If you are an Australian homeowner, you are shouldered with the responsibility of building maintenance and carrying out prompt repairs. If you are new to real estate ownership, we recommend pre-sourcing the following trades and storing the numbers in your smartphone.
- Emergency plumber – We hope you never experience a blocked drain, but if you do, you will need the services of an emergency plumber, one who specialises in drain unblocking. In the event your home springs a leak, a plumber can pinpoint the leakage, as well as carrying out quick repairs. If the worst should happen and an upstairs water pipe ruptures, first thing to do is turn off the mains water supply. Then call the plumber and prepare the area by removing furniture etc.
- TV engineer – If you are looking for antenna repair in Sydney or you want to set up a home theatre system, call a local TV engineer who has a mobile workshop and there isn’t much that he can’t handle. If you need a dedicated Internet connection, he is the guy to call or if you have connection issues.
- Roofing contractor – Even a new property should have a roof inspection every year; this is the one component of the house that you cannot see. Loose or missing roof tiles lead to leaks and that causes damage to plaster, timber and cement and the annual check includes cleaning out the guttering, which provides an essential getaway for rainwater.
- 24-hour electrician – Don’t mess with electricity, unless you happen to be qualified; should you experience a power outage, call your local electrician. Some have a call-out charge, some don’t – ask before making an agreement. If you ever need additional lighting or power points, he is the man to call. Some even supply and install home security alarm systems and they are generally cheaper than a home security firm.
- Small builder – He can do just about everything and some! Any remedial building work, plus he is more than capable of any home improvement project you might have on your mind. Some homeowners keep a list of small jobs and when they hit 5, they call up a local handyman and he sorts it out in a couple of hours. Leaking faucets, squeaky doors and tight kitchen cabinets are all things a local tradesman can handle.
- Landscape gardener – Whether its garden maintenance of an exterior improvement project, a local contractor can help. If you want to replace your decking or build a rockery and waterfall in that shaded corner. Large trees need care and attention, the annual prune should be carried out in spring and the gardener should look out for tree disease, which can come along at any time. If he does the garden maintenance, all green waste is removed and recycled and for a few dollars a week, he will come around and cut the grass, trim the hedges, weed the borders and generally tidy up.
Once you have all the above numbers in your digital device, as a homeowner, you are ready for just about anything.
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