Richard Greenland
I’m a landlord, but I have also got thirty years experience in the building trade behind me. I’m presently converting a large very run-down semi-detached house into three flats. Before that I did a major renovation of a smaller house (roof off, walls stripped to bare masonry, new floors, significant layout changes) which I then sold. I’m a carpenter by trade, but have done just about every job involved in maintaining houses and flats that you might imagine, plus a few that you might not! I’ve also worked as a shopfitter in London, as well as building scenery and props for pop promo videos (also in London). Other experience includes working as the master carpenter on a major renovation of a 400 year old Grade 2 listed farmhouse in Devon, and in the same role on a high-class conversion of a stable block to four high-spec flats at a Buddhist monastery in South Wales. I’ve worked on many down-market projects as well, so have a wealth of experience at both ends of the market. I don’t know everything about buildings (no-one does), but I know where to look for what I don’t know, so I can generally find it very quickly.
The key to saving money on maintenance is in the thinking.
Greenland Building Restoration and Conversion Project
When doing any work on a property, from a light refurbishment all the way to a major renovation or conversion to flats, or even a new-build project, it is vital to ask yourself what could possibly go wrong and then take steps to prevent it. Be proactive not reactive. Money spent wisely at the outset could save thousands later by future-proofing the building from unnecessary faults. For example consider where leaks are most likely in the plumbing system and put access hatches there. Use appropriate materials, for example use the right type of silicone sealant around a bath and shower tray – a perpetual source of minor repairs for many landlords.
Tenants aren’t as careful with a rented flat as they might be if they owned it themselves – I will show you the many ways I have learnt to make buildings as resilient as possible to the kind of use and abuse that rental property can suffer.
Richard Greenland – Landlord, Developer, and Builder – will write here every Tuesday about building low maintenance flats.
Rich – you are so right. You need to be proactive!
Rich
I am very interested how you can have maintenace free silicon for bathrooms as I do multi lets and use the 25 year guarantee silicon but it is black within a year ! may just be down to cleaning and continual wet environment but I would expect it to last longer have you got any suggestions ?
Paul,
I’m sorry to say there is no such thing as maintenance-free silicone, even the good stuff needs replacement from time to time. If they are guaranteeing it for 25 years, that is a blatant lie and if you can be bothered, I’d take it up with them and ask for your money back. If enough people did that, they’d stop lying!
You can however maximise its longevity by following the steps in my last blog, cleaning and drying of the surfaces really thoroughly, using Dow Corning or similar one-part silicone. Porous tiles, like some types of natural stone, can also cause a problem behind the silicone.
Rich
Totally agree with your philosophy Rich.
I’d be nterested to know more about the 400 year old Grade II Listed farmhouse, where in Devon? We converted a 2500ft2 400 year old Grade II listed cob barn in Mid Devon near Crediton and still own it – rented out at the moment. We did over 75% of the conversion ourselves and learnt so much, wish we’d known you then, it would have been great to exchange ideas.
Jo
Hi Jo, nice to see you here!
The farmhouse was in the village of Diptford, between Totnes and South Brent. Part of it was cob, part stone and lime mortar, with some more recent extensions too. Massive place! It was owned by a doctor who was brilliant, just let us get on with it and was dead pleased with the results. We got another contract afterwards to build a timber conservatory (cedar is very durable and sooo much nicer than PVC), and a sort of quadruple garage and office space for his collection of vintage motorbikes. Happy days!
Rich
Sounds like the farmhouse was similar construction to our barn then. Our barn is part of a Domesday manor with Grade II* listed Farmhouse as centrepiece so loads of history & like you we were very pleased with the results.
We now have to consider whether to further extend into the unconverted part of our barn as we have permissions in place for an Annex (you may have seen my posts on Property Tribes) and this is giving us a bit of a dilemna – but a good one really. I quite like the idea of doing it, just need to justify it financially!
I agree about the timber conservatory. I insisted on my parents having one made by our Joiner who made the barn windows (Douglas fir) and it does look fabulous (although the slight movement of some of the wood has caused the odd minor leak – nothing insummountable)
Jo
Hi Jo yes I have seen the discussion on Tribes but haven’t added to it as I don’t have any comment to make on the financial justification for doing it or not. Without comparables it’s hard to know, and these things are always so individual aren’t they?
Yes Douglas Fir is very durable too and similar in appearance to cedar. Plastic has it’s place (on suburban terraces for instance), but not on 400 year-old farmhouses!