If your property is 5 to 10 years+ old and is soon to be vacant or likely to have a period of time between tenancies, it’s time to get a maintenance check and see what you can do to save costs and maximise your returns.  

When properties hit the 5–10 year-old mark, the appliance warranties have usually expired. There’s probably a bit of a wear and tear and, well, it’s probably likely to be looking a little worse for wear. It’s normal, it happens with all properties, particularly investment properties which may have seen a variety of tenants living in it over the years in different ways. We also tend to find that tenants may not have reported inconspicuous maintenance issues and you’ll never really know what they are until it becomes a big problem.

So, what do you do about it? Now is a great time to have a maintenance professional take a look at your property and check out what preventative maintenance is worth doing now. They can recommend if a quick lick of paint, or a minor fix here and there could increase your returns. You may be able to get an extra 10% increase in rent if its looking fresh and everything is in good working order.  

The best part is you can claim all of this on tax.  

Here is a list of items to have looked at by a maintenance expert:

• Appliances
• Fixtures
• Fittings
• Carpet
• Painting
• Flyscreens
• Window furnishings
• Doors and door handles

Do you have a property that fits this criteria and want to see if you can maximise your returns? Get in contact with your Property Manger and we’ll sort out a maintenance check for your property. We can get it actioned in-between tenancies, and make it all happen in time to claim the expenses for this financial year's tax return.