Maintaining your property
Understanding what is needed in the maintenance of your property
15 Min
Trace Design + Build
1. Keeping your home in good condition
Maintaining landed properties is a more involved task than non-landed homes. You'll want to keep a maintenance schedule and have a rolodex of trusted vendors to help you in this
2. Maintenance schedule
Aspiring homeowners should know that maintaining a landed property requires a more active role compared to non-landed properties. In the absence of management committees found in HDB estates or condo MCSTs, the onus of maintenance, security and management of property falls on the homeowner
The responsibility of keeping your landed property up to par may be a challenge for first-time homeowners. This can include maintenance issues regarding the exterior facade, or arranging for a regular cadence of servicing for your pool, lift, and landscaping. To make your transition a smooth one, here's our take at a checklist to prepare for:
(i) Create a regular maintenance schedule and costs (e.g. Swimming Pool, Lifts, Aircon)
(ii) Have a rolodex of specialists for non-regular maintenance (e.g. Termites, Roofing, Flooding)
(iii) Make friends with your build partner beyond the Defect Liability Period (DLP)
3. Regular maintenance
A maintenance schedule eliminates guesswork and saves money in the long-term
Preventive maintenance is needed to prevent longer-term issues in your house - this helps avoid costly repairs and incidental damages. The following is a standard list of facilities and the type of maintenance required for each of them. You'll want to have these scheduled with trusted vendors so as to minimise hassle and avoid unexpected outflows. Here are 5 regular maintenance items which you should keep up with:
(i) Swimming Pool
If you have a swimming pool, you will need to ensure that the pool water, its pump & filtration system, and your deck are cleaned and maintained regularly. You can expect to spend anywhere between S$300 - S$500 monthly for a pool maintenance specialist to visit and clean your pool once or twice a week (depending on your vendor). Your specialist should skim and scrub the pool, maintain the filters, as well as check for the chemical levels in the pool. Note that these costs apply for regular cleaning, if you happen to enjoy throwing pool parties then a deep clean would cost more
(ii) Lift
Maintenance requirements for your home lift actually fall under BCA's BMSM regulations of 2016. As a homeowner, you are expected to engage in a registered lift service contractor to maintain your lifts, at a frequency in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations (Typically once every 3 months). To that end, we recommend you use a brand that is fairly established in Singapore so that your options are not too limited. On average, maintenance can set you back ~S$350 per quarter
(iii) Aircon
It's hard to imagine living in Singapore without any air-conditioning. Treat yourself and your air-conditioners right with a yearly servicing contract via a trusted provider. This typically includes changing the air filters and keeping it clean and debris free. Costs will vary heavily depending on the number of units you have. We expect for a 6-unit annual contract (maintenance visits quarterly) at S$400
(iv) Pest control
By far the most common problem faced by landed homeowners in Singapore is mosquito nesting. Between January and September 2020, dengue cases in landed estates accounted for 25% of all cases in Singapore. Aside from mosquitoes, other problems that may occur include termites or bed bugs. As with the other maintenance items, preventive solutions are often cheaper than calling for last minute exterminators. Termite infestations may even cost upwards of S$800 for landed properties. We recommend exploring a long-term contract with a pest control company, who can help lay traps and conduct monthly checks. Costs vary depending on your location and size of your property
(v) Landscaping
Well-maintained landscaping is often an understated factor that contributes towards the timelessness of your house. While completely optional, we recommend that there is at least some form of maintenance done for your garden and courtyard. Depending on the size of your garden and the type of plants you are growing, it can either by run by the family (or the helper), or engaged to a professional
4. Non-regular maintenance
For non-regular maintenance, have a rolodex of vendors handy to avoid last minute scrambling
Aside from a regular maintenance schedule, there are certain occasions where you need to call about a specialist to resolve specific matters. We find it useful to at least know who to call in these instances:
(i) Roofing
As a homeowner, it is important to be aware of the exterior maintenance responsibilities that come with owning a property. Common issues that can occur with the roof include loose shingles, water damage, peeling paints and clogged drains on your roof. By and large, a well-built roof should last you into the decades, but there may still be instances where natural occurrences or additional works being done (e.g. post TOP A&A or solar roof additions) can lead to roof damage. You may want to contact your initial build partner or a roof specialist in this instance, depending on the issue
(ii) Flooding
Flooding in Singapore is actually not uncommon, and there are certain regions which are more susceptible to such instances (Bukit Timah, Tiong Bahru and River Valley, Farrer Park and Jalan Besar, Commonwealth and Queenstown, Pasir Panjang). Before purchasing your property, you might want to check the list of hotspots and flood-prone areas in Singapore to understand if your landed property is susceptible to flooding. Damages can range from loss of property, water cracks in walls, and damaged piping. If your area may be prone to such situations, you may need to do preventive renovations that hold up well to flooding
(iii) Facade touch ups
Even with the most timeless design and faultless workmanship, the exterior of a house will deteriorate over time. Repainting of exterior walls should be done once every 5-6 years. To keep the exterior surface clean, a pressure wash before the paint coat helps to wash away accumulated dirt and algae. You may either rely on cleaning specialists or your build partner if they have the right capabilities and resources
5. Role of your builder
Make friends with your builder, so they can help even after the Defect Liability Period (DLP)
As you can probably tell from the previous section, there are a number of things that your build partner can help with long after the build process is completed. As the builders of your house, they can also advise you on your maintenance schedule, what to look out for in non-regular maintenance, and how they or other partners can help in your servicing needs. The role of the builder typically ends after the Defect Liability Period (DLP), with the rest of the relationship based on goodwill and additional contracting on a needs basis. Let's first dive into what the DLP process is about
The Defect Liability Period (DLP) is the period of time, usually either from the date of Notice of Vacant Possession or when you receive the TOP (whichever is earlier), where the build partner will be responsible to replace and fix any defects in your home for free. The standard period is a year, and it will usually be defined in your build contract. That means that any additional defects spotted during this period can be brought up to your build partner and they will have to rectify it after verifying that it is naturally occurring from their work product. The following is a list of typical defects to look out for pre TOP, which can also be handy in this instance
6. Defects checklist
What happens after the DLP? Your builder is no longer liable for anything outside of this period, which can arise from the use of the property, old age, or from any subsequent A&A works done on the property. Thus, should there be any issues, you will have to engage your own contractor and bear the cost of the repairs. With that being said, most build partners will be happy to help out their clients by advising on any issues and working on the defects or maintenance issues if they have the right capabilities and resources. Even beyond that however, having an experienced builder as a contact you can count on is helpful, as they can even advise on any quotes or solutions proposed by other vendors in your home maintenance journey