Self-managed rental properties across Adelaide can be some of the worst looked after by the tenants. Unfortunately, if a homeowner lives interstate or far away from the property it can be hard to always check on the property and if the rent gets paid each week majority of landlords are led to believe everything is ok! Unfortunately, this is not always the case as we have found out over the years performing maintenance and building repairs to various residential and commercially tenanted buildings.

Insurance For Rental Property Problems

Its not until the landlord gets a phone call from the South Australian Police that all is discovered and it’s where the nightmare starts to unravel itself! As a preferred insurance builder across Adelaide and in the Adelaide Hills, we come across many scenarios like I have just described above and each one leaves the owners in a sad situation. The results can be truly disastrous and very depressing, finding a place to start over is a challenge, but if you contact the right insurance builder such as Mayfair Building Group the process will feel seamless and move in a fast pace enabling the quickest result possible, a reputation we have built upon over the years. If it’s illegal it’s going to be a headache.

Significant Repairs

The majority of the time we get involved with an insurance job which requires significant repairs is because something illegal has been going on inside the building and depending on the length of time it can be a real eye opener. Typically, it will be related to some form of drug business, whether it be growing of marijuana or creating drugs using chemicals such as ice. The entire home or building is recreated and made into a manufacturing plant for illegal purposes. Unfortunately, the alterations performed are then left to the homeowner to take care of once the operation is ceased by the police (as seen in images on this page from a recent marijuana raid where all the rooms where converted into grow rooms).

 

Repairs & Maintenance Tasks That May Be Required

What are the likely tasks needed to be performed to make good? When it comes to making a building good again there are numerous tasks which need to be performed, but in general they will be as follows:

• Complete testing of electrical wiring and switch boards as these always get altered to allow for significant power distribution inside the home. The switchboard and its circuit breakers all need to be inspected by a licensed electrician and any necessary repairs performed to make it all safe again. This can also involve the isolation of the power to the property temporarily by SA Power Networks. There can in some cases also be security cameras installed and these will also need to removed along with the wiring associated to these appliances and any kind of monitoring devices and screens.

 

 

• CCTV Camera Investigations of all drains to identify whether there has been any damage caused from the chemicals going into the drains. This can then lead to hydro jet cleaning and further repair work to the sewer pipes whether they are pvc or earthenware. Occasionally we find objects such as syringes and small tools stuck around the S trap of sinks which needs careful removal.
• Certification of Backflow Prevention Devices on the property to ensure the potable water being delivered to premises is still ok and in tacked. Because of the high level of chemicals being used during these processes its important to check that all backflow prevention valves are still ok and meeting the manufacturers specifications. If there is a failing device a registered plumber who can certify backflow valves will need to used and perform the relevant repairs and tests.
• Gyprock patching and repairs is almost a given due to the holes put in walls to hang items and then the removal of items stuck to the walls the gyprock will need repairing. In some cases, due to high levels of moisture content in the rooms the wall and ceiling linings may need complete removal and reinstated again in order to get a good result, this would also include any new insulation materials (external walls and ceilings typically).

 

 

• 100% the building will need a full repaint internally. Once all repairs are done to walls, door frames, windows and ceilings we would typically come in and spray paint the entire internals. Every situation is different but if all the rooms are the same colour before any floor coverings go down, we would have everything sprayed. The advantage of this is that it is fast and allows a project to move quickly.
• Floor coverings are another given these will either be completely ripped up to allow flood modifications or have been ruined due to chemicals etc having been dropped onto them. If the floor has been modified for ventilation purposes, then there will need to be some carpentry works. Depending on the alterations some structural components may need to be repaired or it may just be non-structural repairs. Once these areas have been addressed then the new carpet or floating floors can be reinstalled.

Each building insurance job we perform in Adelaide is always unique in one way or another and certainly it’s not always covered by the owner’s insurance. Some of the tasks needed to be done may not be covered by the policy or in the worst case the owner may not have insurance leaving all the costs for them to have to pay out of their own bank accounts.

