price of the house for its maintenance. The repair and maintenance needs may not arise for some time, but it is a good idea to have money set aside to tackle the problem when it does raise its head.
Check what needs to be repaired
The first step in home maintenance is to look around your home on a regular basis to locate if there is anything that needs repair like chipped paint, loose boards, leaky water and gas pipes, frayed electric wiring, broken tiles etc. If you are a landlord, you should regularly inspect your property to make sure that no building codes are being violated. It is your job as a landlord to provide a safe and healthy environment for your tenants.
Prioritize repairs
Make a separate list of everything that needs immediate attention, and things that are not in urgent need of repair and can wait until later. For example, frayed electricity wires and leaky pipes, especially gas ones, should be dealt with immediately since they can cause serious damage to your home and can also be life-threatening. A creaky door or a dead outlet, on the other hand, maybe quite annoying but are repairs that can wait if you can’t find the time.
Get estimates from various contractors
Get estimates on the cost of your repair and renovation projects from different maintenance companies in Dubai. This will give you a rough idea about the cost of the task at hand and will help you decide what materials to buy and how to manage everything within your budget. Depending on the age and state of your home, you might even consider signing an annual maintenance contract with a company. In many cases, it ends up being the cheaper option.
Divide maintenance work between yourself and professionals
Labour is often a large part of the maintenance cost. Therefore, if you are on a tight budget, consider doing certain repair work yourself. Painting, applying wallpapers, and carrying out small repairs, for example, can be done by you on your own. However, as any Jack- (or Jill-)-of-all-trades knows, certain tasks are best left to the pros. You should always hire a professional maintenance company in Dubai for heavy plumbing, electricity wiring, replacing damaged roof or any other major structural changes.
Buy discounted materials
The best way to keep the repair and maintenance cost down is by purchasing discounted items. The option of taking advantage of sales at local hardware stores is always open, but this option is useful only if you intend to do some of the repair work yourself. On the other hand, if you decide to hire a contractor, then they will use their own material and equipment.
Opt for cheaper substitutes
In order to save on your budget, you can decide to forego buying expensive material and go for cheaper alternatives. Many cheaper substitutes are as durable and of good quality as expensive counterparts and also require less maintenance. For example, vinyl flooring is not only cheaper than the expensive natural stones, but is also quite durable and comes in a wide variety of attractive colors and patterns.
Don’t delay repairs
The best guide to minimize maintenance cost is to keep yourself on top of regular routine repairs before they turn into huge liabilities. It is also better to catch up on any delayed repairs as soon as it is possible for you. This will not only help you save on the cost of large-scale repairs, but also protect your home from extensive damage. If you are a landlord, the best way to go about maintenance is to hire professionals. Even the best DIY-landlord knows that if he tries to do everything himself, he will be in over his head in no time and the repairs will get delayed and become more expensive.
If you need some maintenance work around the house, look up home maintenance companies in Dubai on ServiceMarket. You can either book an expert immediately for urgent work or read customer reviews and get free quotes from various companies before you make your choice.