There are many hidden dangers in and around our homes or rental properties. Some may be natural, man-made, or due to wear and tear. Detailed property maintenance keeps the area clean and removes potential health hazards.

Keep reading to get a checklist for your property maintenance.

CLEAN THE YARD AND SURROUNDING AREAS

The first thing is to clear the yard of any debris or fallen objects, especially after storm season. Prune any tree in the area and cut overgrown or leaning branches. Such branches may fall and injure someone. Other tips for caring for the trees include watering, fertilizing, and mulching.

INSPECT THE ROOF AREA AND FIX ANY ISSUES

One of the most neglected areas in different homes is the roof. Some people wait until there’s a problem before checking the roof area. Inspect the area to ensure there won’t be leaks soon. Unblock the rainwater gutters. If there is a water heater on the roof, inspect it for damage. Clear debris from solar heaters to keep them effective.

LOOK FOR FAULTS OR CRACKS IN THE HOME

Faults or cracks in the home can cause further damage to property if not regularly checked. As such, look for faults or cracks in the home. Check for damp spots on floors and walls and mold appearing on walls, ceilings and inside cupboards. Mold is considered a health hazard and must be removed effectively and promptly.

FIX THE LIGHT FIXTURES

Go around the home and find any light fixtures with problems. They could be flickering, dimmer than other areas, or not working. Get a technician to check the wiring. Having working lights will prevent injuries. If someone suffers and injury because of poor lighting, it can open you up to a lawsuit.

BE WARY OF LEAD AND ASBESTOS

Ensure there are no signs of lead or asbestos in the area. If painted walls have lead falling on the ground, make sure to clean the area. Lead poisoning can affect mental development.

On the other hand, asbestos causes lung disease and cancer. Inspect the area for asbestos. Get professionals to remove it if the insulation is peeling.

PEST CONTROL

Regular inspections are the most important part of termite control. While annual maintenance termite inspections do not stop a termite infestation they can help with the early detection of termite activity. Once termites are detected, remedial treatment can begin so damage to your property will be minimized or prevented.

Living in Queensland, we have a number of tenants lucky enough to have a pool on their property. With the storm season in full swing, there can be a range of issues that can occur to the cleanliness, chlorine and PH levels.

As a tenant, you are responsible for looking after the property and keeping it, and any inclusions such as a pool, an oven or lawn, clean. These requirements are set out in Form 17a.

Your requirements are outlined further in Form 18a – your General Tenancy Agreement. Section 46(2)(c) holds that at the end of occupancy, a tenant is responsible for ensuring the swimming pool, filter and spa equipment are returned to a clean condition with correct chemical levels.

Pool maintenance can be a drag, but there’s no point having a great pool out the back if it’s full of sludge. Cleaning and maintenance are crucial to keeping the water safe for you and your family, and to make sure you actually get to use it!

From collecting leaves and debris to keeping the chlorine levels stable, there’s a huge range of tricks, tools and products to keep your pool in tip top shape.

Cleaning your pool

All pools require cleaning to remove the leaves, dirt and other grotty things that they collect. Most pools have a Kreepy Krauly which are one of the cheapest and most popular automatic cleaners.

Pool Chemicals

Without regular sanitisation, all pools develop bacteria – which can pose serious health risks. Water top-ups, leaves, grass, dust, and even people all cause bacteria to grow; these factors, along with the size of your pool, will determine the level of sanitisation you need.

Most pool owners use chlorine. There are other options to keep pool water clean and in balance – such as using ozone gas, UV sterilisation, bromine or ionization – but these methods make up a very small part of the Australian market. Health departments around Australia generally recommend all domestic pool owners have a chlorine residual in their pool.

There are three main ways domestic users can keep their pool chlorinated:

• By hand, which involves adding chlorine manually.
• By installing a salt chlorinator, which produces chlorine and is the most common form of domestic pool chlorination in Australia.
• By installing a liquid chemical feeder, which automatically adds chlorine.

Chemical balance

As well as sanitisation, you also need to chemically balance your pool water. The chemical balance of your pool is made up of:

• pH (acidity/alkalinity level): 68%
• total alkalinity (TA): 16%
• calcium hardness: 16%

You should monitor your chlorine and pH levels at least once a week, or every day if your pool is in high use. Total alkalinity and calcium hardness levels can be monitored less frequently.