At Mayfair Building Group we pride ourselves on speedy turn arounds with high end finishes. When a scenario such as these arise at a property, the owners want the repairs done fast as they are losing money each week there is no tenants in the building. What sets us apart from our competitors is our prompt approach to assessing the insurance building repairs, submitting our findings and recommendations and then once approved getting the job started. Find out for yourself today why we are a preferred insurance builder in Adelaide.

When it comes to getting the perfect result from any type of renovation the time spent earlier in the project on extra preparation will reward you at the end with an AMAZING outcome.

Why Waterproof?

The idea of water proofing is as the name suggests it is to water proof the area and prevent the entry of water into unwanted locations i.e. living rooms and bedrooms.   Over time grout and silicone seals can break

down and allow moisture behind the tile itself.  Providing the water proofing has been done by a qualified contractor it will prevent this moisture from damaging the linings of the walls and potentially entering a neighbouring persons property through the floor in apartment style living.

What Areas Should You Consider?

Areas such as the shower which are constantly wet when is use get water proofed on the floor and on the walls to the full height of the tiles.  The water proofing membrane is installed before any tiling is performed and before any painting can be done.  Inside a bathroom the entire floor also gets water proofed as this is wet most of the time a bathroom is in use and even for a short period after the room has been in use until the floor dries out.

Products

When we perform a renovation such as a bathroom make over water proofing is an area which our tilers pay close attention to. We only use the best products available on today’s market with longest warranty periods giving our clients the peace of mind they deserve.  Water proofing is something that you don’t see when a project is finished but if it is not done properly the results later in life when a bathroom has been in use for many years can be catastrophic.  The results from not water proofing properly or at all can lead to the entire wet area needing to be re done and a project like that can cost well into the thousands of dollars not to mention the disruption to your bathroom and home, therefore we always recommend using a qualified company such as the Mayfair Group.

When it comes to water proofing you only get one chance to do the job right so by taking the time necessary to get the job done correctly is certainly worth the effort.

When it comes to renovating (particularly on older properties 100 years plus in age) nothing is ever the same.

Older Properties

Renovating older properties can certainly have its challenges particularly when we look at items such as doors, windows, ceilings, roofs and floors.  Over time a property will move, expand and contract and things will become out of square and un even.  During this process things such as doors and windows will become hard to open and shut and will therefore be planned and adjusted to suit the buildings current conditions.  Other items mentioned such as roofs and ceilings will show signs of cracking and leaking.

However, when we come to perform a renovation its no longer a matter of just purchasing new materials off the shelf from the local hardware supply stores.  Items such as doors will need to be custom ordered or off the shelf items will require major modifications to suit its desired location and purpose.

Restoring Wooden Floors

When we often look at restoring wooden floors the strains and sizes that were available some 100 years ago are surprisingly no longer available straight off the shelf today.  Salvage yards are a good place to start looking for replacement pieces.  If a strain of wood can be found such as oak the lengths may need to be cut to the correct width and planned to required thickness all these processes taking time and adding to the costs of a renovation of an older property.

Many older styles homes had or still have windows which use lead weights inside the cavity attached to a rope and use a cantilever method to keep the window open.  Over the life of the house unfortunately the rope deteriorates and leaves the window inoperable.  These items can certainly be fixed but it is quite labour intensive.  Firstly, the sides of the window frame must be carefully removed which will give us access to the cavity.  Inside the weight used in the canter living process will be found (as seen in picture).

Insulation When Renovating

Many of the older properties in South Australia which have not under gone a significant renovation will still have iron roofs as I touched on earlier in this post.  These roofs are simply installed straight onto timber supports with zero insulation.  Achieving a more energy efficient environment inside the property certainly becomes more of a challenge when we look at renovations on these buildings.  There are internal insulation batts which rest on the gyprock or plater ceilings.  This material can be replaced which is a great start.  But if we are trying to achieve a reduction in noise and a further reduction in heat entering the roof cavity and warm air escaping the cavity a material called sisalation.  Sisalation is a foil blanket which is installed between the roof sheets and the timber battens, another barrier contributing to the maximise the energy properties of a home.

When we look at renovating buildings no project is ever the same for the reason I have mentioned above.  Nothing is ever the same and experience of knowing how to get around the challenges of each project is what has made the Mayfair Building Group a leader in renovations of all shapes and sizes.