Routine property maintenance – Why is it so often overlooked? – Part 1

By adopting a planned approach to maintenance an occupier can help to avoid the need for unplanned emergency repairs. This will also help to maintain the value of a building and in some cases even help to add value.  

Source: quotationcheck.com 

I am not a mechanic but like most people I am aware that if I do not do take care of my car then it will eventually break down. Regardless of what you may know about cars, most people can do basic things such as checking oil and water levels, checking and maintaining tyre pressures as well as the filling up with fuel and occasionally even cleaning your car!  In a similar way buildings require 'regular basic maintenance' in order to prevent more long term issues manifesting themselves, which if not carried out can prove to be very expensive to rectify. As a Chartered Building Surveyor it never ceased to amaze me when I would see significant defects or damage, which had resulted from what would have originally been a very simple thing to fix.  On occasions this was down to lack of knowledge or awareness on behalf of the occupier, however it can also be said that laziness was also a common cause. This is because many see and are aware of problems in their building but do not see any urgency as the building is still ‘functioning’. Basically, the issue is ignored!  Going back to the example of the car, it would be the same as hearing a rattling noise in your car as you drive along and instead of getting this rectified you turn the radio up, because the car is still  'functioning'. Eventually however the car will break down and the cost of repair is likely to be much more expensive than if you had dealt with the problem in the first place.  The old adage ‘prevention is better than cure’, is something that immediately comes to mind and this is particular relevant in respect of buildings.

By adopting a planned approach to maintenance an occupier can help to avoid the need for unplanned emergency repairs. This will also help to maintain the value of a building and in some cases even help to add value.  The value of a building can be significantly affected by its condition; in fact there are many examples of properties of similar size and type, in very close proximity that can vary by many thousands of pounds as a result of the difference in their conditions. If regular un-costly maintenance can add significant value to a property, then you would have to ask why so many people fail to do it!

Source: www.todayshomeowner.com

There are a number of routine basic maintenance tasks that can be undertaken in a building (both externally and internally) in order to increase the serviceable life of various components and to prevent more serious, often costly problems occurring in the future.  As you can see from my suggestions below, in most cases you do not need any specialist knowledge or training and you will only need to engage the services of a building contractor for the more risky or complicated activities or possibly where it may be more physically challenging than you are able.

Clear rainwater gutters - Blocked gutters will allow rainwater, sometimes in high volumes, to discharge onto external surfaces.  Over a period of time this can result in problems such as penetrating damp, condensation and timber decay to occur.  Large volumes of water discharging into the ground can also affect the ground bearing capacity of certain types of ground under foundations, sometimes resulting in very serious problems such as ground movement such as settlement or subsidence.  Therefore regularly checking that gutters are clear can prevent some very significant defects occurring in the future.

Cut back trees, shrubs and vegetation - Trees, shrubs and vegetation provide a much softer appearance than buildings and structures and are an important feature for many when considering purchasing or occupying a building.  Whereas they have many positive qualities, if not maintained they can prove to be extremely detrimental to a building.  Trees and particularly tree roots can undermine foundations and damage drains and are often found to be the cause or significant contributing factor to ground movement. Therefore, trees need to be monitored and maintained when they are located within a distance that could affect a building. If trees become an issue, specialist advice is likely to be necessary from an Arboriculturist in order to provide accurate remedial measures to address the problem.

Vegetation in close proximity to a building will retain a large amount of moisture.  Ivy is a common example of vegetation that grows rapidly and can cover large areas of external masonry walls.  Whilst this may provide a certain amount of ‘charm’ for many, in prolonged wet conditions, the ivy will retain a large amount of water, which will be in contact with external walls.  This will result in colder surface temperature for the wall, which in turn can increase the risk of condensation internally.  Add to this the fact that ivy provides a habitat for all sorts of insects which can use it as a route into window frames, air bricks and other weaknesses in the building at high level and suddenly it starts to lose a little bit of its charm. This is issue is not exclusive to ivy, in fact any vegetation that is allowed to grow in close proximity to a building has the potential to cause the same issues, and should therefore by regularly maintained and controlled.

Wash down UPVC  - Over the last thirty years UPVC has become increasingly popular as a material used for external building components, particularly for guttering and downpipes and window frames.  UPVC external cladding, soffits and fascia boards are also now commonly used in place of timber due to the perceived reduction in maintenance and improved life expectancy.  To a point this is correct, however it is a complete misconception that once UPVC is installed that it can be left forever and does not need any maintenance. Have you ever notice that when first installed that UPVC has a ‘shiny gloss’ finish.  However over a period of time being exposed to external elements, the surface will dull down. This can be due to photo-oxidation which causes bleaching (staining) and loss of pigmentation of the UPVC.  Once this occurs the UPVC will pick up dirt, dust and other particles and become discoloured.  Simply washing down UPVC surfaces every six months with warm soapy water will significantly reduce the risk of this occurring.
Next week, In part 2 I will discuss some further routine maintenance tasks that can be undertaken in a building (both externally and internally) in order to increase the serviceable life of various components and to prevent more serious, often costly problems occurring in the future.   

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Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog. 

UK Housing Market - What's in Store for 2015?

