Vijayshankar Kavasseri, General Manager of mplus, home maintenance company, owned by EMRILL the award winning, integrated facilities management provider, suggests new home maintenance tips for landlords and tenants in an effort to help them save time and money.
If you are a well-seasoned property manager or UAE tenant, you will be well versed in the issues of maintenance and the implications of maintenance mismanagement.
mplus understands that all properties undergo wear and tear, but there are steps landlords and tenants should take when accounting for cost.
Air conditioning units, as an example, although a necessity during the Dubai summer season, can prove to be bothersome to maintain.
Regular maintenance and cleaning of the unit filters allows the unit to run more efficiently, extending its life span, preventing breakdowns and reducing maintenance costs.
Keeping cool during the scorching summers is naturally a pre-requisite, we advise setting the thermostat to 24 degrees as this provides the optimum cooling comfort combined with energy saving and reducing your utility bills.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, water heaters should be operated only when required in order to decrease power consumption.
This technique would allow tenants to protect the environment while increasing the life span of these heaters. In addition, flushing the water heater after a long shutdown, should you leave for holidays for example, will help remove sediments that may have seeped in over time. So switch off those heaters until 15 minutes before your shower and remember to get them flushed after long breaks.
A regular flush will avoid most plumbing failures and a good clean of your water tank, provided you are in a villa, will flush out any blockages. We at mplus understand that good hygiene is important for you and regular upkeep will ensure smooth sailing.
Conserving water is a vital step towards our efforts to conserve energy and protect the environment. If we all did as little as installing water savers for taps and showers, we will reduce water waste and save money on utility bills, an all-round win.
In the same vein, landlords should be regularly checking meters to validate the energy and water readings of the invoice provided by the utility provider against the actual readings on the meters. mplus recommends identifying any leakages on the premises by closing all taps and faucets and checking if the water meter is still running.
Protecting the environment in order to ensure resources for the next generation is essential and small changes around your home can certainly make a big difference in the long run. Proper lighting has the ability to alter the mood of any room, and halogen or incandescent lamps can be replaced with LEDs or CFL types of bulb offering a great alternative. These are readily available at any hardware store and can help save money while being environmentally friendly.
Outdoors, if you have a garden, an auto irrigation sprinkler system will go a long way compared to using a water hose to water your garden.
A house requires constant love and care and an annual health check would do wonders for your maintenance costs and the environment. This entails a condition survey of the overall property on an annual basis to check on the system functionalities and performances. If you prevent failures and emergencies occurring in the future, you can ensure your home is safe, secure and comfortable.
