Our homes require maintenance to be appropriately taken care of. Failure to properly look after our properties can lead to numerous issues. Thankfully, these issues can be avoided through preventive maintenance. This article will look at what this entails and the benefits of preventative maintenance for a UK homeowner.
Buying a property is one of the most significant commitments we can make in our lives. Our homes are typically the most expensive assets we will ever purchase, so looking after them is crucial. A systematic approach to doing this is through preventative maintenance.
What is preventive maintenance?
Preventive maintenance is an ongoing strategy to help preserve the condition of your property. It removes the ad hoc element and the downsides associated with this. It is a proactive approach that can aid in preventing failures, breakages, unexpected maintenance costs, or disturbances caused by reactive maintenance works.
It means scheduling maintenance tasks in advance and carrying them out regularly. Preventive maintenance is highly beneficial to you and your property when done efficiently.
Several benefits of preventive maintenance include:
Home Value
Preventive maintenance is tailored to reduce issues to a minimum or make them easily rectifiable.
Updating all the electrics through a re-wire is a guaranteed way of adding value to a home. However, this certainly won’t detract a valuer or surveyor from noticing major structural issues that could compromise the property’s integrity, and therefore the value.
By working to a preventive maintenance schedule, the benefit is that you can see in advance which tasks will positively impact the value of your home.
Health and Safety
A poorly maintained property can pose a severe risk to your health and safety. Damp and mould can be attributed to causing respiratory problems and issues with the immune system.
Whilst some occupants may be more sensitive than others to dampness and mould, you should eliminate them at the earliest opportunity.
Not only is this a costly fix, but it could also render the property uninhabitable. In addition, structural weaknesses within the property can lead to parts collapsing. In the worst-case scenario, this can potentially lead to fatalities.
Preventive maintenance can ensure you check for damp and mould on a pre-determined basis, allowing you to provide sufficient ventilation is in place to prevent it. A planned strategy for analysing the structural integrity of your property will also mean you know exactly what to focus on.
Security
Your property should give you a sense of safety and security. There are many ways to deter potential intruders from breaking into your home, but that does not mean you should overlook this in any preventive maintenance strategy.
Checking that all doors and windows are secure with functioning locks is critical to preventing hopeful thieves from gaining access.
Preventive maintenance also means scheduling a check to determine if alarms are functioning and exterior lights. Repairing these on an impromptu basis leaves your property vulnerable to thieves.
Cost Savings
Perhaps the most considerable benefit of preventive maintenance is the overall cost saving. Whilst you will be required to invest upfront, preventive maintenance schedules allow you to develop and work to a budget in advance.
By inspecting your property regularly, you will be able to identify and rectify issues ahead of time in a more cost-efficient manner. Leaving prospective maintenance issues to escalate can lead to sustained damage which is more costly to repair. You may have to rely on your insurance provider to assist, which will lead to an increase in premiums.
Whether you can carry out maintenance yourself or rely on the services of a skilled and trusted tradesman, preventive maintenance is a vital method to ensure your property is well maintained. The benefits speak for themselves and will ultimately save you long-term costs.
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