The UK government acknowledge the importance of the housing market to the UK economy and over the last few years have tried to ‘push it along’, with the introduction of a number of initiatives and policies, such as the help to buy scheme, changes to planning policy and recent changes to stamp duty thresholds

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/

Trying to predict what will happen in the housing market over the next twelve months and beyond is always a topical subject, which generates a wide range of debate particularly as we enter a new year.  Any decision on whether to enter the market or to buy or sell will be dependant upon many different factors and particularly by an individual’s current position on the housing ladder.  There will be those who are looking to get onto the first rung of the ladder and those who want to move further up the ladder who may be looking to ‘upsize’ or even ‘downsize’ depending upon their circumstances.  There will also be those who may be stuck in negative equity as a result of decline in the market over recent years and are looking for the first opportunity to escape. In any event the housing market affects a lot of people who will be watching closely to see what happens before making any decisions.

The UK government have acknowledged the importance of the housing market to the UK economy and over the last few years have tried to ‘push it along’, with the introduction of a number of initiatives and policies, such as the help to buy scheme, changes to planning policy and recent changes to stamp duty thresholds. Over the course of 2014 there has clearly been some positive momentum in the UK Housing market undoubtedly influenced by continued low interest rates and no doubt the impact of initiatives such as the help to buy scheme. However, as ever, opinion seems to be split (depending on what you read) on the effectiveness and impact of these initiatives and policies and only time will tell whether they prove to be a benefit or otherwise.  This really is the crux of the matter; will these types of initiatives and polices create sustainable growth in the housing market progressively or will the benefits be only short lived? Well, as identified at the beginning of this article, the answer is undoubtably one of perspective and will depend on individual circumstances and where a person is on the housing ladder.  An advantage for one person may be a disadvantage for another. Rising house prices is a prime example.

Source: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/

Telegraph Online (Link) recently reported; ‘The average British homeowner saw their property wealth grow by £15,000 this year (2014) – or an astonishing £81,000 for those owning homes in London. The data, from property website Zoopla, is the first to put a figure on house price growth for the year 2014. A tranche of similar numbers from other property price analysts are due in the next few weeks. They are expected to confirm Zoopla's figures and highlight what has been an "extraordinary" year in the British housing market, characterised by a booming first half and then a rapid cooling off. Zoopla said prices across the country rose 6pc bringing the average value to £268,895.’

House Prices - Those who are eager to enter the housing market for the first time may have been biding their time while they save a deposit and no doubt become increasingly frustrated as house price steadily increase. As house price start to increase so does the deposit proportionally, possibly delaying the point at which they can enter the market.  Increasing house prices become less of a problem for those who are already on the housing ladder, because although the purchase price of the next property may increase, so will the price of their existing property, although not always at the same rate.  This is particularly an issue for those who plan to relocate to a different part of the country due to regional price differences, which can be significant.

FT Advisor Online (Link) predict that; ‘House prices will continue to rise in 2015 as gross mortgage lending hits a five-year high next year, Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at mortgage broker John Charcol has predicted. Mr Boulger also said he expects house prices to rise by 4-5 per cent in 2015. He believes that the rate of house price increases will continue slowing, but on-going low interest rates mean that for most people affordability will continue to be more around the deposit than the monthly payments’

Interest Rates – Telegraph Online (Link) recently reported; ‘Rates have remained at a record low (0.5%) since March 2009. The Bank now expects inflation, as measured by the consumer prices index, to fall below 1 per cent next year, from October’s rate of 1.3 per cent. Most economists believe interest rates will start to rise in the second half of next year (2015). Bank of England policymakers are increasingly divided over the best time to start raising interest rates without putting the recovery at risk’

In a previous article I discussed the implications of interest rate rises (Link) and explained that even a small increase in interest rates will pose difficulties for many with variable rate mortgages, particularly those who have borrowed to their absolute maximum.  As an example the table below provides an indication of the financial impact of an interest rate increase on a variable rate 25 year repayment mortgage loan of £150,000, assuming and existing current interest rate of 3%:

Mortgage amount	£150,000	£150,000	£150,000	£150,000
Current Interest Rate	3%	3%	3%	3%
Interest Rate Increase	0.25%	0.5%	0.75%	1.00%
Existing Monthly Payment	£717.85	£717.85	£717.85	£717.85
New Monthly Payment	£737.99	£758.43	£779.15	£800.15
Increase per Month	£20.14	£40.58	£61.30	£82.30
Increase per Year	£241.72	£486.92	£735.57	£987.61

With house prices predicted to continue to rise in 2015, although much more sedately than in 2014, and interest rates predicated to increase for the first time since 2009 in the second half of 2015 this is likely be another challenging year for the UK housing market.  Although the housing market is showing signs of life we need to ensure that the pace of recovery is sustainable.  This will not be achieved by positive publicity (or spin) alone, but must be underpinned by realistic and tangible means.  Building more homes seems logical, however this is impacted by planning policy, skills shortages, funding and numerous other issues that the government need to sort out to enable us to address our massive housing shortage.

Whichever way you look at it the issues inherent in the UK housing market are not new and have existed for many years, so what are we going to do differently in 2015?  Well, it is likely that we will see very little will change in the space of one year, however if we can continue to make steady measured progress in the housing market in 2015, (rather than short term gains) then we may be on the road to a sustainable recovery which in the mid to long term future will be to the benefit to everyone.

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.