Chlorination

Manual chlorination

The most labour-intensive way of keeping your pool sanitised is to manually add chlorine. This involves testing your pool’s water to figure out how much chlorine to use, and will need to be done every second day for the average backyard pool. This might be the best option if you’re renting a property with a pool and aren’t looking for a long-term solution.

Salt chlorinators

Saltwater pools are popular in Australian backyards – but they don’t do away with the need for chlorine. Saltwater pools use salt chlorinators to convert common salt crystals into chlorine gas which is soluble in water.

You can install a salt chlorinator in the existing pipe work of any pool. The only exception is above-ground pools with metal structures as they’ll rust.

Some salt chlorinators are self-cleaning. If you don’t buy a self-cleaning model, you will need to manually clean the salt from the cell as often as every fortnight. Self-cleaning models don’t need such intensive maintenance, but they are more expensive.

When a salt chlorinator is initially installed, you will need to manually add salt to your pool. The recommended initial dose is 4kg of salt per 1000 litres – about 20–30% will be lost every year due to backwashing, splashing and overflow, so regular salt top-ups will be needed.

Salt chlorinators operate automatically, so you can go on holiday knowing your pool water will remain clean. They are also cost-effective to run and will generally last about five years.

The capacity of a chlorinator is usually expressed in grams per hour. Some pool suppliers will express a unit’s capacity in terms of its liquid, granular or tablet chlorine equivalent. As a guide, liquid chlorine is about 12–15% chlorine, granular chlorine is about 65% chlorine and tablets can be up to 100% chlorine.

For more great info, visit https://www.choice.com.au/outdoor/pools/cleaning-and-maintenance/articles/pool-maintenance-guide/.  

If you are doing the big move in the coming new year, you might already be feeling the anxiety that comes with change. Not only is moving home physically draining, but the emotions associated with change can intensify the process.
To help reduce tension and ensure your move is as smooth as possible, we have put together some vital tips to get you started…

Begin recruiting well in advance

Nothing screams ‘friendship’ like watching your best friend shuffling along your front yard in 30-degree heat with your bedframe in balancing on his shoulders.
If you aren’t using professional removalists, gather your friends and family. If you are using removalists, make a booking ta least a month in advance and always check reviews first!

Declutter

Moving house is the perfect time to clear out the unwanted or unneeded items – which for hoarders can be the ultimate challenge – so stay disciplined.
For each room, divide belongings into three piles – keep, maybe and lose – then concentrate your decision-making on your maybe pile. Be ruthless and stick to the rules for the entire home. (As a general guide, if you haven’t used it in the last six months it’s time to let it go.)
For items of value in the dump pile, perhaps a weekend garage sale or Gumtree advertising can turn your trash into cash. Alternatively, donate these items to charity.

Load up on all the moving essentials

We’re talking bubble wrap, boxes, tape, markers and packing blankets.
Label each box with room it’s from and a subtitle of the items (e.g. ‘Bedroom – toys.) Be sure to also mark boxes containing fragile items.
Newspaper is perfect for safely protecting wine glasses or candles, so start collecting papers a few weeks before the move.
You should also consider a logical order for packing your belongings – leaving your cleaning products until last, for instance, as cleaning your empty house will be towards the end of your list.

Disconnect & connect services

Notify all your utility providers of the dates you’ll be moving out to have services disconnected from your old home and connected at your new place. Don’t forget to connect electricity, internet, gas and water, and to redirect mail.

Update your details

Inform relevant institutions of your change of address. These can include: AEC, ATO, Medicare, Centrelink, car registration departments, pet registration, insurance provider, GP, Optometrist, Dentist, Vet, Bank, Mortgage provider, Super fund, employers, membership and loyalty programs and schools.

The right cover

Organise appropriate home and contents insurance to cover your belongings during and after the move. It can be useful to take photos of items before moving as a record of their condition.

Prepare a ‘first night box’

Pack everything you’ll need to be comfortable in your new home in a first night box. A change of clothes, bed linen, towels, toiletries, sleepwear, medications, some cookware and crockery are all must-haves. Maybe even add a bottle of bubbly to toast your successful move!