Home repairs and renovations continue to surge in popularity in Australia. According to Roy Morgan Research, close to 8.4 million (or 62%) of the country’s 13.6 million homeowners did some kind of renovation work during the last 12 months, up from 7.5 million (57%) three years earlier.
“The latest figures from Roy Morgan show that, over the last few years, an increasing number of Australians are doing renovations or repairs of some description to their homes,” said Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan Research. “Even bearing in mind that the number of people who own or are paying off a home has grown by 400,000 since 2013, the trend towards domestic improvement is still trending upwards.”
Meanwhile, Australians living in rental accommodations are less likely to spend money on renovations and repairs – as this is generally seen as the landlord’s responsibility.
“When they do [pay for repairs], the timing and decision-making process are very different, with longer-term tenants being more inclined to make home improvements. No doubt, feeling secure in their lease and established in their rental residence would play a role in this,” Levine said.
Landlords have shown equal zeal for home improvement projects, with many popular reality shows inspiring landlords take the do-it-yourself route to repairs and renovations. However, even landlords with the best intentions could be placing their tenants’ safety at risk by relying on their own expertise, warns landlord insurance specialist Terri Scheer Insurance.
Up to a quarter (25%) of work completed by Jim’s Group building maintenance franchisees nationally involves fixing problems created by property owners attempting DIY repairs or renovations.
“Reality television programs are inspiring landlords to bypass the professionals and turn their hand to their own repairs and renovations,” said Carolyn Parrella, executive manager at Terri Scheer Insurance. “Instead of calling in a qualified tradesperson, many landlords try the ‘quick fix’ repairs they see on television both to save money and appease their tenants.
“Many landlords forget there are teams of professional builders and tradesmen that work behind the scenes on reality programs to ensure the contestants’ work [not only] looks good, but is safe and legal, too.”
DIY renovations and repairs often take longer and end up costing more. Moreover, if the work isn’t on par with industry standards, the landlords’ negligence could create serious legal liabilities.
“Landlords should consider whether they have the skills or qualifications to complete the work before getting out their toolbox,” Parrella said.
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