If you’re a lot owner of a strata community, keeping up with your property maintenance is extremely important. Not only does routine maintenance and repairs help keep your lot and building aesthetically pleasing, any structural improvements can also help increase the property’s market value and rentability in the future.
So, should you be going ahead with your planned strata property maintenance work during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic? We believe you should.
Firstly, all statutory work that meets various legislative and compliance requirements, such as fire safety, should continue as normal.
However, avoiding those short-term problems like a blocked drain or burst pipe can lead to long-term larger problems which can become more expensive and harder to fix. We recommend fixing these initial problems as soon as possible. Major problems tend to require a strata committee or owners corporation meeting to be held to decide on the necessary action to take and approve the cost. These major repairs may fall under the strata scheme’s 10-year plan for the capital works fund too.
With more and more people working from home or self-isolating, it’s becoming even more important to increase maintenance and cleanliness services including garbage disposal, cleaning and disinfecting common areas such as door handles, lift buttons and bin lids to keep residents and lot owners of strata properties safe from the virus. With more people at home, this also signals a good time to get repairs underway, making it easier for painters or plumbers to carry out essential work.
Keeping up with your strata property maintenance also helps to keep essential workers in jobs including electricians, plumbers, painters, gardeners and garbage collectors. However, it’s important to ensure that all maintenance workers are following the necessary COVID-19 protocols.
The Strata Community Association (SCA) has also urged strata property owners not to cancel maintenance jobs, with SCA National President Andrew Chambers stating,
“If strata communities cancel ongoing maintenance or planned work, they impact not only on the workflow of strata ecosystems, they can cause long-term effects on the building and amenities and will cost far more money to fix in the long run,” Mr Chambers said.
He also adds the importance of the strata property manager and management services,
“We see the role of the manager as critical for maintaining social cohesion, security and safety for residents and ensuring schemes can adapt to the challenges that the unprecedented challenges will throw at those in isolation.”
How to keep your Sydney strata property in good condition?
1. Routine maintenance and repairs
Under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, strata property owners have a responsibility to keep the property in good condition and maintain its aesthetic appeal. Consider giving common area walls a fresh coat of paint, or re-carpet or re-tile hallways or lobby areas to make a pleasing entrance.
2. Structural improvements
Bring your strata property up to date by improving the property’s functionality. Not only will this help to increase its market value, it can also attract new rental tenants. Consider renovating stairways and balconies, landscape the common garden areas and add a communal herb garden or even add security cameras to increase safety. Any major renovations such as installing an elevator will need to be discussed with your strata manager and approved by the owners corporation.
3. Speak to your strata manager
To get a better understanding of the types of real estate improvements that can be made or to find the best companies for repair and maintenance work, we recommend speaking to your strata manager or body corporate.
For further guidance on the type of strata property maintenance services and how you can increase the value of your strata property cost effectively, speak to our helpful Strata Managers at The Strata Collective today.