Maintenance is vital ahead of the rainy season

The Cape rainy season is notorious for bringing long periods of continuous soft rain with building maintenance almost impossible over the high rain season between May and September. Then, there is also the school holiday and tourist season over December/January to keep in mind as maintenance crews tend to be on leave from mid-December to mid-January.

On top of that, the nature of coastal property is such that it requires a higher level of maintenance due to the damp and type of rainfall. That means that the first couple of months of the year when it is sunny and mostly dry, is ideal to undertake vital maintenance projects, especially in Sectional Title Schemes.

It is the task of the Body Corporate to properly maintain all common property in a Sectional Title Scheme and keep it in a state of good and serviceable repair as provided for in Section 3(1)(l) of the STSMA (Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act 8 of 2011 (“the STSMA”)). While the Body Corporate must maintain the common property, unit owners must each maintain their section.

The different types of property and what is common and what are sections is usually clearly defined and if not, it is always advisable that this be done. Common property would also include any assets acquired by the Body Corporate which would also need to be maintained, such as play areas and gym equipment, the gardens and gardening equipment and the swimming pool and any equipment for the pool area.

It has become important for the Body Corporate/Trustees to think in advance about the maintenance needs and to even put together an annual maintenance plan. It is best not to wait until the paintwork is so weathered that it now costs you double or the water damage is so bad that it now needs costly structural repairs.

While the maintenance plan will obviously include major maintenance projects such as a full repaint of a complex, there are many other aspects that should be taken care of on a yearly basis. Proper maintenance is vital to ensuring that the property and complex maintains its value and that it attracts good capital growth.

Regular maintenance will also help alleviate the need for large special levy payment projects which can be very difficult and financially challenging for sectional  title owners, especially during a poor economic cycle.

On a yearly basis at least, it might be worthwhile to tackle certain basic aspects to keep the scheme in a good state of repair. Some of these could include:

Damp and waterproofing – this is a major problem for many coastal schemes and hence an annual inspection and spot repairs is always advisable.

Gutters and roofs – blocked gutters and roof leaks can lead to major damp and waterproofing problems later on. Roofs should be cleaned and checked and gutters cleared annually before the onset of the rainy season.

Security, fencing and boundary walls – the security system, electric fence and boundary walls should be checked monthly to ensure its integrity and any faults should immediately be repaired.

Lighting and intercom systems – these are also vital aspects and should be checked and repaired at least monthly.

Wood and iron work – living in a coastal city means more wear and tear on wood and iron work. Use the warmer months to undertake repairs and sealing of wooden windows, doors and other features and to repaint iron railings. Be sure to check and treat all rust damage as it can spread quite quickly.

Clubhouse and swimming pool – any decking repairs is better scheduled for the warmer, dryer summer months. Repairs to the swimming pool can always be done outside of season though.