An interactive digital tool is making the daunting task of home maintenance easier to manage.
Home maintenance is far from just an aesthetic exercise; it forms the backbone of domestic financial planning and wealth protection.
As well as the dangers of having insurance claims rejected, failure to undertake proactive maintenance leaves homeowners vulnerable to a multitude of unplanned financial setbacks.
The thought of dusting off ladders, hammers and paint brushes may be daunting, but an interactive tool is putting peace of mind in a neat digital box.
Home maintenance: 5 areas of concern
Data collected from Standard Bank’s LookSee home efficiency platform highlights the areas where homeowners have been detrimentally delaying home maintenance.
Irregular weather patterns have made seasonal changes less predictable, placing roofs at the top of the list of neglected key home structures.
Clogged gutters contribute greatly to roof, and even foundation degradation, with industry specialists advising they should be thoroughly cleaned at least twice a year.
From foundation to roof, walls require regular inspection to ensure their integrity, and gardens hide numerous wealth-draining dangers.
A silent waste of money and water is plumbing, with a City of Cape Town Smart Living Handbook stating that a chronic dripping tap can waste up to 90 litres of water a day.
Prosperity loading
LookSee understands that structural issues are often out of sight, but urges homeowners not to let the inevitable decay go unattended.
Its Home Maintenance Portal is a digital directory of home improvement specialists that is backed by an interactive ratings and approval system.
“Very often we don’t do anything until something breaks and by that time it is a major problem,” said LookSee Executive Head Marc du Plessis.
“Doing preventative maintenance can make a real difference in terms of the financial impact of those kinds of repairs, while maintaining your property’s value,” he explains.
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LookSee recommends that homeowners start their home maintenance journey by getting a property inspection from a professional company to arm themselves with an understanding of the condition of their home.
“These companies do a complete assessment of your home and provide you with an incredibly detailed report that shows you the areas that are in good condition, those that will need maintenance in the next 12 months and areas of immediate concern that need urgent attention,” said du Plessis.
“Importantly, these companies are typically independent without ties to any specific contractors. This means that you have peace of mind that the assessment is based on actual conditions rather than a desire to secure a sale of some kind.” With this report in hand – or your own research – you can then turn to LookSee’s Home Maintenance Portal for a variety of vetted and rated contractors that cover every aspect of home maintenance.
Safety and efficiency
Changing seasons bring unique concerns and the maintenance portal, in combination with the property inspection, is the ideal planning tool to build future savings.
Once a homeowner has identified an area that requires attention, images of the work are uploaded to the portal for interested contractors to bid on.
Should the job card be agreed upon, the homeowner pays the required amount to to the platform, which holds the amount in escrow while the contractor finishes the work.
Once completed, both parties rate their interactions — helping the contractor to build a profile while protecting the homeowner’s interests.
“We love the fact that there is a lot of safety for the client and where maintenance professionals do not maintain the highest standards, they are removed from the platform,” explains Du Plessis.
“Ultimately, do you want to do it yourself or do you want a trusted and vetted professional to do it for you?” he asks.
‘Important piece of home management’
The property inspections can be done on new homes or those that are decades old, but the result is always peace of mind knowing where the weak link in your property’s armour exists.
“If you spread these tasks over a period of time, it becomes incredibly efficient and it is not as expensive as addressing all the areas right now or when they fail,” says Du Plessis.
“Rather look at the year ahead, look at the key areas of your home that need maintenance, put it in your calendar and develop a maintenance budget by using the quoting mechanism on the portal.
“This is more than a service, it’s a really important piece of home management that puts more money in your pocket when truly maximised,” Du Plessis concluded.
Click here for more information on LookSee’s Home Maintenance Portal.
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